Method, device, and computer-readable memory for communication in a radio access network

Abstract

A communication method, a communication device, and a non-transitory computer-readable memory are provided for generating a first message only within a Radio Access Network (RAN) of a wireless communication network and communicating the first message in a Radio Bearer (RB) with a second communication device within the RAN. The first message is associated with a first message type, and a priority of the first message type is lower than a priority of a second message having a second message type that is communicated via a Core Network (CN) of the wireless communication network. The first message may comprise control signaling or data.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of mobile communications, and more particularly to a method and device for communication within a Radio Access Network (RAN) of a wireless communications network. [Background technology]

[0002] New Radio (NR) is a widely available radio access technology since the deployment of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile networks. NR introduces separation of user traffic data and signaling traffic data by managing them separately in the user plane (UP) and control plane (CP). The UP protocol stack and CP protocol stack are shown in Figures 1A and 1B.

[0003] In UP, the Service Data Application Protocol (SDAP) layer is standardized for handling Quality of Service (QoS). The Core Network (CN) is aware of the service requirements of different QoS, and packets are marked with a QoS Flow Identifier (QFI) that indicates how they should be handled by the data link layer. One type of QFI is the 5G QoS Identifier (5QI). The 5QI is used to indicate how packets marked with a particular QoS should be treated in terms of their forwarding behavior and / or processing. In other words, the QoS and the associated 5QI determine the transmission parameters under which different packets should be treated. The SDAP protocol maps IP packets to different radio bearers according to the QoS requirements indicated by the 5QI, and determines the medium access parameters. control Configure logical channel priorities (LCPs) according to QoS requirements at the (MAC) layer.

[0004] At the MAC layer, multiple LCs can be multiplexed in one transport channel, i.e., within a MAC Protocol Data Unit (PDU), to support prioritized handling. As shown in Figure 2, logical channels are configured with priorities, and according to the LCP (Logical Channel Priority) procedure, the LC with the highest priority is included first in the MAC PDU.

[0005] Regarding CP, currently there is no QoS processing mechanism available in this plane, and the priority of logical channels (LCs) in CP depends on the respective implementation characteristics of the network. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure relates to communication methods and devices that can more efficiently handle communications having different transmission priorities based on different message types, thus enabling QoS handling for new best-effort services and high transmission priority for normal services.

[0007] According to one aspect, a method of communication in a wireless communication network is provided. The method includes generating a first message at a first communication device solely within a Radio Access Network (RAN) of the wireless communication network. The method also includes communicating, by the first communication device, the first message in a Radio Bearer (RB) with a second communication device also solely within the RAN. The first message is associated with a first message type, where a priority of the first message type is lower than a priority of a second message having a second message type communicated via a Core Network (CN) of the wireless communication network. The first message can be any one of control signaling or data.

[0008] In a possible implementation of the method, the first message is communicated without performing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ). Communicating the first message without HARQ retransmissions can reduce air interface overhead.

[0009] In a possible implementation of the method, if the first message is control signaling, the first message is transmitted in a first signaling radio bearer (SRB). The first SRB may be one of a dedicated SRB or a group-common SRB. The priority of the first SRB may be lower than the priority of any one of SRB0 to SRB3. In addition, the priority of a logical channel (LC) in the first SRB may be lower than the priority of the LC of any one of SRB0 to SRB3.

[0010] In a possible implementation of the method, if the first message is data, the first message is transmitted on a first data radio bearer (DRB), which may be one of a dedicated DRB or a group common DRB.

[0011] Advantageously, for communication over the user plane, QoS processes can be reused at the SDAP layer, and for communication over the control plane, new QoS processes can be added.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the method may comprise multiplexing, by the first communication device, the first message on the RB onto a first transport channel, which may comprise any one of an uplink shared channel (UL-SCH), a downlink shared channel (DL-SCH), a specific uplink shared channel (UL-SCH-S), a specific downlink shared channel (DL-SCH-S), a sidelink shared channel (SL-SCH), or a specific sidelink shared channel (SL-SCH-S).

[0013] In a possible implementation, the method may further comprise a step of communicating, by the first communication device, an uplink scheduling request (SR) with the second communication device. Advantageously, uplink SR resources may be dedicated to the first message type.

[0014] In a possible implementation of this method, the LC for communicating the first message is part of a first group of LCs for which HARQ is not performed, and the LC for communicating the second message is part of a second group of LCs for which HARQ is performed. Thus, HARQ retransmissions can be performed only when needed, such as on messages having higher transmission requirements compared to the first type of message. Optionally, the LCs of the second group can be transmitted with higher priority than the LCs of the first group. As can be seen, logical channel prioritization processing can be performed separately (or independently) for messages having higher priority transmission requirements and messages having very low or best-effort transmission requirements according to the first message type.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the method may comprise multiplexing LCs of a first group within a MAC PDU without performing HARQ, and LCs of a second group are multiplexed within the MAC PDU and HARQ is performed for said MAC PDU. As can be seen, multiplexing is performed separately for LCs of the first group and LCs of the second group.

[0016] As can be appreciated, there may be no HARQ retransmissions on the LC carrying messages of the first message type, but ARQ may be performed for other message types.

[0017] In a possible implementation of the method, a first message type may be associated with a first type of quality of service (QoS). The transmission requirements of the first type of QoS may be lower than the transmission requirements of the first type of QoS for the second message type. The first type of QoS may be defined by at least one of a packet loss rate, a packet delay budget, a scheduling weight, a tolerance threshold, a queue management threshold, a link layer protocol setting, reliability, and throughput. As can be seen, messages of the first type, which may be insensitive to packet loss and / or delay, may be transmitted with a low priority or best-effort service, while messages of a different type requiring higher QoS may still be transmitted with a higher transmission priority, as in the case of existing regular services.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the LC may be configured with various parameters: The LC may be configured with a HARQ grant parameter that may be set to true or false; HARQ The permission parameter is set to false for the LCs of the first group. A priority parameter can also be configured for the LCs. The priority parameter can be an integer having a value from 1 to N, where a higher value means a lower priority. The LCs of the first group can be configured with a corresponding priority parameter having a higher value compared to the value of the priority parameter used for the LCs of the second group. Optionally, the value used for the priority parameter of the LCs of the first group can be part of a subset value predefined or configured by the network. Also, 8 kBp After s It is also possible to configure the LCs of the first group using a prioritizedBitRate (PBR) parameter, which can be set below. According to yet another option, the LCs of the first group are 、1 0 msIt may be configured using a BucketSizeDuration (BSD) parameter, which may be set to: Therefore, the assignment or allocation of the first message to the LCs of the first group may be performed based on at least one of the HARQ tolerance parameter, the priority parameter, the PBR parameter, and the BSD parameter.

[0019] According to another aspect, a communications device is provided. The communications device includes at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the at least one processor. The non-transitory computer-readable medium stores programming (or instructions executable by one or more processors) for causing the communications device to generate a first message only within a Radio Access Network (RAN) of a wireless communications network. The programming also causes the device to communicate the first message on a Radio Bearer (RB) with a second communications device within the RAN. The first message is associated with a first message type, where a priority of the first message type is lower than a priority of a second message having a second message type, and the second message is communicated via a Core Network (CN) of the wireless communications network. The first message may be one of control signaling or data.

[0020] In a possible embodiment of the device, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further stores programming for execution by one or more processors to cause the communications device to perform additional and / or optional steps of the methods defined above.

[0021] According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable memory, the memory comprising instructions stored thereon for causing a processor to perform the method defined above.

[0022] As can be seen, local control signaling and data delivery, as well as QoS processing for messages of the first type, are enabled by the proposed method, communication device, and non-transitory computer-readable memory. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] Other objects, advantages and features will become more apparent upon reading the following non-limiting description of embodiments and implementations thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] [Figure 1A] 1 is a schematic diagram of a user plane (UP) protocol stack architecture of a next-generation mobile communication network. [Figure 1B] 1 is a schematic diagram of a control plane (CP) protocol stack architecture for a next-generation mobile communication network. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of logical channel prioritization (LCP) processing in the MAC sublayer; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to a possible implementation. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is another schematic diagram of a communication system according to a possible implementation. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to a possible embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to a possible embodiment; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC structure for a communication method over a CP for uplink (UL) communication, according to a possible implementation. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC structure for a communication method over a CP for downlink (DL) communication according to a possible implementation. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC structure for a communication method over UP for uplink (UL) communication according to a possible implementation. [Figure 10]1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC structure for a communication method over UP for downlink (DL) communication according to a possible implementation. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC structure for a communication method over a CP for sidelink (SL) communication, according to a possible implementation. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC structure for a communication method over UP for sidelink (SL) communication, according to a possible implementation. [Figure 13] Figure 13A is a flow chart of a communication method according to a possible implementation, Figure 13B is a flow chart of an LCP process according to a possible implementation, and Figure 13C is a flow chart of an allocation method for LC parts of the same group according to a possible implementation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The next generation of wireless communication networks, including, for example, sixth generation (6G), is intended to provide for the communication of messages within a radio access network (RAN). These messages typically comprise local traffic signaling or data, referred to as first messages, and are associated with a new message type, referred to as a first message type. Messages of the first message type have a lower priority than other messages having different message types, including, for example, a second message type, where these other messages are communicated via a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network. In a possible implementation, message types having a higher priority than the first message type may correspond to legacy communication services already available in 5G.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the message of the first message type may include different data, such as sensing data (environmental data set), virtual and augmented reality data (VR / AR), ubiquitous or pervasive instant communication data, AI training data, AI intermediate training result data, etc. Alternatively, the message of the first message type may comprise traffic signaling. The message of the first message type may be associated with a first type of quality of service (QoS), such as best effort or ultra-low QoS, which has transmission requirements even lower than the minimum requirements in currently existing communications. Thus, the transmission requirements of the first type of QoS may be lower than the transmission requirements of the QoS for the second type of message. In other words, the QoS transmission requirements of the first type of QoS may be lower than the transmission requirements of the first type of QoS for the second message type. For example, the first message may have a specific QoS requirement, such as a block error rate (BLER) or a given throughput. Thus, the first type of QoS may correspond to, by way of example only, a BLER or a throughput. Taking BLER as an example, for a first message type, the requirement may be that the BLER should be less than 0.2 (BLER<0.2), while for a second message type, the BLER may be less than 0.1 (BLER<0.1). Assuming that the QoS requirement of the first message type is lower than that of the second message type, more transmission errors are tolerated when transmitting the first type message. The QoS of the first message type may be defined by at least one of a packet loss rate, a packet delay budget, a scheduling weight, a tolerance threshold, a queue management threshold, a link layer protocol setting, reliability, and throughput. In a possible implementation, messages of the first message type are communicated using best-effort error rate, latency, and throughput. Additionally, it is contemplated to provide a first message type that enables communication of the first message in either a CP or a UP.

[0027] According to general aspects, a communication method, a communication device, a computer-readable memory, and a MAC structure are provided for communication of a first message over a next generation wireless network, such as 6G. The first message may comprise control signaling or data and thus can be communicated over a CP or an UP for downlink (DL), uplink (UL), and sidelink (SL) communication.

[0028] 3, by way of illustrative example and not limitation, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. The communication system 100 comprises a radio access network 120. The radio access network 120 may be a next generation (e.g., sixth generation (6G) or later) radio access network or a legacy (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) radio access network. One or more Electricity Child device (ED) 110a~ 110i (collectively 110, and sometimes referred to as communication devices) may be interconnected to each other or to one or more network nodes (collectively 170a, 170b, 170) in a radio access network 120. A core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may or may not depend on the radio access technology used in the communication system 100. The communication system 100 also comprises a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary communication system 100. Generally, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired elements to communicate data and other content. The purpose of the communication system 100 may be to provide content such as voice, data, video, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, unicast, and the like. The communication system 100 may operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its components. The communication system 100 may include terrestrial and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100 may provide a wide range of communication services and applications (such as ground surveillance, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.). The communication system 100 may provide high availability and robustness through the cooperative operation of the terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can result in what may be considered a heterogeneous network comprising multiple layers. Compared to traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks may achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link cooperation, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

[0030] The terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered subsystems of a communication system. In the illustrated example, communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a-110d (collectively referred to as EDs 110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a-120b, a non-terrestrial communication network 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RANs 120a-120b include respective base stations (BSs) 170a-170b, which may be collectively referred to as terrestrial transmission / reception points (T-TRPs) 170a-170b. Non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 120c, which may be collectively referred to as non-terrestrial transmission / reception points (NT-TRPs) 172.

[0031] Any ED 110 may alternatively or additionally be configured to interface with, access, or communicate with any other T-TRPs 170a-170b and NT-TRPs 172, the Internet 150, the core network 130, the PSTN 140, other networks 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a may communicate uplink and / or downlink transmissions via interface 190a with T-TRP 170a. In some examples, EDs 110a, 110b, and 110d may also interface with one or more NoE In some examples, the ED 110d may communicate uplink and / or downlink transmissions with the NT-TRP 172 via interface 190c.

[0032] Air interfaces 190a and 190b may use similar communication technologies, such as any suitable radio access technology. For example, communication system 100 may implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). Air interfaces 190a and 190b may utilize other, higher-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0033] The air interface 190c may enable communication between the EDs 110d and one or more NT-TRPs 172 via a wireless link or simply a link. In some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection between a group of EDs and one or more NT-TRPs for multicast transmission.

[0034] The RANs 120a and 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to the EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. The RANs 120a and 120b and / or the core network 130 may communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130 and which may or may not use the same radio access technology as the RAN 120a, RAN 120b, or both. The core network 130 may also serve as gateway access between (i) the RANs 120a and 120b, or the EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c, or both, and (ii) other networks (such as the PSTN 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of the EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include functionality for communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links using different wireless technologies and / or protocols. Alternatively (or in addition to) wireless communication, the EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may communicate with a service provider or switch (not shown) and the Internet 150 via wired communication channels. The PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a network of computers and / or subnets (intranets) and may incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). The EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating according to multiple wireless access technologies and may incorporate multiple transceivers necessary to support such.

[0035] 5 shows another example of the ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b, and / or 170c. The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and autonomous mobility.

[0036] Each of the EDs 110 represents any suitable end-user device for wireless operation, and may be, among other possibilities, a user equipment / device (UE), a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a cellular telephone, a station (STA), a machine type communication (MTC) device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a wireless sensor, a consumer electronic device, a smartbook, a vehicle, an automobile, a truck, a bus, a train, or an IoT device, an industrial device, or The aforementionedThe future generation ED 110 may include (or may be referred to as) a device such as an apparatus within a device (e.g., a communication module, a modem, or a chip). The future generation ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. The base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs, hereinafter referred to as T-TRP 170. As also shown in FIG. 5, the NT-TRP is hereinafter referred to as NT-TRP 172. Each of the EDs 110 connected to the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically turned on (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), turned off (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connection availability and connection need.

[0037] The ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown. One, some, or all of the antennas may alternatively be panels. The transmitter 201 and the receiver 203 may be integrated, for example, as a transceiver. The transceiver is configured to modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also configured to demodulate data or other content received by at least one antenna 204. Each of the transceivers includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or processing signals received wirelessly or via a wired connection. Each of the antennas 204 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0038] The ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. The memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the ED 110. For example, the memory 208 may include any of the memory modules described herein. Processor210. Each of the memories 208 may store software instructions or modules configured to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments performed by the memory 208. Each of the memories 208 includes any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory may be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, on-processor cache, etc.

[0039] ED 110 may further include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (such as a wired interface to Internet 150 in FIG. 3). The input / output devices enable interaction with users or other devices in a network. Each of the input / output devices includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving information from a user, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display, or touchscreen, including network interface communication.

[0040] The ED 110 further includes a processor 210 for performing operations including operations related to preparing a transmission for uplink transmission to the NT-TRP 172 and / or the T-TRP 170, operations related to processing a downlink transmission received from the NT-TRP 172 and / or the T-TRP 170, and operations related to processing a sidelink transmission to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for uplink transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, generating symbols for transmission, etc. Processing operations related to processing a downlink transmission may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation and decoding of received symbols, etc. Depending on the embodiment, the downlink transmission may be received by the receiver 203, possibly using receive beamforming, and the processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmission (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding the signaling). An example of signaling may be a reference signal transmitted by the NT-TRP 172 and / or the T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 implements transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications, e.g., beam angle information (BAI), received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding and acquiring system information, etc. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform channel estimation, e.g., using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0041] Although not shown, the processor 210 may form part of the transmitter 201 and / or the receiver 203. Although not shown, the memory 208 may form part of the processor 210.

[0042] The processor 210 and the processing components of the transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of the processor 210 and the transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be implemented using special purpose circuitry, such as a programmed field programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphical processing unit (GPU), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0043] T-TRP170 is a term used to refer to, among other possibilities, base station, base transceiver station (BTS), radio base station, network node, network device, network side device, transmitting / receiving node, Node B, evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), Home eNode B, Next Generation Node B (gNB), Transmission Point (TP )、 It may be known by other names in some implementations, such as a site controller, access point (AP), or wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device, or terrestrial base station, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distribution unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The T-TRP 170 may be a macro BS, pico BS, relay node, donor node, etc., or a combination thereof. The T-TRP 170 may be a The aforementioned It may refer to a forged device or apparatus within a device (e.g., a communications module, modem, or chip).

[0044] In some embodiments, parts of the T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some of the modules of the T-TRP 170 may be located remotely from the equipment housing the T-TRP 170's antenna and may be coupled to the equipment housing the antenna via a communications link (not shown), sometimes known as a fronthaul, such as a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI). Thus, in some embodiments, the term T-TRP 170 may refer to a network-side module that performs processing operations such as determining the location of the ED 110, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, and that is not necessarily part of the equipment housing the T-TRP 170's antenna. Modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, the T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve the ED 110, for example, through coordinated multipoint transmission.

[0045] The T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown. One, some, or all of the antennas may alternatively be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. The T-TRP 170 further includes a processor 260 for performing operations including operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink transmission to the ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from the ED 110, preparing a transmission for backhaul transmission to the NT-TRP 172, and processing transmissions received via the backhaul from the NT-TRP 172. The processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or over the backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming and demodulation and decoding of received symbols. The processor 260 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating synchronization signal block (SSB) content and generating system information. In some embodiments, the processor 260 also generates a beam direction indication, e.g., a BAI, that may be scheduled for transmission by the scheduler 253. The processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of the ED 110 and determining where to deploy the NT-TRP 172. In some embodiments, the processor 260 may generate signaling, for example, to configure one or more parameters of the ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of the NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by the processor 260 is transmitted by the transmitter 252.It should be noted that "signaling" as used herein may alternatively be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling may be transmitted in a control channel, e.g., a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and static or semi-static higher layer signaling may be included in packets transmitted in a data channel, e.g., a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0046] The scheduler 253 may be coupled to the processor 260. The scheduler 253 may be included within the T-TRP 170 or operated separately from the T-TRP 170 and may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling grants and / or configuring scheduling-free ("configured grants") resources. The T-TRP 170 further includes a memory 258 for storing information and data. The memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the T-TRP 170. For example, the memory 258 may store software instructions or modules configured to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and performed by the processor 260.

[0047] Although not shown, the processor 260 may form part of the transmitter 252 and / or the receiver 254. Also, although not shown, the processor 260 may implement the scheduler 253. Although not shown, the memory 258 may form part of the processor 260.

[0048] The processor 260, the scheduler 253, and the processing components of the transmitter 252 and the receiver 254 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, e.g., the memory 258. Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of the processor 260, the scheduler 253, and the transmitter 252 and the receiver 254 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry, such as an FPGA, a GPU, or an ASIC.

[0049] Although the NT-TRP 172 is shown as a drone by way of example only, the NT-TRP 172 may be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form. The NT-TRP 172 may also be known by other names, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station, in some implementations. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown. One, some, or all of the antennas may alternatively be panels. The transmitter 272 and the receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 further includes a processor 276 for performing operations, including operations related to preparing transmissions for downlink transmission to the ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from the ED 110, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmission to the T-TRP 170, and processing transmissions received via the backhaul from the T-TRP 170. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing a transmission received in the uplink or via the backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, and demodulation and decoding of received symbols. In some embodiments, the processor 276 implements transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from the T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 276 may generate signaling, for example, to configure one or more parameters of the ED 110. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher layer functions, such as functions at the medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layer. This is merely an example; more generally, the NT-TRP 172 may implement higher layer functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0050] The NT-TRP 172 further includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. Although not shown, the processor 276 may form part of the transmitter 272 and / or the receiver 274. Although not shown, the memory 278 may form part of the processor 276.

[0051] The processor 276 and the processing components of the transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, e.g., memory 278. Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of the processor 276 and the transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry, such as a programmed FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 may actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to service the ED 110, for example, through coordinated multipoint transmission.

[0052] T-TRP170, NT-TRP172, and / or ED110 may contain other components, which have been omitted for clarity.

[0053] According to Figure 6, one or more steps of the embodiment method provided herein may be performed by a corresponding unit or module. Figure 6 illustrates a unit or module in a communication device, such as in the ED 110, the T-TRP 170, or the NT-TRP 172. For example, a signal may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or a transmitting module. . FaithThe signal may be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. The signal may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps may be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) module. Each unit or module may be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of the units or modules may be an integrated circuit such as a programmed FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. When modules are implemented using software, for example, for execution by a processor, it will be understood that they may be retrieved by the processor, in single or multiple instances, individually or together, in whole or in part, for processing as needed, and the modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0054] Additional details regarding ED110, T-TRP170, and NT-TRP172 are known to those skilled in the art, and therefore, these details are omitted herein.

[0055] As will be understood from the following paragraphs, the proposed method, apparatus, and structure are based on the fact that a first message is generated in a first communication device, where the first message is communicated only within a RAN of a communication network. The first message is communicated by the first communication device in a radio bearer (RB), where the RB can be a signaling radio bearer (SRB) or a data radio bearer (DRB) depending on the content of the first message (i.e., control signaling or data). The first message is communicated to a second communication device also located within the RAN. The first message is associated with a first message type, where the priority of the first message type is lower than the priority of a second message having a second message type designed to be communicated via a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network. In a possible implementation, the first message is communicated without performing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ). Depending on the implementation described below, a communication device may include, by way of example only, an ED (which may also be referred to as a UE) or a base station (such as a T-TRP or NT-TRP).

[0056] MAC Structure for the First Message Type Different options are available for communicating a first message having a first message type. According to a possible implementation, if the first message comprises control signaling, it can be transmitted on a control plane (CP) using a signaling radio bearer (SRB). Thus, the first message can be transmitted in a first signaling radio bearer (SRB), where the first SRB is one of a dedicated SRB or a group-common SRB, and the group-common SRB can be shared by multiple communication devices. According to another possible implementation, if the first message comprises, for example, data as described above, it can be transmitted on a user plane (UP) using a first data radio bearer (DRB), where the first DRB is one of a dedicated DRB or a group-common DRB, and the group-common DRB can be shared by multiple communication devices.

[0057] 7 and 8, possible structures for communication of the first message via the control plane (CP) of the RAN are provided. In this exemplary implementation, the structure is a medium access control (MAC) structure portion of the MAC layer. FIG. 7 shows a possible implementation for uplink communication (UL), and FIG. 8 shows a possible implementation for downlink (DL) communication.

[0058] Uplink or downlink communication of the first message on the control plane (CP) Referring to FIG. 7 , where UL communication is performed in a CP, a dedicated SRB is used to provide communication of a first message associated with a first message type. In this exemplary implementation, the dedicated SRB is referred to as SRB4. This dedicated SRB is used to communicate control signaling included in the first message, where this control signaling has a lower transmission priority than other higher-priority control signaling associated with higher-priority message types that are mapped to other SRBs, such as SRB0-SRB3. In other words, the priority of the first SRB is lower than the priority of any one of SRB0 to SRB3, and the logical channel (LC) of SRB4 carries the lower-priority control signaling. Therefore, the priority of the LC of SRB4 has a lower priority than the priority of the LCs of SRB0 to SRB3. The priority of the LC of SRB4 can be predefined or configured by the network (NW).

[0059] SRB0-3 are standardized in 3GPP NR, where SRB0 carries RRC messages using the CCCH logical channel, SRB1 all use the DCCH logical channel to carry RRC messages which may include piggybacked non-access stratum (NAS) messages and pre-establishment NAS messages of SRB2, SRB2 all use the DCCH logical channel to carry NAS messages, and SRB3 all use the DCCH logical channel for specific RRC messages when the UE is in EN-DC.

[0060] According to a possible implementation, to reduce air interface overhead, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) retransmissions for messages of the first message type need not be enabled. controlRegarding automatic repeat request (ARQ) performed in the RLC layer, this error control method can also be flexibly configured by the NW according to yet another possible implementation. For example, the NW may configure the RLC entity in acknowledged mode (AM) mode to enable ARQ, or alternatively, the NW may configure the RLC entity in unacknowledged mode (UM) mode or transparent mode (TM) mode to disable ARQ. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, HARQ retransmissions are not performed for LCs carried on a dedicated SRB, i.e., SRB4, but are performed for LCs on SRBs 0 to 3.

[0061] According to a possible implementation, multiplexing of LCs carrying messages of a first message type may be performed separately from multiplexing of LCs carrying messages of a higher priority message type. As can be understood, assuming that HARQ retransmissions are not performed on LCs carrying messages of a first message type and HARQ is performed on LCs carrying messages of a higher priority message type, a lower priority LC cannot be multiplexed with a higher priority LC. Otherwise, HARQ error correction and error control operations may be jeopardized. For example, when LCs of a transport channel, such as an uplink shared channel (UL-SCH), are multiplexed, considering that LCs on SRB0-3 / DRB are subject to HARQ retransmissions but LCs on SRB4 are not. If a network multiplexes LCs on SRB0-3 / DRB and LCs on SRB4 into one transport channel, HARQ operations cannot be enabled because a given LC may require retransmission but another LC may not. Therefore, separate LC multiplexing must be performed, i.e., as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the NW and UE can multiplex LCs on SRB0-3 (or on DRBs, as described for UP communication) into one transport channel and can multiplex LCs on SRB4 into one transport channel, but the LCs on SRB0-3 (or DRBs) and the LC on SRB4 cannot be multiplexed into one transport channel.

[0062] According to another implementation, a separate logical channel prioritization (LCP) can be performed for the first SRB (e.g., SRB4) carrying the first message and for other SRBs (e.g., SRB0-3) carrying higher priority message types. Note that LCP and (de)multiplexing are optional processes and do not necessarily have to be performed.

[0063] 7 and 8, at the logical channel level, the LC on SRB4 can be a dedicated control channel (DCCH) or a specific LC, e.g., DCCH-specific (DCCH-S). For example, the specific LC can be an LC dedicated to transmitting a first type of message. With regard to the transport channel level for SRB4, the channel used can be an uplink shared channel (UL-SCH in FIG. 7) or a downlink shared channel (DL-SCH in FIG. 8), or a specific transport channel, e.g., UL-SCH-specific (UL-SCH-S in FIG. 7) or DL-SCH-specific (DL-SCH-S in FIG. 8).

[0064] For example, referring to FIG. 7, a UL message of a first message type carrying low priority control signaling may be communicated on a first signaling radio bearer SRB4, the Radio Link Control Service Access Point (RLC-SAP) may be one of Acknowledged Mode (AM), Unacknowledged Mode (UM), or Transparent Mode (TM), the LC may be one of DCCH or DCCH-S, and the message direction is from the user equipment to the network as summarized below. - Signaling Radio Bearer: SRB4 - RLC-SAP:AM / UM / TM - Logical channel: DCCH or DCCH-S - Direction: UE to network

[0065] As another example, referring to FIG. 8, a first message type DL message carrying low priority signaling may be communicated on signaling radio bearer SRB4, the Radio Link Control Service Access Point (RLC-SAP) may be one of Acknowledged Mode (AM), Unacknowledged Mode (UM), or Transparent Mode (TM), the LC may be one of DCCH or DCCH-S, and the message direction is from the network to the user equipment, as summarized below: - Signaling Radio Bearer: SRB4 - RLC-SAP:AM / UM / TM - Logical channel: DCCH or DCCH-S - Direction: Network to UE

[0066] Uplink or downlink communication of the first message on the user plane (UP) Next, referring to Figures 9 and 10, MAC structures and communication methods for UL and DL messages of a first message type when carrying data in the user plane are described according to possible implementations. In Figure 9, UL communication occurs in the UP, and a data radio bearer (DRB) is used to provide communication of a first message related to the first message type. In this case, the DRB used to carry the first message is the same as that used for a second message associated with a normal or legacy service (e.g., a second message type). The (new) DRB flow defined in Figure 9 or 10 using LCP and (de)multiplexing parameters may indicate specific QoS forwarding behavior and processing for a first message type with ultra-low priority requirements. LCP and (de)multiplexing are optional processing, and therefore, the LCP and (de)multiplexing parameters may also be optional. The priority requirements may include one or more of a packet loss rate, a packet delay budget, a scheduling weight, a tolerance threshold, a queue management threshold, and link layer protocol settings, such as a high packet loss rate, a high packet delay budget, and a small scheduling weight. In other words, messages of the first message type may be communicated with the lowest priority corresponding to best effort transmission or delivery.

[0067] The higher priority data may correspond to data associated with a QFI defined in accordance with 5G 3GPP, such as, by way of example only, conversational voice, live streaming video, real-time gaming, or IMS signaling. In contrast to messages having a higher priority message type, messages of the first message type are less sensitive to packet loss and / or delay, since packet loss has limited impact on the overall communication of local traffic data. For example, an artificial intelligence (AI) model may detect that some sensing / AI data packets communicated by a communication device are parable Lost Even , can be successfully trained.

[0068] According to a possible implementation, in order to reduce air interface overhead, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) retransmissions for messages carrying this type of data do not need to be enabled. control Regarding automatic repeat request (ARQ) performed in the (RLC) layer, this error control method can also be flexibly configured by the NW according to yet another possible implementation. For example, the NW may configure the acknowledged mode (AM) mode for the RLC entity to enable ARQ, or alternatively, the NW may configure the unacknowledged mode (UM) mode or the transparent mode (TM) mode for the RLC entity to disable ARQ. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, HARQ retransmissions are not performed for LCs carried on DRBs.

[0069] Based on the DRB flow configuration associated with the first type message or packet, the network or communication device (UE) can map the QoS flow to a DRB with a low logical channel priority. Similar to control signaling transmitted on the control plane, HARQ retransmissions are not performed for LCs carrying low-priority data included in the first type message on the user plane. In addition, similar to CP communication, separate LCPs and (de)multiplexing are performed for LCs carrying data of the first message type and LCs carrying data associated with higher-priority message types.

[0070] 9 and 10, at the logical channel level, the LC on the DRB can be a dedicated traffic channel (DTCH) or a specific LC, e.g., DTCH-specific (DTCH-S). With respect to the transport channel level for the DRB, the channel used can be an uplink shared channel (UL-SCH in FIG. 9) or a downlink shared channel (DL-SCH in FIG. 10), or a specific transport channel, e.g., UL-SCH-specific (UL-SCH-S in FIG. 9) or DL-SCH-specific (DL-SCH-S in FIG. 10).

[0071] For example, referring to Figure 9, a first message type UL message carrying low priority data may be communicated on a data radio bearer DRB. The radio link control service access point (RLC-SAP) may be in one of acknowledged mode (AM), unacknowledged mode (UM), or transparent mode (TM). The LC may be one of DTCH or DTCH-S, and the message direction is from the user equipment to the network, as summarized below. - Radio Bearer: DRB - RLC-SAP:AM / UM / TM - Logical channel: DTCH or DTCH-S - Direction: UE to network

[0072] As another example, referring to FIG. 10, a first message type DL message carrying low priority data may be communicated on a data radio bearer DRB, the radio link control service access point (RLC-SAP) may be one of acknowledged mode (AM), unacknowledged mode (UM), or transparent mode (TM), the LC may be one of DTCH or DTCH-S, and the message direction is from the network to the user equipment, as summarized below: - Radio Bearer: DRB - RLC-SAP:AM / UM / TM - Logical channel: DTCH or DTCH-S - Direction: Network to UE

[0073] As can be seen, the proposed method and structure enables QoS treatment for messages carrying local traffic (either signaling or data) according to a very low priority or best effort service, while still allowing a higher transmission priority for messages associated with existing normal services. Assuming that the first type of message is transmitted according to a very low or best effort service, HARQ retransmissions may not be implemented for this new service, which advantageously reduces air interface overhead.

[0074] Logical channel configuration for the first message type According to a possible implementation, the LC for communicating the first message is part of a first group of LCs for which HARQ is not performed, while the LC for communicating a higher priority message (e.g., the second message) is part of a second group of LCs for which HARQ is performed. The logical channel configuration can be as follows:

[0075] - HARQ Allowed: True or False. A parameter may be provided that indicates whether HARQ retransmissions must be performed. For example, the NW may set this parameter, called HARQ grant, to false (or 0) for LCs of the first group and to true (or 1) for LCs of the second group (i.e., LCs associated with conventional or higher priority services).

[0076] - Priority: Integer A parameter may be provided that indicates the priority level of the message being communicated. For example, the priority parameter may take on multiple integer values ​​(such as, by way of example only, INTEGER 1-16), where lower values ​​correspond to higher priorities. For LCs in the first group carrying messages associated with a first message type (i.e., without HARQ), the priority parameter may be configured with higher values ​​in the range. In a possible implementation, a subset of the available priority values ​​may be reserved for LCs in the first group, while another subset of the available priority values ​​may be reserved for higher priority LCs. In a possible implementation, priority values ​​allocated to LCs in the first group (without HARQ) may be greater than priority values ​​allocated to higher priority LCs, since higher values ​​correspond to lower priorities. For example, INTEGER (15, 16) may belong to LCs in the first group, while the remaining values ​​(1 to 14) belong to higher priority services. The subset may be predefined or configured by the network.

[0077] - Prioritized Bit Rate (PBR) A parameter may be provided that indicates a preferred bit rate for the message being communicated. For example, this parameter may have an ENUMERATED type, where different values ​​in the list correspond to different bit rates, such as {kBps 0, kBps 8, kBps 16, kBps 32, kBps 64, kBps 128, kBps 256, kBps 512, kBps 1024, kBps 2048, kBps 4096, kBps 8192, kBps 16384, kBps 32768, kBps 65536, infinity}. When HARQ retransmissions are not allowed, i.e., when the HARQ grant parameter is set to false, a subset of values ​​for the PBR parameter may be set to, by way of example only, 0 kBps or 8 kBps. The PBR parameter is used when performing LCP processing. The subset of PBRs may be predefined or configured by the NW.

[0078] - BucketSizeDuration(BSD) A parameter may be provided that indicates the bucket size period of a message or packet to be communicated. For example, this parameter may have an ENUMERATED type, where different values ​​in the list correspond to different periods, such as {ms5, ms10, ms20, ms50, ms100, ms150, ms300, ms500, ms1000}. When HARQ retransmissions are not allowed, i.e., when the HARQ grant parameter is set to false, a subset of values ​​for the BSD parameter may be set to, by way of example only, ms5 or ms10. The BSD parameter is used when performing LCP processing. The subset of BSD may be predefined or configured by the NW.

[0079] - Scheduling Request (SR) ID: SR configuration applicable to the first group LC. In a possible implementation, dedicated SR resources (e.g., SR periodicity and offset, PUCCH resources) may be linked to the first group of LCs associated with the first message type. The NW can implicitly derive the SR for the new service and allocate resources accordingly. Thus, the NW can configure orthogonal SR resources for the first message type (no HARQ retransmissions) and for other higher priority / normal services (with HARQ performed). Thus, uplink SR resources may be dedicated to the first message type.

[0080] Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) for the first message type Logical channel prioritization (LCP) is a process that is normally performed whenever a new transmission is performed. According to a possible implementation, the LCP process for an LC carrying a low-priority message (e.g., a first message) associated with a first message type priority is performed separately or distinctly from the LCP process performed for higher-priority messages associated with a higher-priority / legacy message type or service. The LCP process preferably starts only after all LCs carrying higher-priority messages have been transmitted. In other words, the second group of LCs (carrying higher-priority messages) are transmitted with a higher priority than the first group of LCs (carrying lower-priority messages).

[0081] According to a possible implementation, the first step (step 1) of the LCP process is logical channel grouping. LCs are grouped into two or more groups, where N is the number of groups and N≧2. LCs carrying higher priority messages for which HARQ retransmissions are performed can belong to one or more groups. LCs carrying lower priority messages, i.e., LCs for which HARQ retransmissions are not performed, belong to one or more groups. For example, if there are two groups, where N=2, the LC carrying the first message for which HARQ is not performed belongs to the first group, i.e., group-1, while the LC carrying the second message with HARQ retransmissions belongs to the second group, i.e., group-2. Of course, other implementations are possible, such as when N is greater than 2 for LCs carrying lower priority messages, and in such cases, the LCs are assigned to different priority groups.

[0082] Logical Channel Grouping According to a possible implementation, the second step (step 2) consists in prioritizing the LCs (LCPs) for N groups of LCs carrying higher priority data in order to transmit the LCs carrying higher priority data first. In this second step, the LCP processing within a group corresponds to section 5.4.3.1 of TS 38.321 (Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocol Specification) of the 3GPP NR protocol.

[0083] with LCP-HARQ for groups of LCs carrying higher priority data According to a possible implementation, the second step comprises three sub-steps: In the first sub-step (step 2-1), the following UE variables are used for the logical channel prioritization procedure: - Bj maintained for each logical channel j.

[0084] The MAC entity initializes Bj of an LC to zero when the LC is first established. Then, for each logical channel j, the MAC entity 1> increment Bj by the product PBR × T before every instance of the LCP procedure, where T is the time elapsed since Bj was last incremented; 1>If the value of Bj is greater than the bucket size (i.e., PBR × BSD), 2>Set Bj to the bucket size.

[0085] According to a possible implementation, the second substep consists in selecting a candidate LC (i.e., candidate logical channel selection). The MAC entity selects a logical channel that meets a given set of conditions, where the conditions vary depending on different service requirements. For example, for a given service or message type, latency requirements and / or throughput can be set to predefined values, and these values ​​can vary for each message type, and therefore different conditions must be met for different services or message types.

[0086] For example, for an UL transmission, the communication device selects an LC for each UL permit that satisfies the following conditions: 2> the set of allowed subcarrier spacing index values ​​in allowedSCS-List, if set, includes the subcarrier spacing index associated with the UL permission; 2> maxPUSCH-Duration, if configured, is greater than or equal to the PUSCH transmission duration associated with the UL grant; 2>configuredGrantType1Allowed, if set, is set to true if the UL grant is Configured Grant Type 1. 2>allowedServingCells, if set, contains cell information associated with UL authorization. For logical channels associated with DRBs configured with PDCP duplication (i.e., CA duplication) within the same MAC entity where PDCP duplication is deactivated, it is Not applicable.

[0087] According to a possible implementation, the third substep consists in allocating resources, where the resources are allocated in descending order of priority, details of which can be found in section 5.4.3.1 of TS38.321.

[0088] LCP for the first group of LCs Once all data in the group containing the LC carrying the higher priority message (for which HARQ is enabled) has been transmitted, the MAC entity performs LCP processing for one or more groups with LCs carrying messages of the first type for which HARQ is not enabled. The MAC entity performs the substeps described above for the HARQ-enabled LC, including LC selection and resource allocation.

[0089] As can be appreciated, the proposed method is advantageous because it provides a dedicated LC configuration for the first message type and a separate LCP, enabling QoS processing for messages associated with this new message type.

[0090] Sidelink (SL) communication of the first message Next, with reference to Figures 11 and 12, a MAC structure and a communication method for SL messages in UP and CP according to a possible implementation will be described.

[0091] Sidelink communication of the first message over the control plane (CP) Referring to FIG. 11 , where SL communication is performed in a CP, a dedicated SL-SRB is used to provide communication of a first message associated with a first message type. In this exemplary implementation, the dedicated SL-SRB is referred to as SL-SRB4. This dedicated SL-SRB is used to communicate a first message having a lower transmission priority than other higher priority messages mapped to other SL-SRBs, such as SL-SRB0-3. In other words, the logical channel (LC) of SL-SRB4 carries low priority messages, such as local control signaling traffic. Therefore, the priority of the LC of SL-SRB4 is lower than the LCs of SL-SRB0-3. The priority of the LC of SL-SRB4 can be predefined or configured by the network.

[0092] According to a possible implementation, to reduce air interface overhead, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) retransmissions for the first message need not be enabled. control Regarding automatic repeat request (ARQ) performed in the RLC layer, this error control method can also be flexibly configured by the NW according to yet another possible implementation. For example, the NW may configure the acknowledged mode (AM) mode for the RLC entity to enable ARQ, or alternatively, the NW may configure the unacknowledged mode (UM) or transparent mode (TM) mode for the RLC entity to disable ARQ. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, HARQ retransmissions are not performed for LCs carried on a dedicated SL-SRB, i.e., SL-SRB4, but are performed for LCs on SL-SRB0-3.

[0093] According to a possible implementation, multiplexing of LCs carrying messages of the first message type is performed separately from multiplexing of LCs carrying messages of higher priority. As can be understood, assuming that HARQ retransmissions are not performed for LCs carrying the first message (or lower priority messages) and HARQ is performed for LCs carrying higher priority messages, the lower priority LCs cannot be multiplexed with LCs carrying higher priority messages. Otherwise, HARQ error correction and error control operations will be jeopardized. For example, when LCs of a transport channel, e.g., MAC PDUs for a Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH), are multiplexed, the LCs on SL-SRB0-3 / SL-DRB are subject to HARQ retransmission, but the LC on SL-SRB4 is not. Considering this, if the NW multiplexes the LCs on SL-SRB0-3 (or SL-DRB for UP communication) and SL-SRB4 into one transport channel, a given LC may require retransmission, but another LC may not, and therefore HARQ operation cannot be enabled. Therefore, separate LC multiplexing must be performed, i.e., as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the NW and UE can multiplex LCs on SL-SRB0-3 (or on SL-DRB, as described for UP communication) into one transport channel and can multiplex LCs on SL-SRB4 into one transport channel, but the LCs on SL-SRB0-3 (or SL-DRB) and the LC on SL-SRB4 cannot be multiplexed into one transport channel.

[0094] According to another implementation, a separate Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) can be performed for radio bearers associated with the first message type (SL-SRB4) and other higher priority message types (SL-SRB0~ or SL-DRB). Note that LCP and (de)multiplexing are optional and do not necessarily have to be performed.

[0095] 11, at the logical channel level, the LC on the SL-SRB4 can be the Sidelink Control Channel (SCCH) or a specific LC, e.g., SCCH-specific (SCCH-S). Regarding the transport channel level for the SL-SRB4, the channel used can be the Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH) or a specific transport channel, e.g., SL-SCH-specific (SL-SCH-S).

[0096] For example, referring to FIG. 11, a first message type, an SL message carrying low priority control signaling, may be communicated on a dedicated signaling radio bearer SL-SRB4, the Radio Link Control Service Access Point (RLC-SAP) may be one of Acknowledged Mode (AM), Unacknowledged Mode (UM), or Transparent Mode (TM), the LC may be one of SCCH or SCCH-S, and the message direction is from a user equipment to another user equipment, as summarized below: - Signaling Radio Bearer: SL-SRB4 - RLC-SAP:AM / UM / TM - Logical channel: SCCH or SCCH-S - Direction: UE to UE

[0097] Sidelink communication of the first message over the user plane (UP) Referring now to FIG. 12, a MAC structure and communication method for SL messages in the user plane according to a possible implementation are described. In FIG. 12, SL communication occurs in the UP, and a sidelink data radio bearer (SL-DRB) is used to provide communication of messages related to a first message type. In this case, the SL-DRB used to carry messages of the first message type is the same as that used for messages associated with normal or legacy services. The (new) DRB flow defined in FIG. 12, with LCP and (de)multiplexing parameters, may indicate reference to specific QoS forwarding behavior and processing for messages with very-low priority requirements. LCP and (de)multiplexing are optional processing, and therefore, the LCP and (de)multiplexing parameters may also be optional. The priority requirements may include one or more of a packet loss rate, a packet delay budget, a scheduling weight, a tolerance threshold, a queue management threshold, and link layer protocol settings, such as a high packet loss rate, a high packet delay budget, and a small scheduling weight. In other words, messages of the first type may be communicated with the lowest priority corresponding to best-effort transmission or delivery.

[0098] Based on the DRB flow configuration associated with the low-priority message (e.g., the first message), the transmitting (TX) UE can map the QoS flow to an SL-DRB with a low logical channel priority. Similar to messages transmitted on the control plane, HARQ retransmissions are not performed for the LC carrying the low-priority message (e.g., the first message) on the user plane. In addition, similar to the case of CP communication, separate LCPs and (de)multiplexing are performed for the LC carrying the first type message and the LC carrying messages related to higher priority / legacy services.

[0099] 12, at the logical channel level, the LC on the SL-DRB can be a shared traffic channel (STCH) or a specific LC, e.g., STCH-specific (STCH-S). Regarding the transport channel level for the SL-DRB, the channel used can be a sidelink shared channel (SL-SCH) or a specific transport channel, e.g., SL-SCH-specific (SL-SCH-S).

[0100] For example, referring to FIG. 12, the SL message carrying the first message is a sidelink data radio bearer. ( SL-DRB ) The Radio Link Control Service Access Point (RLC-SAP) can be in one of acknowledged mode (AM), unacknowledged mode (UM), or transparent mode (TM). The LC can be one of STCH or STCH-S, and the message direction is from a user equipment to another user equipment, as summarized below. - Radio bearer: SL-DRB - RLC-SAP:AM / UM / TMn - Logical channel: STCH or STCH-S - Direction: UE to UE

[0101] Advantageously, according to the proposed communication method, QoS processing for messages associated with the first message type is also enabled for sidelink communication.

[0102] With reference to Figures 13A to 13C, possible steps of the method described above are outlined in a flow chart.

[0103] 13A, a first communication device, such as any one of devices 110, 170, or 172 of FIGS. 3 through 6, may generate a first message solely within a radio access network (RAN) of a wireless communication network. The communication device may communicate the first message in a radio bearer (RB) for transmission to a second communication device within the RAN. The first message may be associated with a first message type, and the priority of the first message type is lower than the priority of a second message having a second message type, which is communicated via a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network, as per block 1010 of the flow diagram. In possible embodiments, the first message comprises one of control signaling or data.

[0104] For DL ​​communications, the first communication device may be, for example, a BS (such as device 170 or 172), while the second communication device is an ED (or UE) 110. In other embodiments, such as for UL communications, the first communication device may be an ED (or UE), while the second communication device may be a BS. For sidelink communications, both the first and second communication devices may be implemented as EDs (or UEs).

[0105] Optionally, logical channel prioritization (LCP) may be performed by the communication device (step 1012). Further optionally, logical channels (LCs) carrying lower priority messages (e.g., a first message having a first message type) may be multiplexed separately from LCs carrying higher priority messages (e.g., a second message having a second message type), as per step 1014. Further optionally, LCs carrying lower priority messages may be multiplexed separately from LCs carrying higher priority messages (e.g., a second message having a second message type), as per step 1016. but It can be added to the MAC PDU that is not implemented.

[0106] Referring to Figure 13B, optional steps of the LCP are summarized. The LCP may comprise a first step 1020 of creating at least two groups, where the first group comprises LCs carrying low priority messages (or messages having a first message type) and the second group comprises LCs carrying higher priority messages (such as messages having a second message type). The LCs carrying higher priority messages are assigned to the second group. Re( Step 1022),Fig. 13 The LCs carrying messages of lower priority are assigned to the first group. Re( Step 1023),Fig. 13 It is transmitted by decreasing the priority as shown in step C.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 13C, the allocation of LCs in the second group comprises maintaining Bj for each LCj, where Bj represents the current bucket content for LCj. The MAC entity then increments Bj by the product BPR×T (the time elapsed since the last increment) and sets Bj to the bucket size (step 1030). An LC channel is then selected (step 1032) based on the service requirements associated with the LC (e.g., to meet the latency or throughput requirements for a given service). After all data in the group where the LC is configured with HARQ parameters set to permitted (i.e., after all LCs carrying higher priority messages have been transmitted), an LCP and LC transmission for the LC group with HARQ parameters set to false or not permitted is performed. As can be seen, the specific LC configuration for messages of the first group and the separate LCP for LCs carrying messages of the first type ensure proper processing of messages of the first type.

[0108] The examples described with reference to the various implementations and embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether a function is performed by hardware or software depends on the application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use various methods to implement the described functions for each application.

[0109] In some embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the shown or described mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented by using some interfaces. Indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be implemented electronically, mechanically, or in other forms.

[0110] All or part of the implementations and embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used to perform a given implementation, it can be fully or partially implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the steps or functions according to the implementation of the present invention are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted using a computer-readable storage medium.

[0111] As can be understood from the above description and the exemplary implementation provided, data delivery and QoS processing for a first type of message, such as local control signaling and data, is enabled by the proposed method, communication device and structure. According to a first alternative, for communication over the UP, QoS processing can advantageously be reused at the SDAP layer. For communication over the CP, new QoS processing is added.

[0112] Regarding HARQ retransmission processing and LCP in the MAC layer, the present method, communication device, and structure propose not to perform HARQ for an LC carrying a message of the first message type, but ARQ may be performed in the RLC. In addition, LCP processing is performed separately (or independently) for messages with higher priority transmission requirements and messages with very low or best-effort transmission requirements according to the first message type. Finally, the LC may be associated with a dedicated signaling request (SR) setting for the first message type.

[0113] Several alternative implementations and examples have been illustrated and described herein. The implementations of the present invention described above are intended to be illustrative only. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the features of each implementation and the possible combinations and variations of components. Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that any of the implementations can be provided in any combination with the other implementations disclosed herein. It is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its central characteristics. The present examples and implementations should therefore be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the present invention should not be limited to the details given herein. Thus, while specific implementations have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications are envisioned without significantly departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method of communicating in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: generating a first message at a first communication device, the first message to be transmitted only within a Radio Access Network (RAN) of the wireless communication network; transmitting the first message by the first communication device to a second communication device in the RAN on a radio bearer (RB), the first message being transmitted without performing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ); Equipped with the first message is associated with a first message type, the priority of the first message type being lower than the priority of a second message having a second message type transmitted via a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network; the first message is one of control signaling or data, and the method further comprises: multiplexing, by the first communication device, the first message on the RB into a first transport channel, the first transport channel comprising: - Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH), Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH), a specific uplink shared channel (UL-SCH-S), a specific downlink shared channel (DL-SCH-S), Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH), - A specific Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH-S) [0033] A method of communication in a wireless communication network.

2. If the first message is a control signaling, the first message is transmitted on a first signaling radio bearer (SRB), and the first SRB is one of a dedicated SRB or a group-common SRB. The method of claim 1.

3. The priority of the first SRB is lower than the priority of any one of SRB0 to SRB3. The method of claim 2.

4. The priority of the logical channel (LC) in the first SRB is lower than the priority of the LC in any one of SRB0 to SRB3. The method according to claim 2 or 3.

5. If the first message is data, the first message is transmitted on a first data radio bearer (DRB), and the first DRB is one of a dedicated DRB or a group common DRB. The method of claim 1.

6. A method of communicating in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: generating a first message at a first communication device, the first message to be transmitted only within a Radio Access Network (RAN) of the wireless communication network; transmitting the first message by the first communication device to a second communication device in the RAN on a radio bearer (RB), the first message being transmitted without performing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ); Equipped with the first message is associated with a first message type, the priority of the first message type being lower than the priority of a second message having a second message type transmitted via a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network; the first message is one of control signaling or data, and the method further comprises: transmitting, by the first communication device, an uplink scheduling request (SR) to the second communication device, wherein an uplink SR resource is dedicated to the first message type. A method of communication in a wireless communication network.

7. A method of communicating in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: generating a first message at a first communication device, the first message to be transmitted only within a Radio Access Network (RAN) of the wireless communication network; transmitting the first message by the first communication device to a second communication device in the RAN on a radio bearer (RB), the first message being transmitted without performing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ); Equipped with the first message is associated with a first message type, the priority of the first message type being lower than the priority of a second message having a second message type transmitted via a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network; the first message is one of control signaling or data; The logical channel (LC) for transmitting the first message is part of a first group of LCs on which HARQ is not performed; and The LC for transmitting the second message is part of a second group of LCs for which HARQ is performed. A method of communication in a wireless communication network.

8. The LCs of the second group are transmitted with a higher priority than the LCs of the first group. The method of claim 7.

9. multiplexing the LCs of the first group into a MAC PDU without performing HARQ; multiplexing the LCs of the second group into a MAC PDU and performing HARQ on the MAC PDU; whereby multiplexing is performed separately for the LCs of the first group and the LCs of the second group. The method of claim 8.

10. the first message type is associated with a first type of Quality of Service (QoS); the transmission requirements of the first type of QoS are lower than the transmission requirements of the first type of QoS for the second message type; The first type of QoS is: Packet loss rate, packet delay budget, scheduling weight, tolerance threshold, queue management threshold, link layer protocol settings, reliability, and throughput defined by at least one of 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. 1. A communication device, comprising: at least one processor; The communication device, generating a first message, the first message being to be transmitted only within a radio access network (RAN) of a wireless communications network; transmitting the first message on a radio bearer (RB) via a transceiver to a second communication device in the RAN, wherein the first message is transmitted without performing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ); programming for execution by said at least one processor a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing Equipped with the first message is associated with a first message type, the priority of the first message type being lower than the priority of a second message having a second message type transmitted via a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network; The first message is one of control signaling or data, and the programming for execution by the at least one processor further causes the communication device to multiplex the first message on the RB onto a first transport channel, the first transport channel comprising: - Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH), Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH), a specific uplink shared channel (UL-SCH-S), a specific downlink shared channel (DL-SCH-S), Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH), - A specific Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH-S) Equipped with one of the following: Communication devices.

12. If the first message is control signaling, the programming for execution by the at least one processor further causes the communication device to transmit the first message on a first signaling radio bearer (SRB), the first SRB being one of a dedicated SRB or a group common SRB. The device of claim 11.

13. The priority of the first SRB is set to be lower than the priority of any one of SRB0 to SRB3.

13. A device according to claim 11 or 12.

14. The priority of the logical channel (LC) in the first SRB is set to be lower than the priority of the LC in any one of SRB0 to SRB3.

14. A device according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. If the first message is data, the programming for execution by the at least one processor further causes the communication device to transmit the first message on a first data radio bearer (DRB), the first DRB being one of a dedicated DRB or a group common DRB. The device of claim 11.

16. A non-transitory computer readable memory comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a processor to carry out the method defined in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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