Communication coordination and reduced processing techniques for improved service quality procedures

Abstract

A base station (BS) may receive one or more data packets including one or more reflective quality of service (QoS) indicator (RQI) markings from a network node. The base station may then determine one or more active uplink (UL) QoS rules associated with a user equipment (UE) based on values ​​of the one or more RQI markings. The base station may further determine to include or refrain from including one or more RQI markings during transmission of the one or more data packets to the UE based on at least one of one or more timers, one or more active UL QoS rules, and status information received from the UE. Thus, in response to determining that the RQI markings should be included, the base station may then transmit one or more packets including the RQI markings to the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless devices, and more particularly, to communication coordination for enhanced service quality procedures for wireless communication systems and apparatus, systems, and methods for reduced processing techniques.

Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is increasing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablet computers have become increasingly high-performance. Currently, many mobile devices (i.e., user equipment devices, or UEs) not only support telephone calls, but also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and can operate high-performance applications that utilize these functions. In addition, there are numerous different wireless communication technologies and standards. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., related to the WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), BLUETOOTH (trademark), and the like.

[0003] The increasing number of features and functions introduced into wireless communication devices also creates a continuous need for improvement in both wireless communication and wireless communication devices. In particular, it is important to ensure the accuracy of signals transmitted and received via user equipment devices (UEs), such as cellular telephones, base stations, and relay stations used in wireless cellular communications. In addition, increasing the functionality of UE devices can place a significant burden on the battery life and processing or computing power of the UE devices. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the power and processing or computing requirements in UE device designs while enabling UE devices to maintain good transmission and reception capabilities for improved communication.

[0004] To increase coverage and better address the growing demand and scope for anticipated uses of wireless communication, in addition to the aforementioned communication standards, there are further wireless communication technologies under development, including fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication. Therefore, improvements in this field are desired to support such development and design. [Overview of the project]

[0005] The embodiments relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for coordinating communications and providing reduced processing techniques for improved quality-of-service procedures for wireless communication systems.

[0006] In some embodiments, a base station (BS) may receive one or more data packets from a network node that include one or more reflective quality of service (QoS) indicator (RQI) markings. Based on the values ​​of one or more RQI markings, the base station may determine one or more active uplink (UL) QoS rules associated with a user equipment (UE). Additionally or alternatively, the base station may further decide, based on one or more timers, one or more active UL QoS rules, and at least one of status information received from the UE, whether to include or omit one or more RQI markings when transmitting one or more data packets to the UE. Depending on the decision that one or more RQI markings should be included, the base station may transmit one or more data packets to the UE, and one or more packets may include one or more RQI markings.

[0007] Additionally or alternatively, a base station may decide to refrain from including one or more RQI markings while transmitting one or more data packets to a UE, based on at least one of one or more timers, one or more active UL QoS rules, and status information received from the UE. Thus, depending on the base station's decision to refrain from including one or more RQI markings during transmission, one or more packets may be transmitted to the UE, and one or more packets may not contain one or more RQI markings.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the base station may be further configured to start and maintain timers corresponding to protocol data unit (PDU) sessions at the UE. Furthermore, the base station may determine, based on the timers and additional timers started and maintained by the UE, that the UE may discard the current QoS rule. Thus, according to some embodiments, the base station may send a message to the UE indicating that it should continue using the current QoS rule in response to the UE's decision to discard the current QoS rule. In some embodiments, the message is sent along with Downlink Service Data Adaptive Protocol (SDAP) controlled PDU signaling, and the timers may be provided by the Fifth Generation Core Network (5GCN) per PDU session as part of Reflective QoS Attributes (RQA).

[0009] In some embodiments, the base station may receive periodic reporting signaling from the UE to indicate the status of the reflective quality of service (RQ) timer. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the base station may be able to configure periodicity of reporting signaling, which may include at least one of a QoS rule identifier, a one-bit indication of whether the RQ timer is running or has expired, and an indication of the remaining time until the RQ timer expires.

[0010] Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, the base station may be configured to start and maintain a timer at the UE corresponding to the QoS rules for the PDU session, and upon timer expiration, send a signaling to the UE containing instructions to delete the QoS rules. In some embodiments, the message may be sent together with downlink SDAP control PDU signaling or radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the base station may send a signaling to the UE that includes a Quality of Service Flow Identifier (QFI) value of 0 to indicate that the payload of one or more data packets is a Service Data Adaptive Protocol (SDAP) Control Protocol Data Unit (PDU). Additionally or alternatively, the base station may configure the UE to send an acknowledgment or confirmation to the base station of at least one of the following: the establishment of a new QoS rule and the expiration of an RQ timer.

[0012] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used in conjunction with several different types of devices, including but not limited to cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and various other computing devices.

[0013] This summary of the invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the features described above are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] A better understanding of this subject can be obtained when the following detailed descriptions of various embodiments are considered together with the following drawings.

[0015] [Figure 1] Several embodiments of exemplary wireless communication systems are shown.

[0016] [Figure 2] The following are some embodiments of a base station (BS) that communicates with a user equipment (UE) device.

[0017] [Figure 3] Exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 4] Exemplary block diagram of a BS according to some embodiments.

[0019] [Figure 5] Exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown.

[0020] [Figure 6] Flow diagram showing an exemplary aspect of a method for a base station to maintain a QoS state for a UE according to some embodiments.

[0021] Although the features described herein are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and scope of the subject matter defined by the appended claims.

Embodiments for Implementing the Invention

[0022] Acronyms Various acronyms are generally used throughout this disclosure. Definitions of the most prominently used acronyms that may appear throughout this disclosure are as follows. · 3GPP: 3rd Generation Partnership Project · TS: Technical Specification · RAN: Radio Access Network · NG-RAN: RAN (E-UTRAN or NR) connected to a 5G core network · RAT: Radio Access Technology · UE: User Equipment ·RF: Radio Frequency ·BS: Base Station ·DL: Downlink ·UL: Uplink ·LTE: Long Term Evolution ·NR: New Radio ·5GS: 5G System ·5GMM: 5GS Mobility Management ·5GC: 5G Core Network ·RRC: Radio Resource Control ·MAC-CE: Media Access Control - Control Element ·DCI: Downlink Control Information ·PDCP: Protocol Data Convergence Protocol ·SDU: Service Data Unit ·PDU: Protocol Data Unit ·SDAP: Service Data Adaptation Protocol ·SDF: Service Data Flow ·UPF: User Plane Function ·QoS: Quality of Service ·QFI: Quality of Service Flow Identifier ·RQI: Reflective Service Quality Indicator ·RDI: Reflective QoS Flow to DRB Mapping Indicator ·RQA: Reflective QoS Attribute ·TX: Transmit / Transmitting ·RX: Receive / Receiving ·DRB: Data Radio Bearer ·AS: Access Stratum ·NAS: Non-Access Stratum

[0023] Terms The following is an explanation of the terms used in this disclosure. Memory medium – any of the various types of non-temporary memory devices or storage devices. The term “storage medium” is intended to include, for example, installation media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM; magnetic media such as flash, hard drives, or non-volatile memory such as optical storage; registers, or other similar types of memory elements. Memory medium may also include other types of non-temporary memory, or combinations thereof. In addition, memory medium may be located on a first computer system on which a program is executed, or on a second different computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system can provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term “memory medium” may include two or more memory mediums that may exist in different locations, for example, on different computer systems connected via a network. Memory medium may store program instructions (embodied, for example, as computer programs) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0024] Carrier medium - memory media as described above, as well as physical transmission media such as buses and networks, and / or other physical transmission media that transmit signals such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals.

[0025] Programmable hardware elements include various hardware devices comprising multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnections. Examples include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable object arrays (FPOAs), and complex PLDs (CPLDs). Programmable functional blocks can range in granularity from fine-grained (combinatorial logic or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "reconfigurable logic."

[0026] Computer system – any of the various types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network devices, internet devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations of devices. Generally, the term “computer system” can be broadly defined to include any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0027] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE Device") - Any mobile or portable computer system or device of any type that performs wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone®, Android®-based phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS®, PlayStation Portable®, Game Boy Advance®, iPhone®), laptop computers, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), head-mounted displays, PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices. Generally, the terms "UE" or "UE Device" can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is easily carried by a user and capable of wireless communication.

[0028] A wireless device is any of the various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. A wireless device may be portable (or mobile) or fixed or stationary in a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0029] A communication device is any of the various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile) or fixed or permanently installed in a specific location. A wireless device is an example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0030] Base station - The term "base station" has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a radio communication station that is installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a radiotelephone system or a radio system.

[0031] Processing element (or processor) refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing functions in a device such as a user device or a cellular network device. Processing elements may include, for example, a processor and associated memory, a part or circuit of an individual processor core, an entire processor core, an individual processor, a processor array, circuits such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), programmable hardware elements such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and any of the various combinations of the above.

[0032] Channel - The medium used to transmit information from the transmitter to the receiver. It should be noted that the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary according to different radio protocols; therefore, when used herein, the term "channel" is considered to be used in accordance with the standards of the type of device in which it is used. In some standards, channel width can be variable (depending on, for example, device capabilities, bandwidth conditions, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, a WLAN channel may have a width of 22 MHz, and a Bluetooth channel may have a width of 1 MHz. Other protocols and standards may include different channel definitions. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, e.g., different channels for uplink or downlink, and / or different channels for different uses such as data, control information, etc.

[0033] Bandwidth – The term “bandwidth” encompasses the entire range of the band in its usual sense, and includes at least the portion of the spectrum (e.g., the radio frequency spectrum) that is used for a particular purpose or set aside for the same purpose.

[0034] Automatically refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software run by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuitry, programmable hardware element, ASIC, etc.) without user input directly specifying or executing the action or operation. Therefore, the term “automatically” is in contrast to operations performed or specified manually by the user, where the user provides input and directly executes the operation. An automated procedure may be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed “automatically” are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed “manually” where each action is specified by the user. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by providing input that selects each field and specifies the information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, selecting radio selections, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, although the computer system must update the form in response to the user action. A form may also be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software run by the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without user input specifying the answers to the fields. As described above, users can invoke form autofill but do not participate in the actual form completion (for example, the user does not manually specify answers in the fields; rather, the answers are completed automatically). This specification provides various examples of actions that are performed automatically in response to actions taken by the user.

[0035] "Approximately" refers to a value that is nearly accurate or precise. For example, "approximately" may refer to a value within 1 to 10 percent of a precise (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "approximately" may mean within 0.1% of a given specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold may be, as desired or as required by the particular application, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc.

[0036] Concurrency refers to parallel execution (execution or performance) in which tasks, processes, or programs are executed at least partially on top of each other. For example, concurrent execution may be performed using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on each computational element, or it may be performed using "weak parallelism," where tasks are executed interleaved, for example, by time-sharing multiplexing of execution threads.

[0037] "Configured to" can be described as various components being "configured to" perform a task or a set of tasks. In such contexts, "configured to" is a broad description that generally means "having a structure" that performs a task or a set of tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently performing that task (for example, a set of conductors may be configured to electrically connect two modules to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured to" may be a broad description of a structure that generally means "having a circuit" that performs a task or a set of tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently turned on. Generally, the circuit that forms a structure corresponding to "configured to" may include hardware circuitry.

[0038] For convenience, various components may be described in this specification as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to perform.” Descriptions of components configured to perform one or more tasks are expressly intended not to be subject to the interpretation of § 112(f) of the U.S. Patent Act. Figures 1 and 2 - Communication System

[0039] Figure 1 shows a simplified, exemplary wireless communication system according to several embodiments. Note that the system in Figure 1 is merely an example of a possible system, and features of this disclosure may be implemented as desired in any of the various systems.

[0040] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes one or more user devices 106A, 106B, and so on, up to 106N, and a base station 102A that communicates via a transmission medium. Each of the user devices may be referred to herein as a “user equipment” (UE). Thus, user device 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0041] Base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UE 106A~106N.

[0042] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a “cell”. Base station 102A and UE106 may be configured to communicate over a medium using various radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, and 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD). Note that when base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may instead be referred to as “eNodeB” or “eNB”. Note that when base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may instead be referred to as “gNodeB” or “gNB”.

[0043] As shown in the figure, the base station 102A may also be equipped to communicate with the network 100 (for example, among various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunications network such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Thus, the base station 102A can facilitate communication between user devices and / or communication between user devices and the network 100. In particular, the cellular base station 102A can provide the UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0044] Base station 102A, and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B-102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards, may be provided as a network of cells, which can provide continuous or nearly continuous superimposed service over a geographical area to UE106A-106N and similar devices via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0045] Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, base station 102A can function as a “serving cell” for UEs 106A to 106N, and each UE 106 can also receive signals from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B to 102N and / or any other base stations) (within their communication range, if possible). Such cells can also facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network 100. Such cells may include “macro” cells, “micro” cells, “pico” cells, and / or cells that provide any other granularity of service area size. For example, base stations 102A to 102B shown in Figure 1 may be macrocells, and base station 102N may be a microcell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0046] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, for example, a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a “gNB”. In some embodiments, the gNB may be connected to a conventional evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or an NR core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs in one or more gNBs. For example, base station 102A and one or more other base stations 102 may be capable of supporting coupled transmission so that UE 106 can receive transmissions from multiple base stations (and / or multiple TRPs provided by the same base station).

[0047] It should be noted that UE106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE106 may be configured to communicate using at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD)) in addition to wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer). UE106 may also, or alternatively, be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H), and / or any other wireless communication protocols, if desired. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including three or more wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0048] Figure 2 shows a user device 106 (for example, one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with a base station 102 according to several embodiments. The UE 106 may be a device with cellular communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer, laptop, tablet, smartwatch or other wearable device, or substantially any type of wireless device.

[0049] UE106 may include a processor (e.g., a processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. By executing such stored instructions, UE106 can perform any of the embodiments of the method described herein. Alternatively or in addition, UE106 may include programmable hardware elements such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an integrated circuit, and / or any of the embodiments of the method described herein, or any part of any of the embodiments of the method described herein (e.g., individually or in combination).

[0050] UE106 may include one or more antennas for communication using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE106 may be configured to communicate using NR or LTE, for example, using at least several shared radio components. Further possibilities include UE106 being configured to communicate using CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE, and / or using GSM or LTE, with a single shared radio. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (for example, MIMO) to perform wireless communication. Generally, the radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuits (including, for example, filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuits (for, for example, digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio may perform one or more receive and transmit chains using the above hardware. For example, UE106 can share one or more parts of its receive and / or transmit chain with multiple wireless communication technologies, such as the technologies described above.

[0051] In some embodiments, UE106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., separate antennas and other radio components) for each of the radio communication protocols to which UE106 is configured to communicate. Further possibilities include UE106 including one or more radios shared among multiple radio communication protocols and one or more radios used by a single radio communication protocol only. For example, UE106 may include a shared radio for communication using either LTE or 5G NR (or, in various possibilities, either LTE or 1xRTT, or either LTE or GSM), and separate radios for communication using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, respectively. Other configurations are also possible. Block diagram of Figure 3-UE

[0052] Figure 3 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to several embodiments. Note that the block diagram of the communication device in Figure 3 is only one example of a possible communication device. According to embodiments, the communication device 106 may be, among other devices, a User Equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a radio device or radio station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet, and / or a combination of devices. As shown in the figure, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a System On Chip (SOC) which may include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, this set of components 300 may be implemented as separate components or groups of components for various purposes. The set of components 300 may be coupled (e.g., directly or indirectly so as to communicate) to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0053] For example, the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (including, for example, NAND flash 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (for connecting to, for example, computer systems, docks, charging stations, input devices such as microphones, cameras, keyboards, and speakers), a display 360 which may be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, and a wireless communication circuit 330 (for example, LTE, LTE-A, NR, UMTS, GSM, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 may include wired communication circuits (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0054] The wireless communication circuit 330 can be coupled (for example, directly or indirectly, in a communicative manner) to one or more antennas, such as antenna(s) 335, as shown in the figure. The wireless communication circuit 330 may also include a cellular communication circuit and / or a short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuit, and may include, for example, multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams in a multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) configuration.

[0055] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more receive chains (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR) for multiple RATs (including dedicated processors and / or radios and / or coupled to them (e.g., directly or indirectly in a communicable manner)). In addition, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radios dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, the first radio may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may be in communication with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with a second radio. The second radio may be dedicated to a second RAT, such as 5G NR, and may be in communication with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0056] The communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include any of a variety of elements, such as a display 360 (which may be a touchscreen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or implemented as part of a touchscreen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0057] The communication device 106 may further include one or more smart cards 345, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) cards 345, which include SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality.

[0058] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include one or more processors 302 capable of executing program instructions for the communication device 106, and a display circuit 304 capable of performing graphics processing and providing display signals to the display 360. The one or more processors 302 may be connected to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from the one or more processors 302, translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310), and / or other circuits or devices such as the display circuit 304, wireless communication circuit 330, connector I / F 320, and / or the display 360. The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the one or more processors 302.

[0059] As described above, the communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuits. As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for performing any of the various features and techniques described herein. The processor 302 of the communication device 106 may be configured to perform some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 of the communication device 106 may be configured to perform some or all of the features described herein in cooperation with one or more of the other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360.

[0060] In addition, as described herein, the processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor 302. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) 302.

[0061] Furthermore, as described herein, the wireless communication circuit 330 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, the wireless communication circuit 330 can include one or more processing elements. Thus, the wireless communication circuit 330 can include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330. In addition, each integrated circuit can include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330. Figure 4 - Block diagram of a base station

[0062] Figure 4 shows an exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to several embodiments. Note that the base station in Figure 4 is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 includes one or more processors 404 capable of executing program instructions for the base station 102. The processors 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processors 404 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450) or to other circuits or devices.

[0063] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. The network port 470 may be connected to a telephone network and configured to provide multiple devices, such as UE devices 106, with access to the telephone network as described in Figures 1 and 2 above.

[0064] Network port 470 (or additional network ports) may also, or alternatively, be configured to connect to the cellular network of a cellular service provider's core network. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be connected to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (for example, between other UE devices serviced by the cellular service provider).

[0065] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, for example, a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a "gNB". In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a conventional evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or an NR core (NRC) network. In addition, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). In addition, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs in one or more gNBs.

[0066] The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434, and possibly more antennas. At least one antenna 434 may be configured to operate as a radio transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with the UE device 106 via a radio 430. The antenna 434 communicates with the radio 430 via a communication chain 432. The communication chain 432 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. The radio 430 may be configured to communicate via a variety of radio communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, and Wi-Fi.

[0067] Base station 102 can be configured to communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios, which may enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, one possibility is that base station 102 may include an LTE radio for performing communication according to LTE, and a 5G NR radio for performing communication according to 5G NR. In such a case, base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. Another possibility is that base station 102 may include a multimode radio, which may be capable of performing communication according to any of several wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and LTE, 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0068] As further described below in this specification, BS102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 404 of BS102 may be configured to perform or support some or all of the features described herein together with one or more of the other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470.

[0069] In addition, as described herein, the processor(s) 404 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor(s) 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) 404. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) 404.

[0070] Furthermore, as described herein, the radio 430 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the radio 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the radio 430. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the radio 430. Figure 5 - Block diagram of a cellular communication circuit

[0071] Figure 5 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to several embodiments. Note that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuit in Figure 5 is only one embodiment of a possible cellular communication circuit. Other circuits may include a sufficient number of antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activity using separate antennas, or circuits coupled thereto, or a smaller number of antennas that can be shared among multiple RATs, for example, or circuits coupled thereto. According to some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, the communication device 106 may be, among other devices, a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a radio device or radio base station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet, and / or a combination of devices.

[0072] The cellular communication circuit 330 may be coupled (for example, directly or indirectly, in a communicative manner) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-b and 336, as shown in the figure. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receiving chains for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receiving chain for LTE and a second receiving chain for 5G NR) (including dedicated processors and / or radios and / or coupled to dedicated processors and / or radios, for example, directly or indirectly, in a communicative manner). For example, as shown in Figure 5, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a first modem 510 and a second modem 520. The first modem 510 may be configured to communicate according to a first RAT, such as LTE or LTE-A, and the second modem 520 may be configured to communicate according to a second RAT, such as 5G NR.

[0073] As shown in the figure, the first modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include a receive circuitry (RX) 532 and a transmit circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0074] Similarly, the second modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include a receiving circuit 542 and a transmitting circuit 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 542 may communicate with a DL front end 560 which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335b.

[0075] In some embodiments, switch 570 may couple a transmitting circuit 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. In addition, switch 570 may couple a transmitting circuit 544 to an UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Thus, when cellular communication circuit 330 receives an instruction to be transmitted according to a first RAT (supported, for example, via a first modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state, in which the first modem 510 can transmit signals according to the first RAT (for example, via a transmission chain including transmitting circuit 534 and UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuit 330 receives an instruction to be transmitted according to a second RAT (e.g., supported via a second modem 520), the switch 570 may be switched to a second state in which the second modem 520 can transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including the transmission circuit 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0076] As described herein, the first modem 510 and / or the second modem 520 may include any of the hardware and software components for performing the various features and techniques described herein. Processors 512, 522 may be configured to perform some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured to perform some or all of the features described herein together with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0077] In addition, as described herein, the processors 512, 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processors 512, 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522.

[0078] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include only one transmit / receive chain. For example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include the modem 520, RF front end 540, DL front end 560, and / or antenna 335b. In another example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include the modem 510, RF front end 530, DL front end 550, and / or antenna 335a. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may also not include the switch 570, and the RF front end 530 or RF front end 540 may communicate directly with, for example, the UL front end 572. Communication coordination and reduced processing techniques for improved service quality procedures

[0079] According to some embodiments described herein, certain mobile device services may exhibit deterministic behavior due to defined quality of service (QoS) parameters. For example, a particular service may need to transmit and / or receive multiple streams of data types corresponding to different QoS requirements. In other words, a particular data stream or service data flow (SDF) may be associated with specific QoS parameters that efficiently adapt the transmission and reception of the data stream based on the associated QoS parameters. For example, a data stream or SDF containing video frames may correspond to a particular set of QoS parameters and QoS rules (e.g., one or more packet filters), while another data stream or SDF containing audio information may correspond to a different set of QoS parameters and QoS rules (e.g., one or more packet filters). In some embodiments, the UE may be capable of autonomously deriving the QoS rules. In addition, data payloads may often be transmitted and received periodically.

[0080] Furthermore, data traffic (e.g., transmission / reception between the UE and the network) can involve multiple QoS flows mapped to the same or different data radio bearers (DRBs). For example, there can be multiple QoS flows associated with a single DRB (although other relationships are also possible). Moreover, each QoS flow can have its own QoS forwarding process. Therefore, if different QoS forwarding processes are required for each of the QoS flows over the air interface, the network can map them to different DRBs. However, this is not always possible, considering the larger traffic flows in some data transmissions. In other words, the network may be encouraged to map different QoS flows to different DRBs.

[0081] To facilitate the mapping of specific data to network resources, some networks may assign specific QoS flows for information transmitted during data bursts to establish higher priority and / or protection of transmitted data, so as to minimize data loss and latency. For example, a QoS flow ID (QFI) can be used to identify QoS flows within a network. In some embodiments, QoS flows may require a guaranteed flow bitrate (GBR) or not (non-GBR). Additionally or alternatively, some QoS flows may be used for mission-critical GBRs (e.g., delay-critical QoS flows). These GBRs associated with QoS flows can enable more efficient data transfer for higher-priority transmissions, which can further enhance the user experience.

[0082] In previous wireless communication standards, QoS parameter mapping was characterized by a one-to-one relationship between the Advanced Packet Core (EPC) and the Data Radio Bearer (DRB). More specifically, the DRB, Advanced Packet System (EPS) bearer, S1 General Purpose Packet Radio System Tunneling Protocol User Plane (GTP-U), and S5-U interface tunnel were characterized by a one-to-one QoS mapping. In other words, the UE was explicitly indicated or configured to utilize specific Long-Term Service Data Flows (SDFs) and corresponding QoS rules based on the one-to-one mapping with the DRB.

[0083] However, in 5GC, a single User Plane Function (UPF) may be used for data transport between the NG-RAN and other devices or nodes (e.g., UEs). Therefore, DRBs on an air interface may have a one-to-many correspondence to GTP-U tunnels on the UPF N3 interface. In other words, multiple QoS flows may be mapped to a single GTP-U tunnel. Thus, the NG-RAN may be able to map individual QoS flows to one or more DRBs. Additionally or alternatively, a PDU session may include multiple DRBs and QoS flows corresponding to a single N3 GTP-U tunnel. Therefore, one of the DRBs may be able to transport one or more (e.g., multiple) QoS flows. In some scenarios, the UE may be able to adaptively derive QoS rules on a per-packet basis without receiving one or more explicit instructions for QoS rules from a session management function (SMF, e.g., network).

[0084] Furthermore, 5GC may enable QoS at the QoS flow level so that each QoS flow packet can be classified and marked using a QoS flow identifier (QFI). The QFI can identify flows that may be carried in the extended header on the N3 interface in the GTP-U protocol. Thus, multiple QoS flows may be mapped to DRBs in 5GC within the access network (AN). Devices, systems, and methods for communication coordination and reduced processing techniques for enhanced quality of service procedures can increase the efficiency of UE operation by shifting the maintenance of QoS states and rules to the network side, thereby further reducing unnecessary transmission / reception or processing of QoS-related rules. Thus, UEs may experience reduced processing requirements through these mappings. Reflective QoS and SDAP extensions

[0085] In some embodiments, the UE can support reflective QoS at the NAS layer. Reflective QoS may be characterized such that, for each DRB, the UE monitors the QoS flow ID of downlink packets and applies the same mapping to subsequent uplink transmissions. In other words, the UE can map its uplink packets to the QoS flow that belong to the QoS flow and further correspond to the QoS flow ID and PDU session observed in the downlink packets for the associated DRB. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may indicate support for reflective QoS functionality for any PDU session through (NAS)PDU session establishment / modification messages.

[0086] In some embodiments, the fifth generation core network (5GC) may decide to use reflective QoS for a particular QoS flow. For example, the 5GC may notify the Random Access Network (RAN) by providing a reflective QoS attribute (RQA). Additionally or alternatively, the 5GC may apply a reflective QoS instruction (RQI) marking to each packet sent from the User Plane Function (UPF) to the RAN. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the 5GC may provide a reflective QoS timer (RQ timer) for each PDU session (via the RAN) to the UE. Furthermore, when the UE receives an RQI on a DL packet, the UE may create a new UE-derived QoS rule by "reflecting" an Internet Protocol (IP) 5-tuple if one does not already exist. Additionally or alternatively, the RQ timer may then be started or restarted. According to some embodiments, when the RQ timer expires, the UE may delete the corresponding QoS rule. This reflective QoS mechanism may be considered stateless by design, due to packets containing RQI markings, as intermediate nodes (e.g., I-UPF, gNB) may not need to maintain the state of RQI markings.

[0087] In some embodiments, the UE can support reflective mapping at the AS layer. In other words, the AS layer can support its own reflective mechanism. For example, at the AS layer, the UE can utilize a reflective QoS mechanism to map QoS flows to a DRB. More specifically, a DL packet may carry a reflective QoS flow (RDI) to a DRB mapping instruction in the SDAP header. For example, when the UE receives an RDI on a DL packet, the UE can map the corresponding QoS flow in the UL direction to the corresponding UL DRB. In some embodiments, there may be no timers involved in this process (e.g., an RQ timer).

[0088] The stateless nature of the reflective mechanism can be characterized by the fact that essentially all packets sent from the UPF to the UE are tagged with QFI. Furthermore, the SDAP layer may further notify the NAS layer whenever it receives a packet with the RQI bit set. This may result in the NAS layer having to process QoS rules even if rules already exist, and furthermore, may result in a significant processing load. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may also have to track or maintain RQ timers to flush or discard QoS rules when the timers expire.

[0089] Therefore, it may be beneficial for next-generation random access networks (NG-RANs, e.g., gNBs or base stations), rather than UEs, to track reflective QoS requirements due to the enhanced power and processing capabilities of NG-RANs.

[0090] According to some embodiments, reflective QoS mappings can be discarded (e.g., disabled) by either explicit RRC reconfiguration or a new reflective mapping. Therefore, the reflective QoS mechanism at the AS layer can be considered stateful by design. For example, when the RDI bit is set to 1, the UE can update the mapping from QoS flows to the DRB. Additionally or alternatively, when the RDI bit is set to 0, the UE may not need to perform any processing. Therefore, the UE may experience some secondary effects, such as battery savings, by not utilizing various computing resources and / or power to perform processing.

[0091] According to some embodiments, when a QoS flow is remapped to a different bearer, ensuring that packets are delivered in the correct order can be important for the purpose of transmission quality. In some embodiments, this can be ensured by using an end marker SDAP control PDU. For example, a UE can send an end marker when a QoS flow is remapped (either via RRC messaging or reflectively). Thus, if a default DRB exists, an end marker may be sent even if no packets belonging to the QoS flow have been transmitted. In some embodiments, the network can buffer packets arriving on the new DRB until an end marker is received on the old DRB. Base station maintaining the QoS state shown in Figure 6-UE

[0092] Figure 6 shows a flowchart illustrating exemplary embodiments of methods for communication coordination and reduced processing techniques for enhanced quality of service procedures, according to several embodiments. More specifically, Figure 6 shows how the NG-RAN can track each RQI marking for packets received from the UPF via the NG-U (i.e., N3) interface and determine whether to forward the RQI marking to the UE based on one or more timers, one or more active UL QoS rules, and / or status information received from the UE.

[0093] Embodiments of the method shown in Figure 6 may be implemented by a wireless device such as UE(s) 106 communicating with one or more base stations (e.g., BS102), or more generally, together with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the figure, in particular among the circuits, systems, devices, elements, or components shown in the figure, as needed, among other devices. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the UE (e.g., among various possibilities, among other things, processor(s) 402, baseband processor(s) or processor(s) associated with the communication circuit) may cause the UE to perform some or all of the method elements shown in the figure. At least some elements of the method are described in relation to the use of communication techniques and / or features associated with the 3GPP specification document, but such descriptions are not intended to limit this disclosure, and embodiments of the method may be used in any suitable wireless communication system as desired. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown in the figure may be executed simultaneously, in an order different from that shown in the figure, replaced by other method elements, or omitted. Additional method elements may be executed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method may operate as follows:

[0094] In 602, the NG-RAN can receive one or more data packets from a network node (e.g., a User Plane Function (UPF)) that include one or more Reflective Quality of Service (QoS) Indicator (RQI) markings. Furthermore, the NG-RAN (e.g., a gNB) can track each RQI marking for packets received from a User Plane Function (UPF) via a Next Generation User Plane Interface (NG-U), such as an N3 interface. In some embodiments, if an RQI marking or bit is not set (e.g., includes or is equal to a setting of 0), the NG-RAN can forward the RQI marking to the UE in the DL SDAP header. For example, according to some embodiments, the NG-RAN can translate an RQI field received via the N3 interface into an RQI field in the SDAP header, provided the header is configured.

[0095] In 604, if an RQI marking is set (e.g., containing or equal to a bit value such as 1), the NG-RAN can determine whether there are active uplink QoS rules for the corresponding QFI and SDF associated with the incoming packet. In other words, the NG-RAN can determine whether there are UL QoS rules associated with the incoming packet. This determination may require processing a 5-tuple associated with the received packet for the IP flow. Furthermore, if the NG-RAN determines that there are no active UL QoS rules associated with the incoming packet, the NG-RAN can forward the packet with the RQI marking to the UE. Moreover, according to some embodiments, the NG-RAN can also create RQI mappings for UL QoS rules corresponding to QoS flows.

[0096] In 606, the NG-RAN can determine, based on at least one of one or more timers, one or more active UL QoS rules, status information received from the UE, and a decision to include RQI markings in or refrain from including RQI markings in one or more data packets sent to the UE. For example, the NG-RAN can determine that the UL QoS rules currently in use by the UE are the same as those in the RQI markings received from the UPF. Therefore, the NG-RAN can optionally choose not to send RQI markings in one or more packets sent to the UE because the UE is already utilizing appropriate QoS rules. Additionally or alternatively, the NG-RAN can choose not to include RQI markings in subsequent transmissions to the UE based on one or more RQ timers being maintained by the NG-RAN or the UE. Since these RQ timers may indicate when the UE may discard the corresponding QoS rules, the NG-RAN can also optionally allow the QoS rules to expire by not including RQI markings. In some embodiments, the NG-RAN may not maintain an RQ timer and instead may receive periodic status reporting signaling from the UE, which may include status information regarding the UE's RQ timer (e.g., the amount of time remaining before timer expiration and the discarding of the current QoS rule). Thus, the NG-RAN may be able to reduce the processing burden on the UE by not sending redundant or useless RQI markings that would require the UE to process IP 5 tuples.

[0097] In 608a, according to some embodiments, the NG-RAN can provide the UE with RQI markings based on the factors or parameters used in the decisions of 604 and 606. In some embodiments, the NG-RAN can provide the UE with RQI markings by "piggybacking" the RQI markings onto DL packets. For example, the NG-RAN can utilize the DL SDAP header to include the RQI markings along with the data packets being sent to the UE, and therefore, DL packets should be available when the NG-RAN attempts to transmit the RQI markings in order to do so.

[0098] In 608b, according to some embodiments, the NG-RAN may choose not to provide the UE with an RQI marking based on the factors or parameters used in the determinations of 604 and 606. For example, if the UE is not given an RQI marking, the UE's RQ timer may expire, and the UE may delete the QoS rule. This may be beneficial, according to some embodiments, if the NG-RAN determines that the UE's current QoS rule should be discarded or deleted so that a new QoS rule can be implemented. Furthermore, the NG-RAN may also be able to ensure that an RQI marking is not sent for QoS rules that have expired in the UE (e.g., QoS rules that may have been discarded after the RQ timer expired). Additional information

[0099] In some embodiments, both the UE and NG-RAN (e.g., a base station such as a gNB) can track RQ timers for each PDU session in the UE. For example, a 5GC can provide an RQ timer (per PDU session) as part of a Reflective QoS Attribute (RQA). Furthermore, when the NG-RAN detects that the UE may delete a QoS rule, the NG-RAN can send an RQI mark to the UE to keep the QoS rule “alive” or active. Additionally or alternatively, for reliability purposes, the NG-RAN may send or transmit RQI markings multiple times (corresponding to multiple packets). In some embodiments, these “keep-alive” messages may be sent with DL packets if such packets are available. Additionally or alternatively, “keep-alive” messages may be sent with new DL SDAP control PDUs. Thus, it may be necessary for the NG-RAN to run its own RQ timer. Consequently, the UE’s RQ timer may not be aligned with the NG-RAN’s RQ timer, which may further result in QoS rules having a longer lifetime than desired.

[0100] In some embodiments, the UE can periodically indicate the status of the RQ timer to the NG-RAN. For example, the status indicator or indication may be in the form of a QoS rule identifier plus a 1-bit indication that the RQ timer is currently running or has expired. Additionally or alternatively, the status indicator or indication may include additional information, such as the remaining time until the RQ timer expires. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the periodicity by which the UE periodically indicates the status of the RQ timer may be configured by the NG-RAN. In some embodiments, the status report may be transmitted using a new UL SDAP control PDU. For example, the NG-RAN may delete or discard an active QoS rule that the UE has indicated has expired. The NG-RAN can then use the status report to decide whether or not to transmit the RQI marking received in a subsequent DL packet. Thus, it may be necessary for the UE to send periodic reports to the NG-RAN. Furthermore, the state of the NG-RAN (of the QoS rule) may not be perfectly aligned with that of the UE.

[0101] In some embodiments, the NG-RAN (e.g., base station, gNB), rather than the UE, may maintain the RQ timer. For example, when the NG-RAN's RQ timer expires, the NG-RAN may send an instruction to the UE indicating that the RQ timer has expired, and this instruction may further indicate to the UE that its QoS rules associated with that RQ timer and PDU session should be discarded. In some embodiments, the NG-RAN may use a DL SDAP control PDU to send the instruction to the UE. Additionally or alternatively, the NG-RAN may use RRC reconfiguration signaling to indicate to the UE that the RQ timer has expired and that its QoS rules should be discarded or deleted. One advantage of the NG-RAN, rather than the UE, maintaining the RQ timer may be that there is a higher probability of no discrepancies in the UE and NG-RAN QoS states. Furthermore, the fact that the UE may not need to maintain the RQ timer because the NG-RAN is performing this task means that the UE can benefit from reduced processing and power consumption as a result. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the NG-RAN may only need to send an RQI once during the duration of the QoS rule, which can further minimize UE processing requirements. Additionally or alternatively, and according to some embodiments, the NG-RAN may send RQIs multiple times for higher reliability. In some embodiments, the NG-RAN may send RQIs using DL packets or DL ​​SDAP control PDUs. According to some embodiments, uplink SDAP control to confirm the establishment of the QoS rule and / or the expiration of the RQ timer may be required for higher reliability. Thus, the NG-RAN can be configured so that the UE is required to send an acknowledgment.

[0102] According to some embodiments, in scenarios where spare bits are not available in the DL SDAP header to distinguish between data PDUs and control PDUs, the NG-RAN can use a QFI value of 0 to indicate that the payload is an SDAP control PDU. For example, a "keep-alive" SDAP control PDU may indicate the QFI and packet fields corresponding to a QoS rule. Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, an RQ timer expired SDAP control PDU may also be used by the NG-RAN to indicate the QFI and packet fields corresponding to a QoS rule to the UE. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the use of a QFI value of 0 is not limited to these DL SDAP control PDUs. More specifically, a QFI value of 0 may be used as a general mechanism for or to provide control information. For example, according to some embodiments, a QFI value of 0 may be used as a DL SDAP control PDU for managing handovers.

[0103] In some embodiments, there may be available spare bits in the UL SDAP header that can be used to characterize a new UL SDAP PDU or extension header. Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, an RQ timer status reporting SDAP control PDU may be used by the UE to periodically indicate the status of the RQ timer to the NG-RAN. For example, the status may be indicated as a QoS rule identifier with a one-bit representation that can indicate whether the RQ timer is running or has expired.

[0104] In some embodiments, the UE can provide an acknowledgment of its RQI reception from the NG-RAN (e.g., base station). For example, the UE may confirm that it has created a QoS rule using parameters (QFI + packet filter information). Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, the UE may provide an acknowledgment of its RQI timer expiration. For example, the UE may provide a confirmation message to the NG-RAN that it has deleted the corresponding QoS rule. Exemplary Embodiments

[0105] Yet another exemplary embodiment may include a device comprising an antenna, a radio coupled to the antenna, and a processing element operably coupled to the radio, the device being configured to implement any or all parts of the above-described embodiments.

[0106] Another exemplary embodiment may include a method in which the device performs steps that include carrying out any or all of the above-described examples.

[0107] Further embodiments may include a non-temporary computer-accessible storage medium that, when executed on the device, includes program instructions causing the device to implement any or all of any of the above examples.

[0108] Further exemplary embodiments may include a computer program which includes instructions for executing any or all of the preceding examples.

[0109] Further exemplary embodiments may include an apparatus comprising means for performing any or all elements of any of the examples described above.

[0110] Yet another exemplary embodiment may include a device that includes a processing element configured to cause a wireless device to perform any or all of the elements of the preceding examples.

[0111] It should be fully understood that the use of personally identifiable information should adhere to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to the user.

[0112] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of the various forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices, such as ASICs. Further other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs.

[0113] In some embodiments, a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to execute the Method, for example, any embodiment of the Method described herein, a combination of embodiments of the Method described herein, a subset of embodiments of the Method described herein, or a combination of such subsets.

[0114] In some embodiments, the device (e.g., UE106 or BS102) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read and execute program instructions from the storage medium. The program instructions are executable to carry out any embodiment of the various methods described herein (or any combination of embodiments of the methods described herein, or any subset of any embodiment of the methods described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of the various forms.

[0115] Although the embodiments described above are described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art if the above disclosure is fully understood. The following claims are intended to be construed as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. It is a device, When an instruction stored in memory is executed, the base station (BS) will receive the instruction. The process involves receiving one or more data packets from a network node, wherein each of the data packets includes one or more reflective quality of service indicator (RQI) markings. The system receives periodic status reporting signaling from a user equipment (UE), which includes status information associated with one or more active uplink (UL) quality of service (QoS) rules and one or more reflective quality of service (RQ) timers maintained by the UE. Based on the values ​​of the one or more RQI markings, determine the one or more active UL QoS rules associated with the UE. Start and maintain at least one RQ timer corresponding to the QoS rules for the protocol data unit (PDU) session with the UE. Based on the at least one RQ timer maintained by the BS, the one or more active UL QoS rules, and the status information received from the UE, it is determined whether or not to include the one or more RQI markings when transmitting the one or more data packets to the UE. The UE is to transmit one or more packets, wherein, in accordance with the decision to include one or more RQI markings during transmission, the one or more packets include one or more RQI markings, and in accordance with the decision not to include one or more RQI markings during transmission, the one or more packets do not include one or more RQI markings. A device equipped with a processor configured in such a way.

2. The aforementioned processor provides the BS with Based on the at least one RQ timer, the UE decides to discard the current QoS rule based on additional timers started and maintained by the UE. In response to the UE's decision to discard the current QoS rules, the UE is instructed to send a message to continue using the current QoS rules. The apparatus according to claim 1, further configured as follows.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the message is transmitted together with Downlink Service Data Adaptive Protocol (SDAP) controlled PDU signaling.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one RQ timer is provided by the fifth generation core network (5GCN) for each PDU session as part of a reflective QoS attribute (RQA).

5. The aforementioned processor provides the BS with The aforementioned UE receives periodic reporting signaling to the base station to indicate the status of the RQ timer. The apparatus according to claim 1, further configured as follows.

6. The aforementioned processor provides the BS with The aforementioned signaling establishes periodicity. The apparatus according to claim 5, further configured as follows.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the reporting signaling includes at least one of a QoS rule identifier, a one-bit indication of whether the RQ timer is operating or has expired, and an indication of the remaining time for the RQ timer to expire.

8. The aforementioned processor provides the BS with In the aforementioned UE, start and maintain the timer corresponding to the QoS rules for the PDU session. When the timer expires, the UE is instructed to send a signal including an instruction to delete the QoS rule. The apparatus according to claim 1, further configured as follows.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the signaling is transmitted using downlink SDAP-controlled PDU signaling or radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling.

10. The aforementioned processor provides the BS with To indicate that the payload of one or more data packets is a Service Data Adaptive Protocol (SDAP) Control Protocol Data Unit (PDU), the UE is instructed to send a signaling that includes a QoS Flow Identifier (QFI) value of 0. The apparatus according to claim 1, further configured as follows.

11. The aforementioned processor provides the BS with Configure the base station to send at least one acknowledgment or confirmation of the establishment of a new QoS rule and the expiration of the RQ timer. The apparatus according to claim 8, further configured as follows.

12. It is a method, By base station (BS), Receiving one or more data packets from a network node, wherein each of the one or more data packets includes one or more reflective quality of service indicator (RQI) markings. Receiving periodic status reporting signaling from a user device (UE), including status information associated with at least one of one active uplink (UL) QoS rules and one or more reflective quality of service (RQ) timers maintained by the UE, Based on the one or more RQI markings, determine the one or more active UL QoS rules associated with the UE, To start and maintain at least one RQ timer corresponding to the QoS rules for the protocol data unit (PDU) session with the UE, Based on the at least one RQ timer maintained by the BS, the one or more active UL QoS rules, and the status information received from the UE, it is determined whether or not to include the one or more RQI markings when transmitting the one or more data packets to the UE, Transmitting one or more packets to the UE, wherein, depending on the decision to include one or more RQI markings during the transmission, the one or more packets include one or more RQI markings, and depending on the decision not to include one or more RQI markings during the transmission, the one or more packets do not include one or more RQI markings. Methods that include...

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the determination of the one or more active UL QoS rules is further based on processing a 5-tuple associated with the one or more data packets.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more RQI markings are transmitted to the UE in a Downlink Service Data Adaptive Protocol (SDAP) header.

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