Data discarding method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a data discarding method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a program product. The method is executed by a terminal, and the method comprises: discarding a first data packet among at least one packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) data packet, wherein the first data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be first discarded among the at least one PDCP data packet. In the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, a terminal discards a first data packet that can be first discarded among at least one PDCP data packet, thereby reducing the number of PDCP data packets to be processed or transmitted, thus effectively alleviating buffer overflow of the terminal, and also ensuring timely processing and transmission of PDCP data packets among the at least one PDCP data packet other than the first data packet.

Description

Data discarding methods, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media and software products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to data discarding methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0002] In mobile communication systems, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer defines a packet dropping mechanism, whereby the terminal discards a PDPC packet when its drop timer expires. However, this packet dropping mechanism has limitations, and a new packet dropping scheme is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a data discarding method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a program product.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a data discarding method is provided, wherein the method is executed by a terminal, the method comprising: discarding a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; wherein the first data packet is a PDCP data packet in at least one PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a data discarding method is provided, wherein the method is performed by a network device, the method comprising: sending first information to a terminal, the first information being used by the terminal to determine a first data packet among at least one PDCP data packets; the first data packet being a PDCP data packet among at least one PDCP data packets that can be preferentially discarded.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a data discarding method is provided, wherein the method is executed by a communication system, the method comprising: a network device sending first information to a terminal, the first information being used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; the first data packet being a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet; and the terminal discarding the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, wherein the communication device is used to perform the data discarding method provided in the first or second aspect.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, wherein the communication system includes a terminal and a network device, the terminal is configured to implement the data discarding method provided in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the data discarding method provided in the second aspect.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided, wherein the storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the data discarding method provided in the first or second aspect.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the data discarding method provided in the first or second aspect.

[0011] In the technical solution provided by the embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal reduces the number of PDCP data packets to be processed or transmitted by discarding the first data packet that can be discarded first among at least one PDCP data packets, thereby effectively alleviating the buffer overflow situation of the terminal, while ensuring the timely processing and transmission of PDCP data packets other than the first data packet among at least one PDCP data packets.

[0012] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the invention.

[0014] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0015] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of encoding on the transmitting side in an application layer FEC according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0016] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0017] Figure 2B is a flowchart illustrating a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0018] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0019] Figure 3B is a schematic flowchart of a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0020] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0021] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0022] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0023] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0024] This disclosure provides a data discarding method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a program product.

[0025] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a data discarding method, wherein the method is executed by a terminal, the method comprising: discarding a first data packet in at least one Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) data packet; wherein the first data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0026] In the above embodiments, the terminal reduces the number of PDCP data packets to be processed or transmitted by discarding the first data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet, thereby effectively alleviating the terminal's buffer overflow situation, while ensuring the timely processing and transmission of PDCP data packets other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0027] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first data packet is a data packet of a specific type or a specific number of data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet.

[0028] In the above embodiments, the PDCP packets that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP packet can be packets of a specific type. When at least one PDCP packet can include packets of different types, the terminal can preferentially discard packets of the specific type in at least one PDCP packet, thereby mitigating the terminal's buffer overflow. Alternatively, the PDCP packets that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP packet can be a specific number of packets. When at least one PDCP packet is of the same type, the terminal can preferentially discard a specific number of packets from at least one PDCP packet, thereby mitigating the terminal's buffer overflow.

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by forward error correction (FEC) encoding of first data based on a first encoding method; at least one PDCP data packet includes: a source data packet and a protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

[0030] In the above embodiments, the first data is FEC encoded based on the first encoding method, and the resulting at least one PDCP data packet includes both the source data packet and the protection data packet. In this way, the terminal can preferentially discard the protection data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet, thereby effectively alleviating the terminal's buffer overflow situation on the one hand, while ensuring the timely processing and transmission of the source data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet on the other hand, so that the terminal or network device can still recover the complete first data based on the source data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet.

[0031] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0032] In the above embodiments, when at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method, the terminal can determine a specific number of PDCP data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet as the first data packet according to the encoding redundancy of the at least one PDCP data packet, and discard the first data packet first. This can effectively alleviate the buffer overflow of the terminal and ensure the timely processing and transmission of the source data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet. On the other hand, it enables the terminal or network device to recover the complete first data based on the remaining PDCP data packets.

[0033] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before discarding the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet, the method further includes: determining the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet based on first information; the first information is obtained by the terminal from a higher layer; or, the first information is received from a network device.

[0034] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the first data packet that can be preferentially discarded among at least one PDCP data packets based on the first information received from the network device or the first information obtained by the terminal from a higher layer. Thus, the terminal discards the first data packet and continues to process and transmit the remaining PDCP data packets. In this way, the terminal uses different processing methods for the first data packet and the remaining PDCP data packets, effectively mitigating buffer overflow issues without affecting the decoding and recovery of the at least one PDCP data packet.

[0035] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes one of the following: first indication information for indicating whether a PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet; wherein a specific type of data packet is a protection data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; second indication information for indicating the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet; a specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy; third indication information for indicating a first parameter; the first parameter is used by the terminal to determine the specific quantity; a first identifier for identifying a set of data packets, the set of data packets including at least one PDCP data packet; a second identifier for identifying a data burst, the data burst including at least one PDCP data packet; and fourth indication information for indicating the quantity of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0036] In the above embodiments, the first information may include one of a first indication information, a second indication information, and a third indication information, so that the terminal can determine the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet based on any of the above information, so that the terminal can perform different processing on the first data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet and the PDCP data packets other than the first data packet; and / or, the first information may also include one of a first identifier, a second identifier, and a fourth indication information. When the first information includes at least one of the first identifier, the second identifier, and the fourth indication information, the terminal can determine at least one PDCP data packet based on any of the above information, and then determine the first data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is included in the header of the PDCP service data unit (SDU).

[0038] In the above embodiments, the first information can be included in the header of the PDCP SDU, so that the transmission of the first information can be completed at the same time as the transmission of the PDCP data packet, reducing signaling overhead.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is configured for PDCP data packets; or, the first information is configured for a set of data packets; or, the first information is configured for a data burst.

[0040] In the above embodiments, the first information can be configured for PDCP data packets, data packet sets, or data bursts. Different granularities of the first information can be configured according to the processing requirements of different scenarios to improve configuration flexibility.

[0041] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending second information to a network device, the second information being used to instruct a terminal to support a first function; the first function being related to the priority discarding of PDCP packets; the second information being used by the network device to send the first information to the terminal.

[0042] In the above embodiments, the terminal can send second information to the network device to inform the network device that it supports the first function related to the priority dropping of PDCP packets. This allows the network device to send the first information to the terminal if the terminal supports the first function, and not to send the first information if the terminal does not support the first function, thereby reducing unnecessary information transmission.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the first information is received from a network device, the first information is further used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0044] Whether the terminal performs the first function for each data radio bearer (DRB); the first function is related to the priority discarding of the PDCP data packets; the first time when the terminal starts discarding the first data packets; the second time when the terminal stops discarding the first data packets.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the first information received by the terminal from the network device can be used to indicate at least one of the aforementioned information, thereby enabling the terminal to determine whether to activate the first function for different DRBs based on the first information sent by the network device. That is, the activation granularity of the first function can be specific to a single DRB. Thus, the terminal can preferentially discard the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet associated with a DRB whose first function has been activated, and uniformly discard at least one PDCP data packet associated with a DRB whose first function has not been activated. And / or, the terminal can determine the activation time period of the terminal's first function based on the first information sent by the network device, and preferentially discard the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet received by the terminal during the activation time period, and uniformly discard at least one PDCP data packet received by the terminal outside the activation time period, so as to dynamically activate the first function according to network requirements.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, after determining the first data packet, the method further includes: determining the protocol data unit set importance (PSI) level of the first data packet as a first level; wherein the PSI level includes a first level and a second level, and the first level is lower than the second level.

[0047] In the above embodiments, after the terminal determines the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet, it can determine the PSI level of the first data packet as the lower first level. Based on the PSI level of the PDCP data packet, the terminal can prioritize discarding the first data packet with the lower PSI level.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, discarding a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet includes: discarding the first data packet based on a first moment; the first moment is the moment when the discard timer for the first data packet times out; or, the first moment is the moment when the terminal determines the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the terminal can discard the first data packet when the discard timer expires, or the terminal can immediately discard the first data packet when it is determined from at least one PDCP data packet, thereby effectively mitigating the terminal's buffer overflow situation.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0051] In the above embodiment, by configuring the timing duration of the first data packet's discard timer to be shorter than the timing duration of the second data packet's discard timer, when the first data packet's discard timer expires, the second data packet's discard timer has not yet expired. Thus, when the terminal discards data packets based on the discard timer, it can still achieve priority discarding of the first data packet, thereby effectively alleviating the terminal's buffer overflow situation.

[0052] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a data discarding method, which is executed by a network device. The method includes: sending first information to a terminal, the first information being used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; the first data packet being a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0053] In the above embodiments, the network device can send first information to the terminal, so that the terminal can determine the PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet, i.e., the first data packet, according to the first information sent by the network device. This allows the terminal to preferentially discard the first data packet, thereby reducing the number of PDCP data packets to be processed or transmitted on the terminal side, effectively alleviating the terminal's buffer overflow situation, and also ensuring the timely processing and transmission of PDCP data packets other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first data packet is a data packet of a specific type or a specific number of data packets in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding of first data based on a first encoding method; at least one PDCP data packet includes: a source data packet and a protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes one of the following: first indication information for indicating whether a PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet; wherein a specific type of data packet is a protection data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; second indication information for indicating the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet; a specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy; third indication information for indicating a first parameter; the first parameter is used by the terminal to determine the specific quantity; a first identifier for identifying a data packet set, the data packet set including at least one PDCP data packet; a second identifier for identifying a data burst, the data burst including at least one PDCP data packet; and fourth indication information for indicating the quantity of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is included in the header of the PDCP Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is configured for PDCP data packets; or, the first information is configured for a set of data packets; or, the first information is configured for a data burst.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving second information sent by a terminal, the second information being used to indicate that the terminal supports a first function; the first function being related to the priority discarding of PDCP data packets; the second information being further used by the network device to send the first information to the terminal.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is also used to indicate at least one of the following: whether the terminal performs a first function for each radio data bearer (DRB); the first function is related to the priority discarding of PDCP packets; a first time when the terminal begins discarding the first packets; and a second time when the terminal stops discarding the first packets.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0063] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a data discarding method, which is executed by a communication system. The method includes: a network device sending first information to a terminal, the first information being used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; the first data packet being a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet; and the terminal discarding the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0064] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, wherein the communication device is used to execute the data discarding method provided in the first or second aspect.

[0065] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a terminal and a network device, the terminal is configured to implement the data discarding method provided in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the data discarding method provided in the second aspect.

[0066] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the data discarding method provided in the first or second aspect.

[0067] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the data discarding method provided in the first or second aspect.

[0068] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the data discarding method described in an optional implementation of the first, second, or third aspect.

[0069] It is understood that the aforementioned communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, etc., are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0070] This disclosure provides a data discarding method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a program product. In some embodiments, the terms data discarding method, data processing method, information processing method, and communication method may be used interchangeably.

[0071] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0072] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0073] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0074] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0075] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0076] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0077] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0078] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0079] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0080] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0081] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0082] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0083] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0084] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0085] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0087] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0088] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0089] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0090] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0091] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0092] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0093] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0094] Terminal 101 includes, for example, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0095] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of the following: access network device, core network device.

[0096] Access network equipment includes, for example, nodes or devices that connect terminals to a wireless network. Access network equipment may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved node B (eNB), next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB), next-generation node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul equipment, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0097] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0098] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0099] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device including one or more network functions, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of one or more network functions. Network functions may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the following: evolved packet core (EPC), 5G core network (5GCN), 6G core network (6GCN), and next-generation core (NGC).

[0100] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0101] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0102] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), Super 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th Generation Mobile Communication System (4G), 5th Generation Mobile Communication System (5G), 5G New Radio (NR), 6th Generation Mobile Communication System (6G), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New Radio Access (NX), Future Generation Radio Access (FX), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, ultra-wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), public land mobile networks (PLMN), device-to-device (D2D) systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) systems, internet of things (IoT) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other data discarding methods, and next-generation systems built upon them. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0103] In some embodiments, an erasure code transforms a message containing k symbols into a message containing n (n>k) symbols, so that the original message can be recovered from a subset of the received n symbols. The recovery algorithm already knows which of these n symbols have been correctly received. An optimal erasure code can recover the original message if any k symbols are correctly received. Optimal erasure codes are maximum distance separable codes (MDS codes), such as Reed-Solomon codes (RS codes).

[0104] In some embodiments, erasure codes can be used in the application layer FEC to improve system reliability.

[0105] In one embodiment, the original data can be split into k equal-length data packets and encoded into n (n>k) data packets using an erasure code. These n data packets are then transmitted through different channels (e.g., different carriers in carrier aggregation, or different nodes in dual connectivity) to fully utilize diversity and improve reliability. At the receiving end, an error detection mechanism (e.g., cyclic redundancy check (CRC)) is used to determine which data packets have been correctly received, and the correctly received data packets are then used to recover the original data.

[0106] As shown in Figure 1B, Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of encoding on the transmitting side in an application layer FEC according to an exemplary embodiment. (5, 3) encoding is used, i.e., k = 3, n = 5. The original data is split into 3 data packets, the first data packet having symbols s1, s2, ... s m The second data packet has a sign s m+1 ,s m+2 ,…s 2m The third data packet has a sign s 2m+1 ,s 2m+2 ,…s 3m .

[0107] Assuming the (5,3) encoding used is a systematic code, and that encoding is done in groups of three symbols, then the encoding process requires generating two check symbols from the three symbols. For example, for s1, s m+1 ,s 2m+1 Encode and generate check symbols w1, w m+1 For s2,s m+2 ,s 2m+2 Encode and generate check symbols w2, w m+2 And so on. The sending side generates two check packets by encoding the three data packets. The two check packets contain symbols w1, w2, ... w1 respectively.m and symbol w m+1 ,w m+2 ,…w 2m Finally, add the appropriate header to each data packet and transmit it.

[0108] In some embodiments, a symbol in a data packet can be a single bit or several bits, such as a byte. If the symbol is a byte, then the corresponding erasure code operates in the finite field F. 256 If the number of symbols in the original data is not an integer multiple of k, then an appropriate number of padding symbols can be added (e.g., element 0 in the finite field corresponding to the encoding).

[0109] In some embodiments, FEC encoding may include a first encoding method and a second encoding method. The first encoding method involves splitting the original data into k equal-length data packets, which are source packets, and encoding them into n data packets using an erasure code. Among these n data packets, nk are protection packets or redundant packets (repair packets), and the importance of the source packets and the protection packets (or redundant packets) is different. In this case, the original data can be recovered based on the k source packets. The encoding method shown in Figure 1B is the first encoding method.

[0110] The second encoding method involves adding redundant information to k source data packets and using erasure codes to encode them into n data packets. These n data packets are not differentiated by importance; that is, all n data packets are of equal importance. In this case, the original data can be recovered based on a certain number or proportion of these n data packets.

[0111] In some embodiments, to prevent buffer overflow, the terminal sets a drop timer for each data packet. When the drop timer expires, the terminal drops the data packet.

[0112] In some embodiments, in the event of network congestion, the terminal sets a short timer for data packets, and when the timer expires, the terminal discards the data packet.

[0113] In some embodiments, when the PDCH status report indicates that the PDCP SDU has been successfully delivered, the PDCP sending entity should discard the PDCP SDU and the corresponding PDCP protocol data unit (PDU).

[0114] In some embodiments, when the discard timer (discardTimer or discardTimerForLowImportance) of the PDCP SDU times out, if the PDCP SDU belongs to a PDU set, the PDCP sending entity discards all PDCP SDUs and corresponding PDCP data PDUs in the PDU set to which the PDCP SDU belongs; otherwise, the PDCP sending entity discards the PDCP SDU and corresponding PDCP data PDUs.

[0115] Note that if the PDCP sending entity discards all PDCP SDUs and their corresponding PDCP data PDUs in the PDU set to which the PDCP SDU belongs, the PDCP sending entity will also discard the PDCP SDUs received from the higher layer if the PDCP sending entity subsequently receives PDCP SDUs that also belong to the same PDU set.

[0116] In some embodiments, the PDCP layer's packet dropping mechanism does not differentiate between packet categories regardless of the scenario. For example, for packets encoded using the first encoding method, it discards them uniformly without distinguishing between source packets and protection packets. If the PDCP layer prioritizes discarding protection packets, the source packets can still be transmitted when there is an opportunity for subsequent packet transmission, allowing the receiving end to potentially recover the original data. Alternatively, for packets encoded using the second encoding method, if the PDCP layer discards packets according to the maximum recoverable proportion during the discarding process, the receiving end may still be able to recover the original data based on the remaining packets. Therefore, the existing packet dropping mechanism needs to be optimized for FEC.

[0117] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 2A, this disclosure relates to a data discarding method for a communication system 100, the method comprising:

[0118] Step S2101: The terminal sends the second information to the network device.

[0119] In some embodiments, the network device receives second information sent by the terminal.

[0120] In some embodiments, the terminal may support the first function, or the terminal may not support the first function. In one embodiment, the first function is related to the priority discarding of PDCP packets. Exemplarily, the first function may be a priority discarding function for a specific PDCP packet.

[0121] In some embodiments, if the terminal supports the first function, the terminal may send second information to the network device. If the terminal does not support the first function, the terminal may not send the second information.

[0122] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate that the terminal supports the first function.

[0123] In some embodiments, the terminal may determine whether to send the second information based on whether it supports the first function.

[0124] In some embodiments, the terminal sends second information to the network device, and the network device can determine that the terminal supports the first function based on the received second information.

[0125] In other embodiments, the terminal may not send the second information to the network device. In this case, if the network device does not receive the second information, the network device can determine that the terminal does not support the first function.

[0126] In some embodiments, different values ​​of the second information are used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first function. In one embodiment, the second information has a first value, indicating that the terminal supports the first function. Alternatively, the second information has a second value, indicating that the terminal does not support the first function. In some embodiments, the terminal can determine the value of the second information based on whether it supports the first function.

[0127] In some embodiments, if the terminal supports the first function, the terminal sends second information having a first value to the network device. If the terminal does not support the first function, the terminal sends second information having a second value to the network device.

[0128] In some embodiments, the name of the second information is not specifically limited. For example, it could be capability information, capability indication information, etc.

[0129] In some embodiments, the second information may be included in radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0130] In step S2102, the network device sends the first information to the terminal.

[0131] In some embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by the network device.

[0132] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains the first information specified by the protocol, in which step S2102 is omitted.

[0133] In some embodiments, the first information may be sent from a higher layer of the terminal to the PDCP layer of the terminal, in which case step S2102 is omitted.

[0134] In one embodiment, if the terminal does not support the first function, the network device may not send the first information, and step S2102 is omitted.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first information can be used by the terminal to determine a first data packet among at least one PDCP data packet. In one embodiment, the first data packet is a PDCP data packet among at least one PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a data packet of a specific type among at least one PDCP data packet. In one embodiment, at least one PDCP data packet may include multiple PDCP data packets of different types, and the first data packet may be a PDCP data packet of a specific type among multiple different types of PDCP data packets.

[0137] In some embodiments, different types of PDCP packets correspond to different levels of importance, and a specific type of PDCP packet may be a PDCP packet of lower importance.

[0138] In one embodiment, the PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet may be a PDCP data packet of lower importance in at least one PDPC data packet. In another embodiment, the PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet may be a redundant PDCP data packet in at least one PDPC data packet.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a specific number of data packets from at least one PDCP data packet. In one embodiment, the at least one PDCP data packet may be of the same type, in which case the first data packet may be a specific number of PDCP data packets from at least one PDCP data packet.

[0140] In some embodiments, the specific quantity can be determined by the minimum number of PDCP packets required for the terminal to decode and recover the first data. In one embodiment, the number of at least one PDCP packet is N, and the number of PDCP packets required for the terminal to decode and recover the first data can be M, then the specific quantity can be NM. Here, N and M are positive integers, and M is less than N.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first information may include first indication information, which indicates whether the PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet. In one embodiment, at least one PDCP data packet may be obtained by FEC encoding of first data based on a first encoding method. The at least one PDCP data packet encoded based on the first encoding method may include a source data packet and a protection data packet, wherein the source data packet is of higher importance than the protection data packet. Compared to the source data packet, the protection data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded.

[0142] In some embodiments, the first information may include second indication information, which is used to indicate the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0143] In some embodiments, the specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP packet. In one embodiment, the higher the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP packet, the more first packets there are in at least one PDCP packet; the lower the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP packet, the fewer first packets there are in at least one PDCP packet.

[0144] In some embodiments, the ratio of the number of first packets in at least one PDCP packet to the number of at least one PDCP packet is the same as the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP packet.

[0145] In some embodiments, the second indication information can be used by the terminal to determine the number of first packets in at least one PDCP packet. For example, if the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP packet is 20%, then 20% of the PDCP packets in at least one PDCP packet are first packets that can be preferentially discarded.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first information may include third indication information, which is used to indicate the first parameter, and the first parameter may be used by the terminal to determine a specific quantity.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first parameter may be determined based on the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first parameter can also be used by the terminal to determine the number of first data packets or second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet, wherein the second data packet is a PDCP data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first parameter may be a quantity parameter. In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the number of first data packets in at least one PDCP data packet. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP data packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information sent by the network device is k, then the terminal can determine that the number of first data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is k. Here, k is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and k is less than n.

[0150] In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP data packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information sent by the network device is k, then the terminal can determine that the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is k, and the number of first data packets is nk. Here, k is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and k is less than n.

[0151] In some embodiments, the first parameter may be a proportional parameter. In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the ratio between the number of first packets in at least one PDCP packet and the total number of at least one PDCP packet. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information sent by the network device is 20%, then the terminal can determine that the number of first packets in at least one PDCP packet is n*20%. Here, n is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0152] In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the ratio between the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet and the total number of at least one PDCP data packets. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP data packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information sent by the network device is 80%, then the terminal can determine that the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is n*80%, and the number of first data packets is n*20%. Here, n is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0153] It should be noted that the above are merely examples of the first parameter, and the embodiments disclosed herein do not impose specific limitations on the first parameter.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first information is also used to indicate at least one PDCP data packet.

[0155] In one embodiment, when at least one PDCP data packet is transmitted based on different carriers, the first information can also be used to indicate at least one PDCP data packet.

[0156] In one embodiment, where at least one PDCP data packet is transmitted based on different nodes in a dual connection, the first information can also be used to indicate at least one PDCP data packet.

[0157] In some embodiments, the first information may include one of the following: a first identifier for identifying a set of data packets; a second identifier for identifying a data burst; and fourth indication information for indicating the number of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0158] In some embodiments, the first identifier can be any information used to identify the data packet set. For example, the first identifier can be a data packet set identifier, or the first identifier can be a service identifier associated with the data packet set.

[0159] In some embodiments, where the first information includes a first identifier, at least one PDCP data packet may be a PDCP data packet within the data packet set indicated by the first identifier. In one embodiment, the terminal may determine the data packet set based on the first identifier in the first information, and determine the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet contained in the data packet set.

[0160] In some embodiments, the second identifier can be any information used to identify the data burst. For example, the second identifier can be the PDU session identifier corresponding to the data burst, or the second identifier can be the logical channel identifier corresponding to the data burst.

[0161] In some embodiments, where the first information includes a second identifier, at least one PDCP data packet may be a PDCP data packet within a data burst indicated by the second identifier. In one embodiment, the terminal may determine a data burst based on the second identifier within the first information, and determine a first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet contained in the data burst.

[0162] In some embodiments, where the first information includes fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information indicates that the number of at least one PDCP data packet is N, the at least one PDCP data packet can be N PDCP data packets following the first PDCP data packet received from the terminal. Here, N can be a positive integer greater than 1.

[0163] In one embodiment, the first information may include not only any one of the first identifier, the second identifier, and the fourth indication information, but also at least one of the second indication information and the third indication information. The first identifier, the second identifier, or the fourth indication information within the first information can be used to indicate a first set, which consists of at least one PDCP data packet. The second indication information or the third indication information within the first information can be used by the terminal to determine a second set, which consists of the first data packet and is a subset of the first set.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first information may also be used to instruct the terminal to perform a first function. In one embodiment, the first function is a function related to the priority discarding of PDCP packets. Exemplarily, the first function may be a priority discarding function for a specific PDCP packet.

[0165] In some embodiments, the first function of the terminal can be activated or deactivated. In one embodiment, the first function of the terminal can be activated if at least one PDCP packet is obtained based on FEC encoding. If at least one PDCP packet is not obtained based on FEC encoding, the first function of the terminal can be deactivated.

[0166] In some embodiments, the network device may send first information to the terminal to activate a first function of the terminal.

[0167] In one embodiment, when the terminal's first function is activated, the terminal can determine at least one PDCP data packet and a first data packet within the at least one PDCP data packet based on first information, and prioritize discarding the first data packet. When the terminal's first function is deactivated, the terminal determines at least one PDCP data packet based on the first information and uniformly discards the at least one PDCP data packet.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first information may also indicate one of the following: a first time when the terminal begins to discard the first data packet; a second time when the terminal stops discarding the first data packet. In one embodiment, the terminal may determine an activation period of a first function based on the first time and / or the second time indicated by the first information, and within the activation period, the terminal may preferentially discard the first data packet in at least one received PDCP data packet.

[0169] In some embodiments, the first information may be configured for PDCP packets. In one embodiment, the network device sends different first information for different PDCP packets. In one embodiment, at least one PDCP packet may include a source packet and a protection packet, wherein the first information carried by the source packet and the first information carried by the protection packet may be different.

[0170] In some embodiments, the first information may be configured for a set of data packets. In one embodiment, the first information sent by the network device differs for different sets of data packets. In one embodiment, the number of first data packets indicated by the first information may differ for different sets of data packets.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first information may be configured for a data burst. In one embodiment, the first information sent by the network device differs for different data bursts. In one embodiment, the number of first data packets indicated by the first information may differ for different data bursts.

[0172] In some embodiments, when the network device performs FEC encoding on the first data to obtain at least one PDCP data packet, the network device sends first information to the terminal. In one embodiment, since the at least one PDCP data packet obtained based on FEC encoding may contain redundant data, even if some PDCP data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet are discarded, the terminal may still be able to recover the complete original data based on the remaining PDCP data packets. In this case, the network device may send first information to the terminal so that the terminal can prioritize discarding the redundant first data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet based on the first information.

[0173] In some embodiments, when the network device performs FEC encoding on the first data based on the first encoding method to obtain at least one PDCP data packet, the network device sends first information to the terminal. The first information may include first indication information.

[0174] In one embodiment, at least one PDCP data packet obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the first encoding method includes both source data packets and protection data packets. The source data packets are of higher importance than the protection data packets. In this case, the network device can send first information containing first indication information to the terminal to indicate the type of each PDCP data packet.

[0175] In some embodiments, when the network device performs FEC encoding on the first data based on the second encoding method to obtain at least one PDCP data packet, the network device sends first information to the terminal. The first information may include at least one of second indication information and third indication information.

[0176] In one embodiment, at least one PDCP data packet can be obtained by performing FEC encoding on the first data based on a second encoding method. The complete original data can be recovered based on a certain number of PDCP data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet. In this case, the network device sends first information containing second indication information to the terminal, so that the terminal can determine the number of first data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet according to the encoding redundancy indicated by the second indication information. Alternatively, the network device sends first information containing third indication information to the terminal, so that the terminal can determine the number of first data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet according to the first parameter indicated by the third indication information.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first information may be included in the header of the PDCP SDU. In one embodiment, in the case of downlink transmission, the first information may be included in the header of the PDCP SDU received by the terminal's PDCP layer from the radio link control (RLC) layer.

[0178] In step S2103, the terminal determines the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet based on the first information.

[0179] In some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet can be a group of related PDCP data packets received by the terminal. For example, at least one PDCP data packet can be PDCP data packets belonging to the same data packet set, or at least one PDCP data packet can be PDCP data packets belonging to the same data burst. Of course, at least one PDCP data packet can also have other relationships, which are not specifically limited in this disclosure.

[0180] In one embodiment, the terminal may send an acknowledgment message to the network device after receiving each PDCP data packet. Upon receiving the acknowledgment message, the network device sends a response message to the terminal, which can be used to indicate whether there are any more PDCP data packets to be sent. When the response message sent by the network device indicates that there are no more PDCP data packets to be sent, the terminal can determine that the received multiple PDCP data packets are a group of related PDCP data packets.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded from at least one PDCP data packet.

[0182] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a data packet of a specific type in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a specific number of data packets in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0185] In some embodiments, where the first information includes first indication information, the terminal can determine a protected data packet in at least one PDCP data packet based on the first indication information, wherein a data packet of a specific type can be a protected data packet in at least one PDCP data packet. The terminal can determine the protected data packet in at least one PDCP data packet as the first data packet.

[0186] In one embodiment, since a specific type of data packet is a protected data packet in at least one PDCP data packet, the terminal can determine the protected data packet in at least one PDCP data packet according to the first indication information after receiving the first indication information, and determine the protected data packet as the PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet, i.e., the first data packet.

[0187] In some embodiments, when the first information includes second indication information, the terminal can determine the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet based on the second indication information. The specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0188] In one embodiment, since at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method, each PDCP data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet has the same importance. After receiving the second indication information, the terminal can determine a specific number based on the encoding redundancy indicated by the second indication information, thereby selecting a specific number of PDCP data packets from the at least one PDCP data packet, and determining the selected PDCP data packets as the PDCP data packets that can be preferentially discarded among the at least one PDCP data packets, i.e., the first data packet.

[0189] In some embodiments, where the first information includes third indication information, the terminal can determine a specific quantity based on the third indication information.

[0190] In one embodiment, since at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method, each PDCP data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet has the same importance. After receiving the third indication information, the terminal can determine a specific number according to the first parameter indicated by the third indication information, thereby selecting a specific number of PDCP data packets from the at least one PDCP data packet, and determining the selected PDCP data packets as the first data packets that can be preferentially discarded among the at least one PDCP data packets.

[0191] In some embodiments, before the terminal determines the first data packet, the terminal may also determine at least one PDCP data packet based on the first information.

[0192] In some embodiments, when the first information includes a first identifier, the terminal can determine that at least one PDCP packet is a PDCP packet within the packet set indicated by the first identifier. In one embodiment, the first identifier may be information used to uniquely identify the packet set.

[0193] In some embodiments, where the first information includes a second identifier, the terminal can determine that at least one PDCP data packet is a PDCP data packet within a data burst indicated by the second identifier. In one embodiment, the second identifier may be information used to uniquely identify the data burst.

[0194] In some embodiments, when the first information includes fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information indicates that the number of at least one PDCP data packet is N, the terminal can determine that at least one PDCP data packet is N PDCP data packets following the first PDCP data packet received by the terminal.

[0195] In some embodiments, after the terminal determines the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet, the terminal may further determine the PSI level of at least one PDCP data packet. The PSI level may include a first level and a second level, with the first level being lower than the second level. In some embodiments, the timer for discarding first-level data packets is shorter than the timer for discarding second-level data packets; therefore, first-level data packets are preferentially discarded by the terminal compared to second-level data packets.

[0196] In some embodiments, the PSI rating is a parameter used to indicate the relative importance of a set of PDUs relative to other sets of PDUs in the same quality of service (QoS) flow.

[0197] In some embodiments, the PSI level of the first data packet can be first level, thus indicating that the first data packet is a data packet that is preferentially dropped. In this way, the terminal can prioritize dropping the first data packet based on the existing drop timer for first-level data packets, without having to reconfigure different drop timers for the first and second data packets.

[0198] In some embodiments, the PSI level of the second data packet can be a second level.

[0199] In step S2104, the terminal discards the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0200] In some embodiments, at a first moment, the terminal may discard the first packet in at least one PDCP packet.

[0201] In some embodiments, the first moment may be the moment when the terminal determines the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet, or the first moment may be the moment when the discard timer for the first data packet times out.

[0202] In some embodiments, when a first data packet is determined from at least one PDCP data packet, the terminal may discard the first data packet from the at least one PDCP data packet. In this case, regardless of whether the discard timer for the first data packet has expired, the terminal may discard the first data packet immediately upon its determination.

[0203] In one embodiment, when the timer for discarding the first data packet times out, the terminal may discard the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0204] In some embodiments, the duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet.

[0205] In some embodiments, when the first data packet is a protection data packet of at least one PDCP data packet and the second data packet is a source data packet, the duration of the timer for discarding the protection data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the source data packet.

[0206] In some embodiments, the duration of the discard timer can be based on a protocol agreement. In one embodiment, the duration of the discard timer can be agreed upon through a protocol, with the duration of the discard timer for the protected data packet being a first duration and the duration of the discard timer for the source data packet being a second duration, wherein the first duration is shorter than the second duration.

[0207] In some embodiments, the duration of the discard timer can be configured by the network device. In one embodiment, the network device can configure the duration of the discard timer for the protection data packet to be a first duration, and the duration of the discard timer for the source data packet to be a second duration, wherein the first duration is shorter than the second duration.

[0208] In some embodiments, the term "information" may be used interchangeably with terms such as "message," "signal," "signaling," "report," "configuration," "indication," "instruction," "command," "channel," "parameter," "field," and "data."

[0209] In some embodiments, the term "send" may be used interchangeably with terms such as "transmit," "report," or "transmit."

[0210] The data discarding method disclosed herein may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2104. For example, steps S2103 and S2104 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps S2102 to S2104 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0211] In some embodiments, step S2101 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0212] In some embodiments, steps S2101 and S2102 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0213] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0214] Figure 2B is a flowchart illustrating a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 2B, this disclosure relates to a data discarding method for a communication system 100, the method comprising:

[0215] Step S2201: The terminal obtains the first information.

[0216] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains first information as defined by the protocol.

[0217] In some embodiments, the first information may be sent from a higher layer of the terminal to the PDCP layer of the terminal.

[0218] In some embodiments, the terminal may support the first function, or the terminal may not support the first function. In one embodiment, the first function is related to the priority discarding of PDCP packets. Exemplarily, the first function may be a priority discarding function for a specific PDCP packet.

[0219] In one embodiment, if the terminal does not support the first function, the terminal may not acquire the first information, and step S2201 is omitted.

[0220] In some embodiments, the first information can be used by the terminal to determine a first data packet among at least one PDCP data packet. In one embodiment, the first data packet is a PDCP data packet among at least one PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded.

[0221] In one embodiment, the PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet may be a PDCP data packet of lower importance in at least one PDPC data packet. In another embodiment, the PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded in at least one PDCP data packet may be a redundant PDCP data packet in at least one PDPC data packet.

[0222] In some embodiments, the first information may include first indication information, which indicates whether the PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet. In one embodiment, at least one PDCP data packet may be obtained by FEC encoding of first data based on a first encoding method. The at least one PDCP data packet encoded based on the first encoding method may include a source data packet and a protection data packet, wherein the source data packet is of higher importance than the protection data packet. Compared to the source data packet, the protection data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded.

[0223] In some embodiments, the first information may include second indication information, which indicates the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet. In some embodiments, the number of first data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is related to the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet. In one embodiment, the higher the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet, the more first data packets there are in at least one PDCP data packet; the lower the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet, the fewer first data packets there are in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0224] In some embodiments, the ratio of the number of first packets in at least one PDCP packet to the number of at least one PDCP packet is the same as the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP packet.

[0225] In some embodiments, the second indication information can be used by the terminal to determine the number of first packets in at least one PDCP packet. For example, if the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP packet is 20%, then 20% of the PDCP packets in at least one PDCP packet are first packets that can be preferentially discarded.

[0226] In some embodiments, the first information may include third indication information, which is used to indicate a first parameter. The first parameter can be used by the terminal to determine the number of first data packets or second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet, wherein the second data packet is a PDCP data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet. In some embodiments, the first parameter may be determined based on the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0227] In some embodiments, the first parameter may be a quantity parameter. In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the number of first data packets in at least one PDCP data packet. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP data packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information in the first information obtained by the terminal is k, then the terminal can determine that the number of first data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is k. Here, k is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and k is less than n.

[0228] In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP data packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information in the first information obtained by the terminal is k, then the terminal can determine that the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is k, and the number of first data packets is nk. Here, k is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and k is less than n.

[0229] In some embodiments, the first parameter may be a quantity percentage parameter. In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the ratio between the number of first data packets in at least one PDCP data packet and the total number of at least one PDCP data packets. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP data packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information in the first information obtained by the terminal is 20%, then the terminal can determine that the number of first data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is n*20%. Here, n is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0230] In one embodiment, the first parameter indicates the ratio between the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet and the total number of at least one PDCP data packets. For example, if the terminal receives at least n PDCP data packets, and the first parameter indicated by the third indication information in the first information obtained by the terminal is 80%, then the terminal can determine that the number of second data packets in at least one PDCP data packet is n*80%, and the number of first data packets is n*20%. Here, n is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0231] It should be noted that the above are merely examples of the first parameter, and the embodiments disclosed herein do not impose specific limitations on the first parameter.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first information is also used to indicate at least one PDCP data packet.

[0233] In one embodiment, when at least one PDCP data packet is transmitted based on different carriers, the first information can also be used to indicate at least one PDCP data packet.

[0234] In some embodiments, where at least one PDCP packet is transmitted based on different nodes in a dual connection, the first information can also be used to indicate at least one PDCP packet.

[0235] In some embodiments, the first information may include one of the following: a first identifier for identifying a set of data packets; a second identifier for identifying a data burst; and fourth indication information for indicating the number of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0236] In some embodiments, the first identifier can be any information used to identify the data packet set. For example, the first identifier can be a data packet set identifier. Alternatively, the first identifier can be a service identifier associated with the data packet set.

[0237] In some embodiments, where the first information includes a first identifier, at least one PDCP data packet may be a PDCP data packet within the data packet set indicated by the first identifier. In one embodiment, the terminal may determine the data packet set based on the first identifier in the first information, and determine the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet contained in the data packet set.

[0238] In some embodiments, the second identifier can be any information used to identify the data burst. For example, the second identifier can be the PDU session identifier corresponding to the data burst. Alternatively, the second identifier can be the logical channel identifier corresponding to the data burst.

[0239] In some embodiments, where the first information includes a second identifier, at least one PDCP data packet may be a PDCP data packet within a data burst indicated by the second identifier. In one embodiment, the terminal may determine a data burst based on the second identifier within the first information, and determine a first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet contained in the data burst.

[0240] In some embodiments, where the first information includes fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information indicates that the number of at least one PDCP data packet is N, the at least one PDCP data packet can be N PDCP data packets following the first PDCP data packet received from the terminal. Here, N can be a positive integer greater than 1.

[0241] In one embodiment, the first information may include not only any one of the first identifier, the second identifier, and the fourth indication information, but also at least one of the second indication information and the third indication information. The first identifier, the second identifier, or the fourth indication information within the first information can be used to indicate a first set, which consists of at least one PDCP data packet. The second indication information or the third indication information within the first information can be used by the terminal to determine a second set, which consists of the first data packet and is a subset of the first set.

[0242] In some embodiments, the first information may be configured for PDCP packets. In one embodiment, the network device sends different first information for different PDCP packets. In one embodiment, at least one PDCP packet may include a source packet and a protection packet, wherein the first information carried by the source packet and the first information carried by the protection packet may be different.

[0243] In some embodiments, the first information may be configured for a set of data packets. In one embodiment, the first information sent by the network device differs for different sets of data packets. In one embodiment, the number of first data packets indicated by the first information may differ for different sets of data packets.

[0244] In some embodiments, the first information may be configured for a data burst. In one embodiment, the first information sent by the network device differs for different data bursts. In one embodiment, the number of first data packets indicated by the first information may differ for different data bursts.

[0245] In one embodiment, if the terminal supports the first function, the terminal can obtain the first information.

[0246] In some embodiments, when at least one PDCP data packet is obtained based on FEC encoding, the terminal can obtain first information. In one embodiment, since at least one PDCP data packet obtained based on FEC encoding may contain redundant data, even if some PDCP data packets in at least one PDCP data packet are discarded, the terminal may still be able to recover the complete original data based on the remaining PDCP data packets. In this case, the terminal can obtain the first information so that, based on the first information, the terminal can preferentially discard the redundant first data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet.

[0247] In some embodiments, when at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by encoding the first data using a first encoding method, the terminal can obtain first information. This first information may include first indication information. In one embodiment, at least one PDCP data packet obtained by FEC encoding the first data using the first encoding method includes both source data packets and protection data packets. The source data packets are of higher importance than the protection data packets. In this case, the terminal can obtain the first information containing the first indication information and determine the type of each PDCP data packet based on the first indication information.

[0248] In some embodiments, when at least one PDCP data packet is encoded from first data using a first encoding method, the terminal can obtain first information. The first information may include at least one of second indication information and third indication information.

[0249] In one embodiment, at least one PDCP data packet can be obtained by performing FEC encoding on the first data based on a second encoding method, and the complete original data can be recovered based on a certain number of PDCP data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet. In this case, the terminal can obtain first information containing second indication information, so that the terminal can determine the number of first data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet according to the encoding redundancy indicated by the second indication information. Alternatively, the terminal can obtain first information containing third indication information, so that the terminal can determine the number of first data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet according to the first parameter indicated by the third indication information.

[0250] In some embodiments, when the first information is sent from a higher layer of the terminal to the PDCP layer of the terminal, the first information may be included in the header of the PDCP SDU. In one embodiment, in the case of uplink transmission, the first information may be included in the header of the PDCP SDU received by the PDCP layer of the terminal from the application layer.

[0251] In step S2202, the terminal determines the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet based on the first information.

[0252] In some embodiments, other optional implementations of step S2202 can be found in the optional implementations of step S2103 in FIG2A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0253] In step S2203, the terminal discards the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0254] In some embodiments, other optional implementations of step S2203 can be found in the optional implementations of step S2104 in FIG2A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0255] Figure 3A is a second interactive schematic diagram illustrating a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 3A, this disclosure relates to a data discarding method, which includes:

[0256] Step S3101: The network device sends the first information to the terminal.

[0257] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; the first data packet is a PDCP data packet in at least one PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded.

[0258] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a data packet of a specific type in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0259] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a specific number of data packets in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0260] In some embodiments, the first information includes one of the following:

[0261] The first indication information is used to indicate whether the PDCP packet is a source packet or a protection packet; wherein, a specific type of packet is a protection packet in at least one PDCP packet;

[0262] The second indication information is used to indicate the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet; the specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy.

[0263] The third indication information is used to indicate the first parameter; the first parameter is used by the terminal to determine a specific quantity; wherein, the second data packet is at least one PDCP data packet other than the first data packet.

[0264] In some embodiments, other optional implementations of step S3101 can be found in the optional implementations of step S2102 in FIG2A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0265] In step S3102, the terminal discards the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0266] In some embodiments, before the terminal discards the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet, the terminal can determine the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet based on the first information.

[0267] In some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by forward error correction (FEC) encoding of the first data based on a first encoding method; at least one PDCP data packet includes: a source data packet and a protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

[0268] In some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on a second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0269] In some embodiments, the terminal discards the first data packet based on a first moment; the first moment is the time when the discard timer for the first data packet times out; or, the first moment is the time when the terminal determines the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet.

[0270] In some embodiments, the duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0271] In some embodiments, other optional implementations of step S3102 can be found in the optional implementations of step S2104 in FIG2A and step S2203 in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A and FIG2B, which will not be repeated here.

[0272] The data discarding method disclosed herein may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3102. For example, step S3102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0273] In some embodiments, step S3101 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0274] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0275] Figure 3B is a schematic flowchart illustrating a data discarding method according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 3B, this disclosure relates to a data discarding method, which includes:

[0276] Step S3201: The terminal discards the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0277] In some embodiments, the first data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded from at least one PDCP data packet.

[0278] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a data packet of a specific type in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0279] In some embodiments, the first data packet may be a specific number of data packets in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0280] In some embodiments, before the terminal discards the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet, the terminal can determine the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet based on the first information.

[0281] In some embodiments, the first information is obtained by the terminal from a higher layer; or, the first information is sent to the terminal by the network device.

[0282] In some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by forward error correction (FEC) encoding of the first data based on a first encoding method; at least one PDCP data packet includes: a source data packet and a protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

[0283] In some embodiments, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on a second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0284] In some embodiments, the terminal discards the first data packet based on a first moment; the first moment is the time when the discard timer for the first data packet times out; or, the first moment is the time when the terminal determines the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet.

[0285] In some embodiments, the duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0286] In some embodiments, other optional implementations of step S3201 can be found in the optional implementations of step S2104 in FIG2A and step S2203 in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A and FIG2B, which will not be repeated here.

[0287] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0288] To better understand the embodiments of this disclosure, the following exemplary embodiments will be used to further illustrate this disclosure.

[0289] In some embodiments, a new PDCP layer discarding scheme is provided to address new business requirements.

[0290] Example 1: The terminal's PDCP layer preferentially discards specific data packets.

[0291] In one embodiment, the terminal's PDCP layer preferentially discards specific data packets (data packets within a second range) from among multiple data packets in the data packet set.

[0292] In one embodiment, a specific data packet can be a protection packet of the source data packet. The protection packet can also be called a redundant data packet, while the protected data packet is the original data packet or the original data.

[0293] In one embodiment, a specific data packet may be a data packet within a specified range.

[0294] In one example, the terminal determines data packets within a second range (i.e., a specified range) from data packets within a first range. For instance, if the original data can be recovered from k data packets out of n data packets (i.e., data packets within the first range), then nk data packets can be determined to be data packets within the specified range, i.e., data packets within the second range. In this case, data packets within the second range can be preferentially discarded. In one embodiment, if k data packets are the original data packets, then nk data packets are the protection data packets for the original data. In this case, if the original data can be determined through k data packets, then nk data packets, as redundant data packets, can be preferentially discarded.

[0295] For example, if the original data can be recovered from 80% of the n data packets, then the n*20% data packets can be identified as data packets within a specified range.

[0296] In Example 2, the application layer or higher layer of the terminal will provide auxiliary information to the PDCP layer to determine specific data packets.

[0297] In one embodiment, the higher layer notifies the PDCP layer whether the data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet.

[0298] In one embodiment, the higher layer notifies the PDCP layer of a threshold for packet recovery or dropping. This threshold can be a percentage, for example, a packet recovery threshold of 80%. Alternatively, the threshold can be an absolute number, for example, a packet recovery threshold of k packets.

[0299] In one embodiment, a higher layer may provide auxiliary information to indicate data packets within a first range.

[0300] For example, the first range of data packets can be a specific set of data packets. Another example is that the first range of data packets can be a specific data burst. Yet another example is that the first range of data packets can be N data packets following the first data packet.

[0301] In one embodiment, the header of the data packets sent by the higher layer carries auxiliary information used to determine data packets in a second range from those in a first range. For example, the packet header may carry information indicating whether the data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet. Therefore, protection data packets can be determined to be within the second range and can be preferentially discarded.

[0302] For example, the packet header may carry a percentage threshold, which could indicate the coding redundancy of higher layers, such as 20%, to help the PDCP layer determine which specific packets to discard. In this case, it can be determined that the packets in the second range account for 20% of the total packets, and these packets can be preferentially discarded.

[0303] In one embodiment, the auxiliary information indicated by the higher layer can be configured per packet.

[0304] In one embodiment, the auxiliary information indicated by the higher layer can be configured for each packet set.

[0305] In one embodiment, the auxiliary information for higher-level instructions may be configured for each data burst.

[0306] In one embodiment, if the PDCP entity is a terminal-side PDCP entity, the terminal can implement how to identify specific data packets to be dropped preferentially based on higher-layer auxiliary information.

[0307] In one embodiment, the threshold for PDCP layer packet recovery or discarding, and the coding redundancy of higher layers can also be predetermined by the protocol.

[0308] In Example 3, the network provides auxiliary information to the PDCP layer for dropping specific data packets.

[0309] In one embodiment, the network notifies the terminal of the threshold for recovering or dropping PDCP layer packets and the coding redundancy of higher layers. For example, the network may notify the terminal that 20% of the packets in a packet set can be dropped.

[0310] In one embodiment, the network notifies the terminal when to start dropping specific data packets and when to stop dropping specific data packets.

[0311] In one embodiment, the function of the network notifying the terminal to prioritize discarding specific data packets can be based on each DRB configuration.

[0312] Example 4: When the network configures a drop timer for the PDCP layer of the terminal, different drop timer durations can be configured for data packets within the second range.

[0313] In one embodiment, assuming that after determining the data packets in the second range from the data packets in the first range, a shorter timer can be configured for discarding the data packets in the second range, while a longer timer can be configured for discarding the data packets outside the second range. Based on this, the data packets in the second range can be preferentially discarded.

[0314] In Example 5, after the terminal identifies data packets within the second range, it can discard them as low PSI level data packets. This is because existing mechanisms already allow the terminal to prioritize discarding low PSI level data packets. Therefore, when the terminal identifies data packets within the second range, such as redundant data packets, it can prioritize discarding them as low PSI level data packets.

[0315] In Example 6, after the terminal determines the data packet within the second range, it can discard it immediately (regardless of whether the discard timer has expired), or discard it after the discard timer expires.

[0316] Example 7: The terminal can notify the network that it supports the function of prioritizing the dropping of specific data packets.

[0317] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0318] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0319] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0320] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment. Terminal 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, terminal 4100 may include: a processing module 4101, configured to discard a first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet; wherein the first data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded from at least one PDCP data packet. Optionally, the processing module is used to execute at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2201, S2202, S2203, S3102, S3201, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, terminal 4100 may also include a transceiver module, which is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S3101, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, such as sending and / or receiving, which will not be elaborated here.

[0321] Optionally, the first data packet is a specific type of data packet or a specific number of data packets in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0322] Optionally, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by forward error correction (FEC) encoding of the first data based on the first encoding method; at least one PDCP data packet includes: source data packet and protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

[0323] Optionally, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0324] Optionally, the processing module is also configured to determine, based on the first information, a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0325] Optionally, the first information is obtained by the terminal from a higher layer; or, the first information is received from a network device.

[0326] Optionally, the first information includes one of the following: first indication information, used to indicate whether the PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet; wherein, a specific type of data packet is a protection data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; second indication information, used to indicate the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet; a specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy; third indication information, used to indicate a first parameter; the first parameter is used by the terminal to determine the specific quantity.

[0327] Optionally, the first information is also used to indicate at least one PDCP data packet; the first information includes one of the following: a first identifier for identifying a set of data packets, the set of data packets including at least one PDCP data packet; a second identifier for identifying a data burst, the data burst including at least one PDCP data packet; and fourth indication information for indicating the number of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0328] Optionally, the first information is included in the header of the PDCP Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0329] Optionally, the first information is configured for PDCP packets; or, the first information is configured for a set of packets; or, the first information is configured for a data burst.

[0330] Optionally, the transceiver module is also configured to send a second message to the network device, the second message being used to indicate that the terminal supports the first function; the first function is related to the priority discarding of PDCP packets; the second message is also used by the network device to send the first message to the terminal.

[0331] Optionally, the first information sent by the network device is also used to instruct the terminal whether to perform the first function for each data radio bearer (DRB).

[0332] Optionally, the first information sent by the network device is also used to indicate at least one of the following: a first time when the terminal begins to discard the first data packet; a second time when the terminal stops discarding the first data packet.

[0333] Optionally, the processing module is further configured to determine the Protocol Data Unit Set Importance (PSI) level of the first data packet as the first level; wherein the PSI level includes a first level and a second level, with the first level being lower than the second level.

[0334] Optionally, the processing module is also configured to discard the first data packet based on a first moment; the first moment is the time when the discard timer for the first data packet times out; or, the first moment is the time when the terminal determines the first data packet from at least one PDCP data packet.

[0335] Optionally, the duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is shorter than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0336] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of a network device according to an exemplary embodiment. The network device 4200 may include a transceiver module 4201, configured to send first information to a terminal. The first information is used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; the first data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded among the at least one PDCP data packets. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S3101, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0337] Optionally, the first data packet is a specific type of data packet or a specific number of data packets in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0338] Optionally, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the first encoding method; at least one PDCP data packet includes: source data packet and protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

[0339] Optionally, at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0340] Optionally, the first information includes one of the following: first indication information, used to indicate whether the PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet; wherein, a specific type of data packet is a protection data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; second indication information, used to indicate the coding redundancy of at least one PDCP data packet; a specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy; third indication information, used to indicate a first parameter; the first parameter is used by the terminal to determine the specific quantity.

[0341] Optionally, the first information is also used to indicate at least one PDCP data packet; the first information includes one of the following: a first identifier for identifying a set of data packets, the set of data packets including at least one PDCP data packet; a second identifier for identifying a data burst, the data burst including at least one PDCP data packet; and fourth indication information for indicating the number of at least one PDCP data packet.

[0342] Optionally, the first information is included in the header of the PDCP Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0343] Optionally, the first information is configured for PDCP packets; or, the first information is configured for a set of packets; or, the first information is configured for a data burst.

[0344] Optionally, the transceiver module is also configured to receive second information sent by the terminal, the second information being used to indicate that the terminal supports the first function; the first function is related to the priority discarding of PDCP packets; the second information is also used by the network device to send the first information to the terminal.

[0345] Optionally, the first information is also used to instruct the terminal whether to perform the first function for each data radio bearer (DRB).

[0346] Optionally, the first information is also used to indicate at least one of the following: a first time when the terminal begins to discard the first data packet; a second time when the terminal stops discarding the first data packet.

[0347] Optionally, the duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is shorter than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet.

[0348] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0349] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0350] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0351] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment. The communication device 5100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0352] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 5100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0353] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5103. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5103, the transceiver 5103 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S3101, but not limited thereto), and the processor 5101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2201, S2202, S2203, S3102, S3201, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0354] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5102 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 5102 to cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 5102 may also be located outside the communication device 5100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5102 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 5102 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 5102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 5102 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5101.

[0355] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5A. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0356] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of a chip structure according to an exemplary embodiment. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0357] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201. Chip 5200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0358] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to the memories 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memories 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memories 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memories 5203 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5201.

[0359] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, and S3101, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 5202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 5202 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 5201, the chip 5200, the memory 5203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 5201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2201, S2202, S2203, S3102, and S3201, but not limited thereto).

[0360] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0361] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0362] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0363] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0364] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0365] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A data discarding method, wherein, The method, executed by a terminal, includes: Discard the first packet in at least one Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) packet; wherein the first packet is a PDCP packet that can be preferentially discarded among the at least one PDCP packets.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first data packet is a specific type of data packet or a specific number of data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by forward error correction (FEC) encoding of the first data based on the first encoding method; the at least one PDCP data packet includes: a source data packet and a protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of the at least one PDCP data packet.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, Before discarding the first packet in at least one PDCP packet, the method further includes: Based on the first information, the first data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet is determined; The first information is obtained by the terminal from a higher layer; or the first information is received from a network device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The first information includes one of the following: First indication information is used to indicate whether the PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet; wherein, the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet among the at least one PDCP data packet; The second indication information is used to indicate the coding redundancy of the at least one PDCP data packet; the specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy. The third indication information is used to indicate the first parameter; the first parameter is used by the terminal to determine the specific quantity. A first identifier is used to identify a set of data packets, the set of data packets including the at least one PDCP data packet; The second identifier is used to identify a data burst, the data burst including the at least one PDCP data packet; The fourth indication information is used to indicate the number of the at least one PDCP data packet.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The first information is contained in the header of the PDCP Service Data Unit (SDU).

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, The first information is configured for PDCP data packets; or, the first information is configured for data packet sets; or, the first information is configured for data bursts.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein, The method further includes: The network device sends a second message to the terminal, the second message being used to instruct the terminal to support a first function; the first function is related to the priority discarding of the PDCP data packets; the second message is also used by the network device to send the first message to the terminal.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein, When the first information is received from a network device, the first information is also used to indicate at least one of the following: The terminal performs a first function for each data radio bearer (DRB); the first function is related to the priority discarding of the PDCP data packets. The first time the terminal begins to discard the first data packet; The terminal stops discarding the first data packet at a second time.

11. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein, After determining the first data packet, the method further includes: The Protocol Data Unit Set Importance (PSI) level of the first data packet is determined to be the first level; wherein, the PSI level includes the first level and the second level, and the first level is lower than the second level.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The discarding of the first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet includes: Based on a first moment, the first data packet is discarded; the first moment is the time when the discard timer for the first data packet times out; or, the first moment is the time when the terminal determines the first data packet from the at least one PDCP data packet.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet among the at least one PDCP data packets.

14. A data discarding method, wherein, Performed by a network device, the method includes: Send first information to the terminal, the first information being used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; the first data packet is a PDCP data packet in the at least one PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The first data packet is a specific type of data packet or a specific number of data packets in the at least one PDCP data packet.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the first encoding method; the at least one PDCP data packet includes: source data packet and protection data packet; the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The at least one PDCP data packet is obtained by FEC encoding the first data based on the second encoding method; the specific number is related to the encoding redundancy of the at least one PDCP data packet.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The first information includes one of the following: First indication information is used to indicate whether the PDCP data packet is a source data packet or a protection data packet; wherein, the specific type of data packet is the protection data packet among the at least one PDCP data packet; The second indication information is used to indicate the coding redundancy of the at least one PDCP data packet; the specific quantity is related to the coding redundancy. The third instruction information is used to indicate the first parameter; the first parameter is used by the terminal to determine the specific quantity. A first identifier is used to identify a set of data packets, the set of data packets including the at least one PDCP data packet; The second identifier is used to identify a data burst, the data burst including the at least one PDCP data packet; The fourth indication information is used to indicate the number of the at least one PDCP data packet.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein, The first information is contained in the header of the PDCP Service Data Unit (SDU).

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein, The first information is configured for PDCP data packets; or, the first information is configured for data packet sets; or, the first information is configured for data bursts.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein, The method further includes: The network device receives a second message sent by the terminal, the second message being used to indicate that the terminal supports a first function; the first function is related to the priority discarding of the PDCP data packet; the second message is also used by the network device to send the first message to the terminal.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein, The first information is also used to indicate at least one of the following: The terminal performs a first function for each data radio bearer (DRB); the first function is related to the priority discarding of the PDCP data packets. The first time the terminal begins to discard the first data packet; The terminal stops discarding the first data packet at a second time.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein, The duration of the timer for discarding the first data packet is less than the duration of the timer for discarding the second data packet; the second data packet is a data packet other than the first data packet among the at least one PDCP data packets.

24. A data discarding method, wherein, Performed by a communication system, the method includes: The network device sends first information to the terminal, the first information being used by the terminal to determine a first data packet in at least one PDCP data packet; the first data packet is a PDCP data packet that can be preferentially discarded among the at least one PDCP data packets; The terminal discards the first data packet from the at least one PDCP data packet.

25. A communication device, wherein, The communication device is used to perform the data discarding method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, 14 to 23.

26. A communication system, characterized in that, The device includes a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the data discarding method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and the network device is configured to implement the data discarding method according to any one of claims 14 to 23.

27. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the data discarding method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, 14 to 23.

28. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by the communication device, it implements the steps of the data discarding method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, 14 to 23.

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