5G Uplink and Downlink Bitrate Assistance via AF-RAN Capacity Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication networks lack efficient mechanisms for providing real-time radio access network capacity and resource status updates to support dynamic streaming services in 5G systems, leading to potential buffer underflow or overflow issues in uplink and downlink transmissions.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a service-based interface between an Application Function (AF) network computing device and the Radio Access Network (RAN) to provide real-time capacity notifications, allowing the AF to respond to user equipment (UE) requests for bitrate adjustments through direct or intermediate network function signaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If real-time RAN capacity notifications are implemented through service-based interfaces, then streaming service quality and resource allocation efficiency are improved, but network device complexity and signaling overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an Application Function (AF) as an intermediary component that mediates between the RAN and streaming services. The AF receives RAN capacity notifications and translates them into appropriate bitrate adjustments for streaming services, thereby improving resource allocation efficiency without directly increasing the complexity of core network devices. The AF acts as a buffer that handles the complexity of real-time capacity management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network assistance functionality into distinct components: the RAN capacity monitoring function, the AF translation function, and the streaming service adaptation function. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high resource allocation efficiency.
2Reliability
If instantaneous RAN capacity information is provided to AF, then buffer overflow and underflow risks are reduced, but network signaling overhead and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the AF receives periodic RAN capacity notifications and adjusts streaming bitrates accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that buffer overflow and underflow are prevented by adapting the streaming rate to match available RAN capacity, thereby improving buffer stability without requiring continuous high-frequency signaling.
Solution Approach 2:
The RAN capacity notifications are provided at periodic intervals rather than continuously, which reduces the network signaling overhead and processing load while still maintaining sufficient buffer stability. The periodic updates allow the AF to make timely bitrate adjustments without being overwhelmed by continuous data streams.
3Loss of information
If service-based interface is established between AF and RAN, then real-time capacity monitoring is enabled, but interface complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the service-based interface between AF and RAN to be multi-functional, handling not only capacity notifications but also streaming service description information and bitrate adjustment commands. This universal interface reduces the need for multiple specialized interfaces, thereby reducing overall interface complexity while ensuring complete capacity information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The AF serves as an intermediary that simplifies the interface between RAN and streaming services by consolidating multiple communication functions into a single service-based interface. This intermediary approach reduces implementation difficulty by providing a standardized, unified interface rather than requiring multiple point-to-point connections.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments may provide streaming service downlink network assistance and/or uplink network assistance mechanisms in a fifth generation (5G) system (5GS) network via an Application Function (AF) computing device in a 5GS. In some embodiments, a computing device and/or the AF computing device may inform the network about needs for capacity for downlink or uplink traffic. Various embodiments may include sending radio access network (RAN) capacity requests to a network computing device of the 5GS network including a 5G RAN. In some embodiments, the network computing device of the 5GS network may be a computing device that is not part of the 5G RAN. In some embodiments, capacity need messages may be sent directly from user equipment (UE) computing devices to computing devices of the 5G RAN. In some embodiments, capacity information of the RAN may be delivered to an AF computing device via an intermediate network function.