Application-Controlled UE Forwarding for Out-of-Order Delivery

Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile communication technologies face challenges in maintaining in-order delivery and managing latency variation due to hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmissions, which negatively impact latency-sensitive services like real-time video streaming and online gaming.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an application-controlled policy in user equipment (UE) to allow out-of-order delivery when necessary, using application-specific forwarding policies to manage packet delivery and reordering delays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If HARQ retransmissions are implemented to ensure reliable packet delivery, then packet delivery reliability is improved, but latency variation increases and in-order delivery is affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket delivery reliabilityVSAvoidlatency variation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic packet forwarding where the UE can adaptively forward packets out-of-order based on application-specific policies. The system dynamically adjusts the forwarding behavior between in-order and out-of-order delivery depending on application requirements, allowing latency-sensitive applications to receive packets immediately while maintaining reliability through HARQ retransmissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the delivery order parameter from fixed in-order to flexible out-of-order delivery. By modifying the packet forwarding parameter based on application-specific policies, the system allows packets to be forwarded immediately upon receipt rather than waiting for reordering, thus reducing latency variation while maintaining delivery reliability through the HARQ mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If in-order delivery is enforced at the PDCP layer, then data sequence integrity is maintained, but latency-sensitive applications experience delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata sequence integrityVSAvoidapplication reception delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the packet delivery function into two independent paths: the PDCP layer maintains in-order delivery for protocols requiring sequence integrity (like TCP), while the application layer receives packets out-of-order through direct forwarding. This segmentation allows different applications to have different delivery policies applied to them simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an application-specific forwarding policy as an intermediary mechanism between the PDCP layer and the application. This intermediary evaluates whether to forward packets immediately or wait for in-order delivery based on application requirements, thus mediating between the PDCP in-order delivery requirement and application latency needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If packets are buffered and reordered to maintain in-order delivery, then data integrity is preserved, but immediate packet reception is prevented

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidpacket reception speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic packet forwarding where the UE can adaptively forward packets out-of-order based on application-specific policies. The system dynamically adjusts the forwarding behavior between in-order and out-of-order delivery depending on application requirements, allowing latency-sensitive applications to receive packets immediately while maintaining reliability through HARQ retransmissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the delivery order parameter from fixed in-order to flexible out-of-order delivery. By modifying the packet forwarding parameter based on application-specific policies, the system allows packets to be forwarded immediately upon receipt rather than waiting for reordering, thus reducing latency variation while maintaining delivery reliability through the HARQ mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250317398A1Handling Of In-Order Delivery And Latency Variation In Mobile Communications

Publication Date: 2025.10.09 MEDIATEK SINGAPORE PTE LTD

AI summary

Techniques pertaining to handling of in-order delivery and latency variation in mobile communications are described. An apparatus (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) receives one or more packets from a network and evaluates a local application-specific forwarding policy. The apparatus then forwards at least one packet of the one or more packets to an application according to the application-specific forwarding policy.