IAB Packet Duplication Signaling for Multi-Hop Backhaul Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for packet duplication in multi-hop networks, such as IAB networks, lead to inefficiencies in radio resource usage, increased latency, and waste of processing and energy resources, as IAB nodes cannot directly benefit from split bearer and duplication features due to lack of PDCP termination.
Innovation Solution
A simplified version of NR-DC is adopted for IAB nodes, where each path is treated as a separate IP connection for redundancy and rudimentary load balancing, with separate BAP identifiers and IP addresses, enabling packet duplication over BH RLC channels for reliable low-latency delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If packet duplication is implemented in multi-hop networks using existing methods, then reliability is improved, but radio resource usage becomes inefficient and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packet duplication function by treating each path as a separate IP connection with independent BAP identifiers and IP addresses. This allows IAB nodes to replicate packets over multiple backhaul RLC channels without requiring PDCP termination, enabling efficient resource usage while maintaining reliability through path-specific identification and routing.
2Reliability
If packet duplication is implemented in multi-hop networks using existing methods, then reliability is improved, but processing resources and energy are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the packet duplication functionality from the PDCP layer and implements it at the BAP layer. By removing the requirement for PDCP termination at IAB nodes, the system eliminates unnecessary processing operations and reduces energy consumption while still achieving reliable packet delivery through duplication over multiple backhaul paths.
3Device complexity
If IAB nodes use existing packet duplication methods without PDCP termination, then processing complexity is reduced, but packet duplication and load balancing capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the BAP layer universal by enabling it to handle packet duplication and load balancing functions that were previously limited to PDCP layer operations. Each path is treated as a separate IP connection with its own BAP identifier, allowing IAB nodes to perform duplication and load balancing across multiple backhaul RLC channels without requiring PDCP termination, thus enhancing versatility while maintaining low complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a first node, for handling transmission of one or more packets and/or one or more messages from a sending to a receiving node. The first node operates in a communications network having at least one intermediate node between the sending and the receiving node. The first node sends a first indication to a second node explicitly indicating whether or not at least one of: i) the one or more packets are, or are to be, duplicated over a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) layer, ii) duplication of the packets over the GTP layer is enabled, supported and/or active, iii) one or more messages are, or are to be, duplicated over a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) layer between the first node and one or more next hop nodes, and iv) duplication of the messages over the SCTP layer is enabled, supported and/or active.