Multicast Packet Sequencing Across Radio Bearers

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Solution Overview

Problem

In multimedia broadcast multicast services, data packet interruptions, out-of-order delivery, and redundancy occur due to different radio bearers, affecting user experience in terminal devices.

Innovation Solution

A multicast transmission method where a network device sets a sequence number for a first protocol layer of data packets, enabling terminal devices to process packets accurately despite duplication, out-of-order reception, or loss, by using indication information to manage radio bearers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a base station sends MBMS service data packets through different radio bearers (dedicated or shared) to terminal devices, then the service can be flexibly delivered to multiple terminals, but data packet interruptions, out-of-order delivery, and redundancy occur affecting user experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility in service deliveryVSAvoiddata packet delivery reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The network device performs preliminary actions by setting sequence numbers for data packets before transmission through different radio bearers. This advance numbering allows the terminal device to later reconstruct the correct transmission order and identify duplicate packets, thereby preventing delivery issues while maintaining flexible bearer selection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal device uses the sequence numbers as feedback information to detect and process packet anomalies. By comparing sequence numbers, the terminal can identify out-of-order packets, detect duplicates, and request retransmission, thus improving reliability while the network maintains adaptability in bearer selection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If sequence numbers are set for all data packets at the network device before transmission, then terminal devices can accurately process packets despite duplication or out-of-order reception, but the network device needs to process additional information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacket processing accuracyVSAvoidnetwork device processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network device applies partial action by setting sequence numbers only on the necessary data packets that require ordered delivery, rather than processing all packets uniformly. This selective approach maintains processing accuracy for critical packets while avoiding unnecessary complexity for packets that don't require sequence management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4123931B1Multicast transmission method and related device
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4123931B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4123931B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4123931B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

This application discloses a multicast transmission method. The multicast transmission method includes: A first network device receives a first data packet and first indication information, where the first indication information indicates a sequence of the first data packet in at least one data packet; the first network device sets a sequence number of a first protocol layer of the first data packet based on the first indication information; and the first network device sends the first data packet to a terminal device. In this way, all data packets received by the terminal device include corresponding sequence numbers of the first protocol layers. Therefore, the terminal device may accordingly process the received data packets based on the sequence number of the first protocol layer in the case of duplication, out of order, packet lost, incorrect reception, or the like for the received data packets, to improve communication efficiency.