PDCP Discard Notification for Receiving Entity Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Discarding PDCP SDUs at the transmitting PDCP entity leads to operational inefficiencies in the receiving PDCP entity, necessitating improved efficiency in communicating discard notifications.

Innovation Solution

The transmitting PDCP entity discards PDCP SDUs and generates a discard notification, which can include bitmap or range indications to inform the receiving PDCP entity about the discarded SDUs, enhancing operational efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If PDCP SDUs are discarded at the transmitting PDCP entity, then data transmission efficiency is improved by removing unnecessary data, but operational efficiency at the receiving PDCP entity deteriorates due to lack of awareness about discarded SDUs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission efficiencyVSAvoidoperational efficiency at receiving PDCP entity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The transmitting PDCP entity sends a discard notification to the receiving PDCP entity when a PDCP SDU is discarded. This feedback mechanism allows the receiving entity to become aware of discarded SDUs and adjust its operations accordingly, resolving the operational inefficiency caused by lack of information while maintaining the productivity benefit of discarding unnecessary data at the transmitter

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The transmitting PDCP entity proactively notifies the receiving PDCP entity about upcoming discards before the receiving entity would naturally discover the loss through missing acknowledgments or retransmission timeouts. This preliminary action allows the receiving entity to prepare and avoid unnecessary waiting or retransmission attempts, improving operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If discard notifications are transmitted to inform the receiving PDCP entity about discarded SDUs, then operational efficiency at the receiving entity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional notification mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational efficiency at receiving PDCP entityVSAvoidcomplexity of discard notification mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The discard notification is merged with existing PDCP control PDUs rather than being transmitted as separate messages. This combining approach conveys discard information using already-established control channel structures, reducing the need for additional protocol elements and minimizing the increase in device complexity while still providing the operational efficiency benefits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4672710A1Notification of discarded PDCP sdus in a wireless network apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 AERKODO LLC
  • EP4672710A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4672710A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4672710A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A method comprising receiving, by a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity, a plurality of PDCP SDUs for transmission, discarding at least one PDCP SDU from the plurality of PDCP SDUs for transmission, and transmitting a discard notification, the discard notification indicating the discarding of the PDCP SDU is disclosed.