PDCP Network Coding for 5G URLLC Packet Loss Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G communication networks face challenges in reducing packet loss ratio and network latency, particularly in Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) applications, where existing duplication mechanisms increase overhead and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of network coding at the PDCP layer, which involves splitting service data units into data packets, applying Network Coding to obtain combined packets, and encapsulating these packets into protocol data units for transmission over multiple radio link modules, thereby enhancing robustness to data loss with minimal latency impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If duplication mechanism is used to transmit data over multiple legs, then packet loss ratio is reduced, but overhead and protocol complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple data packets into a single coded packet using network coding at the PDCP layer. Instead of duplicating entire packets and managing multiple separate transmissions, the system encodes multiple packets into one combined packet that can be transmitted over multiple legs, reducing the number of individual packet handling operations and thereby reducing protocol complexity while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The PDCP layer is enhanced with network coding functionality that serves multiple purposes: it codes packets for transmission over multiple legs, manages packet combination and separation, and handles reassembly at the receiving end. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate duplication mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity
2Reliability
If duplication mechanism is used to transmit data over multiple legs, then packet loss ratio is reduced, but overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple data packets are merged into a single coded packet through network coding operations at the PDCP layer. This consolidation reduces the total number of packet headers and control information that need to be transmitted and processed, thereby reducing overhead while still providing redundancy across multiple transmission legs through the coding operation
3Reliability
If retransmission mechanism is used to reduce packet loss, then packet loss ratio is improved, but network latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs network coding at the PDCP layer before data transmission, pre-computing encoded packets that can be directly transmitted over multiple legs without waiting for retransmission. This preliminary coding action eliminates the need for subsequent retransmission delays, as the coded packets contain redundant information that enables direct recovery of original data upon receipt, thereby reducing latency while improving packet loss resilience
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method of wireless transmission of protocol data units over one or more radio link modules, the method comprising:splitting a service data unit, received from an upper layer, into a plurality of data packets;obtaining combined data packets, by applying a Network Coding to the data packets, wherein padding is added, if necessary, to the service data unit or to data packets to have data packets of equal length to which is applied the Network Coding;encapsulating the combined data packets into at least one protocol data unit, wherein each protocol data unit comprises a header and wherein the header contains a padding indication for indicating whether padding has been added or not, andtransmitting the at least one protocol data unit over the one or more radio link modules.