Multiple PDCP Reordering Timers for Wireless Buffer Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reordering timer techniques in wireless communications systems initiate a single timer for each missing packet, leading to increased latency and memory utilization when one link experiences noisy conditions, causing excessive buffering and reduced user experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing multiple reordering timers simultaneously or sequentially with progressively shorter durations to efficiently flush successfully received packets to higher layers, preventing lengthy buffering and optimizing memory usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single reordering timer is initiated for each missing packet, then packet reordering is performed, but latency increases and memory utilization increases due to excessive buffering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single reordering timer function into multiple parallel timers (first reordering timer and second reordering timer), each handling different aspects of packet reordering. This allows simultaneous monitoring of multiple sequence numbers, reducing the time packets wait in buffer while maintaining reliable reordering through coordinated timer management.
2Reliability
If a single reordering timer is initiated for each missing packet, then packet reordering is performed, but memory footprint increases due to excessive buffering
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the reordering function into multiple specialized timers, the patent reduces the buffer size needed for each timer. The first timer handles reordering for packets received via a first link, while the second timer handles packets from a second link, allowing smaller, more efficient memory allocation compared to a single large buffer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of timer duration by configuring the second reordering timer with a shorter duration than the first timer. This parameter optimization allows faster flushing of packets from the buffer, reducing memory footprint while maintaining reliable reordering through the coordinated operation of multiple timers with different time characteristics.
3Quantity of substance
If reordering timers are initiated sequentially with progressively shorter durations, then memory usage is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes timer duration relationships in advance, configuring the second reordering timer with a predetermined shorter duration than the first timer before operation begins. This preliminary configuration simplifies runtime management despite the increased complexity of multiple timers, as the duration hierarchy is pre-defined rather than dynamically calculated.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. In a wireless communications system, a user equipment (UE) may receive a set of packets having a sequential order. The UE may initiate a first packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) reordering timer based on a first time stamp corresponding to unsuccessful decoding of a first packet in the sequential order. The UE may then initiate, prior to the expiration of the first PDCP reordering timer, a second PDCP reordering timer. The second PDCP reordering timer may be based on a second time stamp corresponding to unsuccessful decoding of a second packet in the sequential order. In some cases, the UE may initiate the second PDCP reordering timer after expiration of the first PDCP reordering timer, but may decrease the duration of the second PDCP reordering timer.