Per-Packet Timestamping for 5G Base Station Delay Budget
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanisms for managing packet delay budget (PDB) in 5G cellular networks are inadequate, particularly for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services, as they rely on averaged latency calculations and slow updates, leading to potential packet delays and service degradation due to asymmetric uplink and downlink latency and outdated latency values.
Innovation Solution
Implementing per-packet timestamping to accurately determine the latency between the base station and the sending node, allowing for real-time calculation of the available delay budget for each packet, ensuring timely transmission and prioritization of packets based on their specific delay budgets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If averaged latency calculations are used for PDB management, then the system complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision and reliability of latency determination deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the latency measurement process into per-packet measurements rather than using averaged values. Each packet is measured individually with its own timestamp, dividing the overall measurement task into discrete, precise units that can be tracked separately, thereby improving measurement precision without significantly increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by setting timestamps at the source (sending node) before packets traverse the network. This pre-marking of packets with accurate time information allows the receiving base station to calculate latency precisely without needing complex measurement infrastructure, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and precision.
2Ease of operation
If periodic latency updates are used, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of time and reliability of PDB management worsen due to outdated latency values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous latency measurement and PDB update by processing each packet individually with its own timestamp. Instead of periodic updates, the system continuously tracks latency for every packet, eliminating time delays and ensuring the most current latency information is always available for PDB calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback mechanism where each packet carries timestamp information that enables the base station to calculate actual latency and immediately update the PDB accordingly. This real-time feedback loop ensures PDB values reflect current network conditions without the delays inherent in periodic update schemes.
3Measurement precision
If per-packet timestamping and real-time latency calculation are implemented, then the measurement precision and reliability of PDB management are improved, but the device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sending node performs self-service by embedding its own timestamp in each packet before transmission. This eliminates the need for the base station to generate or request timestamps, reducing the base station's processing complexity while maintaining precise per-packet latency measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The timestamp is set in advance at the sending node before the packet enters the network. This preliminary action transfers the computational burden of timestamp generation to the sending node, allowing the base station to perform only simple subtraction operations (current time minus packet timestamp) to calculate latency, thereby minimizing added complexity at the base station.
4Reliability
If tight PDB guarantees are implemented for multiple competing URLLC services, then the reliability of service delivery is improved, but the productivity and resource utilization may deteriorate due to strict scheduling constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making PDB values adaptive rather than fixed. The base station calculates and updates PDB in real-time based on actual measured latency for each packet and current network conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to guarantee reliability for urgent packets while flexibly allocating resources to other services when latency requirements are not critical, thereby maintaining high resource utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for determining an available delay budget for transmission of a packet by a base station to a user equipment, UE, in a cellular network is disclosed. A method implementation of the technique is performed by the base station and includes receiving a packet from a sending node, the packet including a timestamp set by the sending node when processing the packet, triggering determining a latency of the packet based on a difference between a time determined by the base station upon receipt of the packet and the timestamp set by the sending node in the packet, the base station and the sending node being synchronized in time, and triggering determining an available delay budget for transmission of the packet to the UE based on the latency of the packet.