SDAP Entity Establishment for NR QoS Flow Mapping

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Inefficient communication between a base station apparatus and a terminal apparatus due to incorrect Quality of Service (QoS) management between the radio access layer and upper layers, such as the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, in the context of NR radio access technology.

Innovation Solution

A terminal apparatus and method that simplifies protocol processing by establishing an SDAP entity for efficient communication, including configuring and managing radio bearers and quality of service flows, and ensuring proper mapping between QoS flows and radio bearers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If QoS management between upper layer and radio access layer is performed with detailed protocol processing, then communication efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidprotocol processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and separates QoS flow identification and mapping functions into a dedicated SDAP layer, isolating complex QoS management logic from the upper IP layer and radio access layer. This extraction allows each layer to focus on its core functions while the SDAP layer handles QoS flow mapping, thereby improving communication efficiency without significantly increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The SDAP (Service Data Adaptation Protocol) layer acts as an intermediary between the upper IP layer and the radio access layer. It provides QoS flow mapping and management functions, serving as a mediator that translates between different protocol layers and ensures proper QoS handling without requiring complex interactions between the IP layer and radio access layer directly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If SDAP entity management is implemented with proper establishment and release procedures, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidentity management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary establishment procedures for SDAP entities before data transmission begins. The SDAP entity is established in advance with proper configuration of QoS flow mappings, ensuring that reliable QoS management is in place before communication starts. This preliminary setup improves communication reliability while keeping management complexity manageable through standardized establishment procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the terminal apparatus reports SDAP entity status and QoS flow mapping information to the base station. This feedback enables the network to monitor and manage SDAP entities effectively, ensuring reliable communication while maintaining manageable complexity through automated status reporting and control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4415476B1Terminal apparatus and method
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 SHARP KK
  • EP4415476B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4415476B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4415476B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A terminal apparatus includes: a reception unit configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message including a DRB configuration and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit establishes an SDAP entity based on conditions that a DRB identity included in the DRB configuration is not part of a configuration of the terminal apparatus, an SDAP configuration is included in the DRB configuration, and an SDAP entity corresponding to a PDU session information element included in the SDAP configuration does not exist, and indicates establishment of a user-plane resource for a PDU session to an upper layer based on an additional condition that the SDAP entity corresponding to the PDU session information element does not exist before the RRC reconfiguration message is received.