Sidelink Relay UE MAC CE Forwarding for Bit Rate Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G new radio (NR) wireless communication systems do not support the forwarding of MAC Control Elements (CE) for bit rate query and recommendation over sidelink relay, preventing remote UEs from transmitting their preferred bit rates to the base station, which is essential for maintaining good Quality of Service (QoS) in multimedia telephony and video applications.
Innovation Solution
Introducing a new sidelink MAC CE to enable remote UEs to query and receive recommended bit rates from the base station through a relay UE, with the relay UE forwarding the MAC CE and adding identity information to ensure proper routing, and assigning specific logical channel priority values for bit rate queries and recommendations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If MAC Control Elements are not forwarded over sidelink relay, then the system complexity remains low, but the Quality of Service for multimedia applications deteriorates due to inability to perform bit rate adaptation
Solution Approach 1:
The relay UE acts as an intermediary to forward MAC CEs between the remote UE and gNB. The relay UE receives MAC CEs from the remote UE over the sidelink and forwards them to the gNB over the Uu interface, enabling bit rate query and recommendation functionality without requiring direct communication between remote UE and gNB.
Solution Approach 2:
The MAC CE forwarding function is segmented into distinct components: reception at relay UE, identification of MAC CE type, and forwarding to appropriate destination. The patent introduces specific MAC CE types (sidelink bit rate query, sidelink bit rate recommendation) with dedicated handling procedures, separating the complexity into manageable segments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If MAC Control Elements are forwarded over sidelink relay, then bit rate adaptation capability is enabled, but the device complexity increases due to additional forwarding functions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts bit rates for multimedia applications based on network conditions and UE capabilities. The gNB receives bit rate queries from remote UEs, determines appropriate bit rates, and sends recommendations back through the relay UE, enabling dynamic bit rate adjustment without fixed pre-configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay UE performs multiple functions: it acts as a regular UE for its own communications, simultaneously serves as a relay for remote UEs, and specifically forwards MAC CEs for bit rate management. This multi-functionality enables bit rate adaptation capability without requiring separate dedicated infrastructure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If new sidelink MAC CE types are introduced for bit rate query and recommendation, then the functionality for remote UE communication is enhanced, but the protocol complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes preliminary procedures for MAC CE forwarding before actual data transmission begins. The gNB and relay UE are pre-configured with forwarding rules and MAC CE identification mechanisms, allowing seamless handling of bit rate query and recommendation messages without requiring complex real-time decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The MAC CE structure for sidelink bit rate queries and recommendations follows the same format and encoding principles as existing uplink and downlink MAC CEs. This copying of established MAC CE structures allows new functionality to be added while reusing proven parsing and handling mechanisms, minimizing protocol complexity increase.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided to support remote UE transmitting recommended bit rate query to the base station via the processing of relay UE. In one novel aspect, a new sidelink MAC CE is introduced to indicate the desired bit rate for a specific sidelink logical channel or for a specific Uu/SL radio bearer. In one novel aspect, after receiving the recommended bit rate query MAC CE, the relay UE forwards the MAC CE of this remote UE to the base station over Uu interface after adding information related to remote UE identity. In one novel aspect, the recommended bit rate query MAC CE, when received by the relay UE, is mapped to a specific uplink logical channel priority value or a specific uplink logical channel priority level, which can be used to compare priority with other UL data or UL MAC CE.