User Equipment Packet Duplication Failure Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication technologies face challenges in effectively handling radio link failures in carrier aggregation and multi-connection scenarios, particularly with packet duplication, which affects the reliability of 5G networks.

Innovation Solution

A method in user equipment (UE) that detects when a radio link control (RLC) entity associated with a packet duplication bearer or split bearer reaches a maximum number of retransmissions, determining the radio link's availability or failure based on whether the associated cell is a special cell or not, and accordingly deactivates or suspends packet duplication without triggering radio resource control (RRC) connection reestablishment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If packet duplication is used in carrier aggregation and multi-connection scenarios, then reliability of data transmission is improved, but complexity of handling radio link failures increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of data transmissionVSAvoidcomplexity of handling radio link failures
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the radio link failure handling into distinct cases based on cell type (SpCell vs. SCell). When an RLC entity associated with an SpCell reaches maximum retransmissions, radio link failure is declared. However, when an RLC entity associated with an SCell reaches maximum retransmissions, the system only deactivates packet duplication for that specific bearer without declaring radio link failure. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by applying different handling strategies to different cell types, maintaining reliability through appropriate failure detection while reducing complexity by avoiding unnecessary radio link failure procedures for SCell-related issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by making the failure handling behavior dependent on the specific cell type (SpCell or SCell) associated with the RLC entity. The system assigns different properties to different cells: SpCells trigger radio link failure declaration while SCells trigger only packet duplication deactivation. This localized differentiation allows the system to maintain high reliability for critical SpCell communications while reducing overall system complexity by treating SCell failures more gracefully without triggering full radio link failure procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of time

If packet duplication is deactivated for SCell failures, then unnecessary connection reestablishment is reduced, but data transmission reliability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime for connection reestablishmentVSAvoiddata transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the failure handling behavior dependent on the specific cell type (SpCell or SCell) associated with the RLC entity. The system assigns different properties to different cells: SpCells trigger radio link failure declaration while SCells trigger only packet duplication deactivation. This localized differentiation allows the system to maintain high reliability for critical SpCell communications while reducing overall system complexity by treating SCell failures more gracefully without triggering full radio link failure procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by not declaring radio link failure when SCell-related RLC entities reach maximum retransmissions. Instead of treating all cell failures uniformly (which would trigger connection reestablishment), the system inverts the logic for SCells: it deactivates packet duplication locally without triggering the usual radio link failure cascade. This inversion reduces time loss from unnecessary reestablishment while maintaining reliability through selective packet duplication deactivation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3644684B1User equipment and related method
Publication Date: 2024.10.09 SHARP KK
  • EP3644684B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3644684B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3644684B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a method used in user equipment (UE). The method comprises: detecting that a radio link control (RLC) entity associated with a packet duplication bearer or packet duplication split bearer has reached a predetermined maximum number of retransmissions; and determining that a radio link associated with the RLC entity is unavailable or fails based on whether a cell associated with the RLC entity is a special cell (SpCell) or whether a cell group associated with the RLC entity includes an SpCell.