Importance-Based Uplink Data Prioritization in Radio Protocol Stack
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunications systems lack an efficient mechanism for prioritizing and managing uplink data based on importance values, leading to potential congestion and premature discarding of non-critical data during network overload.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mechanism within the radio protocol stack that receives uplink data units marked with importance values, constructs additional data units, and determines whether to submit or buffer them based on these values and a threshold importance value, without altering the existing timer-based SDU discard function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If uplink data transmission is managed without importance-based prioritization, then the system operates with simpler protocols, but network congestion occurs and non-critical data is discarded prematurely during overload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different importance values to different uplink data units within the same QoS flow. This allows critical data to be prioritized for transmission while non-critical data can be buffered or discarded, resolving the contradiction by making the data treatment quality local rather than uniform across all data units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces importance values as a new parameter to differentiate data units. By changing the parameter space from simple QoS flow identification to including importance levels, the system can make more nuanced transmission decisions during congestion without fundamentally altering the protocol architecture.
2Productivity
If all uplink data units are transmitted equally during network overload, then the protocol remains simple, but critical data may be delayed while non-critical data consumes bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments uplink data units into different priority groups based on importance values. This segmentation allows the network to selectively transmit critical data while buffering or discarding non-critical data, improving network resource utilization during overload without requiring complete protocol redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by selectively applying transmission prioritization only to data units that exceed certain importance thresholds during congestion conditions. This avoids the need to completely rework the protocol stack while still achieving improved resource utilization for critical data.
3Measurement precision
If a timer-based discard function is used without importance values, then the implementation is straightforward, but outdated data cannot be distinguished from currently valid data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces importance values as an intermediary parameter that works in conjunction with existing timer-based discard functions. This intermediary allows the system to distinguish between outdated and valid data more precisely by combining temporal information with importance classification, without replacing the existing timer mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The importance value field in the data unit structure serves multiple functions: it identifies critical vs. non-critical data, guides transmission prioritization during congestion, and works with timer-based discard functions to determine data freshness. This multi-functionality achieves precise data identification without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided that includes receiving, at a layer of a radio protocol stack, a first uplink unit of data from a higher layer of the radio protocol stack. The first uplink unit of data is in a set of one or more first uplink units of data, and the set is marked with information including an importance value associated with the set that identifies a relative importance of the set compared to other sets within a quality of service flow. The method includes constructing a second uplink unit of data from the first uplink unit of data. And the method includes making a determination to submit the second uplink unit of data to a lower layer of the radio protocol stack, or buffer the second uplink unit of data, based on the importance value associated with the set, and a threshold importance value.