Intra-QCI scheduler and method for intra-QCI scheduling in a wireless access network

• US 10,530,558 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Jing, Vannithamby, Rath
• Primary Examiner(s): Soe, Kyaw Z
• Application Number:
  US15/164,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20160270104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0073 Acquisition of primary synchronisation channel, e.g. detection of cell-ID within cell-ID group
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0033 arrangements specific to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0077 Cooperative coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1635 Cumulative acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message applying to all previous messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1864 ARQ related signaling H04L1/1607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/189 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of a message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6275 based on priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 : the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 : Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 : Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 : Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 : Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1438 : Negotiation of transmission parameters prior to communication modified according to link quality H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1446 : of transmission speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 : using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 : Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 : adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 : adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 : involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 : Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 : Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 : Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 : radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0278 : using buffer status reports dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 : Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 : in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 : in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 : where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 : where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 : Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 : taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 : of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1273 : of downlink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 : based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 : of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 : collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of an intra-QCI scheduler and method for assisted intra-QCI scheduling are generally described herein for operating within a wireless access network in which data flows are mapped to bearers using quality-of-service (QoS) class identifiers (QCIs). In some embodiments, the intra-QCI scheduler may classify packets of one or more data flows having a same QCI with a sub-QCI based on intra-QCI classification information received from user equipment (UE). The sub-QCI may indicate a scheduling priority for packets of data flows having the same QCI. The intra-QCI scheduler may schedule packets for downlink transmission over a radio bearer between the eNodeB and the UE based on the sub-QCI. The use of sub-QCIs allows the eNodeB to provide QoS support for data flows of applications that have been mapped to a default bearer.

Claims

1. An apparatus of an evolved Node B (eNodeB), the apparatus comprising:

memory; and

processing circuitry configured to;

during congestion situations, schedule a packet for downlink transmission to a user equipment based first on a quality-of-service (QoS) class identifier (QCI) and secondly based on a sub-QCI, the sub-QCI indicating a scheduling priority for packets with a same QCI during congestion situations;

during non-congestion situations, schedule the packet for downlink transmission to the user equipment based on the QCI without considering the sub-QCI; and

configure the eNodeB to transmit the scheduled packet over a radio bearer to the user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the QCI and the sub-QCI are from an evolved packet core (EPC) entity.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the EPC entity is a packet data network gateway (PGW).

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sub-QCI is determined based on at least one of the following group:

a category of data of the packet, an application sending the data of the packet, a subscription level of a subscriber of the user equipment, and a destination or sender Internet Protocol address of the packet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sub-QCI indicates a priority.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the packet is associated with a real-time application, the sub-QCI is a first priority, and if the packet is associated with a non-real-time application, the sub-QCI is a second priority, and wherein the first priority indicates a higher priority than the second priority.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the eNodeB is configured to operate in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) network (E-UTRAN).

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein during congestion conditions, the packet is to be scheduled before other packets with a same value of a corresponding QCI as the QCI of the packet and a corresponding sub-QCI that indicates a lower priority than a priority indicated by the sub-QCI of the packet.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising transceiver circuitry coupled to the memory.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising one or more antennas couple to the transceiver circuitry.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packet further comprises a priority associated with the QCI.

11. An apparatus of an evolved Node B (eNodeB), the apparatus comprising:

memory; and

processing circuitry configured to;

determine a schedule for a packet for downlink transmission to a user equipment based on a quality-of-service (QoS) class identifier (QCI) and a sub-QCI if there is congestion, and determine the schedule for the packet for downlink transmission to the user equipment based on the QCI if there is not congestion, the sub-QCI indicating a scheduling priority for packets with a same QCI during congestion situations; and

configure the eNodeB to transmit the packet over a corresponding radio bearer of the QCI to the user equipment in accordance with the schedule.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sub-QCI indicates a priority.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising transceiver circuitry coupled to the memory;

and, one or more antennas couple to the transceiver circuitry.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of an apparatus of an evolved Node B (eNodeB), the instructions to configure the apparatus to perform operations to:

during congestion situations, schedule a packet for downlink transmission to a user equipment based first on a quality-of-service (QoS) class identifier (QCI) and secondly based on a sub-QCI, the sub-QCI indicating a scheduling priority for packets with a same QCI during congestion situations;

during non-congestion situations, schedule the packet for downlink transmission to the user equipment based on the QCI; and

configure the eNodeB to transmit the scheduled packet over a radio bearer to the user equipment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein

the QCI and the sub-QCI are from an evolved packet core (EPC) entity.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the EPC entity is a packet data network gateway (PGW).

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the sub-QCI is determined based on at least one of the following group:

a category of data of the packet, an application sending the data of the packet, a subscription level of a subscriber of the user equipment, and a destination or sender Internet Protocol address of the packet.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the eNodeB is configured to operate in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) network (E-UTRAN).

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein a higher value for the sub-QCI indicates a higher priority than a lower value for the sub-QCI.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the sub-QCI indicates a priority.