Methods, apparatuses and computer program product for PDU formatting according to SDU segmentation

• US 10,701,588 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2015
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks OY (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks OY (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Turtinen, Samuli Heikki, Koskela, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US16/065,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20180376372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets

Abstract

An example method includes determining, for a protocol data unit (PDU) to be provided to a receiver entity, whether a segment of a service data unit (SDU) is to be included in the PDU and, if so, determining a position of the segment relative to the SDU. The PDU comprises a header part and a data field part. The method includes determining whether to include information in the header part in dependence on the determining whether the segment of the SDU is to be included in the PDU, and, if so, determining the content of the information in the header part in dependence on the position of the segment relative to the SDU. The method also includes providing the PDU to a receiver entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising

determining, for a protocol data unit (PDU) to be provided to a receiver entity, whether a segment of a service data unit (SDU) is to be included in the PDU and, if so, determining a position of the segment relative to the SDU, the PDU comprising a header part and a data field part;

determining whether to include information in the header part in dependence on the determining whether the segment of the SDU is to be included in the PDU, and, if so, determining the content of the information in the header part in dependence on the position of the segment relative to the SDU; and

providing the PDU to the receiver entity.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising determining that a segment of the SDU is the first segment of the SDU and that the content of the information indicates the SDU length.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising determining that a segment of the SDU is a segment between the first segment and the last segment of the SDU and that the content of the information indicates segment offset.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising determining that a segment of the SDU is the last segment of the SDU and that the content of the information indicates the SDU segment length.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising determining that a segment of the SDU is the last segment of the SDU and fills the PDU, and determining not to include the information in the header part.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information comprises a length indicator field.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the header part comprises framing information, the framing information comprising a first bit indicative of whether the first byte of the data field corresponds to the first byte of a SDU and a second bit indicative of whether the last byte of the data field corresponds to the last byte of a SDU.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the header part comprises data field element information, the data field element indicative of the number of data field elements in the data field and comprising providing data field element information after the second bit of the framing information and before the first bit of the framing information.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiver entity is a radio link control entity.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the header part comprises a sequence number and the sequence number corresponds to the sequence number of the first SDU included in the PDU.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, are configured to cause a computing system to perform the method of claim 1.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the content of the information in the header part comprises:

determining, based on the position of the segment relative to the SDU, whether the header part includes a first field type and not a second field type with respect to the segment, or includes a second field type and not a first field type with respect to the segment.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining a position of the segment relative to the SDU comprises performing at least one of the following:

determining that the segment of the SDU is a first segment of the SDU;

determining that the segment of the SDU is a last segment of the SDU;

determining that the segment of the SDU is in between a first segment of the SDU and a last segment of the SDU;

wherein the determining the content of the information in the header part comprises determining whether the header part includes either a first field type or a second field type but not both the first field type and the second field type, with respect to the segment, based on the position of the segment relative to the SDU, wherein the first field type and the second field type provide different types of information with respect to the segment.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the content of the information in the header part with respect to the segment includes a length of the segment, and does not include a segment offset for the segment, if the position of the segment relative to the SDU is at least one of a first segment of the SDU or a last segment of the SDU; and

the content of the information in the header part with respect to the segment comprises a segment offset for the segment, and does not include a length of the segment, if the position of the segment relative to the SDU is at least one position between the first segment of the SDU and the last segment of the SDU.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a protocol data unit (PDU) from a transmission entity, the PDU comprising a header part and a data field part;

determining whether a segment of a service data unit (SDU) is present in the PDU and, if so, determining a position of the segment relative to the SDU; and

determining whether information is present in the header part and, if so, determining a content of the information in dependence on the position of the segment relative to the SDU.

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising determining that a segment of the SDU is the first segment of the SDU and wherein the content of the information indicates the SDU length.

17. A method according to claim 15, comprising determining that a segment of the SDU is a segment between the first segment and the last segment of the SDU and wherein the content of the information indicates segment offset.

18. A method according to claim 15, comprising determining that a segment of the SDU is the last segment of the SDU and wherein the content of the information indicates the SDU segment length.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the information comprises a length indicator field.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the header part comprises framing information, the framing information comprising a first bit indicative of whether the first byte of the data field part corresponds to the first byte of a SDU and a second bit indicative of whether the last byte of the data field corresponds to the last byte of a SDU.

21. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

determine, for a protocol data unit (PDU) to be provided to a receiver entity, whether a segment of a service data unit (SDU) is to be included in the PDU and, if so, determine a position of the segment relative to the SDU, the PDU comprising a header part and a data field part;

determine whether to include information in the header part in dependence on the determining whether the segment of the SDU is to be included in the PDU, and, if so, determine the content of the information in the header part in dependence on the position of the segment relative to the SDU; and

provide the PDU to the receiver entity.

22. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive a protocol data unit (PDU) from a transmission entity, the PDU comprising a header part and a data field part;

determine whether a segment of a service data unit (SDU) is present in the PDU and, if so, determine a position of the segment relative to the SDU; and

determine whether information is present in the header part and, if so, determine a content of the information in dependence on the position of the segment relative to the SDU.