WO2020088776A1

WO2020088776A1 - Enhanced bearer establishment for supporting deterministic traffic

Info

Publication number: WO2020088776A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/080029
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zexian Li; Mikko A. Uusitalo; Bikramjit Singh; Hamidreza Shariatmadari
Original assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
Priority date: 2018-11-02
Filing date: 2018-11-02
Publication date: 2020-05-07

Abstract

It is provided a method, comprising deriving a first transmission availability time when a first data packet is available at a physical layer for transmission; requesting a first resource for transmitting the first data packet at the first transmission availability time, wherein the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

Description

Enhanced bearer establishment for supporting deterministic traffic

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to deterministic traffic carried over networks in which resources for transmission are dynamically scheduled. In particular, it relates to carrying deterministic traffic in wireless networks.

Abbreviations

3GPP 3^rd Generation Partnership Project

4G / 5G 4^th / 5^th Generation

BS Base Station

BSR Buffer Status Report

CE Control Element

DL Downlink

E2E end-to-end

eMBB enhanced Mobile Broadband

eNB evolved NodeB (base Station in 4G)

gNB Base Station in 5G/NR

IE Information Element

LTE Long Term Evolution

MAC Medium Access Control

MCS Modulation and Coding Scheme

NR New Radio (air interface standard of 5G systems)

PHY Physical Layer

QoS Quality of Service

RA Resource Allocation

RAN Radio Access Network

RRC Radio Resource Control

RV Redundancy Version

SA System Architecture

SIB System Information Block

SPS Semi-persistent Scheduling

SR Scheduling Request

TR Technical Report TS Technical Specification

TSN Time Sensitive Networking

TTI Transmission Time Interval

UE User Equipment

UL Uplink

UPF User Plane Function

URLLC Ultra-reliable Low Latency Communications

Background of the invention

As discussed in 3GPP SA1 [1] [2], 5G is targeted to be optimized for supporting diverse applications and services including ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) on top of traditional mobile broadband. One of the URLLC related requirements states that 5G system shall provide mechanisms for supporting real time end-to-end (E2E) quality of service (QoS) monitoring within a system. The QoS parameters to be monitored and reported may include latency (e.g. UL/DL latency or round trip latency), jitter, packet loss rate and so on). In [1], various automation and remote-control scenarios are listed with a reliability demand up to 99.9999 %.

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) already defined mechanisms for supporting real time traffic but for the time being only over Ethernet networks [3]. The TSN nodes are very efficient in handling deterministic traffic which is characterized with a prior knowledge of data packet arrival (e.g., at TSN terminal’s application layer) by the TSN terminal.

If 5G supports wireless industrial Ethernet (for example TSN), it is possible that the overall deployment will be in the form of mixed wired and wireless communication, in particular if legacy deployments to be supported efficiently. Fig. 1 shows such a TSN network, which comprises User Equipment (UE) #1 and UE#2 at both ends, which are connected to respective base stations gNB#1 and gNB#2. These base stations may be interconnected directly or via one or more network nodes, whereof a bridge is depicted as an example. The UE’s application layer may function as a terminal of the TSN network.

If a base station receives a conventional bearer establishment request or scheduling request (SR), the resource allocation is done relative to the arrival of the bearer establishment request or the arrival time of SR at the base station. In LTE and NR, a UE may send a bearer establishment request to be scheduled for a dedicated bearer with SPS resource. Thus, periodic radio resources are allocated for the UE for performing the initial data transmissions. In case the initial transmission fails, the base station provides additional resources for the data retransmissions by sending a new resource grant.

References

[1 ] 3GPP TS22.261 ,“Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects Service requirements for the 5G system”.

[2] 3GPP TR22.804,“Study on Communication for Automation in Vertical domains (Release 16)”, V16.0.0, June 2018.

[3] IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking Task Group

[4] US 2017/0180466 A1 , Allocation of Transmission Attempts.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to improve the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus, comprising means for deriving configured to derive a first transmission availability time when a first data packet is available at a physical layer for transmission; means for requesting configured to request a first resource for transmitting the first data packet at the first transmission availability time, wherein the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus, comprising means for monitoring configured to monitor if an indication of a first transmission availability time of a first data packet is received; means for providing configured to provide a first resource for the transmission of the first data packet at a first transmission time if the indication of the first transmission availability time is received, wherein the first transmission time is an earliest time when the first resource is available for the transmission provided that the first transmission time is equal to or after the first transmission availability time; and the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method, comprising deriving a first transmission availability time when a first data packet is available at a physical layer for transmission; requesting a first resource for transmitting the first data packet at the first transmission availability time, wherein the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method, comprising monitoring if an indication of a first transmission availability time of a first data packet is received; providing a first resource for the transmission of the first data packet at a first transmission time if the indication of the first transmission availability time is received, wherein the first transmission time is an earliest time when the first resource is available for the transmission provided that the first transmission time is equal to or after the first transmission availability time; and the first transmission availability time is an absolute time

Each of the methods of the third and fourth aspects may be a method for bearer establishment for use by deterministic traffic.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a set of instructions which, when executed on an apparatus, is configured to cause the apparatus to carry out the method according to any of the third and fourth aspects. The computer program product may be embodied as a computer-readable medium or directly loadable into a computer.

According to some example embodiments of the invention, at least one of the following advantages may be achieved:

• Latency and/or jitter of deterministic traffic through the radio network may be controlled and/or reduced;

• More efficient support of deterministic traffic such as TSN.

It is to be understood that any of the above modifications can be applied singly or in combination to the respective aspects to which they refer, unless they are explicitly stated as excluding alternatives.

Brief description of the drawings

Further details, features, objects, and advantages are apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred example embodiments of the present invention which is to be taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a TSN network including wireless portions;

Fig. 2 shows some resource requests as examples according to some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 3 shows some resource requests as examples according to some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 4 indicates schematically the parameters involved in some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 5 shows an example of a periodic resource allocation according to some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 6 shows a resource allocation message for periodic allocation according to some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 7a shows a resource allocation message for aperiodic allocation according to some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 7b shows a numerical example of the resource allocation message of Fig. 7a;

Fig. 8 represents an implementation of bearer establishment according to some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 9 shows a dedicated bearer reconfiguration according to some example embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 10 shows an apparatus according to an example embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 1 shows a method according to an example embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 12 shows an apparatus according to an example embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 13 shows a method according to an example embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 14 shows an apparatus according to an example embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of certain example embodiments

Herein below, certain example embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the features of the example embodiments can be freely combined with each other unless otherwise described. However, it is to be expressly understood that the description of certain example embodiments is given by way of example only, and that it is by no way intended to be understood as limiting the invention to the disclosed details.

Moreover, it is to be understood that the apparatus is configured to perform the corresponding method, although in some cases only the apparatus or only the method are described. Some example embodiments of this invention are related to real-time deterministic traffic in the network, for which a 5G system can be made used to support extreme high reliability.

In the example scenario of Fig. 1 (and similar scenarios), the wireless nodes gNB#1 , gNB#2 and potentially other network nodes such as the depicted bridge must be able to handle a- priori allocation for deterministic traffic in a similar way as in wired Ethernet according to [1].

In wireless systems, currently the scheduling is not based on absolute time. In both LTE and 5G NR the scheduling request (SR) or the bearer establishment request is not equipped to carry any time information on data packet availability for transmission from the UE. For example, currently, it is not possible to request gNB to allocate some resource (e.g. frequency and/or code) at some absolute time in future, even though UE may be aware of a traffic arrival in its buffer. Similarly, such a feature is not supported in 5G NR either. In 5G NR, only different SR configurations are supported, but a way to facilitate absolute time-based scheduling is missing. Hence, to have absolute time included in SR or even via RRC signalling, to best of our knowledge, no such prior-art exists.

In order to efficiently support a deterministic traffic flow originating from a UE, the base station should be informed about the traffic flow. The UE may deliver the information on traffic flow information to the base station via, for example, an enhanced bearer establishment request or an enhanced Scheduling Request (SR) given that the UE already knows the traffic pattern so that the network can make a-priori allocation of respective resources.

Conventional bearer establishment request or SR (e.g., LTE and NR SR) does not carry such information (e.g., the absolute time information of the packet availability for transmission, etc.). Hence, conventionally, the resource allocation is not done on basis of an absolute time. Without information on the traffic flow, very likely that the communication latency (and typically also the jitter) will be increased, because the resources are allocated with some delay compared to the time when the data are available for transmission. This additional delay (and jitter) is not so important in case of eMBB traffic, but it is more important for time sensitive traffic like in TSN. Further, in case of periodic data, currently a base station can provide periodically a resource to a UE, e.g., in the form of an SPS grant. However, the grant-time is not aligned with the UE’s traffic availability for transmission, and this adds to the overall E2E random delay. Some example embodiments of the invention provide an enhanced bearer establishment to better support time sensitive communication services (TSN as one typical example). Such example embodiments may be applied to a network comprising any combination of wired and wireless links (see e.g. Fig. 1 ) and to pure wireless or pure wired networks. As one example, it is expected that networks may comprise mixed wired and wireless links especially at beginning of deployment of wireless links in TSN networks because the legacy systems comprise only wired connections.

If a bearer establishment request from the UE is received by the gNB and the bearer establishment request comprises an indication of an absolute time, the gNB considers this resource request as a resource request for deterministic traffic.

In detail: At the start (beginning) of deterministic traffic arrival at a UE’s application layer, the UE sends a bearer establishment request (for example an SR or a BSR in RAN (or a message similar to the join message in traditional TSN)). The bearer establishment request, SR and BSR are considered as messages of a request procedure requesting for a resource. In LTE and NR bearer establishment request, UE may send BSR after SR. The bearer establishment request (or SR or BSR) contains the absolute time at which the first data packet is available for transmission from UE’s physical layer.

Fig. 2 shows multiple options according to some example embodiments of the invention to include absolute time information in a bearer establishment request (left) or an SR (middle) or a Buffer Status Report (BSR, right) message. I.e., the conventional respective conventional messages are enhanced by a further information element (IE) comprising an information on the absolute time when the first data packet is available for transmission from the UE’s physical layer. In general, the absolute time information may be included in any message sent by the UE in order to get grant of a resource to transmit the deterministic traffic.

Absolute time of data packet availability at the PHY layer may be calculated as a sum of absolute time when data leaves Application Layer, plus the time delay occurred from traversing data from UE’s Application Layer to UE’s PHY Layer and the processing time in UE’s PHY layer before transmission.

The term“absolute time” in the present application describes an absolute time of the particular network or section of the network. I.e., the absolute time in the network is the same for all network nodes of the network, or at least for all network nodes of the network involved in the respective procedure. For example, UE may utilize SIB16 or TimeReferencelnfo message to know the absolute clock time (with different granularities). The absolute time may be represented in terms of hyperframe, frame, subframe, slot, and symbol, or absolute time in the format of UTC timing, or a combination thereof. In some example embodiments of the invention, other ways to inform the UE on the absolute timing (e.g. with higher accuracy) may be used. In some example embodiments, GPS timing is used by the base station, and the UE is equipped with a GPS receiver. In such example embodiments, the directly received GPS timing may be used as the common timing.

The UE may estimate the delay of a data packet passing from the application layer of the UE to the PHY layer of the UE, e.g., by averaging the delay of similar packets that had passed through its different layers. For example, if a UE allocates certain resource in terms of processing power for the deterministic traffic flow, then the delay (processing time) might be almost constant, or at least the variance thereof may be small. In such example embodiments (but also in other example embodiments), the delay may be predefined by configuration.

In some example embodiments, a message of the request procedure may also contain QoS information/requirements. Thus, the UE may indicate the E2E communication requirements, such as the latency, the jitter, and the reliability. Accordingly, the network can configure the grant free or SPS or configured grant resources. For instance, the UE might be scheduled with long TTI (slot-based resource allocation) for the moderate latency requirements, while it might be scheduled with short TTI (non-slot/mini-slot based resource allocation) for stringent latency requirements.

If the UE knows plural points in time when deterministic traffic is available, the request procedure may comprise respective plural indications when the respective data packets are available for transmission at the PHY layer. In response, network may allocate resources at corresponding plural points in time and inform UE thereon (see e.g. Figs. 7a and 7b). Each set of the plural points in time for data availability at UE’s PHY layer and for resource allocation may or may not be periodically.

Periodic Traffic

When a base station allocates periodic resources by SPS, the allocated periodic resources are typically not aligned with the UE’s traffic, which causes a random delay before the UE can send its data. To address this issue, some example embodiments of the invention provide a modified resource request such as a modified bearer establishment, SR, or BSR. In the following, the modified bearer establishment is presented for periodic and aperiodic traffic types as an example of a modified resource request.

The bearer establishment request may contain the periodicity of the data packets, alongside with the absolute time of the first packet. In some example embodiments, the bearer establishment request may additionally include an indication (number) of the last packet of the periodic data packet, in case the information is known.

Fig. 3 shows how an indication of the periodicity may be included in the bearer establishment message (left), the SR message (middle), and the BSR message (right). If the resource request comprises plural messages (such as the right option of Fig. 3), the absolute time of the first packet may be comprised in a different message than the periodicity. For example, the SR message may comprise the absolute time of the first packet, and the BSR message may comprise the indication of the periodicity.

Fig. 4 indicates schematically the parameters involved in some example embodiments of the invention. At the top, the timing at the UE application layer is shown. Data packets for transmission arrive at the UE’s application layer at the time Ti (the first data packet) and then periodically with a period DT until the time T_N (T_N = Ti + (N-1 ) ^* DT). These data packets traverse to the UE’s PHY layer and are made available for transmission after the delay time d, indicated by a vertical arrow. At the bottom, the times are shown for which a scheduling request (SR) sent to the gNB at time To requests grant of a resource. Namely, the SR requests grant of a respective resource at Ti + d, Ti + d + DT, Ti + d + 2^* DT, ..., Ti + d + (N-1 ) ^* DT = T_N + d. Accordingly, the SR comprises the following parameters in addition to a conventional SR: Ti + d, DT, T_N + d, as indicated in Fig. 4 above the time T_o. Ti + d and T_N + d are indicated as absolute times. In some example embodiments of the invention, the SR comprises instead the equivalent information Ti + d, DT, N-1 , or the equivalent information Ti + d, DT, N, or the equivalent information Ti + d, N-1 , T_N + d, or the equivalent information Ti + d, N, T_N + d, or some other equivalent information. In general, such information may be included in other messages as well, for example RRC messages.

After receiving bearer establishment request, the nodes across the network will allocate the resources, considering the onset time of data packet availability (e.g., time Ti + d in Fig. 4), periodicity (e.g., period DT in Fig. 4). In addition, the network may take into account bandwidth availability and channel quality at different links, etc.. The allocation may be limited for a certain time window (i.e., from Ti + d until a certain end time).

The node will communicate resource allocation (RA) to the UE, containing times of the allocated resource. The nodes will allocate the resource for a certain time window, because the packet transmission parameters (e.g., MCS scheme, RV) for far away in the future (or after channel coherence time) cannot be predicted accurately and, thus, accurate allocations cannot be made. After the end of time window, the UE may send an updated bearer establishment request or an SR. In some example embodiments, the UE may send a resource continuation request to the gNB. After getting reply from the gNB, the same resource set can be used by the UE again.

There are three options for the RA in response to a request for a resource for transmitting periodic traffic: periodic allocation, aperiodic allocation, and a combination of the two.

A. A Periodic allocation example is depicted in Fig. 5. For this, grant can contain relative time of the grant (e.g., relative time l, i.e. a delay compared to Ti + d), and with an option for a time window until when this periodic RA is valid (e.g., time TK + d + l, where time Tk £ TN). The periodicity of this RA is preferably DT. Fig. 6 shows a corresponding resource allocation message, indicating the relative time l and the end of the time window TK + d + l.

B. Although the UE requests a periodic allocation of a resource, the network may make an aperiodic allocation because the network has a-priori allocations for other UEs at different links at different times. Therefore, allocations with perfect periodicity may not be possible even though data availability at UE’s PHY layer is (perfectly) periodic. Here a node must convey absolute grants’ timings for all periodic packets within a time window. For example, for given periodic data availability times, the RA message for aperiodic allocation is shown in Fig. 7a where time T_x + d < T’_x, index x€ {1 , ..., K} and index K < N. {T’_x} indicates a set of allocation times.

For example, packet is available at UE’s PHY buffer after every 10 ms. However, a base station allocates resources in an aperiodic manner, e.g., at times Ti+0 ms, T-i+1 1 ms, T-i+20 ms, Ti+33 ms, Ti+41 ms, ..., see Fig. 7b. In this example, it is assumed that the delay between the UE’s application layer and the PHY layer may be ignored (d=0). C. Combination of A and B. It means most of the allocation is periodic, but there may be some aperiodic allocations for certain packets due to constraints, and an according message is sent to the UE.

The resource allocation information could be carried via other messages as well, e.g. a RRC message or downlink control information.

Implementation of Bearer establishment/reconfiguration

Fig. 8 represents an implementation of bearer establishment according to some example embodiments of the invention. As shown in Fig. 8, UE#1 sends a bearer establishment request to the base station gNB#1 , indicating the data size, data periodicity, the destination, the required latency, jitter, and reliability, and the time instance that the data is available at the UE#Ts PHY layer. Accordingly, the base station(s) gNB#1 and gNB#2 (may be the same as gNB#1 in some cases) can configure the SPS for the transmitter UE#1 and the receiver UE#2, the proper resource alignment, and the TTI. For instance, the UEs can be configured with short TTI when the stringent latency is required, while they can be configured with long TTI for more relaxed latency requirement. In addition, the latency budget can be divided between the two UEs according to the link qualities, while the E2E latency is guaranteed (see for example [4]). In the example of Fig. 8, gNB#1 and gNB#2 are directly connected to each other. However, in some example embodiments, there may be other network nodes between gNB#1 and gNB#2.

To better support the TSN traffic, the bearer reconfiguration may be also considered. This allows the UE to request for reconfiguring the allocated resources, e.g., changing the periodicity of resource allocation, changing the size of messages, shifting the allocated resources ahead or later in time.

In some example embodiments, the UE sends a reconfiguration request, as shown in Fig. 9, when the data pattern has been changed. For instance, the UE may request for sliding the assigned resources a bit earlier, if it needs to send data earlier. The gNB may assess the request and apply changes to the allocated resources. When the UE is configured with the new resource allocations, the gNB sends the activating command to the UE to utilize the newly allocated resources. This approach ensures the seamless resource reconfigurations for better supporting the determinist traffic. Given the example in Fig. 4, where resource is allocated at times T, + d + l for i = 1 , N, the UE may request the network to shift the resource by relative time a ahead or later. Hence new allocation will be provided as T_j + d + l ± a forj = n, ..., N, where n corresponds to the granted resource time for which reconfiguration is applied to it and later resource.

Fig. 10 shows an apparatus according to an example embodiment of the invention. The apparatus may be a terminal (e.g. UE) or an element thereof. Fig. 1 1 shows a method according to an example embodiment of the invention. The apparatus according to Fig. 10 may perform the method of Fig. 1 1 but is not limited to this method. The method of Fig. 1 1 may be performed by the apparatus of Fig. 10 but is not limited to being performed by this apparatus.

The apparatus comprises means for deriving 10 and means for requesting 20. The means for deriving 10 and means for requesting 20 may be a deriving means and requesting means, respectively. The means for deriving 10 and means for requesting 20 may be a deriver and requestor, respectively. The means for deriving 10 and means for requesting 20 may be a deriving processor and requesting processor, respectively.

The means for deriving 10 derives a transmission availability time when a data packet is available at a physical layer for transmission (S10). The transmission availability time is an absolute time.

The means for requesting 20 requests, by a request procedure, a resource for transmitting the first data packet at the transmission availability time (S20).

Fig. 12 shows an apparatus according to an example embodiment of the invention. The apparatus may be a network node such as a base station (e.g. gNB, eNB) or a router or a bridge, or an element thereof. Fig. 13 shows a method according to an example embodiment of the invention. The apparatus according to Fig. 12 may perform the method of Fig. 13 but is not limited to this method. The method of Fig. 13 may be performed by the apparatus of Fig. 12 but is not limited to being performed by this apparatus.

The apparatus comprises means for monitoring 1 10 and means for providing 120. The means for monitoring 1 10 and means for providing 120 may be a monitoring means and providing means, respectively. The means for monitoring 1 10 and means for providing 120 may be a monitor and provider, respectively. The means for monitoring 1 10 and means for providing 120 may be a monitoring processor and providing processor, respectively. The means for monitoring 1 10 monitors if an indication of a transmission availability time is received (S1 10). The transmission availability time is an absolute time.

If the indication of the transmission availability time is received (S1 10 =“yes”), the means for providing 120 provides the resource for the transmission of the data packet at a transmission time (S120). The transmission time is an earliest time when the resource is available for the transmission under the condition that the transmission time is equal to or after the transmission availability time.

Fig. 14 shows an apparatus according to an example embodiment of the invention. The apparatus comprises at least one processor 810, at least one memory 820 including computer program code, and the at least one processor 810, with the at least one memory 820 and the computer program code, being arranged to cause the apparatus to at least perform at least one of the methods according to Figs. 1 1 and 13 and related description.

Instead of or in addition to in a message of a request procedure (e.g. bearer establishment request, SR, BSR), in some example embodiments of the invention, the absolute timing information may be included in any other message, for example a RRC message, other control messages such as a MAC CE, or even as content of some data packet. In such example embodiments, there should be a link between the request procedure (e.g. SR) and the additional message.

One scenario is: a RRC message may indicate the timing offset between SR transmission timing and data availability beforehand. Once the gNB receiving an SR and corresponding Tx timing, based on the content from the RRC message and the SR transmission timing, it will know at which time there will be UE UL data coming.

Another example is: an SR is just used for resource request. The UE indicates the timing information in e.g. an UL grant free data packet. In case the data packet coming later than the allocated resource, the gNB will handle the case in a conventional way, without considering the absolute timing. If the data packet is received before resource allocation, the gNB may adjust the resource allocation based on the timing information.

In some example embodiments, the gNB may receive the information on the absolute time of data availability at UE’s PHY layer from another network node than the UE. For example, in motion control, after the controller sending out command information, the other TSN nodes (e.g. actuators) are expected to send feedback within a certain time window. The controller may provide such time window information (absolute time) to the gNB for better scheduling. Although such time window information may not have the same accuracy as the information from the UE indicating the transmission availability time, it still may give the gNB very useful information for scheduling.

Some example embodiments of the invention are described supporting uplink deterministic data transmission from the UE towards the network. However, the invention is not limited to uplink deterministic data transmission. It may be applied to downlink deterministic data transmission instead of or in addition to uplink deterministic data transmission.

For example, UPF (which has the same absolute timing as the gNB, too) may inform the gNB of a starting time of a packet transmission from UPF towards the UE. Then, based on an estimation of a delay between UPF and the availability for transmission at the gNB, the gNB can estimate the absolute time when the downlink deterministic data are available at the gNB for transmission in downlink.

Another example is that the gNB can request/configure the UE to report the expected data packet availability timing, especially considering the deterministic type of services. Once such information is available at the UE, the UE can report it to the gNB which can be used for determining the best scheduling outcome.

Some example embodiments of the invention related to time-critical deterministic traffic are described. However, the invention is not limited to time-critical deterministic traffic. Some example embodiments of the invention may be applied to deterministic traffic which is not time- critical.

Some example embodiments of the invention are described which are based on a 3GPP network (e.g. NR). However, the invention is not limited to the NR. It may be applied to any generation (3G, 4G, 5G, etc.) of 3GPP networks. However, the invention is not limited to 3GPP networks. It may be applied to other radio networks or even fixed networks which are to be enabled to carry deterministic traffic.

A UE is an example of a terminal. However, the terminal (UE) may be any device capable of connecting to the radio network such as a MTC device, a D2X device etc. A cell may be represented by the base station (e.g. gNB, eNB, etc.) serving the cell. The base station (cell) may be connected to an antenna (array) serving the cell by a Remote Radio Head. A base station may be realized as a combination of a central unit (one or plural base stations) and a distributed unit (one per base station). The central unit may be employed in the cloud.

One piece of information may be transmitted in one or plural messages from one entity to another entity. Each of these messages may comprise further (different) pieces of information.

Names of network nodes, protocols, and methods are based on current standards. In other versions or other technologies, the names of these network elements and/or protocols and/or methods may be different, as long as they provide a corresponding functionality.

If not otherwise stated or otherwise made clear from the context, the statement that two entities are different means that they perform different functions. It does not necessarily mean that they are based on different hardware. That is, each of the entities described in the present description may be based on a different hardware, or some or all of the entities may be based on the same hardware. It does not necessarily mean that they are based on different software. That is, each of the entities described in the present description may be based on different software, or some or all of the entities may be based on the same software. Each of the entities described in the present description may be embodied in the cloud.

According to the above description, it should thus be apparent that example embodiments of the present invention provide, for example, a terminal (such as a UE), or a component thereof, an apparatus embodying the same, a method for controlling and/or operating the same, and computer program(s) controlling and/or operating the same as well as mediums carrying such computer program(s) and forming computer program product(s). According to the above description, it should thus be apparent that example embodiments of the present invention provide, for example, a network node (such as a base station (e.g. gNB or eNB), a bridge, or a router), or a component thereof, an apparatus embodying the same, a method for controlling and/or operating the same, and computer program(s) controlling and/or operating the same as well as mediums carrying such computer program(s) and forming computer program product(s).

Implementations of any of the above described blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques or methods include, as non-limiting examples, implementations as hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

It is to be understood that what is described above is what is presently considered the preferred example embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be noted that the description of the preferred example embodiments is given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. Apparatus, comprising

means for deriving configured to derive a first transmission availability time when a first data packet is available at a physical layer for transmission;

means for requesting configured to request a first resource for transmitting the first data packet at the first transmission availability time, wherein

the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

means for obtaining configured to obtain a first readiness time when the first data packet is ready at an application layer to traverse to the physical layer;

means for estimating configured to estimate a delay for the first data packet to traverse from the application layer to the physical layer; wherein

the first readiness time is an absolute time; and

the means for deriving is configured to derive the first transmission availability time based on the first readiness time and the delay.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

means for obtaining configured to obtain a first readiness time when the first data packet is ready at an application layer to traverse to the physical layer; wherein

the first readiness time is an absolute time; and

the means for deriving is configured to derive the first transmission availability time based on the first readiness time and a predetermined delay.

4. The apparatus according to any of claims 2 and 3, wherein at least one of

the means for obtaining is configured to obtain the first readiness time from the application layer; and

the means for obtaining is configured to obtain the first readiness time from a message received from a network node.

5. The apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein

the means for obtaining is configured to obtain a second readiness time, wherein, at the second readiness time, a second data packet is ready at the application layer to traverse to the physical layer; the means for deriving is configured to derive a second transmission availability time based on the second readiness time;

the means for requesting is configured to request a second resource for transmitting the second data packet at the second transmission availability time;

the second readiness time is an absolute time different from the first readiness time; the second transmission availability time is an absolute time.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the means for obtaining is configured to obtain a time period wherein, for each multiple of the time period, at the first readiness time plus the respective multiple of the time period, a respective second data packet is ready at the application layer to traverse to the physical layer; the means for requesting is configured to indicate an indication of the time period; and the apparatus further comprises

means for transmitting configured to transmit each of the second data packets on a respective second resource at the first transmission availability time plus the respective multiple of the time period.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising

means for checking configured to check if an information on a transmission delay is received; wherein

the means for transmitting is configured to transmit each of the second data packets on the respective second resource at the first transmission availability time plus the respective multiple of the time period plus the transmission delay if the information on the transmission delay is received; and the apparatus further comprises

means for inhibiting configured to inhibit the means for transmitting from transmitting respective second data packets on the respective second resource at the first transmission availability time plus the respective multiple of the time period.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the means for checking is further configured to check if an information on an end time is received;

the means for inhibiting is configured to inhibit the means for transmitting from transmitting respective second data packets after the end time if the information on the end time is received.

9. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein one of the means for requesting is configured to request the first resource by a request procedure, and a message of the request procedure comprises an indication of the first transmission availability time; and

the means for requesting is configured to request the first resource by the request procedure, and a message not belonging to the request procedure comprises the indication of the first transmission availability time.

10. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein

the means for requesting is configured to request the first resource from a scheduler of a base station.

1 1 . Apparatus, comprising

means for monitoring configured to monitor if an indication of a first transmission availability time of a first data packet is received;

means for providing configured to provide a first resource for the transmission of the first data packet at a first transmission time if the indication of the first transmission availability time is received, wherein

the first transmission time is an earliest time when the first resource is available for the transmission provided that the first transmission time is equal to or after the first transmission availability time; and

the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 1 , wherein

the indication of the first transmission availability time is contained in a message of a request procedure requesting to provide the first resource.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 1 , wherein

the means for monitoring is configured to monitor if a request for providing the first resource is received in addition to the indication of the first transmission availability time; and the apparatus further comprises

means for inhibiting configured to inhibit the means for providing to provide the first resource if the request is not received.

14. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 1 to 13, wherein

the means for providing is configured to provide the first resource to a transmitting device; and one of the indication of the first transmission availability time is received from the transmitting device; and

the indication of the first transmission availability time is received from a network node different from the transmitting device.

15. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 1 to 14, wherein

the means for monitoring is configured to monitor if an indication of a second transmission availability time of a second data packet is received;

the means for providing is configured to provide a second resource for the transmission of the second data packet at a second transmission time if the indication of the second transmission availability time is received, wherein

the second transmission time is an earliest time when the second resource is available for the transmission of the second data packet provided that the second transmission time is equal to or after the second transmission availability time; and

the second transmission availability time is an absolute time different from the first transmission availability time.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the means for monitoring is configured to monitor if an indication of a time period is received;

the means for providing is configured to provide a respective second resource for the transmission of respective second data packets at respective transmission times if the indication of the time period is received, wherein

each of the respective transmission times is a respective earliest time when the respective second resource is available for the transmission of the respective second data packet provided that the respective transmission time is equal to or after the first transmission availability time plus a respective multiple of the time period.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

each of the transmission times is delayed compared to the respective transmission availability time by a same transmission delay;

the second resources are provided to a transmitting device; and the apparatus further comprises

means for informing configured to inform the transmitting device on the transmission delay.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising

means for determining configured to determine an end time,

means for inhibiting configured to inhibit the means for providing to provide the respective second resources for the transmission of the respective second data packets after the end time; wherein

the means for informing is configured to inform the transmitting device on the end time.

19. Method, comprising

deriving a first transmission availability time when a first data packet is available at a physical layer for transmission;

requesting a first resource for transmitting the first data packet at the first transmission availability time, wherein

the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising

obtaining a first readiness time when the first data packet is ready at an application layer to traverse to the physical layer;

estimating a delay for the first data packet to traverse from the application layer to the physical layer; wherein

the first readiness time is an absolute time; and

the first transmission availability time is derived based on the first readiness time and the delay.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising

obtaining a first readiness time when the first data packet is ready at an application layer to traverse to the physical layer; wherein

the first readiness time is an absolute time; and

the first transmission availability time is derived based on the first readiness time and a predetermined delay.

22. The method according to any of claims 20 and 21 , wherein at least one of

the first readiness time is obtained from the application layer; and

the first readiness time is obtained from a message received from a network node.

23. The method according to any of claims 20 to 22, further comprising obtaining a second readiness time, wherein, at the second readiness time, a second data packet is ready at the application layer to traverse to the physical layer;

deriving a second transmission availability time based on the second readiness time; requesting a second resource for transmitting the second data packet at the second transmission availability time;

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising

obtaining a time period wherein, for each multiple of the time period, at the first readiness time plus the respective multiple of the time period, a respective second data packet is ready at the application layer to traverse to the physical layer;

indicating an indication of the time period; and

transmitting each of the second data packets on a respective second resource at the first transmission availability time plus the respective multiple of the time period.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising

checking if an information on a transmission delay is received; wherein

each of the second data packets is transmitted on the respective second resource at the first transmission availability time plus the respective multiple of the time period plus the transmission delay if the information on the transmission delay is received; and the method further comprises

inhibiting the transmitting of respective second data packets on the respective second resource at the first transmission availability time plus the respective multiple of the time period.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising

checking if an information on an end time is received;

inhibiting the transmitting of respective second data packets after the end time if the information on the end time is received.

27. The method according to any of claims 19 to 26, wherein one of

the first resource is requested by a request procedure, and a message of the request procedure comprises an indication of the first transmission availability time; and

the first resource is requested by the request procedure, and a message not belonging to the request procedure comprises the indication of the first transmission availability time.

28. The method according to any of claims 19 to 27, wherein

the first resource is requested from a scheduler of a base station.

29. Method, comprising

monitoring if an indication of a first transmission availability time of a first data packet is received;

providing a first resource for the transmission of the first data packet at a first transmission time if the indication of the first transmission availability time is received, wherein the first transmission time is an earliest time when the first resource is available for the transmission provided that the first transmission time is equal to or after the first transmission availability time; and

the first transmission availability time is an absolute time.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein

31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising

monitoring if a request for providing the first resource is received in addition to the indication of the first transmission availability time; and

inhibiting the providing of the first resource if the request is not received.

32. The method according to any of claims 29 to 31 , wherein

the first resource is provided for a transmitting device; and one of

the indication of the first transmission availability time is received from the transmitting device; and

33. The method according to any of claims 29 to 32, further comprising

monitoring if an indication of a second transmission availability time of a second data packet is received;

providing a second resource for the transmission of the second data packet at a second transmission time if the indication of the second transmission availability time is received, wherein the second transmission time is an earliest time when the second resource is available for the transmission of the second data packet provided that the second transmission time is equal to or after the second transmission availability time; and

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising

monitoring if an indication of a time period is received;

providing a respective second resource for the transmission of respective second data packets at respective transmission times if the indication of the time period is received, wherein each of the respective transmission times is a respective earliest time when the respective second resource is available for the transmission of the respective second data packet provided that the respective transmission time is equal to or after the first transmission availability time plus a respective multiple of the time period.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein

the second resources are provided to a transmitting device; and the method further comprises

informing the transmitting device on the transmission delay.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising

determining an end time,

inhibiting the providing of the respective second resources for the transmission of the respective second data packets after the end time; and

informing the transmitting device on the end time.

37. A computer program product comprising a set of instructions which, when executed on an apparatus, is configured to cause the apparatus to carry out the method according to any of claims 19 to 36.

38. The computer program product according to claim 37, embodied as a computer-readable medium or directly loadable into a computer.