US 11,153,784 B2 · Ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) preservation during handovers

Abstract

A control plane of a network, including radios of a radio access network controlled by the control plane and user plane functions controlled by the control plane, establishes first and second protocol data unit (PDU) connections each to handle the same flows of traffic for ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) from user equipment to a data network through first and second source radios, respectively. Due to mobility of the user equipment, the control plane relocates the flows from the first and second source radios to first and second target radios, respectively. To relocate the flows, the control plane receives from the first target radio a notification that identifies flows that cannot be activated on the first target radio. In response to the notification, the control plane commands the first target radio to prioritize the flows that cannot be activated above remaining ones of the flows.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

at a control plane of a network:
establishing first and second protocol data unit (PDU) connections each to handle the same flows of traffic from user equipment to a data network through a first source radio and a second source radio, respectively;
and
relocating the flows from the first source radio and the second source radio to a first target radio and a second target radio, respectively, the relocating including commanding the first target radio to prioritize one or more of the flows that cannot be activated on the first target radio above remaining ones of the flows, to cause the first target radio to initially activate the one or more of the flows on the second target radio, and to then activate the remaining ones of the flows on the second target radio.

1 more element

An apparatus comprising:

one or more network interface units;
and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more network interface units and configured to implement a control plane of a network, the one or more processors configured to perform operations including:
establishing first and second protocol data unit (PDU) connections each to handle the same flows of traffic from user equipment to a data network through a first source radio and a second source radio, respectively;
and
relocating the flows from the first source radio and the second source radio to a first target radio and a second target radio, respectively, the relocating including commanding the first target radio to prioritize one or more of the flows that cannot be activated on the first target radio above remaining ones of the flows, to cause the first target radio to initially activate the one or more of the flows on the second target radio, and to then activate the remaining ones of the flows on the second target radio.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) preservation during handovers

Life of this patent

Ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) preservation during handovers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20