QoS flows inactivity counters

A device for managing a data flow in a wireless communication system, the device comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• and
• memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry to cause the device to:
• provide one or more rules for managing the data flow to a user equipment, UE, the one or more rules including remapping a data flow from a radio bearer to a different radio bearer based on a time period in which the data flow has been inactive and on one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, the different radio bearer being an already established default radio bearer;
• obtain the time period in which the data flow has been inactive, the data flow being defined by a QoS requirement of data associated with the data flow, obtaining the time period including:
• determining that the data flow is inactive;
• starting an inactivity counter that maintains the time period in response to determining that the data flow is inactive, the inactivity counter being dedicated to the data flow;
• and
• obtaining the time period from the inactivity counter;
• determine, based on the time period exceeding a threshold, a release of a mapping between the data flow and a radio bearer;
• map the data flow to the different radio bearer based on the time period and the one or more QoS parameters;
• release, after mapping the data flow to the different radio bearer, the mapping between the data flow and the radio bearer;
• determine whether other data flows are mapped to the radio bearer, and based on determining other data flows are not mapped to the radio bearer, releasing the radio bearer;
• and
• the device being a radio access network node.

A method for a device to manage a data flow in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

• providing one or more rules for managing the data flow to a user equipment, UE, the one or more rules including remapping a data flow from a radio bearer to a different radio bearer based on a time period in which the data flow has been inactive and on one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, the different radio bearer being an already established default radio bearer;
• obtaining the time period in which the data flow has been inactive, the data flow being defined by a QoS requirement of data associated with the data flow, the obtaining the time period including:
• determining that the data flow is inactive;
• starting an inactivity counter that maintains the time period in response to determining that the data flow is inactive, the inactivity counter being dedicated to the data flow;
• and
• obtaining the time period from the inactivity counter;
• and
• identifying that a user equipment, UE, at least one of:
• has been or is to be handed over from a current cell to a different cell;
• and
• has or is to reselect from the current cell to the different cell;
• the identifying including:
• receiving, from a second device in a radio access network of the wireless communication system, a request to provide one or more parameters of the data flow to a third device;
• and
• providing the one or more parameters of the data flow to the third device, the one or more provided parameters triggering determining, based on the time period exceeding a threshold, a release of a mapping between the data flow and a radio bearer;
• mapping the data flow to the different radio bearer based on the time period and the one or more QoS parameters;
• releasing, after mapping the data flow to the different radio bearer, the mapping between the data flow and the radio bearer;
• determining whether other data flows are mapped to the radio bearer, and based on determining other data flows are not mapped to the radio bearer, releasing the radio bearer;
• the device being a radio access network node;
• and
• the other device being a radio access network node managing the different cell.