# US 12,120,634 B2 · Devices and methods for flow-control triggering and feedback > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,634 B2 - Document ID: US12120634B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/242,087 - Filed: 2023-09-05 - Published: 2024-03-07 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-20 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Alexander Sirotkin; Jaemin Han - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120634B2 ## CPC - H04L 1/1685: {the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal} - H04W 68/005: {Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication} - H04L 1/00: Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received {(correcting synchronisation H04L7/00)} - H04L 1/08: by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system {(H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence)} - H04L 1/1642: {Formats specially adapted for sequence numbers} - H04L 1/1896: {ARQ related signaling} - H04L 1/22: using redundant apparatus to increase reliability - H04W 28/06: Optimizing {the usage of the radio link}, e.g. header compression, information sizing {, discarding information (system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365)} - H04W 28/10: Flow control {between communication endpoints} - H04W 80/08: Upper layer protocols {(network arrangements or communication protocols for networked applications H04L67/00)} - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Devices, methods, communication nodes, base stations, storage media, and other embodiments are provided for managing associations in a communication network. In one example embodiment, a New Radio (NR) node is configured for NR user-plane protocol communications between a master node (MN) and a secondary node (SN). The NRnode is configured to generate a downlink (DL) user data message with downlink user data, initiate transmission of the DL user data message to a second node, and process a DL data delivery status message from the second node in response to the DL user data message. In various embodiments, polling and SCG split-bearer configurations are supported by such messaging. In some embodiments, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) serial numbers are communicated for transmission and retransmission management. In some embodiments, DL configurations initiated by an SN are enabled, as well as UL configurations initiated by either an MN or an SN. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor configured to cause a New Radio (NR) node to: generate a first message; transmit the first message to an other node; and receive, in response to the first message, a second message from the other node, wherein a bit in an initial octet of the second message indicates the existence of a highest successfully delivered packet data converge protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU) sequence number (SN) in the second message, and when the bit is set to ‘1’, said receiving includes processing the highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN in the second message. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NR node comprises a secondary node and wherein the other node comprises a master node (MN). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein downlink (DL) user data accessed by the NR node is used in generating the first message and comprises a highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a DL user data message comprises a DL discard field based on the highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN, the DL discard field indicating a SN up to and including which all NR PDCP PDUs are to be discarded by the other node, and wherein the DL user data message is transmitted from the NR node to the other node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NR node comprises a node hosting NR PDCP operations. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the NR node to: access flow control data; generate a flow control configuration update using the flow control data; initiate transmission of the flow control configuration update to the other node; and processing a flow control configuration update acknowledgement from the other node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flow control data comprises a report polling parameter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the report polling parameter indicates that the NR node hosting the NR PDCP operations requests a downlink (DL) delivery status report. ### Claim 9 A method, comprising: receiving, from a new radio (NR) node, a first message; and transmitting, in response to receiving the first message, a second message to the NR node, wherein a bit in an initial octet of the second message indicates the existence of a highest successfully delivered packet data converge protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU) sequence number (SN) in the second message, and when the bit is set to ‘1’, this indicates for the NR node to process the highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN in the second message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first message comprises a first PDU type and the second message comprises a second PDU type. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the second message comprises a parameter indicating a highest transmitted NR PDCP SN. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the second message comprises a parameter indicating a transmitted status associated with the highest transmitted NR PDCP SN. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the second message comprises a parameter indicating a highest retransmitted NR PDCP SN. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second message comprises a parameter indicating a status associated with the highest retransmitted NR PDCP SN. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein downlink (DL) user data accessed by the NR node is used in generating the first message and comprises a highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein a DL user data message comprises a DL discard field based on the highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN, the DL discard field indicating a SN up to and including which all NR PDCP PDUs are to be discarded by the other node, and wherein the DL user data message is transmitted from the NR node to the other node. ### Claim 17 A network node, comprising: one or more antennas; wireless communication circuitry coupled to the one or more antennas; and at least one processor operably coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and configured to cause the network node to: generate a first message; transmit the first message to an other node; and receive, in response to the first message, a second message from the other node, wherein a bit in an initial octet of the second message indicates the existence of a highest successfully delivered packet data converge protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU) sequence number (SN) in the second message, and when the bit is set to ‘1’, said receiving includes processing the highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN in the second message. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The network node of claim 17, wherein the network node is a new radio (NR) node comprising a secondary node and wherein the other node comprises a master node (MN). ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The network node of claim 17, wherein downlink (DL) user data accessed by the network node is used in generating the first message and comprises a highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The network node of claim 19, wherein a DL user data message comprises a DL discard field based on the highest successfully delivered PDCP PDU SN, the DL discard field indicating a SN up to and including which all NR PDCP PDUs are to be discarded by the other node, and wherein the DL user data message is transmitted from the network node to the other node.