Method, node and system for implementing an interworking layer

A node for forming part of a network of nodes for communicating between parts which form an infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network or which node forms a part of a wireless communications network, the node comprising

• a communications interface forming part of a physical layer for transmitting user plane data to one or more other nodes of the network and for receiving user plane data from the one or more other nodes of the network,
• a processor and a storage medium for storing computer executable code, which when executed by the processor performs operations comprising
• operating a protocol stack for receiving the user plane data and transmitting the user plane data, the protocol stack including the physical layer, a data link layer, and an interworking layer,
• the interworking layer being configured to receive packets having a format comprising a header and a payload, the payload carrying user plane data, and to transmit the packets via the data link layer and the physical layer to or more other nodes of the network, and
• the interworking layer is configured to receive packets from one or more other nodes via the data link layer and the physical layer, the received packets having the format comprising the header and the payload carrying user plane data, wherein the interworking layer is configured to route the packets to and from one or more other network nodes using a routing table and the header of the packets transmitted and received via the data link layer and the physical layer to or from the one or more other nodes of the network includes an index representing a value identifying an entry in the routing table which is used by the interworking layer to transmit the packets to or to receive the packets from the one or more other nodes of the network, the entry in the table for each index identifying a connection between one part of the infrastructure equipment and another part of the infrastructure equipment and a user equipment associated with the user data being communicated.

A wireless communications network including an infrastructure equipment, wherein user plane data is communicated between the infrastructure equipment or different parts which form one or more of the infrastructure equipment via a network of nodes, each node of the network of nodes comprising

• a communications interface forming part of a physical layer for transmitting user plane data to one or more other nodes of the network and for receiving user plane data from the one or more other nodes of the network via physical transport links,
• a processor and a storage medium for storing computer executable code, which when executed by the processor performs operations comprising
• operating a protocol stack for receiving the user plane data and transmitting the user plane data, the protocol stack including the physical layer, a data link layer, and an interworking layer,
• the interworking layer being configured to receive packets having a format comprising a header and a payload, the payload carrying user plane data, and to transmit the packets via the data link layer and the physical layer to or more other nodes of the network, and
• the interworking layer is configured to receive packets from one or more other nodes via the data link layer and the physical layer, the received packets having the format comprising the header and the payload carrying user plane data, wherein the interworking layer is configured to route the packets to and from one or more other network nodes using a routing table and the header of the packets transmitted and received via the data link layer and the physical layer to or from the one or more other nodes of the network includes an index representing a value identifying an entry in the routing table which is used by the interworking layer to transmit the packets to or to receive the packets from the one or more other nodes of the network, the entry in the table for each index identifying a connection between one part of the infrastructure equipment and another part of the infrastructure equipment and a user equipment associated with the user data being communicated.