Efficient flow control in a radio network controller (RNC)
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorsSandor Racz, Peter Lundh, Szilveszter Nadas, Zoltan Nagy C
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Abstract
In one aspect, a mechanism is provided to resolve the Iub transport network congestion in the uplink direction by using the transmission window of the RLC to control the transfer rate of the flow. The RNC (110) detects the Iub TN congestion for the flow in the uplink. The EUL flow control running in the RNC (110) calculates the RLC transmission window size for the UE for the flow and the calculated RLC transmission window size is signaled to the peer RLC entity in the UE (130) through an RLC STATUS PDU.
Claims16
A method for operating a radio network controller (RNC) in a wireless network, the RNC being in communication with a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
- setting a radio link control (RLC) transmission window size for the UE for a flow at initial data flow set up;
- determining whether a congestion exists on an hub transport network (TN) connection between the RNC and a Node B for the flow in an uplink direction;
- reducing the RLC transmission window size when the congestion exists;
- and
- notifying the UE regarding the reduced RLC transmission window size,
- where the flow is a flow of Medium Access Control-d Protocol Data Units (MAC-d PDUs) formed from RLC PDUs exchanged between the RNC and the UE, and
- where the RLC transmission window size sets a maximum amount of outstanding data for the flow that can be transmitted from the UE to the RNC in one or more RLC PDUs until an acknowledgment (ACK) is sent from the RNC.
A radio network controller (RNC) in a wireless network, the RNC comprising:
- a communication unit to exchange Radio Link Control Protocol Data Units (RLC PDUs) with a UE via a Node-B;
- a monitoring unit to monitor data traffic conditions on communication links between the RNC and the Node-B;
- a storage unit to store data and control information for a flow between the RNC and the UE;
- and
- a processing unit to control the communication unit, the monitoring unit, and the storage unit to perform communication operations for the RNC,
- where the processing unit is to:
- set an RLC transmission window size for the UE for a flow at initial data flow set up;
- determine whether a congestion exists on an Iub Transport Network (TN) connection between the RNC and the Node-B for the flow in an uplink direction;
- reduce the RLC transmission window size when the congestion exists;
- and
- notify the regarding the reduced RLC transmission window size,
- where the flow is a flow of Medium Access Control-d Protocol Data Units (MAC-d PDUs) formed from RLC PDUs exchanged between the RNC and the UE, and
- where the RLC transmission window size sets a maximum amount of outstanding data for the flow that can be transmitted from the UE to the RNC in one or more RLC PDUs until an acknowledgment (ACK) is sent from the RNC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.