Data processing method, apparatus, and system

Abstract

A data processing method by a data sending apparatus is described. The method includes receiving a data packet from a PDCP layer, where the data packet is used as an RLC SDU. The method further includes encapsulating the RLC SDU into at least one RLC PDU, where each RLC PDU includes a header and a payload. The payload carries data from a single RLC SDU. It can be learned that a transmit end no longer performs concatenation processing at the RLC layer on the data packet. In this way, concatenation processing at the transmit end is reduced, and processing complexity and processing latency are further reduced. In addition, processing at a receive end also becomes simpler and more efficient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A data processing method by a data sending apparatus, comprising:
 receiving, at a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, a data packet from a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, wherein the data packet is used as an RLC service data unit (SDU); and   encapsulating, at the RLC layer, the RLC SDU into at least one RLC protocol data unit (PDU),   wherein each of the at least one RLC PDU comprises a header and a payload that carries data from a single RLC SDU; and   wherein when the payload carries a middle segment of the RLC SDU or a last segment of the RLC SDU, the header comprises a segment offset (SO) field, and the SO field indicates a byte offset, of a first byte in the payload of the RLC PDU where the SO field is located, within the RLC SDU to which the payload belongs.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the header of the RLC PDU further comprises a segment indicator (SI) field, indicating what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is the complete RLC SDU or a segment of the RLC SDU. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the SI field comprises two bits, and values of the SI field are described as follows:
 a first value indicating that what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is the complete RLC SDU, a second value indicating that what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is a first segment of the RLC SDU, a third value indicating that what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is a middle segment of the RLC SDU, and a fourth value indicating that what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is a last segment of the RLC SDU.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the header comprises a sequence number (SN) field, and
 wherein when the RLC SDU is encapsulated into a plurality of segments where each one of the plurality of segments is encapsulated into one of a plurality of RLC PDUs, the SNs are the same in the SN field in each header of the plurality of RLC PDUs.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating the RLC SDU into at least one RLC PDU comprises:
 encapsulating the RLC SDU into the at least one RLC PDU based on an indication from a Media Access Control (MAC) layer.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving feedback from a data receiving apparatus that a transmitted RLC PDU is not correctly received, and in response to the receiving feedback:
 further segmenting the payload in the transmitted RLC PDU into a plurality of RLC PDUs, and 
 retransmitting the payload in the plurality of RLC PDUs. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the data sending apparatus maintains, at the PDCP layer, a PDCP transmit window, and wherein the method further comprises:
 sending, at the PDCP layer by the data sending apparatus, PDCP PDUs to the RLC layer; and   stopping, by the data sending apparatus, sending another PDCP PDU to the RLC layer in response to a quantity of the sent PDCP PDUs reaching a maximum quantity of PDCP PDUs that can be accommodated by the PDCP transmit window and not receiving a successful feedback at the PDCP layer.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising a processor, configured to connect with a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate the apparatus performing a method comprising:
 receiving, at a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, a data packet from a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, wherein the data packet is used as an RLC service data unit (SDU); and   encapsulating, at the RLC layer, the RLC SDU into at least one RLC protocol data unit (PDU),   wherein the each of the at least one RLC PDU comprises a header and a payload that carries data from a single RLC SDU; and   wherein when the payload carries a middle segment of the RLC SDU or a last segment of the RLC SDU, the header comprises a segment offset (SO) field, and the SO field indicates a byte offset, of a first byte in the payload of the RLC PDU where the SO field is located, within the RLC SDU to which the payload belongs.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the header of the RLC PDU comprises a segment indicator (SI) field, indicating what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is the complete RLC SDU or a segment of the RLC SDU. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the SI field comprises two bits, and values of the SI field are described as follows:
 a first value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a complete RLC SDU, a second value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a first segment of the RLC SDU, a third value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a middle segment of the RLC SDU, and a fourth value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a last segment of the RLC SDU.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the header comprises a sequence number (SN) field, and
 wherein when the RLC SDU is encapsulated as a plurality of segments where each one of the plurality of segments is encapsulated into one of a plurality of RLC PDUs, the SNs are the same in the SN field in each header of the plurality of RLC PDUs.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the encapsulating the RLC SDU into at least one RLC PDU comprises:
 encapsulating the RLC SDU into the at least one RLC PDU based on an indication from a Media Access Control (MAC) layer.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the method facilitated by execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor further comprises:
 receiving feedback from a data receiving apparatus that a transmitted RLC PDU is not correctly received, and in response to the receiving feedback:
 further segmenting the payload in the transmitted RLC PDU into a plurality of RLC PDUs, and retransmitting the payload in the plurality of RLC PDUs. 
   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein a PDCP transmit window is maintained at the PDCP layer, and wherein the method facilitated by execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor further comprises:
 sending, at the PDCP layer, PDCP PDUs to the RLC layer; and   stopping sending another PDCP PDU to the RLC layer in response to a quantity of the sent PDCP PDUs reaching a maximum quantity of PDCP PDUs that can be accommodated by the PDCP transmit window and not receiving a successful feedback at the PDCP layer.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions such that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performing a method comprising:
 receiving, at a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, a data packet from a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, wherein the data packet is used as an RLC service data unit (SDU); and   encapsulating, at the RLC layer, the RLC SDU into at least one RLC protocol data unit (PDU),   wherein the encapsulated RLC PDU comprises a header and a payload that carries data from a single RLC SDU,   wherein when the payload carries a middle segment of the RLC SDU or a last segment of the RLC SDU, the header comprises a segment offset (SO) field, and the SO field indicates a byte offset, of a first byte in the payload of the RLC PDU where the SO field is located, within the RLC SDU to which the payload belongs.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the header of the RLC PDU comprises a segment indicator (SI) field, indicating what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is the complete RLC SDU or a segment of the RLC SDU. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the SI field comprises two bits, and values of the SI field are described as follows:
 a first value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a complete RLC SDU, a second value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a first segment of the RLC SDU, a third value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a middle segment of the RLC SDU, and a fourth value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a last segment of the RLC SDU.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the header comprises a sequence number (SN) field, and
 wherein when the RLC SDU is encapsulated as a plurality of segments where each one of the plurality of segments is encapsulated into one of a plurality of RLC PDUs, the SNs are the same in the SN field in each header of the plurality of RLC PDUs.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the encapsulating the RLC SDU into at least one RLC PDU comprises:
 encapsulating the RLC SDU into the at least one RLC PDU based on an indication from a Media Access Control (MAC) layer.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the method facilitated by execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor further comprises:
 receiving feedback from a data receiving apparatus that a transmitted RLC PDU is not correctly received, and in response to the receiving feedback:
 further segmenting the payload in the transmitted RLC PDU into a plurality of RLC PDUs, and retransmitting the payload in the plurality of RLC PDUs. 
   
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 15 , wherein a PDCP transmit window is maintained at the PDCP layer, and wherein the method facilitated by execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor further comprises:
 sending, at the PDCP layer, PDCP PDUs to the RLC layer; and   stopping sending another PDCP PDU to the RLC layer in response to a quantity of the sent PDCP PDUs reaching a maximum quantity of PDCP PDUs that can be accommodated by the PDCP transmit window and not receiving a successful feedback at the PDCP layer.   
     
     
         22 . A system comprising a data sending apparatus and a data receiving apparatus, wherein the data sending apparatus is configured to:
 receive, at a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer of the data sending apparatus, a data packet from a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer of the data sending apparatus, wherein the data packet is used as an RLC service data unit (SDU); and   encapsulate, at the RLC layer of the data sending apparatus, the RLC SDU into at least one RLC protocol data unit (PDU),   wherein the each of the at least one RLC PDU comprises a header and a payload that carries data from a single RLC SDU; and   wherein when the payload carries a middle segment of the RLC SDU or a last segment of the RLC SDU, the header comprises a segment offset (SO) field, and the SO field indicates a byte offset, of a first byte in the payload of the RLC PDU where the SO field is located, within the RLC SDU to which the payload belongs.   
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the header of the RLC PDU comprises a segment indicator (SI) field, indicating what is encapsulated into the RLC PDU where the SI field is located is the complete RLC SDU or a segment of the RLC SDU. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 23 , wherein the SI field comprises two bits, and values of the SI field are described as follows:
 a first value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a complete RLC SDU, a second value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a first segment of the RLC SDU, a third value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a middle segment of the RLC SDU, and a fourth value indicating that the RLC PDU where the SI field is located encapsulates a last segment of the RLC SDU.   
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the header comprises a sequence number (SN) field, and
 wherein when the RLC SDU is encapsulated as a plurality of segments where each one of the plurality of segments is encapsulated into one of a plurality of RLC PDUs, the SNs are the same in the SN field in each header of the plurality of RLC PDUs.   
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the data sending apparatus is configured to:
 encapsulating the RLC SDU into the at least one RLC PDU based on an indication from a Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the data sending apparatus.   
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the data sending apparatus is further configured to:
 receive feedback from the data receiving apparatus that a transmitted RLC PDU is not correctly received, and in response to the receiving feedback:   further segment the payload in the transmitted RLC PDU into a plurality of RLC PDUs; and   retransmit the payload in the plurality of RLC PDUs.   
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein a PDCP transmit window is maintained at the PDCP layer of the data sending apparatus, and the data sending apparatus is further configured to:
 send, at the PDCP layer of the data sending apparatus, PDCP PDUs to the RLC layer; and   stop sending another PDCP PDU to the RLC layer in response to a quantity of the sent PDCP PDUs reaching a maximum quantity of PDCP PDUs that can be accommodated by the PDCP transmit window and not receiving a successful feedback at the PDCP layer of the data sending apparatus.   
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the data sending apparatus is further configured to:
 send the at least one RLC PDU to an MAC layer of the data sending apparatus;   encapsulate, at the MAC layer of the data sending apparatus, the at least one RLC PDU into a MAC PDU; and   send the MAC PDU to the data receiving apparatus.   
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 29 , wherein the data receiving apparatus is configured to:
 receive, at an RLC layer of the data receiving apparatus, the MAC PDU from an MAC layer of the data receiving apparatus; and   when determining, based on the header of the RLC PDU in the MAC PDU, that the payload of the RLC PDU is a complete RLC SDU, obtain the RLC SDU and send the RLC SDU to a PDCP layer of the data receiving apparatus; or   when determining, based on the header of the RLC PDU, that the payload of the RLC PDU is a segment of an RLC SDU, obtain all segments of the RLC SDU, restoring all the segments to the RLC SDU, and send the RLC SDU to a PDCP layer of the data receiving apparatus.