NR User Plane Signaling Controlled Triggering of PDCP Duplication

Abstract

In one aspect, one or more network nodes configured control the use of data duplication (DD) for a UE simultaneously served by two or more distributed transmission units (DUs) receive from one or more of the DUs, feedback information. The one or more network nodes determine, based on the feedback information, whether to activate DD for transmissions to the UE.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, in one or more network nodes of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 receiving radio link quality information from at least one of two or more distributed transmission units (DUs) simultaneously serving a user equipment (UE); and   determining, based on the radio link quality information, whether to activate data duplication (DD) for transmissions to the UE.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises and the determining is based on any one or more of:
 a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for a link between the UE and the respective DU;   a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) for a link between the UE and the respective DU;   a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) for a link between the UE and the respective DU;   a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) for a link between the UE and the respective DU; and   an average Receive Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) for a link between the UE and the respective DU.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio link quality information is reported on a per-channel basis. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises load and/or congestion information for the respective DU, and the determining is based on the load and/or congestion information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said determining is based on an evaluation of load and/or congestion information for all of the two or more DUs. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises hybrid automatic-repeat-request (HARQ) information and/or retransmission information for the respective DU, and the determining is based on the HARQ information and/or retransmission information for the respective DU. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises latency and/or packet age information for the respective DU, and the determining is based on the latency and/or packet age information for the respective DU. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises packet loss information for the respective DU, and the determining is based on the packet loss information for the respective DU. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio link quality information is received via in-band signaling in one or more user-plane data frames. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises activating DD for transmissions to the UE via the two or more DUs, by sending one or more configuration messages to the UE to indicate that DD is active. 
     
     
         11 . One or more network nodes of a wireless communication system, the one or more network nodes comprising:
 communication circuitry; and   processing circuitry operatively associated with the communication circuitry and configured to:
 receive radio link quality information from at least one of two or more distributed transmission units (DUs) simultaneously serving a user equipment (UE); and 
 determine, based on the radio link quality information, whether to activate data duplication (DD) for transmissions to the UE. 
   
     
     
         12 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises and the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether to activate DD for transmissions to the UE based on any one or more of:
 a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for a link between the UE and the respective DU;   a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) for a link between the UE and the respective DU;   a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) for a link between the UE and the respective DU;   a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) for a link between the UE and the respective DU; and   an average Receive Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) for a link between the UE and the respective DU.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the radio link quality information is reported on a per-channel basis. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises load and/or congestion information for the respective DU, and the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether to activate DD for transmissions to the UE based on the load and/or congestion information. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether to activate DD for transmissions to the UE based on an evaluation of load and/or congestion information for all of the two or more DUs. 
     
     
         16 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises hybrid automatic-repeat-request (HARQ) information and/or retransmission information for the respective DU, and the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether to activate DD for transmissions to the UE based on the HARQ information and/or retransmission information for the respective DU. 
     
     
         17 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises latency and/or packet age information for the respective DU, and the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether to activate DD for transmissions to the UE based on the latency and/or packet age information for the respective DU. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the radio link quality information comprises packet loss information for the respective DU, and the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether to activate DD for transmissions to the UE based on the packet loss information for the respective DU. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the radio link quality information is received via in-band signaling in one or more user-plane data frames. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more network nodes of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to activate DD for transmissions to the UE via the two or more DUs, by sending one or more configuration messages to the UE to indicate that DD is active.