Integrated access backhaul network metric exchange for 5g or other next generation network

Abstract

In a 5G network, an adaptation layer of a child integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node can send a quality metric to its parent IAB node. The quality metric can indicate to the parent IAB node, information that may not be readily available to the parent IAB node. Such a quality metric can be transmitted by the child IAB node to the parent IAB node via a header field of an adaptation layer packet data unit (PDU) on an uplink channel of an IAB link. Thus, the parent IAB node can make a more efficient routing decision based on data, to which otherwise, the parent IAB node may not ordinarily be privy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 in response to receiving, from first network equipment, quality data representative of a quality metric associated with a route for packet data, modifying, by second network equipment comprising a processor, the quality data in accordance with a link between the first network equipment and the second network equipment, resulting in modified quality data; and   facilitating, by the second network equipment, sending the modified quality data to a mobile termination function of the second network equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile termination function of the second network equipment is configured to transmit the modified quality data to third network equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quality metric is associated with a bearer, or a group of bearers, used by a user equipment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quality data is received by the second network equipment within a packet field of a packet data unit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quality data is received via an uplink channel of an integrated access backhaul network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quality data is received by the second network equipment within a packet field of a packet data unit that is not dependent on uplink data traffic between the second network equipment and the first network equipment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the packet data unit is associated with an adaptation layer of the second network equipment. 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 modifying quality data, representative of a quality metric associated with a route for packet data from first network node equipment, in accordance with a link between the first network node equipment and second network node equipment, resulting in modified quality data; and 
 in response to modifying the quality data, sending the modified quality data to a mobile termination function of the second network node equipment. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 sending the modified quality data to a distributed network unit.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the distributed unit is associated with third network node equipment. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 based on modifying the quality data, determining a scheduling weight for the packet data.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the scheduling weight comprises topology data associated with the route for the packet data. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the packet data is determined using buffer status data. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the packet data is determined using a link quality measurement. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to modifying the quality data, maintaining cumulative metric data representative of a cumulative quality metric comprising the first network node equipment and the second network node equipment.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 modifying quality data, representative of a quality metric associated with a route for packet data and received from a first network node, in accordance with a link between the first network node and a second network node, resulting in modified quality data; and   in response to modifying the quality data, sending the modified quality data to a mobile termination function of the second network node.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to sending the modified quality data, the modified quality data is further sent to a distributed unit of a third network node.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to modifying the quality data, maintaining aggregate quality data representative of a link quality comprising the first network node and the second network node.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving the quality data representative of the quality metric associated with the route for packet data from the first network node.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 based on an aggregate quality link, scheduling a second link between the second network node and a third network node.