IP Library › Granted Patent US 12677182
Granted Patent B2
US 12677182 · App. 18/586,181 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Systems, methods, and devices for level-based network service quality

Inventors: Christian Hofmann (Munich, DE); Tarik Tabet (Carlsbad, CA); Panagiotis Botsinis (Munich, DE); Amr Abdelrahman Yousef A. Mostafa (Munich, DE); Alperen Gundogan (Munich, DE); Milan Zivkovic (Munich, DE); Lakshmi Iyer (Cupertino, CA); Sameh M. Eldessoki (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W28/0215H04W28/0236H04W28/0268
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12677182
App. No.
18/586,181
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein are solutions for level-based network service quality. A user equipment (UE) may determine multiple quality level profiles corresponding to an application, network service, or data flow. The quality level profiles may each include different set of attributes relating to a quality of service (QoS), such as a burst size, burst cadence, delay budget, etc. The UE may register the quality level profiles with a base station serving the UE, and the base station may provide service to the UE based on one of the quality level profiles. When network conditions change and the current quality level profile is unsuitable, the base station may select a more suitable quality level profile and notify the UE of the change in quality level profile. The UE may adjust UL transmissions in accordance with the new quality level profile. These and other features and examples are described herein.

Claims (48)

1 . A user device (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the UE to:

determine a plurality of quality level profiles for uplink (UL) communications of the UE with a base station, each quality level profile, of the plurality of quality level profiles, corresponding to a distinct bit rate for UL transmissions, wherein determining the plurality of quality level profiles includes:

providing a first set of quality level profiles to the base station; and

determining, as the plurality of quality level profiles, either:

the first set of quality level profiles; or

a second set of quality level profiles received from the base station in response to the first set of quality level profiles;

communicate, with the base station, according to a bit rate of a first quality level profile of the plurality of quality level profiles;

determine a change from the first quality level profile to a second quality level profile of the plurality of quality level profiles; and

communicate, with the base station, according to a bit rate of the second quality level profile, the bit rate of the first quality level profile being different than the bit rate of the second quality level profile.

2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the bit rate of the first quality level profile corresponds to a first set of parameters defining a first quality of service (QOS) and the second quality level profile corresponds to a second set of parameters defining a second QoS.

3 . The UE of claim 2 , wherein the first set of parameters comprises a first burst size, a first burst cadence, and a first delay budget and the second set of parameters comprises a second burst size, a second burst cadence, and a second delay budget.

4 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the bit rate of the first quality level profile comprises a first guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) and the bit rate of the second quality level profile comprises a second GFBR.

5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein one or more quality level profiles, of the first set of quality level profiles, are provided to the base station via a media access control (MAC) control element (CE), a buffer status report (BSR), a radio resource control (RRC) message, or network access stratum (NAS) signaling.

6 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the first set of quality level profiles is provided to the base station using a plurality of weighted factors, each weighted factor of the plurality of weighted factors corresponding to a different quality level profile of the first set of quality level profiles.

7 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the change from the first quality level profile to the second quality level profile is determined based on an explicit indication received from the base station.

8 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the change from the first quality level profile to the second quality level profile is determined based on an implicit indication received from the base station.

9 . The UE of claim 8 , wherein the implicit indication comprises one or more UE metrics associated with the first quality level profile and one or more UE metrics associated with the second quality level profile.

10 . The UE of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more UE metrics associated with the first quality level profile and the one or more UE metrics associated with the second quality level profile comprises at least one of a signal interference noise ratio (SINR), a reference signal received power (RSRP), or a reference signal received quality (RSRQ).

11 . A base station, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the base station to:

determine a plurality of quality level profiles for uplink (UL) communications of a user equipment (UE) with the base station, each quality level profile, of the plurality of quality level profiles, corresponding to a distinct bit rate for UL transmissions, wherein determining the plurality of quality level profiles includes:

receiving a first set of quality level profiles from the UE; and

either:

determining, as the plurality of quality level profiles, the first set of quality level profiles; or

providing a second set of quality level profiles to the UE and determining, as the plurality of quality level profiles, the second set of quality level profiles;

determine, based on one or more network conditions, an achievable quality level profile of the plurality of quality level profiles;

schedule UL resources for the UE according to the achievable quality level profile;

determine, based on a change of the one or more network conditions, an alternative quality level profile of the plurality of quality level profiles; and

schedule UL resources for the UE according to the alternative quality level profile.

12 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein a bit rate of the achievable quality level profile corresponds to a first set of parameters of a first quality of service (QOS) and the alternative quality level profile corresponds to a second set of parameters of a second QoS.

13 . The base station of claim 12 , wherein the first set of parameters comprises a first burst size, a first burst cadence, and a first delay budget and the second set of parameters comprises a second burst size, a second burst cadence, and a second delay budget.

14 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein a bit rate of the achievable quality level profile comprises a first guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) and a bit rate of the alternative quality level profile comprises a second GFBR.

15 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein one or more quality level profiles, of the first set of quality level profiles, are provided to the base station via a media access control (MAC) control element (CE), buffer status report (BSR), a radio resource control (RRC) message, or network access stratum (NAS) signaling.

16 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein the first set of quality level profiles is provided to the base station using a plurality of weighted factors, each weighted factor of the plurality of weighted factors corresponding to a different quality level profile of the first set of quality level profiles.

17 . A baseband processor for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the baseband processor to:

determine a plurality of quality level profiles for uplink (UL) communications of the UE with a base station, each quality level profile, of the plurality of quality level profiles, corresponding to a distinct bit rate for UL transmissions, wherein determining the plurality of quality level profiles includes:

providing a first set of quality level profiles to the base station; and

determining, as the plurality of quality level profiles, either:

the first set of quality level profiles; or

a second set of quality level profiles received from the base station in response to the first set of quality level profiles;

cause a transceiver to communicate, with the base station, according to a bit rate of a first quality level profile of the plurality of quality level profiles;

determine a change from the first quality level profile to a second quality level profile of the plurality of quality level profiles; and

cause a transceiver to communicate, with the base station, according to a bit rate of the second quality level profile, the bit rate of the first quality level profile being different that the bit rate of the second quality level profile.