IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,979,197
Granted Patent B2
US 10,979,197 · App. 16/334,179 · Granted Apr 13, 2021

Transmitting device and method performed therein for handling communication

Inventors: Martin Skarve (Enebyberg, SE); Torsten Dudda (Aachen, DE); Torbjörn Örtengren (Linköping, SE); Samir Shah (Ottawa, CA); Mikael Wittberg (Uppsala, SE)
Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
H04L5/0053H04L5/0032
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,979,197
App. No.
16/334,179
Granted
Apr 13, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a transmitting device ( 120 ) for handling communication in a wireless communications network, wherein the transmitting device ( 120 ) comprises at least two radio link control, RLC, entities and is configured with a split bearer to a receiving device ( 100 ). The transmitting device ( 120 ) identifies that a last transmitted protocol data unit, PDU, of one of the at least two RLC entities, is lacking a poll indicator requesting a status of one or more transmitted PDUs. When identifying that the last transmitted PDU lacks the poll indicator, the transmitting device transmits to the receiving device ( 100 ), a PDU comprising a poll indicator.

Claims (43)

1. A method performed by a transmitting device for handling communication in a wireless communications network, wherein the transmitting device comprises at least two radio link control, RLC, entities and is configured with a split bearer to a receiving device, the method comprising:

responsive to occurrence of an event, identifying that a protocol data unit (PDU) last transmitted on one of the at least two RLC entities before occurrence of the event lacks a poll indicator requesting a status of one or more transmitted PDUs, wherein the event is:

stopping of transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity;

transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities is switched to another RLC entity while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity;

no further upper layer transmit buffer data is available for transmission in a corresponding RLC entity;

re-configuration to deactivate splitting or deactivate duplication; or

upper layers, of a corresponding RLC entity, become empty of packets; and

responsive to identifying that the PDU last transmitted lacks the poll indicator, transmitting, to the receiving device, a PDU comprising a poll indicator.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the PDU comprising the poll indicator is another PDU with the poll indicator or the same PDU as the PDU last transmitted retransmitted with the poll indicator.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the event is stopping of transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the event is transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities is switched to another RLC entity while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the event is no further upper layer transmit buffer data is available for transmission in a corresponding RLC entity.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the event is re-configuration to deactivate splitting or deactivate duplication.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the event is upper layers, of a corresponding RLC entity, become empty of packets.

8. A transmitting device for handling communication in a wireless communications network, wherein the transmitting device comprises:

processing circuitry configured to:

responsive to occurrence of an event, identify that a protocol data unit (PDU) last transmitted on one of at least two radio link control (RLC) entities of the transmitting device before occurrence of the event lacks a poll indicator requesting a status of one or more transmitted PDUs, wherein the event is:

stopping of transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity;

transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities is switched to another RLC entity while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity;

no further upper layer transmit buffer data is available for transmission in a corresponding RLC entity;

re-configuration to deactivate splitting or deactivate duplication; or

upper layers, of a corresponding RLC entity, become empty of packets; and

responsive to identifying that the PDU last transmitted lacks the poll indicator, transmit, to a receiving device to which the transmitting device is configured with a split bearer, a PDU comprising a poll indicator.

9. The transmitting device according to claim 8 , wherein the PDU comprising the poll indicator is another PDU with the poll indicator or the same PDU as the PDU last transmitted retransmitted with the poll indicator.

10. The transmitting device according to claim 8 , wherein the event is stopping of transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity.

11. The transmitting device according to claim 8 , wherein the event is transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities is switched to another RLC entity while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity.

12. The transmitting device according to claim 8 , wherein the event is no further upper layer transmit buffer data is available for transmission in a corresponding RLC entity.

13. The transmitting device according to claim 8 , wherein the event is re-configuration to deactivate splitting or deactivate duplication.

14. The transmitting device according to claim 8 , wherein the event is upper layers, of a corresponding RLC entity, become empty of packets.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor of a transmitting device, cause the at least one processor to:

responsive to occurrence of an event, identify that a protocol data unit (PDU) last transmitted on one of at least two radio link control (RLC) entities of the transmitting device before occurrence of the event lacks a poll indicator requesting a status of one or more transmitted PDUs, wherein the event is:

stopping of transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity;

transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities is switched to another RLC entity while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity;

no further upper layer transmit buffer data is available for transmission in a corresponding RLC entity;

re-configuration to deactivate splitting or deactivate duplication; or

upper layers, of a corresponding RLC entity, become empty of packets; and

responsive to identifying that the PDU last transmitted lacks the poll indicator, transmit, to a receiving device to which the transmitting device is configured with a split bearer, a PDU comprising a poll indicator.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the PDU comprising the poll indicator is another PDU with the poll indicator or the same PDU as the PDU last transmitted retransmitted with the poll indicator.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the event is stopping of transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the event is transmission on one or more of the at least two RLC entities is switched to another RLC entity while data still awaits in higher layers associated to a first RLC entity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the event is no further upper layer transmit buffer data is available for transmission in a corresponding RLC entity.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the event is re-configuration to deactivate splitting or deactivate duplication.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the event is upper layers, of a corresponding RLC entity, become empty of packets.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2019
From: SKARVE, MARTIN; DUDDA, TORSTEN; ÖRTENGREN, TORBJÖRN; SHAH, SAMIR; WITTBERG, MIKAEL
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 048624/0761 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62630312 · Feb 14, 2018
Related Publication 20200119883A1 · Apr 16, 2020