Technique for time-sensitive networking over a radio access network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11832164-B2
Application number	US-202217582571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2022
Priority date	Aug 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A technique for Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, over a radio access network, RAN, is described. As to a handling method aspect of the technique, system information is received from a radio base station of the RAN. The system information is implicative or indicative of support for TSN through the radio base station. Depending on the received system information, at least one TSN stream of the TSN through the radio base station is established or initiated to establish.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of handling Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, over a radio access network, RAN, the method comprising:
receiving system information broadcasted from a radio base station of the RAN, wherein the system information is implicative or indicative of support for TSN through the radio base station; and
establishing or initiating to establish, depending on the received system information, at least one TSN stream of the TSN through the radio base station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing or initiating to establish, depending on the received system information, the at least one TSN stream comprises selectively establishing or selectively initiating to establish the at least one TSN stream, wherein the selectivity is dependent on the received system information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing or initiating to establish the at least one TSN stream comprises selectively performing or selectively initiating to perform at least one of:
a random access procedure with the radio base station of the RAN;
a radio resource control, RRC, connection setup with the radio base station of the RAN; and
a network attach procedure with a core network connected to the RAN,
wherein the selectivity is dependent on the received system information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the establishing step comprises:
performing or initiating to perform a TSN application that uses the at least one established TSN stream.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selectivity is fulfilled if the received system information is indicative of TSN features required by the TSN application.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of receiving the system information is performed with respect to each of a plurality of radio base stations of the RAN, and wherein the step of establishing or initiating to establish the at least one TSN stream comprises selecting, among the plurality of radio base stations, the radio base station the system information of which is indicative of TSN features required by the TSN application.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of:
sending a control message to the core network, the control message being indicative of TSN features required by the TSN application.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system information is implicative or indicative of at least one TSN feature supported by or through the radio base station.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one TSN feature comprises at least one of:
a time-synchronization of components processing the at least one TSN stream of the TSN over the RAN;
a latency bound for the at least one TSN stream of the TSN over the RAN; and
a reliability measure for the at least one TSN stream of the TSN over the RAN.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the system information is indicative of a TSN configuration for the TSN through the radio base station.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the TSN configuration is indicative of an availability of at least one of a Central Networking Configuration, CNC, and a Central User Configuration, CUC.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system information is broadcasted from the radio base station.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system information is comprised in one or more system information blocks, SIBs.

14. A method of announcing Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, over a radio access network, RAN, the method comprising:
broadcasting system information from a radio base station of the RAN, wherein the system information is implicative or indicative of support for TSN through the radio base station; and
supporting, according to the broadcasted system information, at least one TSN stream of the TSN through the radio base station.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a configuration message indicative of the support for TSN from a core network, CN, at the radio base station, wherein the transmitted system information is derived from the received configuration message.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the system information is implicative or indicative of at least one TSN feature supported by or through the radio base station.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one TSN feature comprises at least one of:
a time-synchronization of components processing the at least one TSN stream of the TSN over the RAN;
a latency bound for the at least one TSN stream of the TSN over the RAN; and
a reliability measure for the at least one TSN stream of the TSN over the RAN.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the system information is broadcasted in one or more system information blocks, SIBs.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the system information is indicative of a TSN configuration for the TSN through the radio base station.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Munz Hubertus
• Dudda Torsten
• Patel Dhruvin

Classifications

• H04W48/12 Primary

  using downlink control channel · CPC title

• H04L41/0806

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title