Buffer status reporting in a communications network

Abstract

A technology that is operable to communicate buffer status report (BSR) information to an evolved node B (eNode B) is disclosed. In one embodiment, a user equipment is configured with circuitry configured to buffer data at the UE for communication to at least one of a master eNode B (MeNode B) or a secondary eNode B (SeNode B). BSR information is determined based on the buffered data at the UE. An uplink split configuration of the UE is determined for the MeNode B and the SeNode B. The MeNode B or the SeNode B is identified based on the uplink split configuration to send selected BSR information. The selected BSR information is communicated to the identified MeNode B or the selected SeNode B.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user equipment (UE) operable to communicate buffer status report (BSR) information to an evolved node B (eNode B), the UE having circuitry configured to:
 buffer data at the UE for communication to at least one of a master eNode B (MeNode B) or a secondary eNode B (SeNode B);   determine BSR information based on the buffered data at the UE;   determine an uplink split configuration of the UE for the MeNode B and the SeNode B;   identify the MeNode B or the SeNode B based on the uplink split configuration to send selected BSR information; and   communicate the selected BSR information to the identified MeNode B or the selected SeNode B.   
     
     
         2 . The circuitry of  claim 1 , further configured to:
 identify an other of the MeNode B or the SeNode B based on the uplink split configuration to send selected BSR information; and   communicate the selected BSR information to the identified other MeNode B or the identified other SeNode B.   
     
     
         3 . The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the uplink split configuration includes:
 a no uplink split configuration for the MeNode B and the SeNode B;   a no uplink split configuration with an radio link control (RLC) status protocol data unit (PDU) communicated to the MeNode B or the SeNode B; and   an uplink split configuration for the MeNode B and the SeNode B.   
     
     
         4 . The circuitry of  claim 2 , further configured to:
 determine that the uplink split configuration is the no uplink split configuration with the RLC status PDU communicated to the MeNode B or the SeNode B;   select one of the MeNode B or the SeNode B to communicate a size of RLC status PDU at the UE; and   select an other of the MeNode B or the SeNode B to communicate a size of the total buffered data at the UE.   
     
     
         5 . The circuitry of  claim 2 , further configured to:
 determine that the uplink split configuration is the no uplink split configuration with the RLC status PDU communicated to the MeNode B or the SeNode B;   select one of the MeNode B or the SeNode B to communicate a size of the total buffered data at the UE; and   communicate the size of the total buffered data at the UE to the selected MeNode B or the selected SeNode B.   
     
     
         6 . The circuitry of  claim 2 , further configured to:
 determine that the uplink split configuration is the uplink split configuration for the MeNode B and the SeNode B; and   communicate a total BSR to each of the MeNode B and the SeNode B, wherein the total BSR includes a total of an uplink data buffer size at the UE for the MeNode B and an uplink data buffer size at the UE for the SeNode B.   
     
     
         7 . The circuitry of  claim 2 , further configured to:
 determine that the uplink split configuration is the uplink split configuration for the MeNode B and the SeNode B;   select one of the MeNode B or the SeNode B to communicate a dual BSR medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) message; and   communicate the dual BSR MAC CE message to the selected MeNode B or the selected SeNode B.   
     
     
         8 . The circuitry of  claim 7 , wherein the dual BSR MAC CE message includes one or more fields for one or more uplink data buffer sizes at the UE for the MeNode B and one or more fields for one or more uplink data buffer sizes at the UE for the SeNode B. 
     
     
         9 . The circuitry of  claim 7 , further configured to communicate the dual BSR MAC CE message to the remaining MeNode B or the remaining SeNode B. 
     
     
         10 . The circuitry of  claim 2 , further configured to:
 determine that the uplink split configuration is the uplink split configuration for the MeNode B and the SeNode B;   communicate a first BSR MAC CE message to the MeNode B, wherein the first BSR MAC CE includes an uplink data buffer size for the MeNode B at the UE; and   communicate a second BSR MAC CE to the SeNode B, wherein the second BSR MAC CE includes an uplink data buffer size for the SeNode B at the UE.   
     
     
         11 . An evolved node B (eNode B) operable to communicate a buffer status report (BSR) to an other eNode B, the eNode B having circuitry configured to:
 determine an uplink split configuration of the UE;   receive BSR information from the UE;   allocate an uplink (UL) resource grant for the UE based on the BSR information; and   communicate at least a portion of the BSR information to the other eNode B based on the uplink split configuration.   
     
     
         12 . The circuitry of  claim 11 , further configured to communicate the BSR information to the other eNode B using an Xn interface. 
     
     
         13 . The circuitry of  claim 11 , wherein the eNode B and the other eNode B each have a MAC scheduler for UL resource grants for the UE. 
     
     
         14 . The circuitry of  claim 11 , further configured to calculate an UL resource grant for the eNode B based, at least in part, on the BSR information. 
     
     
         15 . The circuitry of  claim 11 , further configured to:
 communicate selected BSR information with the other eNode B using an Xn interface; and   coordinate UL resource grants of the eNode B and the other eNode B for the UE based on the selected BSR information.   
     
     
         16 . The circuitry of  claim 11 , further configured to communicate loading information and a channel quality indicator (CQI) to the other eNode B using an Xn interface. 
     
     
         17 . A product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that are adapted to be executed to implement a method of directing buffer status report (BSR) information to an evolved node B (eNode B), the method comprising:
 buffering data at the UE for communication to a first eNode B and a second eNode B;   determining BSR information based on the buffered data at the UE;   determining an uplink split configuration of the UE for the first eNode B and the second eNode B; and   identifying the first eNode B or the second eNode B based on the uplink (UL) split configuration to send selected BSR information.   
     
     
         18 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the first eNode B is a Master eNode B (MeNode B) and the second eNode B is a secondary eNode B (SeNode B). 
     
     
         19 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the selected BSR information to the identified first eNode B or the identified second eNode B. 
     
     
         20 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the MeNode B or the SeNode B using a predetermined rule. 
     
     
         21 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises sending the selected BSR information to the identified first eNode B or the identified second eNode B to request an UL resource grant at the selected MeNode B or the selected SeNode B for the buffered data. 
     
     
         22 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises sending the selected BSR information to the identified first eNode B and the identified second eNode B to request an UL resource grant at the selected MeNode B and an other UL resource grant the selected SeNode B for the buffered data. 
     
     
         23 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the BSR information includes one or more of:
 a size of radio link control (RLC) buffers at the UE;   a size of packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) buffers at the UE;   a size of the total buffered data at the UE;   an uplink data buffer size for the first eNode B at the UE; and   an uplink data buffer size for the second eNode B at the UE.   
     
     
         24 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises communicating selected BSR information to the first eNode B and communicate other selected BSR information to the second eNode B. 
     
     
         25 . The product of  claim 24 , wherein the selected BSR information includes a size of radio link control (RLC) buffers at the UE and the other selected BSR information includes size of packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) buffers at the UE. 
     
     
         26 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 communicating, to the first eNode B, a BSR message associated with a bearer of the first eNode B; and   communicating, to the second eNode B, a BSR message associated with a bearer of the second eNode B.