Abstract: A method for cleaning an endoscopic instrument of a robotic surgical system includes, in response to receiving an input to effectuate a cleaning of the endoscopic instrument, robotically retracting the endoscopic instrument from a patient; and robotically moving an elongated shaft of the endoscopic instrument, relative to a longitudinal axis of the endoscopic instrument, from an unarticulated position to an articulated position after the elongated shaft of the endoscopic instrument is fully withdrawn from the patient.

Abstract: A first node (10) and a second node (12) are configured for the transfer of data between them. The second node (12) is configured to determine an extent to which the second node (12) will be available for a prospective transfer (16) of data (e.g., application data) to or from the second node (12). The second node (12) is configured to transmit to the first node (10) control signaling (20) (e.g., application-layer control signaling (20)) that indicates the determined extent. The first node (10) is configured to determine, based on the control signaling (20), whether and/or when to proceed with the prospective transfer (16) of data.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods, apparatus and machine-readable mediums relating to buffer status reporting in wireless communication systems. One aspect provides a method performed by a user equipment. The user equipment is configurable to communicate with a radio access node via a plurality of communication protocols, and to communicate with a network node via at least one congestion-controlled application transport protocol. The method comprises: generating a buffer status report comprising an indication of a first amount of data available for transmission from the user equipment, the first amount of data including at least data stored in a buffer for data conforming to the congestion-controlled application transport protocol; and transmitting the buffer status report to the radio access node.

Abstract: A method performed by a first wireless device (121) is provided. The method comprises transmitting (503) a radio signal towards the at least one second wireless device indicating that the first wireless device is, or that the at least one second wireless device has an option to be, responsible for beamforming of transmissions over the direct D2D communication link. The method also comprises receiving (505) information from the at least one second wireless device indicating which of the first wireless device or the at least one second wireless device is to be responsible for beamforming of transmissions over the direct D2D communication link. Further, the method comprises configuring (506), based on the received information, which of the first wireless device or the at least one second wireless device is to be responsible for beamforming of transmissions over the direct D2D communication link.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for adapting a serving cell capacity of an integrated access and backhaul, IAB, node serving one or more wireless devices. In one embodiment a method is performed by the IAB node. The method includes determining a value corresponding to a backhaul link capacity, adapting, based on the determined value, a power level of the serving cell and signalling, to one or more served wireless devices, information indicative of the adapted serving cell power level.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating a media descriptor file for first streaming media content. The method is performed in a file generator and comprises the steps: obtaining metadata for the first streaming media content, the metadata comprising a reference to a media descriptor file for second streaming media content, the second streaming media content being separate from the first streaming media content; and generating the media descriptor file comprising the metadata.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server maintains a database identifying network addresses, UI capabilities, and communication protocols of I/O user devices. Communication sessions are established between a user terminal emulation application and a network entity and I/O user devices proximately located to a user and provide a combined I/O user interface. Delay profiles are determined between the application and the I/O user devices. A downlink flow from the network entity is split into a plurality of downlink flow components assigned to the I/O user devices. For each of the downlink flow components, the server formats the component for transmission to the assigned I/O user device, initiates transmission of the formatted downlink flow component to the assigned I/O user device, and controls timing for when the formatted downlink flow component is transmitted to the assigned I/O user device based on the delay profile associated with the assigned I/O user device.

Abstract: A method performed by a network node for handling data transmissions to two or more User Equipments, UEs, in a wireless communications network is provided. The network node decides that a first UE and a second UE are compatible for simultaneous data transmissions. The network node times the data transmissions to the first UE and the second UE in a common time resource, for simultaneous data transmissions comprising a first data transmission to the first UE and a second data transmission the second UE.

Abstract: A method performed by a first wireless device (121) is provided. The method comprises transmitting (503) a radio signal towards the at least one second wireless device indicating that the first wireless device is, or that the at least one second wireless device has an option to be, responsible for beamforming of transmissions over the direct D2D communication link. The method also comprises receiving (505) information from the at least one second wireless device indicating which of the first wireless device or the at least one second wireless device is to be responsible for beamforming of transmissions over the direct D2D communication link. Further, the method comprises configuring (506), based on the received information, which of the first wireless device or the at least one second wireless device is to be responsible for beamforming of transmissions over the direct D2D communication link.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server maintains a database identifying network addresses, UI capabilities, and communication protocols of I/O user devices. Communication sessions are established between a user terminal emulation application and a network entity and I/O user devices proximately located to a user and provide a combined I/O user interface. Delay profiles are determined between the application and the I/O user devices. A downlink flow from the network entity is split into a plurality of downlink flow components assigned to the I/O user devices. For each of the downlink flow components, the server formats the component for transmission to the assigned I/O user device, initiates transmission of the formatted downlink flow component to the assigned I/O user device, and controls timing for when the formatted downlink flow component is transmitted to the assigned I/O user device based on the delay profile associated with the assigned I/O user device.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods for handling data units in a communication protocol layer (e.g., PDCP) of a network node for a wireless communications network. Such methods include receiving, from a lower protocol layer, one or more first data units with corresponding first sequence numbers. Such methods include, upon expiration of a first timer, forwarding the first data units to a higher protocol layer without receiving one or more second data units, from the lower protocol layer, with corresponding second sequence numbers that are lower than the first sequence numbers. Such methods include forwarding, to the higher protocol layer, any of the second data units that were received from the lower protocol layer during a second time period after expiration of the first timer. Other embodiments include network nodes (e.g., base stations, UEs) configured to perform such methods, as well as computer-readable media containing instructions that embody such methods.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server maintains a database identifying network addresses, UI capabilities, and locations of I/O user devices. Communication sessions are established between first and second user terminal emulation applications and respective first and second I/O user devices proximately located to respective first and second users and which provide acceptable combined I/O user interfaces to the first and second users. When a direct path criterion is satisfied for creating a direct traffic flow, a traffic flow that was from the first I/O user devices to the first user terminal emulation applications is redirected to now be from the first I/O user device to the second I/O user device without passing through either of the first and second user terminal emulation applications.

Abstract: A method performed by a core network node for deciding how to shape a specific data flow out of a number of data flows between a Radio Access Network, RAN, node and multiple User Equipments, UEs, in a wireless communications network is provided. The core network node obtains (502) a second information. The second information is about which specific data flow out of the number of data flows. The specific data flow will benefit other data flows out of the number of data flows, when shaping the specific data flow such that the bit rate of the specific data flow exceeds a threshold. The second information is based on a first information. The first information comprises for each data flow out of the number of data flows, information about the number of bits per radio resource of the data flow based on radio conditions of the UE involved in the data flow. The core network node then decides (503) how to shape the specific data flow, based on the second information.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server maintains a database identifying network addresses, UI capabilities, and communication protocols of I/O user devices. Communication sessions are established between a user terminal emulation application and a network entity and I/O user devices proximately located to a user and provide a combined I/O user interface. Delay profiles are determined between the application and the I/O user devices. A downlink flow from the network entity is split into a plurality of downlink flow components assigned to the I/O user devices. For each of the downlink flow components, the server formats the component for transmission to the assigned I/O user device, initiates transmission of the formatted downlink flow component to the assigned I/O user device, and controls timing for when the formatted downlink flow component is transmitted to the assigned I/O user device based on the delay profile associated with the assigned I/O user device.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server maintains a database identifying network addresses, UI capabilities, and communication protocols of I/O user devices. Communication sessions are established between a user terminal emulation application and a network entity and I/O user devices proximately located to a user and provide a combined I/O user interface. Delay profiles are determined between the application and the I/O user devices. A downlink flow from the network entity is split into a plurality of downlink flow components assigned to the I/O user devices. For each of the downlink flow components, the server formats the component for transmission to the assigned I/O user device, initiates transmission of the formatted downlink flow component to the assigned I/O user device, and controls timing for when the formatted downlink flow component is transmitted to the assigned I/O user device based on the delay profile associated with the assigned I/O user device.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server maintains a database identifying network addresses, UI capabilities, and locations of I/O user devices. Communication sessions are established between first and second user terminal emulation applications and respective first and second I/O user devices proximately located to respective first and second users and which provide acceptable combined I/O user interfaces to the first and second users. When a direct path criterion is satisfied for creating a direct traffic flow, a traffic flow that was from the first I/O user devices to the first user terminal emulation applications is redirected to now be from the first I/O user device to the second I/O user device without passing through either of the first and second user terminal emulation applications.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server is provided that provides operational functionality of a user terminal using a networked set of I/O user devices that are determined to be proximately located to a user and to have user interface capabilities that are combinable to provide the user with the ability to receive or initiate a communication service with another user terminal through a network entity. The operations for emulating a user terminal may alternatively be performed by an I/O user device that provides communication services (using other I/O user devices.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods, apparatus and machine-readable mediums relating to buffer status reporting in wireless communication systems. One aspect provides a method performed by a user equipment. The user equipment is configurable to communicate with a radio access node via a plurality of communication protocols, and to communicate with a network node via at least one congestion-controlled application transport protocol. The method comprises: generating a buffer status report comprising an indication of a first amount of data available for transmission from the user equipment, the first amount of data including at least data stored in a buffer for data conforming to the congestion-controlled application transport protocol; and transmitting the buffer status report to the radio access node.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating a media descriptor file for first streaming media content. The method is performed in a file generator and comprises the steps: obtaining metadata for the first streaming media content, the metadata comprising a reference to a media descriptor file for second streaming media content, the second streaming media content being separate from the first streaming media content; and generating the media descriptor file comprising the metadata.

Abstract: A user terminal emulation server maintains a database identifying network addresses, UI capabilities, and locations of I/O user devices. Communication sessions are established between first and second user terminal emulation applications and respective first and second I/O user devices proximately located to respective first and second users and which provide acceptable combined I/O user interfaces to the first and second users. When a direct path criterion is satisfied for creating a direct traffic flow, a traffic flow that was from the first I/O user devices to the first user terminal emulation applications is redirected to now be from the first I/O user device to the second I/O user device without passing through either of the first and second user terminal emulation applications.