Abstract: An embodiment method includes receiving service parameters for a service and locating logical network nodes for a service-specific data plane logical topology at respective physical network nodes among a plurality of physical network nodes according to the service parameters, a service-level topology, and a physical infrastructure of the plurality of physical network nodes. The method also includes defining connections among the logical network nodes according to the service parameters, the service-level topology, and the physical infrastructure, and defining respective connections for a plurality of UEs to at least one of the logical network nodes according to the service parameters, the service-level topology, and the physical infrastructure. The method further includes defining respective functionalities for the logical network nodes.

Abstract: A system and method for agile wireless access network is provided. A method embodiment for agile radio access network management includes determining, by a network controller, capabilities and neighborhood relations of radio nodes in the radio access network. The network controller then configures a backhaul network infrastructure for the radio access network in accordance with the capabilities and the neighborhood relations of the radio nodes.

Abstract: System and method embodiments for joint scheduling of buffered video on demand (VoD) and best effort flows within the same band enable improved quality of experience for VoD receiving mobile devices without resource partitioning or sacrificing FSS gains. In an embodiment, a method for scheduling video on demand flows and best effort flows within the same band includes determining with a transmission point (TP) a buffer vacancy for each of the ones of a plurality of mobile devices wirelessly coupled to a transmission point that are receiving VoD flows, calculating, with the TP, buffer vacancy scheduling weights for the plurality of mobile devices using the buffer vacancy, and determining, with the TP, a joint schedule of VoD flows and best effort flows based on the buffer vacancy scheduling weights.

Abstract: A method embodiment includes receiving, by a first network device, a first transmission comprising an explicit first source identification (ID). The first source ID is added to a list of active source IDs. The first network device receives a second transmission. The second transmission does not include an explicit second source ID. The first network device determines the second source ID by using the list of active source IDs.

Abstract: Diverse traffic types can be efficiently communicated in a simultaneous manner by dynamically selecting between contention-based and scheduling-based media access control (MAC) communication schemes. Such a mechanism may be particularly beneficial in networks having a contention-based access resources and scheduling based access resources. Contention-based resources and scheduling based resources may occur over a common period, and may be orthogonal in the frequency domain and/or in the code domain. The dynamic selection may be based on a traffic characteristic or a network characteristic, and may be performed on a packet-by-packet basis. The selection criteria may be updated dynamically to adapt to changing network conditions, and may be communicated to the various transmitters via control channels or higher layer signaling.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for a framework for networks with software defined protocols (SDP) network nodes. The embodiments include a SDM controller component for managing and controlling a data plane protocol for SDP network nodes. The SDP controller also interacts with a software defined networking (SDN) controller for determining one or more paths in a network including the SDP network nodes. The SDP controller is configured to determining a break-down of data plane process functionality into a plurality of basic process function blocks for a service, traffic flow, or virtual network in accordance with network component capabilities or quality of service/experience requirement. A workflow and status information are also determined for one or more network components along a path allocated, by the SDN controller. The workflow and status information are indicated to the one or more components, which are configured to implement the workflow using the basic process function blocks.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting data is provided. An embodiment comprises a dynamic determination of ARQ and HARQ protocols in order to achieve a wider range of Quality of Service guarantees. The ARQ and HARQ protocols can be selected base on Quality of Service requirements of packets and the capabilities of the piece of user equipment.

Abstract: System and method embodiments for joint scheduling of buffered video on demand (VoD) and best effort flows within the same band enable improved quality of experience for VoD receiving mobile devices without resource partitioning or sacrificing FSS gains. In an embodiment, a method for scheduling video on demand flows and best effort flows within the same band includes determining with a transmission point (TP) a buffer vacancy for each of the ones of a plurality of mobile devices wirelessly coupled to a transmission point that are receiving VoD flows, calculating, with the TP, buffer vacancy scheduling weights for the plurality of mobile devices using the buffer vacancy, and determining, with the TP, a joint schedule of VoD flows and best effort flows based on the buffer vacancy scheduling weights.

Abstract: A method embodiment includes implementing, by a base station (BS), a grant-free uplink transmission scheme. The grant-free uplink transmission scheme defines a first contention transmission unit (CTU) access region in a time-frequency domain, defines a plurality of CTUs, defines a default CTU mapping scheme by mapping at least some of the plurality of CTUs to the first CTU access region, and defines a default user equipment (UE) mapping scheme by defining rules for mapping a plurality of UEs to the plurality of CTUs.

Abstract: Methods and devices for reducing traffic over a wireless link through the compression or suppression of high layer packets carrying predictable background data prior to transportation over a wireless link. The methods include intercepting application layer protocol packets carrying the predictable background data. In embodiments where the background data is periodic in nature, the high layer packets may be compressed into low-layer signaling indicators for communication over a low-layer control channel (e.g., an on off keying (OOK) channel). Alternatively, the high layer packets may be suppressed entirely (not transported over the wireless link) when a receiver side daemon is configured to autonomously replicate the periodic background nature according to a projected interval. In other embodiments, compression techniques may be used to reduce overhead attributable to non-periodic background data that is predictable in context.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for network resource allocation considering user experience, satisfaction, and operator interest. An embodiment method by a network component for allocating network resources includes evaluating, for a user, a QoE for each flow of a plurality of flows in network traffic in according with a QoE model, and further evaluating, for an operator, a revenue associated with the flows in accordance with a revenue model. A plurality of priorities that correspond to the flows are calculated in accordance with the QoE for the user and the revenue for the operator. The method further includes identifying a flow of the flows with a highest value of the priorities, and allocating a network resource for the flow. In an embodiment, the QoE model is a satisfaction model that provides a measure of user satisfaction for each flow in accordance with a subscription or behavior class of the user.

Abstract: A grant-free transmission mode may be used to communicate small traffic transmissions to reduce overhead and latency. The grant-free transmission mode may be used in downlink and uplink data channels of a wireless network. In the downlink channel, a base station transmits packets to a group of UEs in a search space without communicating any transmission code assignments to the UEs. The UEs receive the downlink packets using blind detection. In the uplink channel, UEs transmit packets in an access space using assigned access codes which are either independently derived by the UEs or otherwise communicated by the base station using a slow-signaling channel. Hence, the grant-free transmission mode allows mobile devices to make small traffic transmissions without waiting for uplink grant requests.

Abstract: A communication system and a method for transferring data are provided. The method is implemented in a communication system having first and second network devices. The first network device configured to transmit a coded version of a frame and a first state variable to the second network device in a media access control (MAC) layer. The second network device is configured to receive the coded version of the frame and the first state variable and transmit a second state variable to the first network device. The first network device and the second network device use a state machine based on the first and second state variables and implement a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) protocol.

Abstract: Methods and devices for reducing traffic over a wireless link through the compression or suppression of high layer packets carrying predictable background data prior to transportation over a wireless link. The methods include intercepting application layer protocol packets carrying the predictable background data. In embodiments where the background data is periodic in nature, the high layer packets may be compressed into low-layer signaling indicators for communication over a low-layer control channel (e.g., an on off keying (OOK) channel). Alternatively, the high layer packets may be suppressed entirely (not transported over the wireless link) when a receiver side daemon is configured to autonomously replicate the periodic background nature according to a projected interval. In other embodiments, compression techniques may be used to reduce overhead attributable to non-periodic background data that is predictable in context.

Abstract: The present invention provides a resource allocation method and device for an amplify-and-forward relay network. The method includes: obtaining channel information, where the channel information includes channel information between a base station BS and a relay station RS and channel information between the RS and each user equipment UE; calculating, according to the channel information, resource use information of each UE on each sub-channel pairing; and obtaining, according to the resource use information, the number of REs allocated to each UE on each sub-channel pairing, where the obtained number of the REs enables a preset first function to obtain a maximum value. In the embodiments of the present invention, the use efficiency of the resources may be improved.