Communication apparatus 710 may be a part of an electronic apparatus, which may be a UE such as a portable or mobile apparatus, a wearable apparatus, a wireless communication apparatus or a computing apparatus. For instance, communication apparatus 710 may be implemented in a smartphone, a smartwatch, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, or a computing equipment such as a tablet computer, a laptop computer or a notebook computer. Communication apparatus 710 may also be a part of a machine type apparatus, which may be an IoT, NB-IoT, IIoT or NTN apparatus such as an immobile or a stationary apparatus, a home apparatus, a wire communication apparatus or a computing apparatus. For instance, communication apparatus 710 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart fridge, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker or a home control center. Alternatively, communication apparatus 710 may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated-circuit (IC) chips such as, for example and without limitation, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced-instruction set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex-instruction-set-computing (CISC) processors. Communication apparatus 710 may include at least some of those components shown in FIG. 7 such as a processor 712, for example. Communication apparatus 710 may further include one or more other components not pertinent to the proposed scheme of the present disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device and/or user interface device), and, thus, such component(s) of communication apparatus 710 are neither shown in FIG. 7 nor described below in the interest of simplicity and brevity.

Network apparatus 720 may be a part of an electronic apparatus/station, which may be a network node such as a base station, a small cell, a router, a gateway or a satellite. For instance, network apparatus 720 may be implemented in an eNodeB in an LTE, in a gNB in a 5G, NR, IoT, NB-IoT, IIoT, or in a satellite in an NTN network. Alternatively, network apparatus 720 may be implemented in the form of one or more IC chips such as, for example and without limitation, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more RISC or CISC processors. Network apparatus 720 may include at least some of those components shown in FIG. 7 such as a processor 722, for example. Network apparatus 720 may further include one or more other components not pertinent to the proposed scheme of the present disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device and/or user interface device), and, thus, such component(s) of network apparatus 720 are neither shown in FIG. 7 nor described below in the interest of simplicity and brevity.

In one aspect, each of processor 712 and processor 722 may be implemented in the form of one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, even though a singular term “a processor” is used herein to refer to processor 712 and processor 722, each of processor 712 and processor 722 may include multiple processors in some implementations and a single processor in other implementations in accordance with the present disclosure. In another aspect, each of processor 712 and processor 722 may be implemented in the form of hardware (and, optionally, firmware) with electronic components including, for example and without limitation, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors and/or one or more varactors that are configured and arranged to achieve specific purposes in accordance with the present disclosure. In other words, in at least some implementations, each of processor 712 and processor 722 is a special-purpose machine specifically designed, arranged and configured to perform specific tasks including power consumption reduction in a device (e.g., as represented by communication apparatus 710) and a network (e.g., as represented by network apparatus 720) in accordance with various implementations of the present disclosure.

In some implementations, communication apparatus 710 may also include a transceiver 716 coupled to processor 712 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, communication apparatus 710 may further include a memory 714 coupled to processor 712 and capable of being accessed by processor 712 and storing data therein. In some implementations, network apparatus 720 may also include a transceiver 726 coupled to processor 722 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, network apparatus 720 may further include a memory 724 coupled to processor 722 and capable of being accessed by processor 722 and storing data therein. Accordingly, communication apparatus 710 and network apparatus 720 may wirelessly communicate with each other via transceiver 716 and transceiver 726, respectively.

Each of communication apparatus 710 and network apparatus 720 may be a communication entity capable of communicating with each other using various proposed schemes in accordance with the present disclosure. To aid better understanding, the following description of the operations, functionalities and capabilities of each of communication apparatus 710 and network apparatus 720 is provided in the context of a mobile communication environment in which communication apparatus 710 is implemented in or as a communication apparatus or a UE (e.g., UE 110) and network apparatus 720 is implemented in or as a network node or base station (e.g., network node 125) of a communication network (e.g., wireless network 120). It is also noteworthy that, although the example implementations described below are provided in the context of mobile communications, the same may be implemented in other types of networks. It is noteworthy that, although the examples described below may be provided in the context of communication apparatus 710 performing various operations related to compression and decompression under various proposed schemes in accordance with the present disclosure, the same may also be applicable to or otherwise implemented by network apparatus 720.

Under certain proposed schemes pertaining to TCP ACK rate reduction in mobile communications in accordance with the present disclosure, with communication apparatus 710 implemented in or as UE 110 and network apparatus 720 implemented in or as network node 125 in network environment 100, processor 712 of communication apparatus 710 may compress a plurality of source TCP ACKs into compressed TCP ACKs. Additionally, processor 712 may transmit, via transceiver 716, the compressed TCP ACKs in a PDCP data PDU to a receiver (e.g., apparatus 720 as network node 125).

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, processor 712 may identify, e.g., by a 5-tuple, the plurality of source TCP ACKs as being associated with a TCP data flow. For instance, the 5-tuple may include a sender address, a receiver address, a sender port number, a receiver port number, and a protocol.

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, processor 712 may perform certain operations. For instance, processor 712 may determine whether any of the plurality of source TCP ACKs contains an identifier to identify, among the plurality of source TCP ACKs, a first set of TCP ACKs containing no data and a second set of TCP ACKs containing data. Additionally, processor 712 may compress the first set of TCP ACKs. In such cases, in transmitting the compressed TCP ACKs, processor 712 may perform certain operations. For instance, processor 712 may transmit the compressed first set of TCP ACKs. Moreover, processor 712 may transmit the uncompressed second set of TCP ACKs before or after the transmitting of the compressed first set of TCP ACKs.

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, processor 712 may perform certain operations. For instance, processor 712 may identify, according to a flag in each of the plurality of source TCP ACKs, a first set of TCP ACKs each having the flag representing a first status and a second set of TCP ACKs each having the flag representing a second status. Moreover, processor 712 may compress the first set of TCP ACKs. In such cases, in transmitting the compressed TCP ACKs, processor 712 may perform certain operations. For instance, processor 712 may transmit the compressed first set of TCP ACKs. Furthermore, processor 712 may transmit the uncompressed second set of TCP ACKs before or after the transmitting of the compressed first set of TCP ACKs

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, processor 712 may compress the plurality of source TCP ACKs except a first TCP ACK or a last TCP ACK among the plurality of source TCP ACKs. Additionally, processor 712 may also transmit, via transceiver 716, the uncompressed first TCP ACK or the uncompressed last TCP ACK to the receiver.

In some implementations, the compressed TCP ACKs may be represented by a descriptor format indicating at least one of the following: a number of the plurality of source TCP ACKs, a start ACK sequence number of the plurality of source TCP ACKs, a stop ACK sequence number of the plurality of source TCP ACKs, and a sequence number stride of the plurality of source TCP ACKs.

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, processor 712 may identify that each of the compressed TCP ACKs is compressed by setting a predetermined bit in a UDC header of each of the compressed TCP ACKs.

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, processor 712 may identify that each of the compressed TCP ACKs is compressed with a TCP ACK flow descriptor in an IPv4 header of each of the compressed TCP ACKs or in an option field of a TCP header of each of the compressed TCP ACKs.

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, processor 712 may identify that each of the compressed TCP ACKs is compressed with a TCP ACK flow descriptor in an IPv6 NH header of each of the compressed TCP ACKs.

Under certain proposed schemes pertaining to TCP ACK rate reduction in mobile communications in accordance with the present disclosure, with communication apparatus 710 implemented in or as UE 110 and network apparatus 720 implemented in or as network node 125 in network environment 100, processor 712 of communication apparatus 710 may receive, via transceiver 716, compressed TCP ACKs in a PDCP data PDU from a transmitter (e.g., apparatus 720 as network node 125). Additionally, processor 712 may decompress the compressed TCP ACKs into a plurality of target TCP ACKs.

In some implementations, the compressed TCP ACKs may be represented by a descriptor format indicating a number of the plurality of target TCP ACKs, a start ACK sequence number of the plurality of target TCP ACKs, a stop ACK sequence number of the plurality of target TCP ACKs, and a sequence number stride of the plurality of target TCP ACKs. In such cases, in decompressing the compression descriptor, processor 712 may generate the plurality of target TCP ACKs according to a template ACK and the information indicated by the descriptor.

In some implementations, the plurality of target TCP ACKs may be identified by a 5-tuple as being associated with a TCP data flow. For instance, the 5-tuple may include a sender address, a receiver address, a sender port number, a receiver port number, and a protocol.

In some implementations, each of the compressed TCP ACKs may be identified as being compressed by a predetermined bit in a UDC header of each of the compressed TCP ACKs.

In some implementations, each of the compressed TCP ACKs may be identified as being compressed with a TCP ACK flow descriptor in an IPv4 header of each of the compressed TCP ACKs or in an option field of a TCP header of each of the compressed TCP ACKs.

Illustrative Processes

FIG. 8 illustrates an example process 800 in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure. Process 800 may be an example implementation of schemes described above whether partially or completely, with respect to TCP ACK rate reduction in mobile communications in accordance with the present disclosure. Process 800 may represent an aspect of implementation of features of communication apparatus 710 and network apparatus 720. Process 800 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions as illustrated by one or more of blocks 810 and 820. Although illustrated as discrete blocks, various blocks of process 800 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. Moreover, the blocks of process 800 may executed in the order shown in FIG. 8 or, alternatively, in a different order. Process 800 may be implemented by communication apparatus 710 or any suitable UE or machine type devices. Solely for illustrative purposes and without limitation, process 800 is described below in the context of communication apparatus 710 and network apparatus 720. Process 800 may begin at block 810.

At 810, process 800 may involve processor 712 of communication apparatus 710, implemented in or as UE 110, compressing a plurality of source TCP ACKs into compressed TCP ACKs. Process 800 may proceed from 810 to 820.

At 820, process 800 may involve processor 712 transmitting, via transceiver 716, the compressed TCP ACKs in a PDCP data PDU to a receiver (e.g., apparatus 720 as network node 125).

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, process 800 may involve processor 712 identifying, e.g., by a 5-tuple, the plurality of source TCP ACKs as being associated with a TCP data flow. For instance, the 5-tuple may include a sender address, a receiver address, a sender port number, a receiver port number, and a protocol.

In some implementations, in compressing the plurality of source TCP ACKs, process 800 may involve processor 712 performing certain operations. For instance, process 800 may involve processor 712 determining whether any of the plurality of source TCP ACKs contains an identifier to identify, among the plurality of source TCP

ACKs, a first set of TCP ACKs containing no data and a second set of TCP ACKs containing data. Additionally, process