Network Control for Ensuring Haptic Service Performance in 5G/6G Networks

Applications requiring haptic flows are expected to grow in importance for 6G networks. While the haptic codec has been recently standardized and is based on the Just Noticeable Difference (JND) principle, performance models and associated network control mechanisms are still lacking. We propose in this work a queuing theoretical control framework to minimize the cost of haptic packet delivery, in terms of network resources, while respecting constraints on consecutive packet losses, an essential metric for such applications. The framework switches between different control policies, leveraging resource reservation and/or power control, depending on the network conditions. Each set of policies is parameterized, reflecting a trade-off between system cost and performance of the haptic service. Through this adaptive approach, we derive closed-form solutions that minimize the cost while ensuring adherence to the loss constraints.