Communication Using Preconfigured Uplink Resources

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to communications using preconfigured uplink resources (PUR). A method implemented at a terminal device includes identifying a need to change a transmission configuration of the terminal device, the terminal device being in a transmission mode in which a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PUR) is allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to a network device; and in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, transmitting control information to the network device using a first PUR in the set of PUR, the control information including information related to the change in the transmission configuration. In this way, the terminal device can save power, time, and resources by bypassing the full random access procedure when a transmission configuration change is needed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to communications utilizing preconfigured uplink resources. Background Art

[0002] In the field of communications, evolution is ongoing to provide efficient and reliable solutions using wireless communication networks. Each new generation faces technical challenges in handling the different scenarios and processes required to connect and serve devices connected to a wireless network. To meet the increasing demand for wireless data services since the deployment of fourth-generation (4G) communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved fifth-generation (5G) or pre-5G communication systems. The new communication systems can support various types of service applications for terminal devices.

[0003] In recent communication systems, one feature is the transmission of small data packets as part of a single access. The signaling and power consumption overhead associated with connection establishment need to be minimized as much as possible to support the transmission of small data packets. It has been proposed to support transmission via preconfigured uplink resources (PUR). A terminal device assigned with a PUR can directly transmit uplink user data using the PUR without establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection and / or obtaining permission. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for communications utilizing preconfigured uplink resources.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method implemented at a terminal device is provided. The method includes: identifying a need to change a transmission configuration of the terminal device, the terminal device being in a transmission mode in which a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PUR) is allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to a network device; and in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, transmitting control information to the network device using a first PUR in the set of PURs, the control information including information related to the change in the transmission configuration.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method implemented at a network device is provided. The method includes receiving an uplink signal from a terminal device in a transmission mode on a first PUR in a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PUR), the set of PUR being allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to the network device in the transmission mode; and detecting control information from the received uplink signal, the control information including information related to a change in the transmission configuration in the transmission mode.

[0007] In a third aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the device to: identify a need to change a transmission configuration of the terminal device, the terminal device being in a transmission mode, in which a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PUR) is allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to a network device; and in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, transmit control information to the network device using a first PUR in the set of PUR, the control information including information related to the change of the transmission configuration.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the device to: receive an uplink signal from a terminal device in a transmission mode on a first PUR in a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PUR), the set of PUR being allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to the network device in the transmission mode; and detect control information from the received uplink signal, the control information including information related to a change of a transmission configuration in the transmission mode.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus including components for performing the steps of the method according to the first aspect above.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus including components for performing the steps of the method according to the second aspect above.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the first aspect above.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the second aspect above.

[0013] It should be understood that the Summary of the Invention section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 An example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown;

[0016] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a process of communication using preconfigured uplink resources according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 5 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] In all the figures, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0021] Now, the principles of the present disclosure will be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for the purpose of illustration and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing the present disclosure, without imposing any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways in addition to the ways described below.

[0022] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0023] References to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "exemplary embodiment", etc. in the present disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but it is not necessary for each embodiment to include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it can be considered that such feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art in connection with the embodiment (whether or not explicitly described).

[0024] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0025] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms. It will also be understood that when used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes" and / or "including" specify the presence of the described features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0026] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0027] (a) A pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry); and

[0028] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable):

[0029] (i) A combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and

[0030] (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory with the software, which components work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or a server to perform various functions; and

[0031] (c) Hardware circuitry and / or a processor that requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate, such as a microprocessor or a part of a microprocessor, but the software may not be present when not needed to operate.

[0032] Such a definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses an implementation of a pure hardware circuit or a processor (or processors), or an implementation of a part of a hardware circuit or a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. By way of example and where applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also encompasses a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0033] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), NarrowBand Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Additionally, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocol, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Considering the rapid development of communication, there will of course also be future types of communication technologies and systems in which the present disclosure can be embodied. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to only the above systems.

[0034] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. The network device can refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Header (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), relay, low-power node (such as femto, pico, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0035] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, IP voice (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, game terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEE), laptop mounted devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and / or automated processing chain environment), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment", and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0036] Figure 1 FIG. shows an example communication system 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. System 100 includes a network device 110 and a terminal device 120 served by the network device 110 within its service area (also referred to as cell 102). The service area of the network device 110 is referred to as cell 102. It should be understood that the numbers of network devices and terminal devices are for illustrative purposes only and are not given any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices adapted to implement the embodiments of the present disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more terminal devices may be located in cell 102 and served by the network device 110.

[0037] Communication in the communication system 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and fifth generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as those of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol known currently or developed in the future. Moreover, the communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and / or any technology known currently or developed in the future.

[0038] In some cases of communication between a network device and a terminal device, a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PUR) can be allocated to the terminal device to support uplink transmission. The PUR is typically allocated to a terminal device having a valid timing advance (TA) in the idle mode or the connected mode. The allocation of the PUR is particularly beneficial for communication with lower signaling and energy consumption overheads, because the terminal device is allowed to directly transmit uplink data using the PUR without establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection and / or obtaining permission. Thus, the PUR can be supported in use cases such as machine type communication (MTC), IoT, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc.

[0039] In this way, compared with legacy transmission modes such as the random access channel (RACH) procedure, early data transmission (EDT), semi-persistent scheduling (SPS), and radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment, the transmission using the PUR can reduce the level of control signaling required between the terminal device and the network device, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device 120 and saving air interface resources.

[0040] There are at least three different types of PUR that can be allocated to a specific terminal device. The first type of PUR includes PURs that do not have any conflict or competition with other terminal devices and can thus be referred to as dedicated PURs. The second type of PUR includes shared PURs that do not have any competition with other terminal devices. The third type of PUR includes shared PURs that may have conflicts and thus have competition. All three types of PUR can be allocated to the terminal device by the network device based on different target use cases of the terminal device (e.g., small data packets for periodic or aperiodic services).

[0041] Currently, signaling support for PUR (of all three types) has only been discussed at a high level. It has been discussed and agreed that PUR for data transmission is indicated by RRC signaling, at least by UE-specific RRC signaling. In addition, for UL transmission on PUR, a fallback mechanism to the RACH or EDT procedure is supported. However, during the process of communicating using PUR, there are some events where the terminal device needs to change its transmission configuration, for example, changing its connection state or PUR allocation.

[0042] One possible scenario for a terminal device in the idle mode to change its connection state or PUR allocation is to re-establish the RRC connection via an existing random access procedure such as the RACH procedure. However, performing the random access procedure is expensive in terms of preambles, time, and / or frequency resources, as well as the power and time of the terminal device. In addition, depending on the type of PUR being used, the terminal device / network device may require additional time to release / reconfigure these resources in different events.

[0043] In some cases where the terminal device needs a downlink channel to receive downlink user data in response to an uplink transmission on PUR, some discussions have been carried out. One of the solutions is that when using PUR to transmit an uplink message, the network device can selectively provide a sub-paging occasion (PO) for the terminal device. The periodicity of the sub-PO is much shorter than that of the original PO. The network device can use these sub-POs to provide downlink application layer feedback to the terminal device. In such a case, the terminal device has to monitor more POs, which may increase the power consumption of the terminal device. In addition, the terminal device still cannot request a change in its PUR allocation without performing an expensive RACH procedure.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution for communicating using PUR is proposed. If a terminal device needs to change its transmission configuration in a transmission mode using PUR, the terminal device transmits control information (e.g., an RRC control message) to the network device using a PUR in a set of PURs allocated for the transmission of user data. The network device can thus receive and decode the control information regarding a specific PUR. The solution is to provide development and enhanced functions to enable the terminal device to save power, time, and resources by bypassing the full random access procedure when it needs to change its transmission configuration.

[0045] The following combines Figure 2 to elaborate in detail on the principles and embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 FIG. 200 shows a process of communicating using PUR according to an embodiment of the present invention. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1 to describe process 200. Process 200 may involve as Figure 1The terminal device 120 and the network device 110 shown.

[0046] In process 200, the terminal device 120 identifies 205 the need to change the transmission configuration of the terminal device 120. The terminal device 120 is in a transmission mode, in which a set of PURs is allocated for the terminal device 120 to transmit user data to the network device 110. The terminal device 120 can be in an idle mode or a connected mode in such a transmission mode. In order to use the PURs, the terminal device 120 usually has a valid TA or can verify that its TA is valid, so that while using the pre-allocated PURs, time alignment with the network device 110 can be ensured. The PURs can be any one of the above three types of PURs. The terminal device 120 is allowed to directly transmit uplink user data using the set of PURs.

[0047] In some cases, there may be events in which the terminal device 120 needs to change its transmission configuration when the terminal device 120 is currently in a transmission mode using PURs. Specifically, the terminal device 120 may need to change the PUR allocation to request a downlink transmission from the network device 110. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 120 may sometimes need to change the connection state with the network device 110, for example, change the RRC connection or change from a transmission mode using PURs to a different transmission mode (such as EDT).

[0048] In some examples, when the terminal device 120 is in the idle mode, it may expect to perform a transmission that can only be carried out in the connected mode or expect to obtain a transmission of upcoming downlink data. Therefore, the terminal device 120 may expect a full downlink and uplink connection with the network device 110, or, considering the expectation of receiving downlink data in response to the uplink user data on the last PUR, hope to have a temporary downlink connection.

[0049] In some examples, the terminal device 120 observes a high failure rate or a high average number of retransmissions of PUR transmissions, and thus determines that some parameters in the transmission mode using PURs may need to be modified, such as the transport block size (TBS) or the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) or the power control parameters. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 120 may hope to update the PUR configuration, including its periodicity and / or TBS, to reflect the demand for resources. The terminal device 120 may hope to obtain more PURs or release some PURs in advance because it is known that these resources are no longer being used. Sometimes, the terminal device 120 may also expect to update the timing alignment offset with the network device 110.

[0050] To indicate some or all of the above changes to the transmission configuration, control information rather than user data needs to be transmitted to the network device 110. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, in order to bypass the full random access procedure, the terminal device 120 selects a PUR from the set of PURs (hereinafter referred to as the first PUR for the purpose of discussion), and uses the first PUR to transmit 210 control information to the network device 110, where the control information includes information related to the change of the transmission configuration. That is to say, if necessary, the terminal device 120 can decide to reuse the PUR for the transmission of control information. Such control information transmission can be applicable to all types of PURs, including dedicated PURs with / without contention and shared PURs. If it is not desired to change the transmission configuration, the terminal device 120 may not transmit control information.

[0051] In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 does not use the first PUR to transmit control information and user data simultaneously. That is to say, only control information is transmitted on the first PUR. Alternatively, the first PUR can be used to transmit control information together with user data. In such a case, the control information can be merged as several bits in a data packet, for example, in the header of the data packet to be transmitted to the network device 110 (for example, in the media access control (MAC) header). The control information can also be multiplexed or encapsulated in the data packet in other ways.

[0052] In some embodiments, the control information can include explicit or implicit information for indicating the need to change the transmission configuration. In some embodiments, the control information can indicate a request to change the connection state with the network device 110. For example, the terminal device 120 can initiate a request to change from the idle mode to the connected mode or vice versa to re-establish the connection with the network device 110 or reconfigure the connection. The connection can be an RRC connection. In these examples, the control information can include signaling related to the connection change, such as a scheduling request, a radio resource control (RRC) connection request, an RRC re-establishment request, or a request for reconfiguration of the connection with the network device. In some other examples, the terminal device 120 can request to change the connection in the transmission mode using the PUR to a different type of transmission mode (such as EDT).

[0053] Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 120 can initiate a request to change the PUR allocation. For example, the terminal device 120 can request to adjust the position of at least one PUR in the set of PURs, request the allocation of additional PURs, request the release of at least one PUR in the set of PURs, and / or request an update of the timing alignment offset with the network device 110. In such a case, the control information can include one or more explicit requests indicating the reallocation of the corresponding PUR in one or more ways.

[0054] In the above embodiments of transmitting (multiple) explicit requests to the network device 110, the network device 110 may respond to such requests. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may include implicit information such as a buffer status report (BSR) as control information to implicitly indicate a request to change the transmission configuration. The network device 110 may control whether to change the connection state or PUR allocation of the terminal device 120 based on the BSR. For example, if the BSR indicates a large amount of user data in the buffer, the network device 110 may decide to allocate more PURs or move the terminal device 120 into a full RRC connection. If the network device 110 determines based on the BSR that no change is needed, it may ignore implicit control information such as the BSR. To assist the network device 110 in downlink allocation, the terminal device 120 may also transmit downlink channel state information as control information.

[0055] To respond to a request or control a change in the transmission configuration, the network device may need to first detect the control information. If the terminal device 120 transmits the control information using a first PUR, the network device 110 receives the uplink signal on the first PUR and then detects 215 the control information from the received uplink signal. To detect the information from the received signal, the network device 110 may use the correct transport block size (TBS) for transmitting the information. If more than one TBS may be used for transmissions from the terminal device 120, the network device 110 may perform blind decoding of the received uplink signal using each of the more than one TBSs.

[0056] In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may transmit the control information using a TBS that is also used for the transmission of user data. That is, the same TBS may be used for the control information or user data transmitted on the PUR. Note that in some cases, more than one TBS may be configured for the terminal device 120 for the transmission of user data. In such a case, the terminal device 120 may also use one of the TBSs available for the transmission of user data to transmit the control information. Depending on the number of TBSs available for transmission on the PUR, the network device 110 may directly decode the received uplink signal using a single TBS or perform blind decoding using each of the multiple TBSs. By using the same set of PURs and the same (multiple) TBSs to transmit the control information and user data, the network device 110 may not need to perform additional blind decoding. Additionally, in such a case, the control information and user data may be transmitted together with the same TBS on the first PUR.

[0057] In some cases, since the control information may have a smaller size compared to the user data, to support the transmission of both the control information and the user data, the TBS can be reduced, while the transmission efficiency of the user data can be decreased. On the other hand, if the (multiple) normal TBSs are used for the transmission of the user data, more padding bits will be added when transmitting the control information, which may lead to resource waste. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 can select a TBS (hereinafter referred to as the first TBS for the purpose of discussion) dedicated to the transmission of the control information using the first PUR. The first TBS can be different from the TBS (hereinafter referred to as the second TBS for the purpose of discussion) used for the transmission of the user data. By using the dedicated TBS, only the control information can be transmitted on the first PUR. In some examples, considering the small size of the control information, the first TBS can be set to a smaller value. As a specific example, the first TBS can be 88 bits. It should be understood that a TBS of any other size can also be set as the dedicated TBS for the transmission of the control information.

[0058] As an alternative or supplement to the first TBS, when transmitting the control information using the first PUR, the terminal device 120 can adopt an MCS (referred to as the first MCS) different from the MCS (referred to as the second MCS) used in the transmission of the user data. The first MCS can be selected to be optimized for the transmission of the control information.

[0059] The terminal device 120 can use the first TBS to transmit the control information. When decoding the control information, the network device 110 can perform blind decoding on the received uplink signal using at least each of the first TBS and the second TBS. If the uplink signal can be successfully decoded using the first TBS, the network device 110 can detect the decoded result as the control information. Compared with the normal transmission of the user data, the workload at the network device 110 may increase, but the transmission power at the terminal device 120 can be reduced because a smaller TBS is used to transmit a smaller information size. In addition, when successfully decoded using the dedicated first TBS, the network device 110 can easily identify the control information related to the request for changing the transmission configuration.

[0060] In the above embodiments, the terminal device 120 may transmit control information in any of the allocated PURs. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may be allowed to transmit control information when certain conditions are met. Thus, there is a limited window during which the terminal device 120 can use the first PUR to send control information. Specifically, the transmission of control information may be allowed after specific downlink feedback information, such as after acknowledgment (ACK) information that indicates the successful transmission of user data using a PUR (referred to as the second PUR) in an allocated set of PURs. In such a case, the terminal device 120 may detect whether ACK information is received from the network device 110, and if the ACK information is detected, transmit control information to the network device 110. Thus, the first PUR used for transmitting control information is after the second PUR. In some examples, the first PUR may be the next PUR after the second PUR in the allocated set of PURs. In other examples, the first PUR may be any other PUR after the second PUR such that there is a predetermined number of other PURs between the first PUR and the second PUR.

[0061] The ACK information may be transmitted in downlink control information (DCI), which is supported in data retransmissions such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) procedures using PURs. If the user data is not successfully received, the network device 110 may transmit negative acknowledgment (NACK) information to the terminal device 120, and then the terminal device 120 may retransmit the user data using subsequent PURs (if any). After the successful transmission of the user data as indicated by the reception of the ACK information, control information is transmitted from the terminal device 120. To assist the network device 110 in transmitting the foregoing ACK information, the terminal device 120 may also transmit downlink channel state information (e.g., channel quality information or the number of repetitions required for the control channel to reach a certain block error rate) as part of the PUR transmission.

[0062] On the network side, when the network device 110 has sent an ACK message to indicate successful reception of user data on a previous second PUR, the network device 110 may decode the uplink signal received on the first PUR to obtain control information. In some embodiments, after receiving the ACK message, the terminal device 120 may transmit control information to the network device 110 using the first TBS and / or the first MCS. In such a case, the network device 110 may use only the first TBS and the first MCS to decode the signal received on the first PUR, and use one or more second TBSs to decode the signal received on other PURs for the initial transmission and retransmission of user data before the ACK. Since no additional simultaneous blind decoding is required, the workload at the network device 110 can be reduced. It should be understood that in some other embodiments, the terminal device may transmit control information using the same TBS as that used in the transmission of user data after receiving the ACK message.

[0063] In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may not always transmit control information every time it receives an ACK message. The control information may be transmitted only when the terminal device 120 expects to change the transmission configuration. That is, new user data or control information may be transmitted from the terminal device 120 on a PUR after the PUR on which user data has been successfully transmitted. In such a case, in order to correctly decode the control information or user data, the network device 110 may perform blind decoding on the uplink signal received on the first PUR after the PUR of successful data transmission using each of the first dedicated TBS and the second TBS. Since blind decoding using the first TBS is only required in the PURs after the PUR of successful data transmission, the workload on the network side can still be reduced.

[0064] The transmission and detection of control information have been discussed above. Still referring to Figure 2 , if the network device 110 detects control information on the first PUR, the network device 110 optionally transmits feedback information related to the control information to the terminal device 120. This feedback information may be transmitted in the DCI or in any other downlink control channel.

[0065] Depending on the details included in the control information, the feedback information may include different signaling. In embodiments where the control information includes an explicit request to change the connection state (such as one of different types of RRC requests) or an implicit request (such as BSR), the network device 110 may transmit feedback information that includes an indication of whether the connection state has been successfully changed.

[0066] For example, if the network device 110 determines that a connection with the terminal device 120 needs to be established or re - established, the feedback information may include an RRC establishment message (for an RRC connection request) or an RRC re - establishment message. When receiving such feedback information, the terminal device 120 can be placed in a full RRC connection. Thus, without performing a costly RACH procedure, the terminal device 120 can change to the connected mode in an efficient and effective manner. In some embodiments where the terminal device 120 needs re - configuration of the current connection, the network device 110 can transmit an RRC re - configuration message in the feedback information to transmit connection - related re - configuration information. In some embodiments, if the network device 110 rejects a request to change the connection state, the feedback information can also indicate such a result to the terminal device 120.

[0067] In some embodiments where the control information includes an explicit or implicit request for re - allocation of PURs, the network device 110 can transmit feedback information related to the result of the re - allocation of PURs. In some examples, if the terminal device 120 requests to adjust the position of at least one PUR in the set of PURs in time and / or frequency and / or requests allocation of one or more additional PURs, the network device 110 can transmit the adjusted position and / or the new position of the additional PURs in time and / or frequency. In some embodiments, the adjusted position and / or the new position can be indicated by using the position of a predetermined PUR in the set of PURs as a reference. Thus, the network device 110 can indicate the difference or distance between the reference position and the adjusted position or the new position.

[0068] For the allocation of additional PURs, the predetermined PUR used as a reference can be the last PUR in the previously allocated set of PURs. This is particularly beneficial if more HARQ re - transmissions are needed to transmit user data. The adjusted position of a certain PUR can also be indicated based on the reference position of the first PUR in the allocated set of PURs, the reference position of the PUR immediately preceding the adjusted PUR, or any other predetermined PUR preceding the adjusted PUR.

[0069] In some embodiments, if the position adjustment or additional allocation is rejected by the network device 110, the feedback information can also indicate such a rejection to the terminal device 120. In some embodiments where the terminal device 120 requests to release one or more PURs or requests adjustment of the timing alignment offset, the feedback information from the network device 110 can indicate confirmation of such a release or adjustment. In some other embodiments, the network device 110 may not transmit any feedback information. For example, in the case of associating PURs or adjusting the timing alignment, the network device 110 may not need to transmit any feedback to the terminal device 120.

[0070] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, by transmitting control information to change the connection state or PUR allocation, the transmission configuration in the transmission mode using PUR can be dynamically modified without increasing communication resources, power consumption, and time of the terminal device.

[0071] Figure 3 FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of an example method 300 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, method 300 will be described from the perspective of the terminal device 120 with reference to Figure 1 FIG. 4.

[0072] At block 310, the terminal device 120 identifies the need to change the transmission configuration of the terminal device. The terminal device is in a transmission mode in which a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PURs) is allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to the network device. At block 320, in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, the terminal device 120 transmits control information to the network device using a first PUR in the set of PURs without transmitting user data, where the control information includes information related to the change in the transmission configuration.

[0073] In some embodiments, the control information is transmitted using a first transport block size and / or a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) dedicated to the transmission of the above control information, where the first transport block size is different from a second transport block size used for the transmission of user data, and the first MCS is different from a second MCS used for the transmission of user data.

[0074] In some embodiments, transmitting the control information includes: detecting whether an acknowledgement (ACK) information is received from the network device, where the ACK information indicates a successful transmission of user data using a second PUR in the set of PURs; and in response to receiving such ACK information, transmitting the control information using the first PUR, where the first PUR is after the second PUR.

[0075] In some embodiments, transmitting the control information includes: transmitting the control information in a header of a transport block for user data.

[0076] In some embodiments, the control information indicates a request to change the connection state with the network device, and method 300 further includes receiving feedback information, where the feedback information includes an indication of whether the connection state has been successfully changed.

[0077] In some embodiments, the request includes a scheduling request, a radio resource control (RRC) connection request, an RRC reestablishment request, or a request for reconfiguration of the connection with the network device.

[0078] In some embodiments, the control information indicates at least one of the following: a request to adjust the position of at least one PUR in the set of PURs in time and / or frequency, a request to allocate additional PURs, a request to release at least one PUR in the set of PURs, and a request to update the timing alignment offset with the network device.

[0079] In some embodiments, method 300 further includes receiving feedback information, the feedback information including an indication of at least one of the adjusted position and the new position of the additional PUR in time and / or frequency, the adjusted position and the new position being indicated by using the position of a predetermined PUR in the set of PURs as a reference.

[0080] Figure 4 The flowchart of an example method 400 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, method 400 will be described from the perspective of network device 110 with reference to Figure 1 , from the perspective of network device 110.

[0081] At block 410, network device 110 receives an uplink signal from a terminal device in a transmission mode on a first PUR in a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PURs), the set of PURs being allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to the network device in the transmission mode. At block 420, network device 110 detects control information from the received uplink signal, the control information including information related to a change in the transmission configuration in the transmission mode.

[0082] In some embodiments, detecting the control information includes: performing blind decoding on the received uplink signal using each of a first transport block size dedicated to the transmission of the control information and different second transport block sizes available for the transmission of user data; and detecting the result of the decoding as the control information in response to the received uplink signal being successfully decoded using the first transport block size.

[0083] In some embodiments, detecting the control information includes: determining whether an acknowledgment (ACK) message has been transmitted to the terminal device, the ACK message indicating the successful transmission of user data on a second PUR in the set of PURs, the first PUR being after the second PUR; and decoding the received uplink signal to obtain the control information in response to such an ACK message being transmitted.

[0084] In some embodiments, detecting the control information includes: detecting the control information in the header of a transport block for the transmission of user data.

[0085] In some embodiments, the control information indicates a request to change the connection state with the network device, and method 400 further includes: transmitting feedback information, the feedback information including an indication of whether the connection state has been successfully changed.

[0086] In some embodiments, the request includes a scheduling request, a radio resource control (RRC) connection request, an RRC reestablishment request, or a request for reconfiguration of the connection with the network device.

[0087] In some embodiments, the control information indicates at least one of the following: a request to adjust the position of at least one PUR in the set of PURs in time and / or frequency, a request to allocate additional PURs, a request to release at least one PUR in the set of PURs, and a request to update the timing alignment offset with the network device.

[0088] In some embodiments, method 400 further includes transmitting feedback information, the feedback information including an indication of at least one of the adjusted position and the new position of the additional PUR in time and / or frequency, the adjusted position and the new position being indicated by using the position of a predetermined PUR in the set of PURs as a reference.

[0089] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., terminal device 120) capable of performing any one of methods 300 may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 300. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0090] In some embodiments, the device includes: a component for identifying the need to change the transmission configuration of a terminal device in a transmission mode, in which a set of PURs is allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to the network device; and a component for transmitting control information to the network device using a first PUR in the set of PURs without transmitting user data in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, the control information including information related to the change in the transmission configuration.

[0091] In some embodiments, the device further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 300. In some embodiments, the module includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to cause the device to perform in conjunction with the at least one processor.

[0092] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., network device 110) capable of performing any one of methods 400 may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 400. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0093] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises: means for receiving an uplink signal from a terminal device in a transmission mode on a first preconfigured uplink resource (PUR) in a set of PURs, the set of PURs being allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to a network device in the transmission mode; and means for detecting control information from the received uplink signal, the control information including information related to a change in a transmission configuration in the transmission mode.

[0094] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 400. In some embodiments, the module comprises at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to cause the apparatus to perform, together with the at least one processor.

[0095] Figure 5 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus 500 in which embodiments of the present disclosure are implemented is shown, and the apparatus 500 may be implemented as Figure 1 the illustrated terminal device 120 or network device 110 or be included in the terminal device 120 or network device 110.

[0096] The apparatus 500 includes at least one processor 511 (such as a data processor (DP)) and at least one memory (MEM) 512 coupled to the processor 511. The apparatus 500 may further include a transmitter TX and a receiver RX 513 coupled to the processor 511, and the processor 511 may be operable to communicatively connect to other devices. The MEM 512 stores a program or computer program code 514. The at least one memory 512 and the computer program code 514 are configured to cause the apparatus 500 to perform at least operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure, such as method 300 or 400.

[0097] The combination of the at least one processor 511 and the at least one MEM 512 may form a processing device 515 configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0098] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a computer program, software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof executable by the processor 511.

[0099] The MEM 512 may have any type suitable for a local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, by way of non-limiting example, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory.

[0100] The processor 511 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and, by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0101] Although some of the above descriptions regarding GD-based signal detection and hierarchical signal detection are made in the context of the wireless communication system shown, it should not be construed as limiting the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The principles and concepts of the present disclosure can be more generally applicable to other scenarios. Figure 1 The principles and concepts of the present disclosure can be more generally applicable to other scenarios.

[0102] In addition, the present disclosure can also provide a carrier containing the computer program (e.g., the computer instructions / program code 514 in Figure 5 ). The carrier includes computer-readable storage media and transmission media. The computer-readable storage media can include, for example, optical discs or electronic memory devices such as RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), flash memory, magnetic tapes, CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc. The transmission media can include, for example, electrical, optical, radio, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals such as carrier waves, infrared signals, etc.

[0103] Generally, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although the various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, by way of non-limiting example, the blocks, devices, systems, technologies, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers, or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0104] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as the computer-executable instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the method 300 or 400 referred to above with reference to Figure 3 and 4 . Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data types, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data structures. The functions of program modules can be combined or split among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for program modules can be executed locally or within a distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0105] The program code for implementing the methods of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing devices, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams are implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, executed as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0106] In the context of the present disclosure, the computer program code or related data can be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations as described above. Examples of the carrier include signals, computer-readable media.

[0107] The computer-readable media can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0108] For the purposes of the present disclosure as described above herein, it should be noted that

[0109] - Method steps that may be implemented as a software code portion and run using a processor at a network element or a terminal (as an example of a device, apparatus, and / or its module, or as an example of an entity including a device and / or a module) are independent of the software code and can be specified using any known or future-developed programming language, as long as the functions defined by the method steps are retained;

[0110] - Generally, any method step is suitable for implementation as software or through hardware without changing the idea of the present invention in terms of the functions implemented;

[0111] - Method steps and / or devices, units, or components that may be implemented as hardware components at the above-mentioned device, or any one or more of their modules (e.g., a device that performs the functions of the device, eNode-B, etc. according to the embodiments described above) are hardware-independent and can use any known or future-developed hardware technology or any combination of these technologies (such as MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor), CMOS (Complementary MOS), BiMOS (Bipolar MOS), BiCMOS (Bipolar CMOS), ECL (Emitter Coupled Logic), TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic), etc.). For example, they can be implemented using ASIC (Application-Specific IC (Integrated Circuit)) components, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) components, CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device) components, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor) components;

[0112] - A device, unit, or component (e.g., any one of the devices or their corresponding modules defined above) can be implemented as an individual device, unit, or component, but this does not exclude their implementation in a distributed manner throughout the system, as long as the functions of the device, unit, or component are retained; - The device can be represented by a semiconductor chip, a chipset, or a (hardware) module including such a chip or chipset; however, this does not exclude the possibility that the functions of the device or module are not implemented in hardware but are implemented as software in a (software) module, such as a computer program or a computer program product including an executable software code portion for execution / operation on a processor;

[0113] - A device can be regarded as an assembly of a device or more than one device, regardless of whether they cooperate with each other functionally or are independent of each other functionally, for example.

[0114] Note that the above embodiments and examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are in no way intended to limit the present disclosure thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all variations and modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0115] Furthermore, although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order or that all of the illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure but should be construed as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments can also be combined and implemented in a single embodiment. On the contrary, various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0116] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the above specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

[0117] Various embodiments of the technology have been described. As a supplement or alternative to the foregoing, the following examples are described. The functions described in any of the following examples may be used in conjunction with other examples described herein.

Claims

1. A method implemented at a terminal device, comprising: identifying a need to change a transmission configuration of the terminal device, wherein the terminal device is in a transmission mode, in which a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PURs) are allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to a network device, and wherein the terminal device is allowed to use the PURs to send uplink data without establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection; in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, transmitting control information to the network device using a first PUR of the set of PURs, the control information including information related to the change of the transmission configuration, wherein the control information indicates an RRC connection request; and receiving an RRC establishment message from the network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the control information comprises: transmitting the control information using a first transport block size (TBS) dedicated to the transmission of the control information and / or using a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS), the first TBS being different from a second TBS used for the transmission of the user data, and the first MCS being different from a second MCS used for the transmission of the user data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the control information comprises: detecting whether acknowledgement (ACK) information is received from the network device, the ACK information indicating successful transmission of the user data using a second PUR of the set of PURs; and in response to receiving the ACK information, transmitting the control information using the first PUR, the first PUR being after the second PUR.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the control information comprises: transmitting the control information in a header of a transport block for the user data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control information indicates a request to change a connection state with the network device, the method further comprises: receiving feedback information, the feedback information including an indication of whether the connection state has been successfully changed.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control information indicates at least one of the following: a request to adjust the position of at least one PUR of the set of PURs in time and / or frequency, a request to allocate additional PURs, a request to release at least one PUR of the set of PURs, and a request to update a timing alignment offset with the network device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving feedback information, the feedback information comprises: an indication of at least one of the adjusted position and a new position of the additional PUR in time and / or frequency, the adjusted position and the new position of the at least one of them being indicated by using the position of a predetermined PUR of the set of PURs as a reference.

8. A method implemented at a network device, comprising: Receive an uplink signal from a terminal device in a transmission mode on a first preconfigured uplink resource (PUR) in a set of PURs, where the set of PURs is allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to the network device in the transmission mode, and where the PUR allows the terminal device to send uplink data without establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection; Detect control information from the received uplink signal, the control information including information related to a change in the transmission configuration in the transmission mode, where the control information indicates an RRC connection request; and Send an RRC establishment message to the terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein detecting the control information comprises: Performing blind decoding on the received uplink signal using each of a first transport block size (TBS) and different second TBSs, the first TBS being dedicated to the transmission of the control information, and the second TBS being available for the transmission of the user data; and Detecting the result of the decoding as the control information in response to the received uplink signal being successfully decoded using the first TBS.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein detecting the control information comprises: Determining whether acknowledgement (ACK) information has been transmitted to the terminal device, the ACK information indicating successful transmission of the user data on a second PUR in the set of PURs, the first PUR being after the second PUR; and Decoding the received uplink signal in response to the ACK information being transmitted to obtain the control information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein detecting the control information comprises: Detecting the control information in a header of a transport block for the transmission of the user data.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control information indicates a request to change the connection state with the network device, and the method further comprises: Transmitting feedback information, the feedback information including an indication of whether the connection state has been successfully changed.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control information indicates at least one of the following: a request to adjust the position of at least one PUR in the set of PURs in time and / or frequency, a request to allocate additional PURs, a request to release at least one PUR in the set of PURs, and a request to update the timing alignment offset with the network device.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising transmitting feedback information, the feedback information comprising: An indication of at least one of the adjusted position and the new position of the additional PUR in time and / or frequency, the adjusted position and the new position being indicated by using the position of a predetermined PUR in the set of PURs as a reference.

15. A terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; and At least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: Identify a need to change a transmission configuration of the terminal device, wherein the terminal device is in a transmission mode in which a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PURs) are allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to a network device, and wherein the terminal device is allowed to use the PURs to send uplink data without establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection; In response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, transmit control information to the network device using a first PUR of the set of PURs, the control information including information related to the change of the transmission configuration, wherein the control information indicates an RRC connection request; and Receive an RRC establishment message from the network device.

16. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: Transmit the control information using a first transport block size (TBS) dedicated to the transmission of the control information and / or using a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS), the first TBS being different from a second TBS used for the transmission of the user data, and the first MCS being different from a second MCS used for the transmission of the user data.

17. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: Detect whether acknowledgement (ACK) information is received from the network device, the ACK information indicating successful transmission of the user data using a second PUR of the set of PURs; and In response to receiving the ACK information, transmit the control information using the first PUR, the first PUR being after the second PUR.

18. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: Transmit the control information in a header of a transport block for the transmission of the user data.

19. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the control information indicates a request to change a connection state with the network device, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the terminal device to: Receive feedback information, the feedback information including an indication of whether the connection state has been successfully changed.

20. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the control information indicates at least one of the following: a request to adjust a position of at least one PUR of the set of PURs in time and / or frequency, a request to allocate additional PURs, a request to release at least one PUR of the set of PURs, and a request to update a timing alignment offset with the network device.

21. The terminal device according to claim 20, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the terminal device to receive feedback information, the feedback information comprises: an indication of at least one of the adjusted position and the new position of the additional PUR in time and / or frequency, the at least one of the adjusted position and the new position being indicated by using the position of a predetermined PUR in the set of PURs as a reference.

22. A network device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: receive an uplink signal from a terminal device in a transmission mode on a first PUR in a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PURs), wherein the set of PURs is allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to the network device in the transmission mode, and wherein the PUR allows the terminal device to send uplink data without establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection; detect control information from the received uplink signal, the control information including information related to a change in the transmission configuration in the transmission mode, wherein the control information indicates an RRC connection request; and send an RRC establishment message to the terminal device.

23. The network device according to claim 22, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: perform blind decoding on the received uplink signal by using a first transport block size (TBS) and each of different second TBSs, the first TBS being dedicated to the transmission of the control information, and the second TBS being available for the transmission of the user data; and detect the result of the decoding as the control information in response to the received uplink signal being successfully decoded by using the first TBS.

24. The network device according to claim 22, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: determine whether acknowledgement (ACK) information has been transmitted to the terminal device, the ACK information indicating successful transmission of the user data on a second PUR in the set of PURs, the first PUR being after the second PUR; and decode the received uplink signal in response to the ACK information being transmitted to obtain the control information.

25. The network device according to claim 22, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: detect the control information in a header of a transport block for the transmission of the user data.

26. The network device according to claim 22, wherein the control information indicates a request to change the connection state of the network device, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the network device to: Transmit feedback information, the feedback information including an indication of whether the connection state has been successfully changed.

27. The network device according to claim 22, wherein the control information indicates at least one of the following: a request to adjust the position of at least one PUR in the set of PURs in time and / or frequency, a request to allocate additional PURs, a request to release at least one PUR in the set of PURs, and a request to update the timing alignment offset with the network device.

28. The network device according to claim 27, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the network device to transmit feedback information, the feedback information Comprising: An indication of at least one of the adjusted position and the new position of the additional PUR in time and / or frequency, the adjusted position and the new position being indicated by using the position of a predetermined PUR in the set of PURs as a reference.

29. A device for communication, comprising means for performing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

30. A device for communication, comprising means for performing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising program instructions for causing a device to at least perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising program instructions for causing a device to at least perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

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