Method and apparatus for reducing scheduling delay in a wireless communication system

Abstract

A second network node in a wireless communication system includes a transceiver and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: control the transceiver to receive at least one of a first scheduling request (SR) and a first buffer status report (BSR) from the first network node; control the transceiver to send at least one of a second SR and a second BSR to a third network node based on the SR or the first BSR before receiving data to be sent corresponding to the first SR or the first BSR from the first network node; control the transceiver to receive a first uplink (UL) grant corresponding to the second SR or the second BSR from the third network node; control the transceiver to receive data from the first network node; and control the transceiver to send data to the third network node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the reduction of scheduling delay in telecommunication systems. In particular, it relates to the delay problem in systems implementing integrated access and backhaul (IAB). This is known and used at least in fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet the increased demand for wireless data traffic since the deployment of the fourth generation (4G) communication system, efforts have been made to develop improved fifth generation (5G) or pre-5G (pre-5G) communication systems. 5G or pre-5G communication systems are also referred to as "super 4G networks" or "post-long term evolution (LTE) systems". 5G communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., 60 GHz bands) in order to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antenna technology are discussed in terms of 5G communication systems. In addition, in 5G communication systems, system network improvements are being developed based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communications, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, collaborative communications, coordinated multi-point (CoMP), receiving-end interference elimination, etc. In 5G systems, hybrid frequency shift keying (FSK) and Feher quadrature amplitude modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) have been developed as advanced coding modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as advanced access technologies.

[0003] The Internet, which is a human-centered connected network in which humans generate and consume information, is evolving toward the Internet of Things (IoT) in which distributed entities (such as things) exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of IoT technology and big data processing technology through connection with cloud servers, has emerged. As IoT implementation requires technical elements such as "sensing technology", "wired / wireless communication and network infrastructure", "service interface technology", and "security technology", sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication, etc. have been studied recently. Such an IoT environment can provide intelligent Internet technology services that create new value for human life by collecting and analyzing data generated between networked things. Through the integration and combination of existing information technology (IT) with various industrial applications, IoT can be applied to various fields, including smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars or connected cars, smart grids, healthcare, smart appliances, and advanced medical services.

[0004] In line with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such as sensor networks, MTC, and M2M communications can be implemented through beamforming, MIMO, and array antennas. The application of cloud RAN, which is the above-mentioned big data processing technology, can also be considered as an example of the fusion between 5G technology and IoT technology.

[0005] As described above, various services can be provided according to the development of wireless communication systems, and thus a method for easily providing such services is required. For example, a method for reducing delay in a system implementing Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) is required. Summary of the invention

[0006] A second network node in a wireless communication system is provided. The second network node includes: a transceiver; and at least one processor configured to: receive at least one of a first scheduling request (SR) and a first buffer status report (BSR) from a first network node; before receiving data to be sent corresponding to the first SR or the first BSR from the first network node, send at least one of a second SR and a second BSR to a third network node based on the first SR or the first BSR; receive a first uplink (UL) grant corresponding to the second SR or the second BSR from the third network node; receive data from the first network node; and send the data to the third network node. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:

[0008] Figure 1 A message exchange process involving three nodes in a multi-hop IAB network arrangement in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 shows a message exchange process involving three nodes in a multi-hop IAB network arrangement according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 3 A method performed by a second network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0011] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0012] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a network node according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] [Best Mode]

[0014] In one embodiment, a method performed by a second network node in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes: receiving at least one of a first scheduling request (SR) and a first buffer status report (BSR) from a first network node; before receiving data to be sent corresponding to the first SR or the first BSR from the first network node, sending at least one of a second SR and a second BSR to a third network node based on the first SR or the first BSR; receiving a first uplink (UL) grant corresponding to the second SR or the second BSR from the third network node; receiving data from the first network node; and sending data to the third network node.

[0015] In an embodiment, the method further comprises: sending a second UL grant corresponding to the first SR or the first BSR to the first network node, wherein sending at least one of the second SR and the second BSR to the third network node comprises: sending at least one of the second SR and the second BSR based on the second UL grant.

[0016] In an embodiment, sending the second BSR to the third network node includes: determining whether to send the second BSR based on at least one of the first BSR and an SR configuration of the first SR; and sending the second BSR based on the determination result.

[0017] In an embodiment, determining whether to send the second BSR includes determining whether to send the second BSR based on a priority of data to be sent.

[0018] In an embodiment, determining whether to send the second BSR based on the priority of the data to be sent includes: determining to send the second BSR if the priority of the data to be sent is higher than the priority of data present in the buffer of the second network node.

[0019] In an embodiment, determining whether to send the second BSR includes determining whether to send the second BSR based on the number of hops required for the data to reach the data destination.

[0020] In an embodiment, the second BSR comprises buffer status information of the second network node corresponding to the data to be sent.

[0021] In an embodiment, the second BSR is assigned a logical channel identifier (LCID) different from another LCID assigned to another BSR, and the other BSR includes buffer status information of the second network node corresponding to data currently present in the buffer.

[0022] In one embodiment, a second network node in a wireless communication system is provided. The second network node includes: a transceiver and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: receive at least one of a first scheduling request (SR) and a first buffer status report (BSR) from a first network node; before receiving data to be transmitted corresponding to the first SR or the first BSR from the first network node, send at least one of a second SR and a second BSR to a third network node based on the first SR or the first BSR; receive a first uplink (UL) grant corresponding to the second SR or the second BSR from the third network node; receive data from the first network node; and send data to the third network node.

[0023] In an embodiment, at least one processor is further configured to:

[0024] sending a second UL grant corresponding to the first SR or the first BSR to the first network node, and

[0025] At least one of a second SR and a second BSR is sent to the third network node based on the second UL grant.

[0026] In an embodiment, the at least one processor is further configured to: determine whether to send a second BSR based on at least one of the SR configuration of the first SR and the first BSR; and send the second BSR to the third network node based on the determination result.

[0027] In an embodiment, the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether to send the second BSR based on a priority of the data to be sent.

[0028] In an embodiment, the at least one processor is further configured to determine to send the second BSR if the priority of the data to be sent is higher than the priority of the data present in the buffer of the second network node.

[0029] In an embodiment, the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether to send a second BSR based on the number of hops required for the data to reach the data destination.

[0030] In an embodiment, the second BSR comprises buffer status information of the second network node corresponding to the data to be sent.

[0031] In an embodiment, the second BSR is assigned a logical channel identifier (LCID) different from another LCID assigned to another BSR, and the other BSR includes buffer status information of the second network node corresponding to data currently present in the buffer.

[0032] In one embodiment, a method of requesting resources from a node in a multi-node telecommunications system is provided, wherein a first node sends data to a second node, and the second node sends the data to a third node, the method comprising the steps of: the first node indicating to the second node that it has data intended for the second node; in response, the second node determining whether to request resources from the third node; and based in part on the request from the second node, the third node providing resources to the second node; and the second node sending the data received from the first node to the third node.

[0033] In an embodiment, the step of the first node indicating to the second node that it has data intended for the second node comprises the first node sending a Scheduling Request (SR) message or a Buffer Status Report (BSR) message.

[0034] In an embodiment, the step of the second node requesting resources from the third node in response occurs before the second node receives data sent from the first node.

[0035] In an embodiment, the step of the second node requesting resources from the third node in response further comprises requesting resources only if one or more additional criteria are met.

[0036] In an embodiment, the one or more additional criteria include information from the first node indicating:

[0037] - the presence of data in the first node of a particular type or belonging to a particular service; or

[0038] - there is high priority data; or

[0039] - there is data of a certain priority relative to the priority of existing data in the node's own buffer; or

[0040] - the total buffer occupancy at the first node exceeds a certain threshold; or

[0041] - the volume of data of a particular type or belonging to a particular service or high priority exceeds a certain threshold; or

[0042] - there is data that will require a certain number of hops exceeding a defined threshold to reach its destination; or

[0043] - There is data whose sending would require a class of resources that have not yet been configured.

[0044] In an embodiment, the information from the first node is included in a buffer status report (BSR).

[0045] In an embodiment, the one or more additional criteria include that the time at which the second node determines that it is granting the first node and / or the time until a resource referenced in the grant is available exceeds a defined threshold.

[0046] In an embodiment, the one or more additional criteria include the second node determining that it cannot provide resources to the first node within a defined period.

[0047] In an embodiment, the one or more additional criteria include use of a particular configuration on which the first node sends the resource request, which indicates that the resource request results at least in part from:

[0048] - a high priority logical channel; or

[0049] - a logical channel of a certain priority relative to the priority of existing data in the node's own buffer; or

[0050] - a logical channel dedicated to a specific service or with high priority data exceeding a defined threshold; or

[0051] - a logical channel with data that will require a defined number of hops exceeding a defined threshold to reach its destination; or

[0052] - A logical channel with data that will require a type of resource that has not yet been configured.

[0053] In an embodiment, the information from the first node is included in a scheduling request (SR).

[0054] In an embodiment, the step of the second node requesting resources from the third node in response comprises forwarding the buffer status of the first node to the third node.

[0055] In an embodiment, the step of the second node requesting resources from the third node in response comprises sending to the third node information about the state of all or part of the first node's buffer that is converted to the state of the second node's buffer.

[0056] In an embodiment, converting all or part of the buffer state of a first node to the state of a second node buffer includes: matching the priority of a logical channel and / or a service provided by the logical channel to obtain a cumulative value including an actual buffer state of the second node and an expected change in the buffer state of the second node.

[0057] In an embodiment, the information sent to the third node is any of the following:

[0058] (a) indicating an expected increase in the buffer status of the second node after receiving data from the first node; or

[0059] (b) Indicates a combination with existing data in the second node buffer.

[0060] In an embodiment, in the case of option (a), the information includes an indication that it relates to an expected increase.

[0061] In an embodiment, in case of option (b), the information comprises an indication that it relates to the total amount of data.

[0062] In an embodiment, the information sent to the third node includes a deduction in expected buffer status occupancy based on the UL resources already granted to the second node.

[0063] In an embodiment, when resources assigned to a second node have padding, including an expected increase in the buffer state or a combination with existing data in the second node buffer, the padding is equal to or greater than the expected buffer state or a combination with existing data in the second node buffer plus the size of any associated subheaders or control elements.

[0064] In an embodiment, the fill size is smaller than the total size of the actual buffer status and the expected increase or combination with the existing data in the second node buffer, thereby determining which information to send based on priority.

[0065] In an embodiment, the priority-based determination is made based on information on the state of the existing buffer that was most recently sent.

[0066] In an embodiment, an apparatus arranged to perform at least one of the above methods is provided.

[0067] In an embodiment, at least one base station operable to perform at least one of the above methods is provided.

[0068] While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.

[0069] For a better understanding of the present disclosure, and to show how embodiments of the present disclosure may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only.

[0070] [Invention Mode]

[0071] Before proceeding to the following detailed description, it may be helpful to set forth the definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and "including" and their derivatives mean inclusion rather than limitation; the term "or" is inclusive, meaning and / or; the phrases "associated with" and "associated with" and their derivatives may mean including, included within, interconnected with, containing, contained within, connected to or connected with, coupled to or coupled with, communicable with, cooperating with, interleaved, juxtaposed, proximate, bound to or bound with, having, having the property of, and the like; and the term "controller" means any device, system, or portion thereof that controls at least one operation, such device may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or software, or some combination of at least two thereof. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely.

[0072] In addition, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed from a computer-readable program code and contained in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, processes, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data or parts thereof suitable for implementation in appropriate computer-readable program codes. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium that can be accessed by a computer, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard drive, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD) or any other type of memory. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media excludes wired, wireless, optical or other communication links that transmit temporary electrical signals or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media include media that can permanently store data and media in which data can be stored and subsequently overwritten, such as rewritable optical discs or erasable storage devices.

[0073] Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most, instances, such definitions apply to prior and future uses of such defined words and phrases.

[0074] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in this understanding, but these details are considered to be illustrative only. Therefore, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and structures may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0075] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0076] It should be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a component surface" includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

[0077] While describing the embodiments, technical contents that are well known in the relevant art and not directly related to the present disclosure will not be provided. By omitting redundant descriptions, the essence of the present disclosure will not be confused and can be clearly explained.

[0078] For the same reason, for clarity, components may be exaggerated, omitted or schematically shown in the drawings. In addition, the size of each component may not fully reflect the actual size. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0079] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The expression of "at least one" such as when the list of the aforementioned elements modifies the list of the entire element, rather than the single element of the list. Throughout this disclosure, the expression of "at least one of a, b, and c" refers to only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof. By referring to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of the embodiments, the advantages and features of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure and the methods for realizing these advantages and features can be more easily understood. In this regard, the present embodiment may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the description set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the concept of the present embodiment will be fully conveyed to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0080] Here, it will be understood that the combination of blocks in a flowchart or process flow chart can be performed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions can be loaded into a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or another programmable data processing device, the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or another programmable data processing device create a unit for performing the function described in the flowchart box. The computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can instruct the computer or another programmable data processing device to implement the function in a specific manner, and therefore, the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can also be able to generate a manufacturing project containing an instruction unit for performing the function described in the flowchart box. The computer program instructions can also be loaded into a computer or another programmable data processing device, and therefore, when a series of operations are performed in a computer or other programmable data processing device, the instructions for operating the computer or other programmable data processing device by generating a computer-executed process can provide operations for performing the functions described in the flowchart box.

[0081] In addition, each box can represent a module, segment or part of code including one or more executable instructions for performing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions mentioned in the box may not occur in order. For example, two boxes shown in succession can actually be performed substantially simultaneously according to the corresponding functions, or these boxes can sometimes be performed in reverse order.

[0082] Here, the term "unit" in the embodiments of the present disclosure represents a software component or a hardware component, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and performs a specific function. However, the term "unit" is not limited to software or hardware. A "unit" can be formed in an addressable storage medium, or can be formed to operate one or more processors. Therefore, for example, the term "unit" can refer to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, and can include processes, functions, attributes, programs, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, or variables. The functions provided by components and "units" can be associated with a smaller number of components and "units", or can be divided into additional components and "units". In addition, components and "units" can be implemented as one or more central processing units (CPUs) reproduced in a device or a secure multimedia card. In addition, in an embodiment, a "unit" can include at least one processor. In the present disclosure, a controller can also be referred to as a processor.

[0083] Wireless communication systems have evolved from providing initial voice-oriented services to, for example, broadband wireless communication systems that provide high-speed and high-quality packet data services, such as 3GPP's High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and Advanced LTE (LTE-A) communication standards, 3GPP2's High Speed ​​Packet Data (HRPD) and Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) communication standards, and IEEE 802.16e communication standards. The fifth generation (5G) or new air interface (NR) communication standards are being developed with 5G wireless communication systems.

[0084] Hereinafter, one or more embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Likewise, in the description of the present disclosure, when it is considered that the essence of the present disclosure may be unnecessarily obscured, some detailed explanations of related functions or configurations are omitted. All terms including descriptive or technical terms used herein should be interpreted as having meanings that are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, these terms may have different meanings according to the intentions of those of ordinary skill in the art, precedents, or the emergence of new technologies, and therefore, the terms used herein must be defined based on the meanings of these terms and the descriptions throughout the specification. Hereinafter, a base station may be a subject that performs resource allocation of a terminal, and may be at least one of a gNode B, an eNode B, a Node B, a base station (BS), a wireless access unit, a base station controller, and a node on a network. The terminal may include a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a computer, a multimedia system capable of performing a communication function, and the like. In the present disclosure, DL is a wireless transmission path for a signal sent from a base station to a terminal, and UL is a wireless transmission path for a signal sent from a terminal to a base station. Throughout this specification, a layer (or layer device) may also be referred to as an entity. Similarly, in the following, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure will be described as examples of LTE or LTE-A systems, but the one or more embodiments may also be applied to other communication systems with similar technical backgrounds or channel forms. For example, 5G mobile communication technology (5G, new air interface, NR) developed after LTE-A may be included. In addition, according to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, one or more embodiments may be applied to other communication systems through some modifications within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0085] In the LTE system which is a representative example of a broadband wireless communication system, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme is used in DL, and a single carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDMA) scheme is used in UL. UL refers to a wireless link through which a terminal, UE or MS sends data or a control signal to a BS or a gNode B, and DL refers to a wireless link through which a BS sends data or a control signal to a terminal. In such a multiple access scheme, data or control information of each user is classified by generally allocating and operating the data or control information so that the time-frequency resources used to send the data or control information of each user do not overlap with each other, that is, so that orthogonality is established.

[0086] Terms such as physical channels and signals in existing LTE or LTE-A systems may be used to describe the methods and apparatuses suggested in the present disclosure. However, the content of the present disclosure is applied to wireless communication systems, not necessarily LTE or LTE-A systems.

[0087] An IAB node, at least conceptually, features a base station part or distributed unit (DU) and a mobile phone (MT) part. The MT part can currently request uplink (UL) resources for UL data transmission only after it has actually received the data to be sent from its child nodes, even though the MT part already has knowledge of the incoming data. In a multi-hop network, any such latency delays may accumulate due to the number of hops and the amount of data aggregated at the IAB node. This is particularly true in the case of Figure 1 , which shows the worst scenario, where neither IAB Node A nor Node B has any UL resources currently assigned to them. In this disclosure, a network node may be simply referred to as a node.

[0088] Discussed below Figures 1 to 5 The various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are only for illustration and should not be interpreted in any way as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any appropriately arranged system or device.

[0089] Figure 1 A message exchange process involving three nodes in a multi-hop IAB network arrangement in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0090] exist Figure 1, a typical telecommunications network using several IAB nodes in a multi-hop configuration is shown. Data is passed from node A (first node) to node B (second node), to node C (third node), and then on. Various embodiments of the present disclosure recognize that when node A (child) needs to send data to node B (parent), it sends a message (1-10) including a scheduling request (SR). Node B responds with an UL grant message (1-20), allocating some capacity to node A. Node A then sends a buffer status report (BSR) message (1-30). This indicates to node B the amount of data it needs to send. Node B responds with another UL grant message (1-40), allocating appropriate capacity to node A to send node A's data (performed in message 1-50).

[0091] If Node A already has available capacity to signal to Node B that a large amount of data needs to be sent, then steps 1-10 and 1-20 may be omitted and Node A may be able to directly send its BSR message (1-30).

[0092] Once Node B receives the data at its DU, its MT sends a new Scheduling Request message (1-60) to Node C. Node C responds with an UL Grant message (1-70), and the same pattern of steps already set out is repeated between Node B and Node C (i.e., identical to 1-30 to 1-50).

[0093] Importantly, in this arrangement, node B cannot request resources from node C until it has received the data (1-50). This dependency is indicated by the dashed arrow 1-1.

[0094] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions to problems, such as those set forth above.

[0095] Figure 2 At least one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated by a message exchange involving Node A, Node B, and Node C.

[0096] In one embodiment, node A (first node) sends an SR message (2-10), and node B (second node) responds with an UL grant message (2-20). Node A then sends a BSR message (2-30). Upon receiving the BSR message (2-30), node B knows the quality and quantity of data that is designated to continue to be sent to node C (third node), and therefore sends an SR message (2-100) to node C. Node C responds with an UL grant message (2-110). At the same time, in response to the UL grant message (2-40) from node B, node A sends its data to node B (2-50).

[0097] Once Node B receives the UL Grant message from Node C (2-110), Node B sends a new BSR message to Node C (2-120) based on the information it has received from Node A in Node A's BSR message. Node C responds with an UL Grant (2-130), and Node B then sends data to Node C (2-140). Note that in some cases, Node C may not comply with the request from Node B, for example, when Node C is provisioning resources on its own, or when Node C is unable to comply due to capacity or other operational reasons. However, in the event that Node B requests resources, Node C will consider the request and decide whether to provide the requested resources.

[0098] In this case, the dashed arrow 2-2 represents the link between details of data to be forwarded to node C learned by node B from node A and the subsequent action taken by node B.

[0099] The dashed arrow 2-4 indicates data flow from node B to node C. Note that this is earlier than Figure 1 , where data from node A must be received at node B before any request is made to forward it to node C. In this embodiment, as shown, node B is able to preempt the need to request capacity, so some activities occur in parallel.

[0100] By using the embodiments described above, latency can be reduced and an overall improvement in system performance can be experienced.However, performance can be further improved through other triggering mechanisms to preempt the need for requesting capacity.

[0101] However, when Node B knows that the data is coming from Node A, it may not be desirable for Node B to request UL resources from Node C in every case. Doing so may be wasteful in terms of the limited resources available. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, requesting resources from Node C through SR (2-100) or new BSR (2-120) is not automatic, but is triggered when one or more of the following conditions are met:

[0102] - A BSR (2-30) from Node A indicates the presence of data in a child node (Node A) of a specific type / belonging to a specific service;

[0103] - A BSR (2-30) from node A indicates the presence of high priority data;

[0104] - a BSR (2-30) from node A indicating the presence of data of a certain priority relative to the priority of existing data in the node's own buffer; or

[0105] - A BSR (2-30) from Node A indicates that the total buffer occupancy at the child nodes exceeds a certain threshold (this may be configurable);

[0106] - A BSR (2-30) from node A indicates that the amount of data of a certain type / belonging to a certain service / having a high priority exceeds a certain threshold;

[0107] - A BSR (2-30) from Node A indicates that there is data that will require a certain number of hops exceeding a certain threshold (configurable) to reach its destination;

[0108] - A BSR (2-30) from Node A indicates the presence of data, the transmission of which will require a type of resources (eg, different type of carrier / bandwidth portion / parameter set) that has not yet been configured.

[0109] In a further embodiment, a new BSR (2-120) from Node B to Node C is triggered only when Node B determines that the grant time of its child nodes and / or the time until the resources referenced in the grant are available exceeds a certain threshold.

[0110] In a further embodiment, when Node B determines that it cannot give resources to its child node within a reasonable (configurable) time window, then a new BSR (2-120) from Node B to Node C is not triggered.

[0111] The embodiments described so far relate to a new BSR triggered based on a BSR (2-30) received from a child node (Node A). Embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to a new BSR triggered based on a SR (2-10) received from a child node. In this way, an earlier request can be made. This is done by Figure 2 The dashed arrows 2-3 in FIG. Many of the examples cited above are also applicable here.

[0112] However, as previously mentioned, it may not be desirable for Node B to request UL resources from Node C in every case when Node B knows that the data is coming from Node A. Doing so may be wasteful in terms of the limited resources available. Therefore, in another embodiment, an SR (2-100) or a new BSR (2-120) is triggered only when one or more of the following conditions are met and an SR (2-10) is received from the child node (Node A):

[0113] -SR configuration (used for sending SR) is configured as a logical channel with high priority;

[0114] - the SR configuration is configured as a logical channel of a certain priority relative to the priority of existing data in the node's own buffer; or

[0115] -SR configuration is configured as a logical channel dedicated to a specific service / data with a high priority exceeding a certain threshold;

[0116] - SR configuration is configured as a logical channel with data that will require a certain number of hops exceeding a certain threshold (configurable) to reach its destination;

[0117] - SR configuration is configured as a logical channel with data that will require a type of resources that has not been configured (e.g. different type of carrier / bandwidth part / parameter set).

[0118] In this context, an SR configuration refers to a set of resources that a node / terminal is allowed to send an SR, more specifically, a set of PUCCH resources. In NR, there are multiple such sets (called configurations), and which one is used indicates certain properties of the channel that trigger the SR.

[0119] In an embodiment, when UL resources are assigned to a Node B and the number of padding bits is equal to or greater than the size of the BSR (2-120) according to its subheader, a new BSR (2-120) is generated and sent. When checking the padding size, an existing BSR (2-30) may take precedence over the new BSR (2-120). Alternatively, the new BSR (2-120) may take precedence over the existing BSR (2-30). This decision may be made based on the most recent existing BSR (2-30) that has been sent. This will also depend on whether the new BSR (2-120) includes an existing BSR, see below.

[0120] Embodiments of the present disclosure additionally relate to the format of the new BSR (2-120) and its content.

[0121] For any of the above embodiments, the BSR (2-120) discussed reports only the total amount of data in the buffers of its child node (Node A). In a further embodiment, the BSR (2-120) reporting the buffer status of all (or part) of the child node (Node A) buffers is simply converted to reporting the status of its own (Node B) buffers, in other words, this means that if, for example, a Fill BSR is sent by Node A when data is to be received as reported in the BSR, Node B will calculate the expected change in the occupancy of its own Logical Signal Group (LCG) or a subset thereof.

[0122] In a further embodiment, the calculation takes into account any existing grants that Node C has given to Node B, and deducts any reduction in buffer status occupancy that is expected based on the available UL resources. In addition, the new BSR (2-120) uses a different format (e.g. indicated by a flag / reserved bit / LCID) to explicitly indicate that this is an "expected data BSR". In the case where the new BSR indicates the cumulative occupancy (current data + expected data), this can be sent as two separate BSRs.

[0123] In an embodiment, according to the foregoing details, three different types of buffer states are defined:

[0124] 1. Current data only (existing BSR)

[0125] 2. Current data + expected data (Type A new BSR)

[0126] 3. Expected data only (New BSR type B)

[0127] The embodiments of the present disclosure use at least one of Option 2 and Option 3 and a hybrid operation of Option 1.

[0128] In another embodiment, the new BSR (2-120) includes additional data on top of the buffer occupancy data, including one or more of the following:

[0129] - The time when the child node BSR (2-30) is received;

[0130] - expected time to receive data from child nodes (2-50);

[0131] - The time when the child node SR (2-10) is received;

[0132] - The time when Node B is expected to give UL grant (2-40) to Node A.

[0133] In another embodiment, Node C may be configured to report a new BSR (2-120) with a certain periodicity and / or report a new BSR (2-120) when Node B is polled. Node C may also prohibit reporting a new BSR (2-120) within a certain period of time.

[0134] The embodiments described so far focus on a Node B with only one parent node (Node C). Embodiments also relate to a case where Node B has multiple parent nodes. This includes but is not limited to the case of dual connectivity. In this case, embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to:

[0135] - The new BSR (2-120) is sent to only one of the parent nodes (e.g., the master node, or the node from which most grants are expected to come based on past history, or the node from which most grants are expected to come based on the known destination addresses of past packets from the child node, or the node from which most grants are expected to come based on the known IDs of the configured DRBs from the child node, or the node from which the Node B prefers to get grants);

[0136] - A new BSR (2-120) is sent in identical copies to a subset or all parent nodes;

[0137] - A new BSR (2-120) is sent to a subset of parent nodes or to all parent nodes, but the reported expected data occupancy is split into multiple reports according to some configurable threshold.

[0138] As can be seen from the foregoing, embodiments of the present disclosure permit earlier provisioning of resources in a network comprising multiple IAB nodes, thereby reducing latency. In addition, as defined in the foregoing, by using secondary triggering, the use of limited resources may not be optimized by assigning capacity in the network unless certain criteria are met.

[0139] At least some of the example embodiments described herein may be constructed using dedicated special-purpose hardware in part or in whole. Terms such as "component", "module" or "unit" used herein may include but are not limited to hardware devices that perform certain tasks or provide associated functions, such as circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) in the form of discrete or integrated components. In some embodiments, the element may be configured to reside on a tangible, persistent, addressable storage medium, and may be configured to execute on one or more processors. These functional elements may include, for example, components (such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components), processes, functions, attributes, programs, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables in some embodiments. Although example embodiments have been described with reference to components, modules and units discussed herein, such functional elements may be combined into fewer elements or separated into additional elements. Various combinations of optional features have been described herein, and it should be understood that the features may be combined in any appropriate combination. In particular, the features of any one example embodiment may be appropriately combined with the features of any other embodiment, unless such combinations are mutually exclusive. Throughout the specification, the term "comprising" or "comprises" means including specified components but not excluding the existence of other components.

[0140] Figure 3 A method performed by a second network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0141] Reference Figure 3 , in operation 310, the second network node may receive at least one of a first scheduling request (SR) and a first buffer status report (BSR) from the first network node.

[0142] In operation 320, the second network node may transmit at least one of the second SR and the second BSR to the third network node based on the first SR or the first BSR before receiving data to be transmitted corresponding to the first SR or the first BSR from the first network node.

[0143] In operation 330, the second network node may receive a first uplink (UL) grant corresponding to a second SR or a second BSR from a third network node.

[0144] In operation 340, the second network node may receive data from the first network node; and

[0145] In operation 350 , the second network node may send data to the third network node.

[0146] according to Figure 3 In the method described in the embodiment, the latency delay may be reduced by requesting resources for data from a third network node before the second network node receives the data from the first network node.

[0147] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0148] Figure 4 A user equipment (UE) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0149] The above UE may correspond to Figure 4 UE.

[0150] Reference Figure 4 , the UE may include a processor 4-05, a transceiver 4-10, and a memory 4-15. However, all the components shown are not required. The UE may be composed of Figure 4 Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the processor 4-05, the transceiver 4-10, and the memory 4-15 may be implemented as a single chip.

[0151] The aforementioned components will now be described in detail.

[0152] The processor 4-05 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the proposed functions, processes and / or methods. The operation of the UE may be implemented by the processor 4-05.

[0153] Processor 4-05 may detect a PDCCH on a configured control resource set. Processor 4-05 determines a method for dividing CBs and a method for PDSCH rate matching according to PDCCH. Processor 4-05 may control transceiver 4-10 to receive PDSCH according to PDCCH. Processor 4-05 may generate HARQ-ACK information according to PDSCH. Processor 4-05 may control transceiver 4-10 to send HARQ-ACK information.

[0154] The transceiver 4-10 may include an RF transmitter for up-converting and amplifying transmitted signals, and an RF receiver for down-converting the frequency of received signals. However, according to another embodiment, the transceiver 4-10 may be implemented by more or fewer components than those shown.

[0155] The transceiver 4-10 may be connected to the processor 4-05 and transmit and / or receive signals. The signals may include control information and data. In addition, the transceiver 4-10 may receive signals through a wireless channel and output the signals to the processor 4-05. The transceiver 4-10 may transmit signals output from the processor 4-05 through a wireless channel.

[0156] The memory 4-15 may store control information or data included in the signal obtained by the UE. The memory 4-15 may be connected to the processor 4-05 and store at least one instruction or protocol or parameter for the proposed function, process and / or method. The memory 4-15 may include a read-only memory (ROM) and / or a random access memory (RAM) and / or a hard disk and / or a CD-ROM and / or a DVD and / or other storage devices.

[0157] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0158] A network entity, such as a node, a network node, a base station, an eNB, a gNB, a network function, and any other network entity described above may correspond to Figure 5 network nodes.

[0159] Reference Figure 5 , the network node may include a processor 5-05, a transceiver 5-10 and a memory 5-15. However, all the components shown are not required. The network node may be composed of Figure 5 Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the processor 5-05, the transceiver 5-10, and the memory 5-15 may be implemented as a single chip.

[0160] The aforementioned components will now be described in detail.

[0161] The processor 5-05 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the proposed functions, processes and / or methods. The operations of the network node may be implemented by the processor 5-05.

[0162] The transceiver 5-10 may include an RF transmitter for up-converting and amplifying the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for down-converting the frequency of the received signal. However, according to another embodiment, the transceiver 5-10 may be implemented by more or less components than those shown in the components.

[0163] The transceiver 5-10 may be connected to the processor 5-05 and send and / or receive signals. The signals may include control information and data. In addition, the transceiver 5-10 may receive signals through a wireless channel and output the signals to the processor 5-05. The transceiver 5-10 may send signals output from the processor 5-05 through a wireless channel.

[0164] The memory 5-15 may store control information or data included in the signal obtained by the network node. The memory 5-15 may be connected to the processor 5-05 and store at least one instruction or protocol or parameter for the proposed function, process and / or method. The memory 5-15 may include a read-only memory (ROM) and / or a random access memory (RAM) and / or a hard disk and / or a CD-ROM and / or a DVD and / or other storage devices.

[0165] Attention is paid to all documents and publications related to this application which are filed concurrently with or before this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such documents and publications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0166] All features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) and / or all steps of any method or process so disclosed may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive.

[0167] Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose. Therefore, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is only an example of a general series of equivalent or similar features.

[0168] The present disclosure is not limited to the details of the foregoing embodiments. The present disclosure extends to any novel one or any novel combination of the features disclosed in this specification (including any attached claims, abstracts and drawings), or to any novel one or any novel combination of the steps of any method or process disclosed in this manner.

[0169] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the steps adopted by the above-described method embodiment may be accomplished by commanding hardware associated with a program, and the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed, includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiment.

[0170] In addition, the functional units in various embodiments of the present application may be integrated in the processing module, or each unit may physically exist separately, or two or more units may be integrated in one module. The integrated module may be implemented in the form of hardware, and may also be implemented in the form of a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, the integrated module may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0171] Although the present disclosure has been described with various embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0172] Nothing in the description of this application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included in the scope of the claims. The scope of the patented subject matter is limited only by the claims. In addition, no claim is intended to invoke a "functional limitation claim" (e.g., 35 U.S.C. §112(f)) unless the exact expression "means for..." is followed by a participle.

[0173] Although the present disclosure has been described with various embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by an IAB node in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving a buffer status report BSR from the child IAB node; as well as In case of receiving the BSR from the child IAB node, sending a preemptive BSR to the parent IAB node, The format of the preemptive BSR is identified based on the logical channel identifier LCID value. wherein the LCID value indicating the format of the preemptive BSR is different from the LCID value indicating the format of a BSR different from the preemptive BSR, wherein the preemptive BSR includes information indicating the amount of expected data arriving at the IAB node from the child IAB node, and Therein, the amount of expected data arriving is reported for at least one logical channel group (LCG).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Before receiving the BSR, an uplink grant is sent to the child IAB node.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Before receiving the BSR from the child IAB node, receiving a scheduling request SR from the child IAB node, The sending of the preemptive BSR to the parent IAB node includes sending the preemptive BSR based on the configuration of the SR.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Sending the preemptive BSR to the parent IAB node includes sending the preemptive BSR based on a priority of the arriving expected data.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: Sending the preemptive BSR based on a priority of the arriving expected data includes sending the preemptive BSR if the priority of the arriving expected data is higher than the priority of data present in a buffer of the IAB node.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Sending the preemptive BSR to the parent IAB node includes sending the preemptive BSR based on a number of hops required for data to reach a destination of the data.

7. An IAB node in a wireless communication system, the IAB node comprising: Transceiver; and At least one processor configured to: controlling the transceiver to receive a buffer status report BSR from a child IAB node, controlling the transceiver to send a preemptive BSR to the parent IAB node when receiving the BSR from the child IAB node, The format of the preemptive BSR is identified based on the logical channel identifier LCID value. wherein the LCID value indicating the format of the preemptive BSR is different from the LCID value indicating the format of a BSR different from the preemptive BSR, wherein the preemptive BSR includes information indicating the amount of expected data arriving at the IAB node from the child IAB node, and Therein, the amount of expected data arriving is reported for at least one logical channel group (LCG).

8. The IAB node according to claim 7, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: controlling the transceiver to receive a scheduling request SR from the child IAB node, and The transceiver is controlled to send the preemptive BSR to the parent IAB node based on the configuration of the SR.

9. The IAB node according to claim 7, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: The transceiver is controlled to send an uplink grant to the child IAB node.

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