Mechanism that provides multiple transmission opportunities

Abstract

Embodiments of this disclosure relate to a mechanism for providing multiple transmission opportunities. According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network device sends a random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities. If the random access response includes a preamble for a terminal device, the indication of the number of transmission opportunities is applied to the terminal device. This approach saves overhead and increases flexibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for providing multiple transmission opportunities. Background Technology

[0002] In recent communication networks, it has been proposed to communicate on unlicensed spectrum to improve communication capacity. For example, terminal devices share the Random Access Channel (RACH) to request access to the network for call setup and burst data transmission. Because the RACH is shared, two or more terminal devices may transmit simultaneously, and their transmissions may conflict. This is called contention. If a terminal device does not receive a response, it will execute the random access request again. Such transmission conflicts can lead to unwanted random access failures and unexpected transmission delays. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally, embodiments of this disclosure relate to methods and corresponding communication devices for providing multiple transmission opportunities.

[0004] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus 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, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to send a random access request from the apparatus to another device. The random access request includes a preamble of the device. The apparatus is also caused to receive a random access response from the other device in response to the random access request. The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a set of devices responding to the random access request. The apparatus is further caused to determine, in response to determining that the random access response includes a preamble of the device, a number of authorized transmission opportunities for the device based on the indication. The apparatus is further caused to determine a set of transmission resources for the device, at least in part based on the number of transmission opportunities.

[0005] In a second aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus 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, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive a random access request from another device, including a preamble of the other device. The apparatus is further caused to generate a random access response to the random access request in response to the random access request being accepted. The random access response includes the preamble of the other device. The apparatus is also caused to send the random access response to the other device. The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request, and transmission resources for one transmission opportunity.

[0006] Thirdly, a method is provided. The method includes sending a random access request from a first device to a second device. The random access request includes a preamble from the first device. The method also includes receiving a random access response from the second device in response to the random access request. The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a set of devices that responded to the random access request. The method further includes determining, in response to determining that the random access response includes the preamble of the first device, the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device based on the indication. The method also includes determining a set of transmission resources for the first device based at least in part on the number of transmission opportunities.

[0007] Fourthly, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, at a second device, a random access request from a first device, including a preamble of the first device. The method further includes generating a random access response to the random access request being accepted. The random access response includes the preamble of the first device. The method further includes sending the random access response to the first device. The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a set of devices responding to the random access request, and transmission resources for one transmission opportunity.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes components for sending a random access request from a first device to a second device. The random access request includes a preamble of the first device. The apparatus also includes components for receiving a random access response from the second device in response to the random access request. The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request. The apparatus further includes components for determining the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device based on the random access response in response to determining that the random access response includes the preamble of the first device. The apparatus also includes components for determining a set of transmission resources for the first device based at least in part on the number of transmission opportunities.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes components for receiving, at a second device, a random access request from a first device containing a preamble of the first device. The apparatus further includes components for generating a random access response to the random access request in response to its acceptance. The random access response includes the preamble of the first device. The apparatus further includes components for sending the random access response to the first device. The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request, and transmission resources for one transmission opportunity.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a non-transient computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transient computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method according to any one of the third to fourth aspects described above.

[0011] It should be understood that the overview section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figures 3A-3C A schematic diagram of the random access response is shown;

[0016] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a server device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0019] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the purposes of this disclosure, and do not impose any limitations on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways besides those 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 this disclosure pertains.

[0023] References to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment is required to include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed that combining it with other embodiments (whether explicitly described or not) to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

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

[0025] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “containing,” and / or “comprising” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

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

[0027] (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems), and

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

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

[0030] (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory that works together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0031] (c) Hardware circuitry and / or processors, such as microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may be absent when operation is not required.

[0032] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors in general) and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit system" also covers (e.g., and if applicable to a particular claim element) baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits in mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0033] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between user equipment and network equipment in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody the present disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the systems described above.

[0034] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which user equipment accesses the network and receives services. Network devices can refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as 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 Header Terminal (RRH), relay, low-power nodes (such as femtoseconds, picoseconds), etc., depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0035] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a 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 can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image acquisition terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless terminals, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal equipment", "communication equipment", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0036] As mentioned above, several mechanisms have been proposed for RACH. For example, in communications, such as newer Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) networks, both 4-step and 2-step RACH procedures can be supported. The "2-step RACH" used in this protocol refers to a contention-based RACH (CBRA) procedure that can be completed in two steps. Another advantage of 2-step RACH is the reduction in the number of messages, thereby reducing the impact of Listen-Before-Speak (LBT). Furthermore, additional RACH message opportunities can be introduced to mitigate the impact of LBT failures.

[0037] In traditional technologies, terminal devices must monitor multiple Random Access Responses (RARs) to secure multiple opportunities, which can lead to additional power consumption. In other traditional technologies, terminal devices may receive multiple independent RARs for the same preamble within a single Protocol Data Unit (PDU), potentially resulting in excessive overhead. Some traditional technologies require network devices to be semi-statically configured with multiple opportunities, which can lack flexibility. Furthermore, in semi-static configuration techniques, worst-case assumptions are necessary due to the highly dynamic channel availability state and the significant waste of uplink resources. In some traditional technologies, the RAR format may be modified to indicate multiple uplink grants within each individual RAR, which can lack backward compatibility. Therefore, new solutions providing multiple transmission opportunities are needed.

[0038] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the network device sends a random access response that includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities. If the random access response includes a preamble for the terminal device, the indication of the number of transmission opportunities is applied to the terminal device. This saves overhead and improves flexibility.

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. The communication system 100 includes a first device 110 and a second device 120. For illustrative purposes, the first device 110 may be referred to as a terminal device 110, and the second device 120 may be referred to as a network device 120. It should be noted that the first device and the second device are interchangeable. For example, a process described as implemented on a terminal device may also be implemented on a network device, and vice versa.

[0040] The link from the second device 120 to the first device 110 can be called the "downlink", and the link from the first device 110 to the second device 120 can be called the "uplink".

[0041] Communication system 100, as part of a communication network, includes terminal devices 110-1, 110-2, ..., 110-N (collectively referred to as "terminal devices 110", where N is an integer). Communication system 100 includes one or more network devices, such as network device 120. It should be understood that communication system 100 may also include other elements omitted for clarity. Figure 1 The number of terminal devices and network devices shown is given for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation. Device 120 can communicate with terminal device 110.

[0042] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices appropriate for implementing embodiments of this disclosure.

[0043] Communication in communication system 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and fifth-generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11), and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Furthermore, communication can use 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 Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other currently known or future-developed technologies.

[0044] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an interaction 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Interaction 200 can be implemented at any suitable device. For illustrative purposes only, interaction 200 is described as being implemented at terminal device 110-1 and network device 120.

[0045] Terminal device 110-1 sends a 2005 random access request to network device 120. This random access request includes a preamble from terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, random access may be triggered by network device 120. Alternatively, random access may be triggered by a higher layer, such as a re-establishment of radio resource control. In some embodiments, network device 120 may inform terminal device 110-1 of the index of the preamble in downlink control information.

[0046] Alternatively, terminal device 110-1 may select a preamble itself. In some embodiments, terminal device 110-1 may determine a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) to send a random access request.

[0047] Network device 120 generates a random access response 2010 in response to a random access request. If the random access request from terminal device 110-1 is accepted, the random access response includes a preamble for terminal device 110-1. The random access response also includes information about the transmission resources authorized for terminal device 110-1. For example, if the transmission resources are in the time domain, the random access response may include information about one or more time slots that terminal device 110-1 can use to perform uplink transmissions. Alternatively, if the transmission resources are in the frequency domain, the random access response may include information about one or more physical resource blocks that the terminal device can use to perform uplink transmissions.

[0048] The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities for terminal device 110-1 (also known as a "multiple opportunity indication"). The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized to a group of terminal devices that are permitted random access. If the random access response is sent to multiple terminal devices, the multiple opportunity indication is applied to the group of terminal devices that responded to the random access request.

[0049] In some embodiments, network device 120 may determine the number of 2012 transmission opportunities based on the channel state between network device 120 and terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, the multiple opportunity indication may indicate multiple time-domain opportunities, wherein the time-domain opportunities have a time-domain offset from the uplink grant. Alternatively, the indication may indicate multiple frequency-domain opportunities, wherein the frequency-domain opportunities have a frequency offset from the resources (PRB) provided in the uplink grant.

[0050] Figures 3A-3C A schematic diagram of a random access response in a Media Access Control (MAC) PDU 300 is shown. The MAC PDU 300 may include MAC sub-PDUs 310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4, ..., 310-M (where M is an integer). Each MAC sub-PDI may include one of the following: a MAC subheader with only a backoff indicator; a MAC subheader with only a random access preamble identifier (RAPID) (i.e., a System Information Acknowledgment (SI) request); a MAC subheader with RAPID; and MACRAR.

[0051] like Figure 3A As shown, MAC sub-PDU 310-1 has an E / T / R / BI subheader 320, MAC sub-PDU 310-2 has a subheader 330-1, and MAC sub-PDU 310-3 has a subheader 330-2 and a MAC RAR 340. (As...) Figure 3B As shown, the subheader 320 with a backoff indicator has five header fields: E field 3201, T field 3202, R field 3203, R field 3204, and a backoff indicator field 3205. The subheader 320 with a backoff indicator can only be placed at the beginning of the MAC PDU 300. Figure 3C As shown, the RAPID 330-1 subheader has three header fields: E field 3301, T field 3302, and RAPID field 3303. Reserved bits in subheader 320 can be used to indicate the number of transmission opportunities. Legacy terminal equipment will not be affected, as it may interpret this as a fallback.

[0052] Table 1 below shows the relationship between reserved bits and the number of transmission opportunities. It should be noted that... Figure 1The values ​​and numbers shown are for illustrative purposes only and are not limitations.

[0053] Table 1

[0054] Multiple opportunity indicators Number of transmission opportunities 00 1 01 2 10 3 11 4

[0055] In this way, multiple opportunity metrics are applied to all UL grants for each individual RAR, and the size of each individual RAR remains constant within the RAR PDU. This saves overhead compared to copying a single RAR in a PDU or sending RARs across multiple RARs. It also offers greater flexibility compared to semi-static configuration via RRC, as the channel busy / idle status is highly dynamic.

[0056] Network device 120 sends a 2015 random access response to terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, the terminal device may monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) to receive the random access response. Terminal device 110-1 determines whether the 2020 random access response has been received. For example, if the preamble ID (identifier) ​​of terminal device 110-1 is in the random access response, then terminal device 110-1 can determine that the random access has been received. If the random access response includes the preamble of terminal device 110-1, then terminal device 110-1 determines the number of 2025 transmission opportunities from the random access response. For example, as described above, if the self-report header 320 includes the indication "10", then terminal device 110-1 can determine that there are three transmission opportunities.

[0057] Terminal device 110-1 can determine 2030 transmission resources (also known as "UL grants") based on the random access response. For example, terminal device 110-1 can determine transmission resources from a MAC RAR (e.g., MAC RAR 340). The random access response may include several bits to allocate time and / or frequency resources to terminal device 110-1.

[0058] In some embodiments, network device 120 may send a 2002 resource offset to terminal device 110-1 via RRC signaling prior to the random access procedure. Alternatively, the resource offset may be pre-configured to terminal device 110-1. For example, the resource offset may be defined in a specification.

[0059] In some embodiments, the resource offset can be in the frequency domain. For example, the frequency offset can be 20 MHz. Alternatively, the resource offset can be in the time domain. Terminal device 110-1 can determine the 2040 resource offset from information received via RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the terminal device can also determine the resource offset in the 2040 pre-configuration information. In some embodiments, the multiple time-domain opportunities are consecutive uplink grants following the UL grant indicated in the random access response, with no gaps / offsets between opportunities.

[0060] Terminal device 110-1 determines the 2045 set of transmission resources at least in part based on the number of transmission opportunities. Terminal device 110-1 may determine the set of transmission resources based on the number of transmission opportunities and resource offsets.

[0061] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method 400 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Method 400 can be implemented on any suitable device. For illustrative purposes only, method 400 is described as being implemented at terminal device 110-1. It should be noted that method 400 can also be implemented at network device 120.

[0062] At block 410, terminal device 110-1 sends a random access request to network device 120. This random access request includes a preamble from terminal device 110-1. Random access may be triggered by network device 120. Alternatively, random access may be triggered by a higher layer, such as a re-establishment of radio resource control. In some embodiments, network device 120 may inform terminal device 110-1 of the index of the preamble in downlink control information.

[0063] Alternatively, terminal device 110-1 can select a preamble. Terminal device 110-1 can determine the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) to send a random access request.

[0064] At box 420, terminal device 110-1 receives a random access response from network device 120. The terminal device may monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) to receive the random access response. If a random access request from terminal device 110-1 is responded to, the random access response includes a preamble ID of terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, the random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of terminal devices for which the random access request was responded. If the random access response is sent to multiple terminal devices, the multiple opportunity indications are applied to the group of terminal devices for which the random access request was responded.

[0065] At box 430, if the preamble ID of terminal device 110-1 is in the random access response, then terminal device 110-1 determines the number of transmission opportunities based on the random access response. The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities for terminal device 110-1.

[0066] In some embodiments, the indication may indicate multiple time-domain opportunities, wherein the time-domain opportunities have a time-domain offset from the uplink grant. In some embodiments, the multiple time-domain opportunities are consecutive uplink grants following the UL grant indicated in the random access response. Alternatively, the indication may indicate multiple frequency-domain opportunities, wherein the frequency-domain opportunities have a frequency offset from the resource (PRB) provided in the uplink grant. For example, as described above, if the sub-header includes the indication "10", the terminal device 110-1 may determine that three transmission opportunities exist.

[0067] At block 440, terminal device 110-1 determines the set of transmission resources at least in part based on the number of transmission opportunities. Terminal device 110-1 may determine the set of transmission resources based on transmission resources, the number of transmission opportunities, and resource offsets. In some embodiments, terminal device 110-1 may determine transmission resources based on a random access response. For example, terminal device 110-1 may determine transmission resources from a MAC RAR. The random access response may include several bits to allocate time and / or frequency resources to terminal device 110-1.

[0068] In some embodiments, terminal device 110-1 may receive resource offsets from network device 120 via RRC signaling. Alternatively, the resource offsets may be pre-configured to terminal device 110-1. For example, the resource offsets may be defined in a specification. In some embodiments, the resource offsets may be in the frequency domain. For example, the frequency offset may be 20MHz. Alternatively, the resource offsets may be in the time domain. Terminal device 110-1 may determine the resource offsets from information received via RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the terminal device may also determine resource offsets from pre-configured information.

[0069] Figure 5 A flowchart of method 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 500 can be implemented on any suitable device. For illustrative purposes only, method 500 is described as being implemented at network device 120. It should be noted that method 500 can also be implemented at terminal device 110-1.

[0070] At block 510, network device 120 receives a random access request from terminal device 110-1. This random access request includes a preamble from terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, random access may be triggered by network device 120. Alternatively, random access may be triggered by a higher layer, such as a re-establishment of radio resource control. In some embodiments, network device 120 may inform terminal device 110-1 of the index of the preamble in downlink control information. Network device 120 may receive multiple random access requests from multiple terminal devices.

[0071] At box 520, network device 120 generates a random access response to the random access request. If the random access request from terminal device 110-1 is responded to, the random access response includes the preamble ID of terminal device 110-1.

[0072] The random access response also includes information about the transmission resources authorized for terminal device 110-1. For example, if the transmission resources are in the time domain, the random access response may include information about one or more time slots that terminal device 110-1 can use to perform uplink transmissions. Alternatively, if the transmission resources are in the frequency domain, the random access response may include information about one or more physical resource blocks that the terminal device can use to perform uplink transmissions.

[0073] The random access response includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities for terminal device 110-1. The random access response also includes an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of terminal devices responding to the random access request. If the random access response is sent to multiple terminal devices, multiple opportunity indications are applied to the group of terminal devices responding to the random access request.

[0074] In some embodiments, network device 120 may determine the number of transmission opportunities based on the channel state between network device 120 and terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, the indication may indicate multiple time-domain opportunities, wherein the time-domain opportunities have a time-domain offset from the uplink grant. Alternatively, the indication may indicate multiple frequency-domain opportunities, wherein the frequency-domain opportunities have a frequency offset from the resources (PRB) provided in the uplink grant.

[0075] At box 530, network device 120 sends a random access response. For example, network device 120 may send a random access response on the PDCCH. In some embodiments, network device 120 may send a 2035 resource offset to terminal device 110-1 via RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the resource offset may be in the frequency domain. For example, the frequency offset may be 20 MHz. Alternatively, the resource offset may be in the time domain.

[0076] In some embodiments, an apparatus for performing method 400 (e.g., terminal device 110-1) may include corresponding components for performing corresponding steps in method 400. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by a circuit system or a software module.

[0077] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for sending a random access request from a first device to a second device, the random access request including a preamble of the first device; means for receiving a random access response from the second device in response to the random access request, the random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a set of devices to which the random access request is responded; means for determining the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device based on the indication in response to determining that the random access response includes the preamble of the first device; and means for determining a set of transmission resources for the first device based at least in part on the number of transmission opportunities.

[0078] In some embodiments, the components for determining a set of transmission resources for a first device include: components for determining transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on a random access response; components for receiving information from a second device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset; and components for determining a set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on the transmission resources for a transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

[0079] In some embodiments, the components for determining the set of transmission resources for the first device include: components for determining transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on a random access response; components for obtaining a resource offset pre-configured to the first device; and components for determining the set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on the transmission resources for a transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

[0080] In some embodiments, the transport resource set and resource offset are in the time domain.

[0081] In some embodiments, the transmission resource set and resource offset are in the frequency domain.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal device, and the second device is a network device.

[0083] In some embodiments, an apparatus for performing method 500 (e.g., network device 120) may include corresponding components for performing corresponding steps in method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by a circuit system or a software module.

[0084] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving, at a second device, a random access request from a first device including a preamble of the first device; components for generating a random access response to the random access request in response to the random access request being responded to, the random access response including the preamble of the first device; and components for sending the random access response to the first device, the random access response including: an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices that responded to the random access request, and transmission resources for one transmission opportunity.

[0085] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a component for transmitting information to a first device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset for determining a set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity.

[0086] In some embodiments, the transport resource set and resource offset are in the time domain.

[0087] In some embodiments, the transmission resource set and resource offset are in the frequency domain.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal device and the second device is a network device.

[0089] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes means for determining the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device based on the channel state between the first device and the second device.

[0090] Figure 6 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 600 can be used to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1 The network device 120 or terminal device 110 shown. As shown, device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to processor 610, and one or more communication modules (e.g., transmitters and / or receivers (TX / RX)) 640 coupled to processor 610.

[0091] Communication module 640 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 640 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0092] Processor 610 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 600 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0093] Memory 620 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 624, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power-off periods.

[0094] Computer program 630 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 610. Program 630 may be stored in ROM 624. Processor 610 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 630 into RAM 622.

[0095] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by program 630, enabling device 600 to perform as described in the reference. Figures 2 to 5 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0096] In some embodiments, program 630 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 600 (such as in memory 620) or other storage device accessible to device 600. Device 600 may load program 630 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 622 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 7 An example of a computer-readable medium 700 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer-readable medium has a program 630 stored thereon.

[0097] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the block diagrams, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0098] This 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 computer-executable instructions included in a program module, which execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-mentioned references. Figure 2-5 Methods 400 and 500 are described. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data types, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data structures. The functionality of program modules can be combined or split among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions used for a program module can execute on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules can reside on local and remote storage media.

[0099] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, it causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0100] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0101] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections having 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 optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0102] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or to perform all shown operations 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 this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0103] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A device for communication, 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, enable the device to: Sending a random access request from the device to another device, the random access request including the device's preamble; Receive a random access response from the other device in response to the random access request, the random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the group of devices responding to the random access request; In response to determining that the random access response includes the device's preamble, the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the device is determined based on the indication; as well as The set of transmission resources for the device is determined at least in part based on the number of transmission opportunities, wherein the device determines the set of transmission resources for the device in the following manner: Based on the random access response, transmission resources for a transmission opportunity are determined; Obtain the resource offset pre-configured to the device; and The set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity is determined based on the transmission resources used for that transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the time domain.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the frequency domain.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a terminal device and the other device is a network device.

5. A device for communication, 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, enable the device to: Sending a random access request from the device to another device, the random access request including the device's preamble; Receive a random access response from the other device in response to the random access request, the random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the group of devices responding to the random access request; In response to determining that the random access response includes the device's preamble, the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the device is determined based on the indication; as well as The set of transmission resources for the device is determined at least in part based on the number of transmission opportunities, wherein the device determines the set of transmission resources for the device in the following manner: Based on the random access response, transmission resources for a transmission opportunity are determined; Information is received from the other device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset; and The set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity is determined based on the transmission resources used for that transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the time domain.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the frequency domain.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the device is a terminal device and the other device is a network device.

9. A device for communication, 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, enable the device to: Receive a random access request from another device, the random access request including the preamble of the other device; In response to the random access request being responded to, a random access response is generated for the random access request, the random access response including the preamble of the other device; Send the random access response to the other device, the random access response including: an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request, and transmission resources for one transmission opportunity; as well as Information is sent to the other device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset used to determine the set of transmission resources for the transmission opportunity.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the time domain.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the frequency domain.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Based on the channel state between the device and the other device, the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the other device is determined.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is a network device and the other device is a terminal device.

14. A method of communication, comprising: A random access request is sent from the first device to the second device, the random access request including the preamble of the first device; Receive a random access response from the second device in response to the random access request, the random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request; In response to determining that the random access response includes the preamble of the first device, the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device is determined based on the indication; as well as The set of transmission resources for the first device is determined at least in part based on the number of transmission opportunities, wherein determining the set of transmission resources for the first device includes: Based on the random access response, transmission resources for a transmission opportunity are determined; Obtain the resource offset pre-configured to the first device; and The set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity is determined based on the transmission resources used for that transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the time domain.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the frequency domain.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein, The first device is a terminal device, and the second device is a network device.

18. A method of communication, comprising: A random access request is sent from the first device to the second device, the random access request including the preamble of the first device; Receive a random access response from the second device in response to the random access request, the random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request; In response to determining that the random access response includes the preamble of the first device, the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device is determined based on the indication; as well as The set of transmission resources for the first device is determined at least in part based on the number of transmission opportunities, wherein determining the set of transmission resources for the first device includes: Based on the random access response, transmission resources for a transmission opportunity are determined; Information is received from the second device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset; and The set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity is determined based on the transmission resources used for that transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the time domain.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the frequency domain.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The first device is a terminal device, and the second device is a network device.

22. A method of communication, comprising: At the second device, a random access request is received from the first device, the random access request including the preamble of the first device; In response to the random access request being responded to, a random access response is generated for the random access request, the random access response including the preamble of the first device; Send the random access response to the first device, the random access response including: an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request, and transmission resources for one transmission opportunity; as well as Information is sent to the first device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset used to determine the set of transmission resources for the transmission opportunity.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the time domain.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the set of transmission resources and the resource offset are in the frequency domain.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising: Based on the channel state between the first device and the second device, the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device is determined.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first device is a terminal device and the second device is a network device.

27. An apparatus for communication, comprising: A component for sending a random access request from a first device to a second device, the random access request including a preamble of the first device; Components for receiving a random access response from the second device in response to the random access request, the random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request; Components for determining the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device based on the indication in response to determining that the random access response includes the preamble of the first device; as well as The components for determining a set of transmission resources for the first device based at least in part on the number of transmission opportunities, wherein the components for determining the set of transmission resources for the first device based at least in part on the number of transmission opportunities include: Components for determining transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on the random access response; A component for obtaining the resource offset pre-configured to the first device; as well as A component for determining the set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on the transmission resources for that transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first device is a terminal device and the second device is a network device.

29. An apparatus for communication, comprising: A component for sending a random access request from a first device to a second device, the random access request including a preamble of the first device; Components for receiving a random access response from the second device in response to the random access request, the random access response including an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request; Components for determining the number of transmission opportunities authorized for the first device based on the indication in response to determining that the random access response includes the preamble of the first device; as well as The components for determining a set of transmission resources for the first device based at least in part on the number of transmission opportunities, wherein the components for determining the set of transmission resources for the first device based at least in part on the number of transmission opportunities include: Components for determining transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on the random access response; Used to receive information from the second device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset component; as well as A component for determining the set of transmission resources for a transmission opportunity based on the transmission resources for that transmission opportunity, the number of transmission opportunities, and the resource offset.

30. A device for communication, comprising: A component for receiving a random access request from a first device at a second device, the random access request including a preamble of the first device; Components for generating a random access response to the random access request in response to the random access request, the random access response including the preamble of the first device; as well as The component for sending the random access response to the first device includes: an indication of the number of transmission opportunities authorized for a group of devices responding to the random access request, and a subset of transmission resources for one transmission opportunity; as well as A component for transmitting information to the first device via radio resource signaling, the information including a resource offset used to determine the set of transmission resources for the transmission opportunity.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein, The first device is a terminal device, and the second device is a network device.

32. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit of a machine, cause the machine to perform the method according to any one of claims 14-21.

33. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit of a machine, cause the machine to perform the method according to any one of claims 22-26.

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