Bit reduction in resource information

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to bit reduction in resource information. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of bits used to indicate resource allocation is reduced, and a network device generates control information based on an offset associated with the bit reduction. In this way, multiple transmission opportunities for transmitting Msg3 of a random access procedure are provided without increasing signaling overhead.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and more particularly, to methods, devices, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for bit reduction in resource information. Background Art

[0002] As communication systems develop, new technologies have been proposed. Communications on unlicensed spectrum have been proposed to increase communication capacity. For example, terminal devices share a random access channel (RACH) to request access to the network for call establishment and burst data transmission. The terminal device can send a random access request to a network device, and the network device can allocate resources to the terminal device in a random access response. Alternatively, the network can allocate resources to the connected terminal device for burst data transmission through downlink control signaling. Summary of the invention

[0003] Generally, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for bit reduction in resource information and corresponding communication devices.

[0004] In a first aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first device to: determine that bit reduction is to be performed on a resource allocation. The first device is also caused to receive, at the first device, control information from a second device, the control information including an indication of resources allocated to the first device. Bit reduction has been performed on the indication. The first device is also caused to determine an offset associated with the bit reduction. The first device is also caused to determine the resources allocated to the first device based on the offset and the indication.

[0005] In a second aspect, a second device is provided. The second device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second device to determine resources allocated to the first device based on the reduced number of bits of the resource allocation. The second device is also caused to obtain an offset associated with a bit reduction performed on control information related to the resource allocation. The second device is also caused to generate control information including an indication of the resources allocated to the first device based on the offset. The second device is also caused to send the control information to the first device.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes determining that bit reduction is to be performed on a resource allocation. The method also includes receiving control information at a first device from a second device, the control information including an indication of resources allocated to the first device. Bit reduction has been performed on the control information. The method also includes obtaining an offset associated with the bit reduction. The method also includes determining the resources allocated to the first device based on the offset and the indication.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes determining a resource allocated to a first device based on a number of bits of a reduction in resource allocation. The method also includes determining, at a second device, an offset associated with a bit reduction performed on an indication, the indication being about the resource allocated to the first device. The method also includes generating control information about the resource allocation including the indication based on the offset. The method also includes sending the control information to the first device.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes means for determining that bit reduction is to be performed on a resource allocation. The apparatus also includes means for receiving control information from a second device at a first device, the control information including an indication of resources allocated to the first device, wherein bit reduction has been performed on the indication. The apparatus also includes means for determining an offset associated with the bit reduction. The apparatus also includes means for determining the resources allocated to the first device based on the offset and the indication.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a component for determining resources allocated to a first device using a number of bits based on a reduction in resource allocation. The apparatus also includes a component for determining, at a second device, an offset associated with a bit reduction performed on an indication, the indication being about resources allocated to the first device. The apparatus also includes a component for generating control information about resource allocation including the indication based on the offset. The apparatus also includes a component for sending the control information to the first device.

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

[0011] It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

[0013] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a medium access control (MAC) random access response (RAR) is shown;

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing interactions between devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4A A schematic diagram showing a mapping between a resource length and an indication value according to a conventional technique;

[0017] Figure 4B A schematic diagram showing a mapping between a resource length and an indication value according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0021] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The principle of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for the purpose of illustrating and helping those skilled in the art to understand and realize the present disclosure, without any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be realized in various other ways except as described below.

[0024] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, 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 belongs.

[0025] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0026] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiment, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0027] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are 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 "comprise", "including", "having", "having", "including" and / or "comprising" when used herein specify the presence of the 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.

[0028] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one, more, or all of the following:

[0029] (a) pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuitry only), and

[0030] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0031] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and

[0032] (ii) any portion of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software, software and memory that work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0033] (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may not be present when not required for operation.

[0034] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers (for example and if applicable to a particular claim element) a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit of a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0035] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that follows any suitable communication criteria, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), New Radio (NR), etc. In addition, the communication between the user equipment and the network equipment in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.95G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocol, and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, of course, there will also be communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody future types of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0036] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a user equipment accesses the network and receives services therefrom. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low power node (such as a femto, a pico), etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0037] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, the terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS) or an access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image acquisition terminal device (such as a digital camera), a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless terminal, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless client device (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, equipment operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0038] As described above, the network device may allocate resources to the terminal device and send resource allocation information in a random access response (RAR). Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a MAC RAR 100. Figure 1 As shown, the MAC RAR 100 includes a reserved bit 210 set to "0". The MAC RAR 100 also includes a timing advance (TA) command field 220, which indicates an index value TA used to control the timing adjustment amount. The size of the timing advance command field 220 is 12 bits. The MAC RAR 100 also includes an uplink (UL) grant field 130, which indicates the resources to be used on the uplink. The size of the UL grant field 130 is 27 bits. The MAC RAR 100 also includes a temporary cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) field 140, which indicates a temporary identifier used by the MAC entity during random access. The size of the temporary C-RNTI field 140 is 16 bits.

[0039] In New Radio (NR) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication systems, resources can be viewed as multiple physical resource blocks (PRBs). The resources allocated to a terminal device can be represented by the starting position and the number of PRBs. For a bandwidth part (BWP) of N resource blocks (RBs), the starting RB and the number of allocated RBs can be jointly encoded, that is, mapped to a unique resource indication value (RIV). Table 1 shows the algorithm for mapping resource allocation to RIV. This type of resource allocation is used to allocate resources for MSG3, for allocating resources by fallback DCI format 0_0 and DCI format 0_1, and can be used to allocate resources using non-fallback DCI format 0_1 ​​and DCI format 1_1.

[0040] Table 1

[0041]

[0042] Recently, multiple message 3 (MSG3) opportunities are being discussed for NR operation on unlicensed bands. As another example, a listen-before-talk (LBT) category for MSG3 initial transmission can be provided to the terminal device in the RAR.

[0043] According to the New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) work item description, NR-U should support different deployment scenarios, including carrier aggregation between licensed band NR (PCell) and NR-U (SCell). This is sometimes also referred to as the NR licensed assisted access (LAA) scenario. In the NR LAA scenario, SCell and PCell may be in different timing advance groups (TAGs). If the terminal device performs contention-free random access via the unlicensed SCell, the RAR will be provided from the licensed PCell. When sending the RAR, the network device can address it to the corresponding RA-RNTI, which is determined as follows:

[0044] The RA-RNTI associated with the physical random access channel (PRACH) opportunity in which the random access preamble is transmitted may be calculated as:

[0045] RA-RNTI=1+s_id+14×t_id+14×80×f_id+ (1)

[0046] 14×80×8×ul_carrier_id

[0047] Where s_id is the index of the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of the PRACH opportunity (0≤s_id<14), t_id is the index of the first time slot of the PRACH opportunity in the system frame (0≤t_id<80), f_id is the index of the PRACH opportunity in the frequency domain (0≤f_id<8), and ul_carrier_id is the UL carrier used for random access preamble transmission (0 for NUL carrier and 1 for SUL carrier).

[0048] Unless the terminal device is configured with different RACH occasions (RO) for PCell and SCell, the RA-RNTI used to address terminal devices performing random access via the licensed PCell and terminal devices performing random access via the unlicensed SCell (NR-UE) may be the same in some cases. Configuration of different ROs for PCell and SCell may be unnecessary, since only contention-free random access for multiple TA cases is supported on SCell, and for which, most likely only e.g. a few preambles are needed.

[0049] Therefore, the network device can send a RAR or MSG2 (containing scheduling information for MSG3 in addition to other information) that should be readable by NR-U and NR terminal devices. Such an MSG2 MAC protocol data unit (PDU) can contain multiple MAC sub-PDUs (MAC RARs for legacy and NR-U terminal devices), and it would be beneficial to keep those sub-PDUs of the same size in the NR LAA case to maintain backward compatibility. Therefore, it is worth considering how to indicate new information (e.g., LBT type, multiple transmission opportunities, etc.) for NR-U terminal devices in the MSG2 MAC sub-PDU (i.e., MACRAR) without increasing the MAC RAR payload size. Frequency domain resource allocation (FD-RA) consumes a large number of bits, and one way to free up some bits is to reduce the FD-RA field. In addition, the reduction in the size of the FD-RA field is beneficial in itself and can be generally applied to NR-U scheduling.

[0050] In LTE and NR, the following mechanisms have been considered so far to reduce the size of the FD-RA field in a downlink (DL) assignment or UL grant:

[0051] (1) By increasing the allocation granularity. The value of RIV is received and interpreted as the starting RB RB start and L RBs These are multiplied by a factor K. However, this may result in increased granularity of allocation and reduced flexibility of the network equipment.

[0052] (2) By padding / truncation. The RIV value received in the downlink control information is padded with zeros and interpreted by the terminal device. However, since the random combination of RB start and number is removed, padding / truncation may cause complexity at the network equipment when MSG3 is multiplexed with other UL services.

[0053] Therefore, a new bit reduction mechanism is needed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of bits used to indicate resource allocation is reduced, and the network device generates control information based on the offset associated with the bit reduction. In this way, multiple transmission opportunities for transmitting Msg3 of the random access procedure are provided without increasing signaling overhead, significant increase in complexity, or significant resource allocation restrictions.

[0054] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a communication system 200 in which an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. The communication system 200 includes a first device 210 and a second device 220. For purposes of illustration, hereinafter, the first device 210 may be referred to as a terminal device 210, and the second device 220 may be referred to as a network device 220. It should be noted that the first device and the second device are interchangeable. For example, a process described as being implemented at a terminal device can also be implemented at a network device, and a process described as being implemented at a network device can also be implemented at a terminal device.

[0055] A link from the second device 220 to the first device 210 may be referred to as a “downlink,” and a link from the first device 210 to the second device 220 may be referred to as an “uplink.”

[0056] The communication system 100 as part of a communication network includes terminal devices 210-1, 210-2, ..., 210-N (collectively referred to as "terminal devices 210", where N is an integer). The communication system 100 includes one or more network devices, such as network device 220. It should be understood that the communication system 100 may also include other elements that are omitted for the purpose of clarity. It should be understood that Figure 2 The number of terminal devices and network devices shown is given for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation.Terminal device 210 and network device 220 may communicate with each other.

[0057] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is only for illustration purposes and does not represent any limitation. System 200 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0058] The communication in the communication system 200 can be implemented according to any appropriate communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols of the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) and fifth generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols (such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc.), and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. In addition, the communication can use any appropriate 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 spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or developed in the future.

[0059] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an interaction 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The interaction 300 can be implemented at any suitable device. For illustrative purposes only, the interaction 300 is described as being implemented at the terminal device 210-1 and the network device 220. The interaction 300 can be implemented in the RAR. Alternatively or additionally, the interaction 300 can be implemented in the enhancement of the downlink control information and in the scenario of ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in any suitable scenario.

[0060] The network device 220 determines 3001 resources to allocate for the terminal device 210-1. In some embodiments, the network device 220 determines a minimum amount and a maximum amount of resources allowed to be allocated to the first device. The network device 220 may also determine a resource allocation associated with the minimum amount and the maximum amount.

[0061] In some embodiments, the network device may determine 3005 the original number of bits used to indicate resource allocation in the control information. For example, if there are N bits that can be allocated to the terminal device 210-1 BWP If there are 1 PRBs, the number of PRBs allocated to a terminal device can be from 1 to N. Therefore, the number of RIV value entries (expressed as "N tot ”) can be obtained by:

[0062]

[0063] Where N is the number of PRBs.

[0064] Therefore, the original number of bits can be obtained as follows:

[0065]

[0066] where btot is the original number of bits.

[0067] For illustration purposes only, assume that the number of PRBs is N BWP is 48. Therefore, the number of RIV value entries N tot is 1176, and the original number of bits b tot It's 11. Figure 4A FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the mapping between resource length and indication value according to the conventional technology. Figure 4A As shown, the vertical axis represents the number of PRBs L RB , the horizontal axis represents the number of RIV entries. Figure 4A As shown, the number of PRBs is L RB can range from 1 to 48, and the number of RIV entries N tot It can be 1176.

[0068] The network device 220 may determine 3010 the reduced number of bits. The reduced number of bits may be preconfigured. Alternatively or additionally, the network device may determine the reduced number of bits based on available or freed space for indicating other parameters or information in the control information.

[0069] The network device 220 obtains 3015 an offset associated with the bit reduction. In some embodiments, the offset associated with the bit reduction may be predefined at the network device 220. Alternatively or additionally, the network device 220 may determine the offset based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits. For example, the offset may be obtained by:

[0070]

[0071] where b red is for BWP size N BWP The reduced number of bits and b tot is for BWP size N BWP The original number of bits.

[0072] For illustration purposes only, assume that the reduced number of bits b red is 1, the original number of bits is 11, and the number of RIV entries is N tot is 1176 and the offset is 152. Figure 4B FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a mapping between resource length and indication value according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4B As shown, the vertical axis represents the number of PRBs L RB , the horizontal axis represents the number of RIV entries. Figure 4B As shown, since the number of bits reduced is 1, the number of PRBs L RBcan range from 4 to 46, and the number of RIV entries N tot It can be 1024. In this way, information bits can be saved without losing flexibility and performance. For illustration purposes only, it is assumed that the reduced number of bits b red is 2, the original number of bits is 11 and the number of RIV entries is N tot is 1176, the offset is 664 and the minimum number of PRBs is 13.

[0073] The network device 220 generates 3020 control information regarding resource allocation. The control information comprises an indication regarding the resources allocated to the terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, the network device 220 may determine the starting position RB of the PRB. start In some embodiments, the starting position of a PRB may be any suitable position.

[0074] The network device 220 may also determine the number of PRBs. Due to the reduced number of bits in the control information, the maximum length and minimum length of the PRBs may also be affected. Therefore, the minimum number of PRBs allocated to the terminal device may be obtained by:

[0075]

[0076] Where L min Indicates the minimum number of PRBs. In addition, the maximum number of PRBs allocated to the terminal device can be obtained by:

[0077]

[0078] Where L max Indicates the maximum number of PRBs.

[0079] In some embodiments, if the number of PRBs is equal to the threshold length, the network device 120 may determine the starting position based on the number of PRBs. The threshold number may be a minimum number of PRBs. Alternatively or additionally, the threshold number may be a maximum number of PRBs. For example, if the number of PRBs L RB Equal to the minimum number of PRBs L min , then the starting position RB start It can be obtained by:

[0080] RB start ≥mod(OffSet,N BWP ) (7)

[0081] If the number of PRBs is L RB Equal to the maximum number of PRBs L max , then the starting position RB startIt can be obtained by:

[0082] RB start ≤min{N BWP -mod(Offset,N BWP ), N BWP -L max} (8)

[0083] in and

[0084] In some embodiments, network device 120 may generate control information based on the starting position, number, and offset. For example, if The instructions in the control information can be obtained in the following ways:

[0085] RIV=N BWP (L RB -1)+RB start -offset (9)

[0086] if The instructions in the control information can be obtained in the following ways:

[0087] RIV=N BWP (N BWP -L RB +1)+(N BWP -1-RB start )-offset (10)

[0088] Where L RB ≥L min And should not exceed L max .

[0089] The network device 220 sends 3025 the control information to the terminal device 210-1. For example, the control information may be sent via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Bit reduction has been performed on the control information. The control information may be in a RARMAC control element. Alternatively, the control information may be in a UL grant included in the RAR. Alternatively, the control information may be in a DL allocation. In other embodiments, the control information may be in a UL grant.

[0090] The terminal device 210-1 determines 3026 that bit reduction is to be performed on the frequency domain resource allocation. In some embodiments, the terminal device 210-1 may determine to perform bit reduction when the terminal device 210-1 transmits a PRACH or random access preamble on an unlicensed band on a cell, such as an SCell, and monitors an associated RAR on a licensed band on a cell, such as a PCell. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 210-1 may determine to perform bit reduction when the terminal device 210-1 is configured with multiple cells and the size of the control information field or the control information field contained in the RAR is predetermined or configured to depend on the cell on which the terminal device 210-1 transmits a PRACH or random access preamble associated with the RAR. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 210-1 may determine to perform bit reduction when the random access opportunities of the cells overlap in time.

[0091] The terminal device 210-1 obtains 3030 an offset. In some embodiments, the terminal device 210-1 may receive the offset from the network device 220. Alternatively or additionally, the offset may be predefined at the terminal device 210-1. In other embodiments, the terminal device 210-1 may determine the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits in the control information. In this example, the terminal device 210-1 may determine the offset based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits using formula (4) as shown above.

[0092] The terminal device 210-1 determines 3040 the resources based on the control information and the offset. In some embodiments, the terminal device 210-1 may extract the indication from the control information and update 3045 the indication based on the offset. For example, the extracted indication may be the RIV, and the updated RIV' may be represented as RIV+Offset. The terminal device 210-1 may determine 3050 the number of starting positions of the PRB based on the updated indication using a conventional algorithm.

[0093] Embodiments of the present disclosure can save information bits without losing flexibility and performance. In addition, the implementation complexity of the modification to the RIV algorithm is very low because only an offset is introduced. In addition, it is compatible with an increase in allocation granularity.

[0094] Figure 5 1 is a flow chart of a method 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 may be implemented at any suitable device. For illustrative purposes only, the method 500 is described as being implemented at the terminal device 210 - 1 . It should be noted that the method 500 may also be implemented at the network device 220 .

[0095] At block 510, terminal device 210-1 determines a bit reduction to be performed on a resource allocation.

[0096] At block 520, the terminal device 210-1 receives control information from the network device 220. Bit reduction has been performed on the control information. For example, the control information may be sent via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Bit reduction has been performed on the control information. The control information may be in a RAR MAC. Alternatively, the control information may be in a DL allocation. In other embodiments, the control information may be in a UL grant.

[0097] At box 530, the terminal device 210-1 determines the offset associated with the bit reduction. In some embodiments, the terminal device 210-1 can receive the offset from the network device 220. Alternatively or additionally, the offset can be predefined at the terminal device 210-1. In other embodiments, the terminal device 210-1 can determine the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits in the control information. In this example, the terminal device 210-1 can use formula (4) as shown above to determine the offset based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits. The reduced number of bits can be predetermined at the terminal device 210-1. Alternatively, the reduced number of bits can be received from the network device 220.

[0098] At block 540, the terminal device 210-1 determines the resources based on the control information and the offset. In some embodiments, the terminal device 210-1 may extract the indication from the control information and update the indication based on the offset. For example, the extracted indication may be the RIV, and the updated RIV' may be represented as RIV+Offset. The terminal device 210-1 may determine the number of starting positions of the PRB based on the updated indication.

[0099] Figure 6 A flow chart of a method 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method 600 may be implemented at any suitable device. For illustrative purposes only, the method 600 is described as being implemented at the network device 220. It should be noted that the method 600 may also be implemented at the terminal device 210-1.

[0100] At block 610, network device 220 determines the resources allocated to the first device based on the reduced number of bits of the resource allocation. In some embodiments, network device 220 determines a minimum amount and a maximum amount of resources allowed to be allocated to the first device. Network device 220 may also determine a resource allocation associated with the minimum amount and the maximum amount.

[0101] At block 620, the network device 220 determines an offset associated with the bit reduction. In some embodiments, the offset associated with the bit reduction may be predefined at the network device 220. Alternatively or additionally, the network device 220 may determine the offset based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits. For purposes of illustration only, assume that the reduced number of bits b red is 1, the original number of bits is 11, and the number of RIV entries is N tot is 1176 and the offset is 152.

[0102] In some embodiments, the network device may determine the original number of bits used to indicate resource allocation in the control information. For example, if there are N bits that can be allocated to the terminal device 210-1, BWP PRBs, the number of PRBs allocated to a terminal device can be from 1 to N. BWP The original number of bits can be obtained using the above formula (3). For illustration purposes only, assume that the number of PRBs is N BWP is 48. Therefore, the number of RIV value entries N tot is 1176, and the original number of bits b tot It's 11. Figure 4A A mapping diagram between resource length and indication value according to conventional technology is shown.

[0103] In some embodiments, the network device 220 may determine 3010 the number of bits to reduce. The number of bits to reduce may be preconfigured. Alternatively or additionally, the network device may determine the number of bits to reduce based on the space that needs to be free in the control information.

[0104] At block 630, network device 220 generates control information. The control information includes an indication of resources allocated to terminal device 110-1. In some embodiments, network device 120 may generate control information based on a starting position, a number, and an offset.

[0105] In some embodiments, the network device 220 may determine the starting position of the PRB start In some embodiments, the starting position of a PRB may be any suitable position.

[0106] In some embodiments, the network device 220 may also determine the number of PRBs. Due to the reduced number of bits in the control information, the maximum and minimum lengths of the PRBs may also be affected.

[0107] In some embodiments, if the number of PRBs exceeds a threshold length, network device 120 may determine a starting position based on the number of PRBs. The threshold number may be a minimum number of PRBs. Alternatively or additionally, the threshold number may be a maximum number of PRBs.

[0108] At block 640, the network device 220 sends control information to the terminal device 210-1. For example, the control information may be sent via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Bit reduction has been performed on the control information. The control information may be in a RAR MAC. Alternatively, the control information may be in a DL assignment. In other embodiments, the control information may be in a UL grant.

[0109] In some embodiments, the apparatus for executing method 500 (eg, terminal device 210-1) may include corresponding components for executing corresponding steps in method 500. These components may be implemented in any appropriate manner. For example, it may be implemented by a circuit or a software module.

[0110] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for determining that bit reduction is to be performed on a resource allocation; components for receiving control information at a first device and from a second device, the control information including an indication of resources allocated to the first device, wherein bit reduction has been performed on the indication; components for determining an offset associated with the bit reduction; and components for determining the resources allocated to the first device based on the offset and the indication.

[0111] In some embodiments, means for obtaining the offset comprises: means for obtaining an original number of bits in the control information; means for obtaining a reduced number of bits in the control information; and means for determining the offset based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits.

[0112] In some embodiments, the reduced number of bits is predetermined at the first device or received from the second device.

[0113] In some embodiments, means for determining the offset includes means for receiving the offset from the second device.

[0114] In some embodiments, the offset is predetermined at the first device.

[0115] In some embodiments, means for determining resources allocated to the first device includes means for updating the indication using the offset; and means for determining resources allocated to the first device based on the updated indication.

[0116] In some embodiments, the means for determining the resources allocated to the first device comprises means for determining, based on the updated indication, a number of the plurality of physical resource blocks allocated to the first device and a starting position of the plurality of physical resource blocks.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

[0118] In some embodiments, an apparatus for executing method 600 (e.g., network device 220) may include corresponding components for executing corresponding steps in method 600. These components may be implemented in any appropriate manner. For example, it may be implemented by a circuit or a software module.

[0119] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for determining resources allocated to a first device based on a reduced number of bits of the resource allocation; components for determining, at a second device, an offset associated with a bit reduction performed on an indication regarding resources allocated to the first device; components for generating control information regarding the resource allocation including the indication based on the offset; and components for sending the control information to the first device.

[0120] In some embodiments, means for determining resources includes means for determining a minimum amount and a maximum amount of resources allowed to be allocated to the first device; and means for determining a resource allocation associated with the minimum amount and the maximum amount.

[0121] In some embodiments, means for obtaining the offset comprises: means for determining an original number of bits in the control information; means for determining a reduced number of bits in the control information; and means for determining the offset based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits.

[0122] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending the offset to the first device.

[0123] In some embodiments, the means for generating control information comprises: means for determining the number of physical resource blocks allocated to the first device; means for determining the starting position of the physical resource block; and means for generating an indication based on the length, the starting position and the offset.

[0124] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining a threshold number based on the offset; and means for determining a starting position based on the number in response to the number being the threshold number, wherein the threshold number comprises a minimum number or a maximum number.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

[0126] Figure 7is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be used to implement a communication device, such as Figure 2 The network device 220 or terminal device 210 shown. As shown, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processor 710, and one or more communication modules (e.g., transmitters and / or receivers (TX / RX)) 740 coupled to the processor 710.

[0127] The communication module 740 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0128] Processor 710 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0129] The memory 720 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) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist over the duration of a power outage.

[0130] The computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The program 730 may be stored in the ROM 724. The processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 730 into the RAM 722.

[0131] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 730, so that the device 700 may execute the Figures 3 to 6 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0132] In some embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device 700 (such as in the memory 720) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 722 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 8 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 730 stored thereon.

[0133] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that the block diagrams, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0134] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transient computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as computer executable instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the methods 400 and 600 described above with reference to Figures 4-6. 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 functions of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed in various embodiments. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0135] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, so that these program codes cause the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented when executed by the processor or controller. The program code can be executed completely on the machine, partially on the machine, executed as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0136] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0137] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer readable storage media include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0138] In addition, although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a continuous order or to perform all the operations shown to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although the above discussion includes several specific implementation details, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination, respectively.

[0139] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: determining that bit reduction is to be performed on resource allocation; receiving, at a first device, control information from a second device, the control information comprising an indication of resources allocated to the first device, wherein bit reduction has been performed on the indication; determining an offset associated with the bit reduction; determining the resources allocated to the first device based on the offset and the indication; as well as Wherein obtaining the offset comprises: Obtaining the original number of bits in the control information; obtaining a reduced number of bits in the control information; and The offset is determined based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the offset comprises: The offset is received from the second device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the resources allocated to the first device comprises: updating the indication using the offset; as well as The resources allocated to the first device are determined based on the updated indication.

4. A method comprising: determining resources allocated to the first device based on the reduced number of bits of the resource allocation; determining, at a second device, an offset associated with performing a bit reduction on an indication regarding resources allocated to the first device; generating control information regarding resource allocation including the indication based on the offset; sending the control information to the first device; as well as Wherein obtaining the offset comprises: Determining an original number of bits in the control information; determining a reduced number of bits in the control information; and The offset is determined based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the resource allocation of the first device comprises: determining a minimum amount and a maximum amount of resources permitted to be allocated to the first device; as well as The resource allocation associated with the minimum amount and the maximum amount is determined.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: The offset is sent to the first device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the control information comprises: determining a number of physical resource blocks allocated to the first device; Determining a starting position of the physical resource block; as well as The indication is generated based on the number, the starting position, and the offset.

8. A first device, comprising: means for determining that bit reduction is to be performed on a resource allocation; means for receiving, at the first device, control information from a second device, the control information comprising an indication of resources allocated to the first device, wherein bit reduction has been performed on the indication; means for determining an offset associated with said bit reduction; means for determining the resources allocated to the first device based on the offset and the indication; and The means for determining the offset are such that: Obtaining the original number of bits in the control information; obtaining a reduced number of bits in the control information; and The offset is determined based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits.

9. The first device according to claim 8, wherein the means for determining the offset is caused to: The offset is received from the second device.

10. The first device of claim 8, wherein the means for determining the resource allocation of the first device is caused to: updating the indication using the offset; and The resources allocated to the first device are determined based on the updated indication.

11. A second device, comprising: means for determining resources allocated to the first device using a reduced number of bits based on the resource allocation; means for determining, at the second device, an offset associated with performing a bit reduction on an indication regarding resources allocated to the first device; means for generating control information regarding resource allocation including said indication based on said offset; means for sending the control information to the first device; and wherein the means for determining the offset is such that: Determining an original number of bits in the control information; determining a reduced number of bits in the control information; and The offset is determined based on the original number of bits and the reduced number of bits.

12. The second device of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the resource allocation of the first device is caused to: determining a minimum amount and a maximum amount of resources permitted to be allocated to the first device; and The resource allocation associated with the minimum amount and the maximum amount is determined.

13. The second device according to claim 11, wherein the second device further comprises: Means for sending the offset to the first device.

14. The second device according to claim 11, wherein the means for generating the control information is further caused to: determining a number of physical resource blocks allocated to the first device; determining a starting position of the physical resource block; and The indication is generated based on the number, the starting position, and the offset.

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