Load-Aware Variable Periodic Resource Allocation

Abstract

A method for a network node to adjust the period of periodic resources allocated to a wireless device (WD) in a wireless network. The period defines the time interval between the periodic resources allocated to the WD. Periodic resources are allocated to the WD for the WD to use to transmit data to the network node, where the allocation is at least partially based on the period. The method includes: determining whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is successful or unsuccessful based on whether there are available resources for the period of the periodic resources. Adjusting the period of the periodic resources based on whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is successful.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] A wireless communication network, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for periodic resource allocation for load awareness. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication networks, such as those provided based on standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) and New Radio (NR) (NR is also known as 5G)), support at least one network node and more than one wireless device (WD). In these environments, it may be useful to manage the period of radio resources assigned by a network node to a WD in order to minimize latency or even maximize the benefits obtained by the WD.

[0003] Generally, when a network node assigns periodic resources to a WD in a cell, several considerations are made. Some of these considerations include: the WD benefits when resources are assigned to it, and the WD arrives at the cell at an arrival rate unknown to the network node.

[0004] In addition, the number of resources in a network node depends on the period of each of these resources. The longer the period, the fewer the resources, and vice versa. More precisely, a resource with a period of p can be decomposed into n resources, each with a period of n*p, where n is an integer. For example, a resource with a period of 2 can be decomposed into two resources, each with a period equal to 4, or a resource with a period equal to 5 can be decomposed into two resources, each with a period equal to 10.

[0005] Although a network node may have a mixture of resources with different periods, it can only assign at most one resource to a WD. In addition, the network node can assign and / or de-assign resources to the WD at any time the WD is active. However, there are costs associated with assigning and de-assigning resources. For example, changing the period of a resource that has already been assigned to a WD may require a cost equal to the cost of assigning the resource. Another consideration is that a WD can enter the cell and remain active for a period of time unknown to the network node. After this period, the WD can exit the cell and return the assigned resources.

[0006] By allocating resources to a WD, a network node obtains a benefit greater than or equal to 0. The benefit obtained by the network node can be dominated by at least the following properties: (1) The WD benefit is a non-increasing function of the period of the resource, i.e., for resource 1 with period p1 and resource 2 with period p2 (where p1 > p2), since resource 1 has a longer period, the benefit obtained by any WD from resource 1 is less than or equal to the benefit obtained from resource 2; (2) For a given WD, the benefit depends on the resource period, i.e., all resources with the same period produce the same benefit for the WD; (3) For a given resource, for all i, j, the benefit of allocating the resource to WD i is the same as the benefit of allocating the resource to WD j ; (4) The benefit of the resource to the WD is a non-decreasing function of the time when the WD is allocated the resource, and the benefit is defined as 0 by definition when the WD is not allocated a resource during the entire active period; and (5) The network node benefit is the total benefit obtained by the WD.

[0007] The goal of the network node is to allocate limited resources to maximize the long-term average benefit of the network node, where the long-term average benefit is defined as: the sum of all benefits obtained by the WD divided by the time window (T), and T approaches infinity.

[0008] In LTE and NR wireless systems, the network node usually determines whether a WD may require periodic resources in the cell to which the WD is connected. This determination usually occurs when the WD first connects to the cell and the network node believes that allocating such resources to the WD is beneficial or necessary. In some other cases, the determination occurs when the WD transitions from an out-of-sync state to a synchronized state. Other events can also trigger the determination, such as handover, changes in the requirements or channel conditions of the WD, changes in the user transmission mode, or any other trigger.

[0009] The periodic resources used in LTE and NR include: Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) Scheduling Request (SR) resources, PUCCH Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), and periodic Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The PUCCH SR resources are used by the WD to make a scheduling request to the network node, so that the network node can allocate an uplink (UL) grant to the WD, and the WD can transmit uplink data. Each allocation or deallocation of the periodic SR resources involves Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling, and the network node attempts to minimize such signaling. The period of the PUCCH SR resources is selected by the network node taking into account the capabilities of the WD to balance the latency and the number of PUCCH SR resources. Selecting a longer period results in a longer latency because the WD needs to wait longer before it can transmit an SR, but a longer period also results in more PUCCH SR resources, which helps support more WDs in the cell. Conversely, selecting a shorter period results in a shorter latency, but a shorter period also results in fewer PUCCH SR resources, which reduces the number of WDs that can be supported in the cell. In Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) LTE, for example, the WD-specific period for subframe-based SR can be 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 80 milliseconds.

[0010] The PUCCH CQI resources are used by the WD to periodically report Channel State Information (CSI), which can include CQI, Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI), and Rank Indicator (RI). Each allocation or deallocation of the periodic PUCCH CQI resources involves RRC signaling, and the network node attempts to minimize such signaling. The period of the PUCCH CQI resources is selected by the network node taking into account the capabilities of the WD to balance accurate CSI and the number of PUCCH CQI resources. Selecting a longer period results in outdated CSI measurements because the WD needs to report CSI less frequently, which may not be suitable for time-varying channels, but a longer period also results in more PUCCH CQI resources, which helps support more WDs in the cell. Conversely, selecting a shorter period results in more recent CSI measurements, but a shorter period also results in fewer PUCCH CQI resources, which reduces the number of WDs that can be supported in the cell. For example, in FDD LTE, the WD-specific period generally used for wideband CQI / PMI reporting can be 2, 5, 10, 20, 32, 40, 60, 64, 80, 128, or 160 milliseconds.

[0011] Periodic SRS resources are used by WDs to transmit sounding reference signals, which allow network nodes to obtain more accurate knowledge of the uplink channel. If downlink-uplink reciprocity holds as in time division duplex (TDD) scenarios, the network nodes can also estimate the downlink channel. Such accurate estimation of the channel allows network nodes to better serve the WDs by designing better beamforming and improving link adaptation and power control, which can bring higher throughput for such WDs. Each allocation or deallocation of periodic SRS resources involves RRC reconfiguration signaling, and the network nodes attempt to minimize such signaling. The period of the SRS resources is selected by the network nodes taking into account the capabilities of the WDs to balance between accurate channel estimation and the amount of SRS resources. Selecting a longer period results in outdated channel estimation measurements because the WDs need to report channel quality information less frequently, which may not be suitable for time-varying channels. However, a longer period also results in more SRS resources, which helps to support more WDs using SRS in the cell. Conversely, selecting a shorter period results in more recent channel measurements, but a shorter period also results in fewer SRS resources, which reduces the number of WDs that can be supported using SRS in the cell. For example, in FDD LTE, in general, the WD-specific period can be 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, or 320 milliseconds.

[0012] In the above applications, further optimization can be made in resource allocation by differentiating WDs according to their traffic and channel conditions. For example, a high-speed WD with rapidly changing channels is likely to benefit more from being assigned PUCCH CQI or SRS resources with a shorter period compared to a fixed WD with slowly changing channels. Additionally, a WD with a large downlink traffic download is likely to benefit from being assigned SRS compared to a WD with light downlink traffic. In the present disclosure, it is assumed that the benefit from a given resource with a given period is the same regardless of which WD obtains the benefit. This helps to design a solution as a simpler, more practical, and robust scheme while achieving good performance suitable for the WD load in the system.

[0013] In fact, due to the time-varying WD load, the period of the periodic resources in a cellular system is a static parameter that is difficult to configure or change according to the WD load. This results in the period of the resources being over-provisioned to accommodate the maximum number of WDs that can be connected to the cell. This is not efficient at least because having a static parameter does not allow utilization of the time-variability of the WD load. SUMMARY

[0014] Some embodiments advantageously provide methods and apparatuses for load-aware periodic resource allocation.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for a network node to adjust the period of periodic resources allocated to a WD in a wireless network. The period defines the time interval between the periodic resources allocated to the WD. Periodic resources are allocated to the WD for the WD to use to transmit data to the network node. The allocation is at least partially based on the period. The method further includes: determining whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is successful or not based on whether there are available resources for the period of the periodic resources; and adjusting the period of the periodic resources based on whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is successful.

[0016] In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period is further based on the output generated by one of an integral controller and a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. In other embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period further includes taking upStep determined as the increment of the period, given by:

[0017]

[0018] where, downStep is a configurable parameter representing the decrement of the period, and maxBlockProb is a configurable parameter representing the maximum blocking probability that the WD needs unavailable periodic resources.

[0019] In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period further includes: if the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is successful, decrementing the period by an amount equal to downStep ; and if the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is unsuccessful, incrementing the period by an amount equal to upStep . In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period is further based on the type of periodic resources that the network node is allocating.

[0020] In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period further includes updating the period such that the period is within a configurable range. In other embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period is further based on one of a plurality of predefined classes of WD users.

[0021] In some embodiments in this regard, the method further includes: determining that the periodic resources are not available for allocation to the WD; identifying a plurality of WDs to which the periodic resources are allocated; obtaining the periods for each of the identified WDs among the plurality of WDs to determine the new periods to be assigned to the WD and each of the identified WDs p new , expressing p new as:

[0022]

[0023] where, fis a function that rounds up to the next supported period, n is the total number of identified WDs with allocated periodic resources, i is an index for summing the identified WDs among these identified WDs, and p i is the period of the identified WD. The method further includes: optionally, allocating the period p new to the WD and each identified WD.

[0024] In some embodiments in this regard, identifying the WDs to be included in the plurality of WDs is at least partially based on predefined criteria, the predefined criteria including one of the priority of the WD, the activity of the WD on the wireless network, the period of the WD, and the period benefit of the WD. In some other embodiments in this regard, when it is determined that periodic resources need to be allocated to the WD, allocating the periodic resources is initiated. In some embodiments, the periodic resources are one of a physical uplink control channel PUCCH scheduling request SR resource, a PUCCH channel quality indicator CQI resource, and a periodic sounding reference signal SRS, and the periodic resources are used in one of Long-Term Evolution LTE and New Radio NR.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a network node is configured to adjust the period of the periodic resources allocated to a WD in a wireless network. The period defines the time period between the periodic resources allocated to the WD. The network node includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit has a processor and a memory. The processing circuit is configured to allocate periodic resources to the WD for the WD to use to transmit data to the network node. The allocation is at least partially based on the period. The processing circuit is further configured to: determine whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is successful or unsuccessful based on whether there are available resources for the period of the periodic resources. The processing circuit is further configured to: adjust the period of the periodic resources based on whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD is successful.

[0026] In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period is further based on an output generated by one of an integral controller and a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period further includes setting upStep determined as the increment of the period, given by:

[0027]

[0028] where, downStep is a configurable parameter representing the decrement of the period, and maxBlockProb is a configurable parameter representing the maximum blocking probability that the WD needs unavailable periodic resources.

[0029] In some embodiments in this regard, the adjustment period further includes: if the allocation of periodic resources to the WD is successful, decrementing the period by an amount equal to downStep ; and if the allocation of periodic resources to the WD is unsuccessful, incrementing the period by an amount equal to upStep . In some other embodiments in this regard, the adjustment period is further based on the type of periodic resources that the network node is allocating.

[0030] In some embodiments in this regard, the adjustment period further includes: updating the period such that the period is within a configurable range. In other embodiments in this regard, the adjustment period is further based on one of a plurality of predefined classes of WD users.

[0031] In some embodiments in this regard, the processing circuitry is further configured to: determine that the periodic resources are not available for allocation to the WD, and identify a plurality of WDs to which the periodic resources are allocated. The processing circuitry is further configured to: obtain the period for each of the identified WDs among the plurality of WDs to determine a new period to be assigned to the WD and each of the identified WDs p new , and express p new as:

[0032]

[0033] where f is a function that rounds up to the next supported period, n is the total number of the identified WDs having the allocated periodic resources, i is an index that sums for the identified WD among these identified WDs, and p i is the period of the identified WD. The processing circuitry is further configured to: optionally, assign the period p new to the WD and each of the identified WDs.

[0034] In some embodiments in this regard, identifying the WD to be included among the plurality of WDs is at least partially based on a predefined criterion, the predefined criterion including one of the priority of the WD, the activity of the WD on the wireless network, the period of the WD, and the period benefit of the WD. In some embodiments in this regard, when it is determined that periodic resources need to be allocated to the WD, an allocation of the periodic resources is initiated.

[0035] In some embodiments in this regard, the periodic resources are one of a physical uplink control channel PUCCH scheduling request SR resource, a PUCCH channel quality indicator CQI resource, and a periodic sounding reference signal SRS, and the periodic resources are available for one of long term evolution LTE and new radio NR. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] A more complete understanding of the current embodiments and their attendant advantages and features will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example network architecture of a communication system according to the principles in the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a network node communicating with a wireless device via at least a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0039] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an example method for adjusting the period of periodic resources allocated to a WD in a wireless network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and arrangements for controlling the period of resources to be assigned to users at the cell level. In some embodiments, the period is dynamically adjusted such that the blocking probability is lower than a pre-configured threshold, where the blocking probability is defined herein as the probability that a WD requires periodic resources and there are no available resources at that time. Other embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and arrangements for controlling the period of periodic resources to advantageously improve performance compared to known arrangements and to utilize the time-variability of the user load in the cell.

[0041] Before describing the exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be noted that the embodiments mainly lie in the combination of device components and processing steps related to load-aware periodic resource allocation. Therefore, components have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols where appropriate, showing only those specific details relevant to understanding these embodiments, so as not to obscure the present disclosure among details readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein. Throughout the description, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0042] As used herein, relational terms such as "first" and "second", "top" and "bottom", etc. may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element, and do not necessarily require or imply any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the concepts described herein. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising", when used herein, specify the presence of the recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0043] In the embodiments described herein, connection terms such as "communicating with" can be used to indicate electrical or data communication, which can be achieved, for example, by physical contact, induction, electromagnetic radiation, wireless signaling, infrared signaling, or optical signaling. Those skilled in the art will recognize that multiple components can interoperate, and modifications and variations for achieving electrical and data communication are possible.

[0044] In some embodiments described herein, terms such as "coupled", "connected", etc. can be used herein to indicate a connection (although not necessarily a direct connection), and can include wired and / or wireless connections.

[0045] The term "network node" as used herein can be any kind of network node included in a radio network, which can further include any of the following: base station (BS), radio base station, base transceiver station (BTS), base station controller (BSC), radio network controller (RNC), g-node B (gNB), evolved node B (eNB or eNodeB), node B, multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node (such as MSR BS), multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, relay node, donor node controlling the relay, radio access point (AP), transmission point, transmission node, remote radio unit (RRU), remote radio head (RRH), baseband unit (BBU), core network node (e.g., mobility management entity (MME), self-organizing network (SON) node, coordination node, positioning node, MDT node, etc.), external node (e.g., third-party node, node external to the current network), node in a distributed antenna system (DAS), spectrum access system (SAS) node, element management system (EMS), and so on. A network node can also include test equipment. The term "radio node" as used herein can also be used to denote a wireless device (WD), such as a wireless device (WD) or a radio network node.

[0046] In some embodiments, the non-restrictive terms wireless device (WD) or user equipment (UE) can be used interchangeably. A WD herein can be any type of wireless device capable of communicating with a network node or another WD via radio signals, such as a wireless device (WD). A WD can also be a radio communication device, a target device, a device-to-device (D2D) WD, a machine type WD or a WD capable of machine-to-machine communication (M2M), a low-cost and / or low-complexity WD, a sensor equipped with a WD, a tablet, a mobile terminal, a smart phone, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a customer premise equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or a narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) device, etc.

[0047] Moreover, in some embodiments, the general term "radio network node" is used. It can be any kind of radio network node and can include any of the following: base station, radio base station, base transceiver station, base station controller, network controller, RNC, evolved Node B (eNB), Node B, gNB, multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), IAB node, relay node, access point, radio access point, remote radio unit (RRU), remote radio head (RRH).

[0048] In some embodiments, the term "adjust" can be considered to indicate an increase or a decrease. In some embodiments, the term "dynamically adjust" can be considered to indicate a continuous and / or periodic adjustment, such as in (by way of context example) the outer loop of a control loop for allocation.

[0049] In some embodiments, the term "allocate" can be considered to mean that one or more resources are allocated for the WD to transmit, such as, for example, radio resources (e.g., time-frequency resources for SRS on a physical uplink channel) are allocated for a signal to be transmitted to or from the WD on a channel.

[0050] In some embodiments, the term "radio resource" is intended to indicate frequency resources and / or time resources. Time resources can correspond to any type of physical resource or radio resource expressed in terms of a time length. Examples of time resources are: symbols, time slots, sub-frames, radio frames, transmission time intervals (TTIs), interleaving times, etc. Frequency resources can correspond to one or more resource units, sub-carriers, resource blocks, bandwidth parts, and / or any other resources in the frequency domain. Radio resources can also indicate a combination of sub-carriers, time slots, codes, and / or spatial dimensions.

[0051] Even though the description herein may be explained in the context of one of downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) communications, it should be understood that the disclosed basic principles are also applicable to the other of DL and UL communications. For DL communications, the network node is the transmitter and the receiver is the WD. For UL communications, the transmitter is the WD and the receiver is the network node.

[0052] In some embodiments, the allocated radio resources may be allocated for a specific signal and on a specific channel. Signaling generally may include one or more symbols and / or signals and / or messages. A signal may include or represent one or more bits. An indication may represent the signaling and / or be implemented as a signal or signals. One or more signals may be included in and / or represented by a message. Signaling, particularly control signaling, may include multiple signals and / or messages, which may be transmitted on different carriers and / or associated with different signaling procedures, such as representing and / or regarding one or more such procedures and / or corresponding information. An indication may include the signaling and / or multiple signals and / or messages, and / or may be included therein, which may be transmitted on different carriers and / or associated with different acknowledgment signaling procedures, such as representing and / or regarding one or more such procedures. Signaling associated with a channel may be transmitted such that it represents the signaling and / or information for that channel, and / or such that a transmitter and / or receiver interprets the signaling as belonging to that channel. Such signaling generally may conform to the transmission parameters of the channel and / or one / more formats.

[0053] Generally, a channel may be a logical channel, a transport channel, or a physical channel. A channel may include one or more carriers, particularly multiple subcarriers, and / or be arranged on one or more carriers, particularly multiple subcarriers. A channel that carries and / or is used to carry control signaling / control information may be considered a control channel, particularly if it is a physical layer channel and / or it carries control plane information. Similarly, a channel that carries and / or is used to carry data signaling / user information may be considered a data channel, particularly if it is a physical layer channel and / or it carries user plane information. A channel may be defined for a specific communication direction or for two complementary communication directions (e.g., UL and DL, or a direct link in both directions), and in the case of defining a channel for two complementary communication directions, it may be considered to have at least two component channels, one for each direction. Examples of channels include channels for low latency and / or high reliability transmission, particularly channels for ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), which may be used for control and / or data. In some embodiments, the channels described herein may be uplink channels, and in further embodiments may be a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). In some embodiments, a channel may be a downlink channel, such as a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0054] Transmission in the downlink may involve transmission from a network or network node to a terminal. The terminal may be considered as a WD or a UE. Transmission in the uplink may involve transmission from a terminal to a network or network node. Transmission in the sidelink may involve (direct) transmission from one terminal to another terminal. The uplink, downlink, and sidelink (e.g., sidelink transmission and reception) may be considered as communication directions. In some variants, the uplink and downlink may also be used to describe wireless communication and / or relay communication between network nodes, e.g., for wireless backhaul, and / or (wireless) network communication between, e.g., base stations or similar network nodes, especially communication terminated at such nodes. Implementing backhaul and / or relay communication and / or network communication as sidelink or uplink communication or a communication similar thereto may be considered.

[0055] Note that although terms from a specific wireless system such as, for example, 3GPP LTE and / or New Radio (NR) may be used in this disclosure, this should not be considered as limiting the scope of this disclosure to only the above systems. Other wireless systems including, but not limited to, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) may also benefit from the concepts covered in this disclosure.

[0056] Further note that the functions described herein as being performed by a wireless device or network node may be distributed over multiple wireless devices and / or network nodes. In other words, it is contemplated that the functions of the network nodes and wireless devices described herein are not limited to being performed by a single physical device and may actually be distributed among several physical devices.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including 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. It will be further understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0058] Now referring to the drawings, where like reference numerals refer to like elements, Figure 1FIG. 0 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 10 according to an embodiment, such as a 3GPP type cellular network that may support standards such as LTE and / or NR (5G), which includes an access network 12 such as a radio access network and a core network 14. The access network 12 includes a plurality of network nodes 16a, 16b, 16c (collectively referred to as network nodes 16), such as NB, eNB, gNB or other types of wireless access points, and each network node defines a corresponding coverage area 18a, 18b, 18c (collectively referred to as coverage areas 18). Each network node 16a, 16b, 16c is connectable to the core network 14 via a wired or wireless connection 20. A first wireless device (WD) 22a located in the coverage area 18a is configured to wirelessly connect to or be paged by the corresponding network node 16a. A second WD 22b in the coverage area 18b can wirelessly connect to the corresponding network node 16b. Although a plurality of WDs 22a, 22b (collectively referred to as wireless devices 22) are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to the case where a single WD is in the coverage area or a single WD is connected to the corresponding network node 16. Note that although only two WDs 22 and three network nodes 16 are shown for convenience, the communication system may include many more WDs 22 and network nodes 16.

[0059] Moreover, it is contemplated that the WD 22 may communicate simultaneously with more than one network node 16 and more than one type of network node 16 and / or be configured to communicate separately with these network nodes 16. For example, the WD 22 may have dual connectivity with a network node 16 supporting LTE and the same or different network nodes 16 supporting NR. As an example, the WD 22 may communicate with an eNB for LTE / E-UTRAN and a gNB for NR / NG-RAN.

[0060] The connection 26 may extend directly from the access network 12 and / or the core network 14, or may extend via an optional intermediate network 28. The intermediate network 28 may be one of a public, private or captive network or a combination of more than one of these networks. The intermediate network 28 (if any) may be a backbone network or the Internet. In some embodiments, the intermediate network 28 may include two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0061] The network node 16 is configured to include an adjustment unit 30, and the adjustment unit 30 is configured to cause the network node to adjust the period of the periodic resources allocated to the WD in the wireless network.

[0062] Now will refer to Figure 2 Describe an example implementation of the WD 22 and the network node 16 discussed in the previous paragraphs according to an embodiment.

[0063] The communication system 10 further includes a network node 16 provided in the communication system 10, and the network node 16 includes hardware 32 enabling it to communicate with the WD 22. The hardware 32 may include: a communication interface 34 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection to interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 10; and a radio interface 36 for establishing and maintaining at least a wireless connection 60 to the WD 22 located in the coverage area 18 served by the network node 16. The radio interface 36 may be formed as or may include, for example, one or more radio frequency (RF) transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers.

[0064] In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 32 of the network node 16 further includes a processing circuit 38. The processing circuit 38 may include a processor 40 and a memory 42. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor (such as a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuit 38 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, for example, one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) suitable for executing instructions. The processor 40 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) the memory 42, and the memory 42 may include any kind of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a cache and / or a buffer memory and / or a RAM (random access memory) and / or a ROM (read only memory) and / or an optical memory and / or an EPROM (erasable programmable read only memory).

[0065] Accordingly, the network node 16 further has software 44, which is internally stored, for example, in the memory 42, or is stored in an external memory (such as a database, a storage array, a network storage device, etc.) accessible to the network node 16 via an external connection. The software 44 may be executable by the processing circuit 38. The processing circuit 38 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein, and / or cause such methods and / or processes to be executed, for example, by the network node 16. The processor 40 corresponds to one or more processors 40 for performing the functions of the network node 16 described herein. The memory 42 is configured to store the data, programming software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 44 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 40 and / or the processing circuit 38, cause the processor 40 and / or the processing circuit 38 to execute the processes described herein with respect to the network node 16. For example, the processing circuit 38 of the network node 16 may include an adjustment unit 30, and the adjustment unit 30 is configured to execute the network node methods discussed herein, such as the methods discussed with reference to Figure 3 and other figures.

[0066] The communication system 10 further includes the WD 22 already mentioned. The WD 22 may have hardware 46, and the hardware 46 may include a radio interface 48 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 60 with a network node 16 serving the coverage area 18 where the WD 22 is currently located. The radio interface 48 may be formed as or may include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers.

[0067] The hardware 46 of the WD 22 further includes a processing circuit 50. The processing circuit 50 may include a processor 52 and a memory 54. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor (such as a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuit 50 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, for example, one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) suitable for executing instructions. The processor 52 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) the memory 54, and the memory 54 may include any kind of volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory, such as cache and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (random access memory) and / or ROM (read only memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (erasable programmable read only memory).

[0068] Thus, the WD 22 may further include software 56, which is stored, for example, in the memory 54 at the WD 22 or in an external memory accessible to the WD 22 (such as a database, a storage array, a network storage device, etc.). The software 56 may be executable by the processing circuit 50. The software 56 may include a client application 58. The client application 58 may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the WD 22. The client application 58 may interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0069] Processing circuit 50 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or cause such methods and / or processes to be performed, for example, by WD 22. Processor 52 corresponds to one or more processors 52 for performing the WD 22 functions described herein. WD 22 includes a memory 54 configured to store data, programming software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, software 56 and / or client application 58 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 52 and / or processing circuit 50, cause processor 52 and / or processing circuit 50 to perform the processes described herein with respect to WD 22. For example, the processing circuit 50 of wireless device 22 may be configured to receive and / or transmit using resources and / or on radio resources (e.g., physical layer resources such as physical downlink control channel, physical downlink shared channel, physical uplink control channel, and / or physical uplink shared channel, etc.) that are allocated to WD 22 using one or more of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0070] In some embodiments, the internal workings of network node 16 and WD 22 may be as Figure 2 shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology may be Figure 1 such.

[0071] Although Figure 1 and Figure 2 various “units” such as adjustment unit 30 are shown as being within the processor, it is contemplated that these units may be implemented such that a portion of the unit is stored in a corresponding memory within the processing circuit. In other words, these units may be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software within the processing circuit.

[0072] Furthermore, although Figure 1 and Figure 2 adjustment unit 30 is shown as being with network node 16, it is contemplated that network node 16 may include only one of these units.

[0073] Figure 3FIG. 0 is a flow chart of an example process in network node 16, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, for a method by which a network node (16) adjusts the period of periodic resources allocated to WD 22 in a wireless network. One or more blocks and / or functions and / or methods performed by network node 16 may be performed by one or more elements of network node 16, such as by adjustment unit 30, processor 40, communication interface 34, radio interface 36, etc. in processing circuitry 38, according to the example method. The example method includes: allocating (block S100) periodic resources to WD 22, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, for WD 22 to use to transmit data to network node 16, the allocation being at least partially based on a period. The method includes: determining (block S102), such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, whether the allocation of periodic resources to WD 22 is successful or not based on whether there are available resources for the period of the periodic resources. Further, the example method includes: adjusting (block S104) the period of the periodic resources, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, based on whether the allocation of periodic resources to WD 22 is successful.

[0074] In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period is further based on an output generated, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, by one of an integral controller and a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. In other embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period further includes: determining, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, upStep an increment for the period, given by:

[0075]

[0076] where, downStep is a configurable parameter representing a decrement of the period, and maxBlockProb is a configurable parameter representing a maximum blocking probability that WD22 needs unavailable periodic resources.

[0077] In some embodiments in this regard, adjusting the period further includes: if the allocation of periodic resources to WD 22 is successful, then, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, decrementing the period by an amount equal to downStepthe amount; and if the allocation of the periodic resources to WD 22 is not successful, then increment the period by an amount equal to, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36 upStep the amount. In some embodiments in this regard, the adjustment period is further based on the type of the periodic resources being allocated by network node 16.

[0078] In some embodiments in this regard, the adjustment period further includes: updating the period, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, such that the period is within a configurable range. In other embodiments in this regard, the adjustment period is further based on one of a plurality of predefined classes of WD 22 users.

[0079] In some embodiments in this regard, the method further includes: determining, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, that the periodic resources are not available for allocation to WD 22. Identifying, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, a plurality of WD 22s to which the periodic resources are allocated. Obtaining, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, the period for each identified WD 22 among the plurality of WD 22s to determine (such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36) a new period to be assigned (such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36) to this WD 22 and each identified WD 22 p new , will p new be expressed as:

[0080]

[0081] where f is a function that rounds up to the next supported period, n is the total number of identified WD 22s having the allocated periodic resources, i is an index that sums over the identified WD 22s among these identified WD 22s, and p i is the period of the identified WD 22. The method further includes: optionally, such as via adjustment unit 30, processing circuitry 38, processor 40, communication interface 34, and / or radio interface 36, setting the period p newAllocated to the WD 22 and each identified WD 22.

[0082] In some embodiments in this regard, identifying the WD 22 to be included in the plurality of WD 22s is at least partially based on predefined criteria, which include the priority of the WD 22, the activity of the WD 22 on the wireless network, the period of the WD 22, and one of the period benefits of the WD 22. In some other embodiments in this regard, when it is determined that periodic resources need to be allocated to the WD 22, such as via the adjustment unit 30, the processing circuit 38, the processor 40, the communication interface 34, and / or the radio interface 36, the allocation of periodic resources is initiated. In some embodiments, the periodic resources are one of the physical uplink control channel PUCCH scheduling request SR resources, the PUCCH channel quality indicator CQI resources, and the periodic sounding reference signal (SRS), and the periodic resources are used in one of Long-Term Evolution LTE and New Radio NR.

[0083] The general process flow of the arrangement of the present disclosure has been described and examples of the hardware and software arrangements for implementing the processes and functions of the present disclosure have been provided. The following sections provide examples and details of the arrangements for adjusting the period of the periodic resources allocated to the WD 22, and these arrangements can be implemented by the network node 16 and / or the wireless device 22. Some embodiments provide one or more techniques for adjusting the period of the periodic resources allocated to one or more WD 22s.

[0084] Some embodiments provide a load-aware control arrangement that dynamically adjusts the period of the periodic resource pool at the cell level. In some embodiments, the period is dynamically adjusted such that the blocking probability is lower than a preconfigured threshold, and the blocking probability is defined as the probability that the WD 22 needs periodic resources but there are no available resources at that time. The WD 22 may need resources when the WD 22 first connects to the network node 16, and the network node 16 needs to allocate such resources to the WD 22. In some embodiments, the WD 22 may need resources when the WD 22 transitions from an out-of-sync state to a synchronized state. Other events can also trigger the determination of whether the network node 16 will allocate or deallocate resources to the WD 22, such as handover, changes in the requirements or channel conditions of the WD, changes in the user transmission mode, or any other trigger. The present disclosure herein is independent of the trigger, that is, it can work equally well for any trigger.

[0085] Examples of the method for adapting the period are described below:

[0086] Method parameters:

[0087] maxBlockProb: A configurable parameter representing the maximum blocking probability that the WD 22 needs periodic resources but there are no available resources at that time

[0088] downStep : A configurable parameter representing the decrease in period

[0089] upStep : The increase in period given by the following formula

[0090] (1)

[0091] maxPeriodicity: A configurable parameter representing the maximum period

[0092] minPeriodicity: A configurable parameter representing the minimum period

[0093] Output: Period

[0094] Internal state: Period

[0095] Execution:

[0096] When WD 22 requires resources

[0097] If resources are successfully allocated:

[0098] Period := Period - downStep

[0099] Otherwise (i.e., resources cannot be allocated for WD),

[0100] Period := Period + upStep

[0101] Period := min(max(Period, minPeriod), maxPeriod)

[0102] Return: Period (The caller of this algorithm can use the quantized version of the period according to the supported periods).

[0103] The above method executable by network node 16 updates the period when allocating periodic resources to a user, regardless of whether the allocation is successful. In the long term, for small enough downStepThe value and the achievable maxBlockProb, and this method will result in a blocking probability less than or equal to maxBlockProb. The above method can employ an integral controller as such controllers are simple and efficient. More advanced controllers such as a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller can be easily used in a straightforward manner in the above method. Intuitively, when no resources are available, the period is increased to make room for more resources. In this way, in the upcoming allocation, more users will be allocated resources. On the contrary, when there is at least one available resource, since there are resources available, the period is decreased to improve performance. In the long run, the above algorithm finds the period setting that achieves a compromise between performance and the number of available resources while meeting maxBlockProb.

[0104] The value of the selectable parameter maxBlockProb can be chosen to find a balance between the gain obtained by using a smaller period and the blocking probability. A small value of maxBlockProb means less blocking, but also means less gain from a smaller period, and vice versa. The value of maxBlockProb also depends on the importance of the resources to be allocated. For example, it may be most important to give SR resources to each WD 22. To give SR resources to each WD 22, maxBlockProb can be set to a very low value (<1%) because the uplink traffic of users can be carried without SR resources by adopting at least one of semi-persistent scheduling, UL pre-scheduling, or random access procedures (all of which may be costly). On the other hand, SRS resources are more commonly used for performance improvement. Therefore, SRS resources can be considered less important compared to SR resources, and maxBlockProb can be set to a higher value than the maxBlockProb value used for SR resources. In some embodiments, the methods described above can be applied separately for each type of resource.

[0105] In some embodiments, the network node 16 (e.g., a base station) can classify users into multiple (M) priority classes (e.g., based on user subscription packages), and apply the above method M times for each group of user classes, where each run of the method can have a maxBlockProb and downStep the corresponding parameter setting. For example, a higher priority group of WD 22s can have a lower maxBlockProb value compared to the maxBlockProb value of a lower priority group of WD 22s.

[0106] In some embodiments, a network node 16 (e.g., a base station) may classify users into multiple (M) classes according to channel conditions (e.g., based on the CQI reported by the user), and apply the above method M times for each group of user classes, where each run of the method may have corresponding parameter settings of maxBlockProb and downStep, and the method runs for the corresponding user priority class corresponding to the method. For example, compared with the maxBlockProb value of the WD 22 in the cell center, the WD 22 in the cell edge set may have a lower maxBlockProb value, and vice versa.

[0107] In some embodiments, when periodic resources are to be allocated to a user (Ua) of the WD 22 but no periodic resources are available, the network node 16 may remove the resources with period p from another user (Ub) of another WD 22, and then divide the removed resources into two resources, each with a period of 2p. In this way, both the WD 22 of user Ua and Ub get resources with a period of 2p. This resource division procedure may be performed after the above method is executed. As a result of the resource division, resources can be assigned to more WD 22s at the cost of more RRC reconfiguration messages.

[0108] In yet another embodiment, when periodic resources are to be allocated to the WD 22 of a user (Ua) but no periodic resources are available, the network node 16 may remove resources with a period of p_1, p_2, ……, p_n from n WD 22s. Then, the network node 16 may divide the n resources into n + 1 resources, each with a period of p new and assign resources with p new to each of the n + 1 WD 22s. The expression for calculating p new is given by the following formula:

[0109]

[0110] where f(x) is the ceiling function that rounds x up to the next supported period. Other methods for dividing n resources into n + 1 resources with different periods may also be applicable to the present disclosure.

[0111] In another embodiment, the network node 16 (e.g., a base station) may select n users according to one of the following criteria: the n WD 22 with the lowest priority, the n WD 22 that have been least active prior to the allocation to the users (Ua) of the WD 22, the n WD 22 with the resources having the smallest period, or the n WD 22 for which the network node 16 (e.g., a base station) has determined at least a benefit resulting from a smaller period (where the determination may be based on the WD 22 channel conditions and the download / upload traffic. The present disclosure may be applicable to any criterion used by the network node 16 (e.g., a base station) to select the n WD 22 in the previous embodiment.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the concepts described herein may be implemented as a method, a data processing system, and / or a computer program product. Accordingly, the concepts described herein may take the form of an all-hardware embodiment, an all-software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, all of which are generally referred to herein as "circuitry" or "module". Additionally, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a tangible computer-usable storage medium in which computer program code is implemented, and the computer program code may be executed by a computer. Any suitable tangible computer-readable medium may be utilized, including a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an electronic storage device, an optical storage device, or a magnetic storage device.

[0113] Some embodiments are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, systems, and computer program products. It will be understood that each block in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0114] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory or storage medium, whereby they can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture that includes instruction means for implementing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0115] Computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. It will be understood that the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, depending upon the functionality / act involved, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order. Although some of the figures include arrows on communication paths to show a primary direction of communication, it will be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to that depicted by the arrows.

[0116] Computer program code for carrying out operations of the concepts described herein may be written in an object oriented programming language such as Java® or C++. However, computer program code for carrying out the operations of the present disclosure may also be written in a conventional procedural programming language such as the "C" programming language. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0117] Numerous different embodiments are disclosed herein in connection with the above description and the drawings. It will be understood that a literal description and illustration of every combination and sub-combination of these embodiments would be overly repetitive and confusing. Accordingly, all embodiments can be combined in any manner and / or combination, and this specification, including the drawings, should be regarded as constituting a complete written description of all combinations and sub-combinations of the embodiments described herein and the manner and processes of making and using them, and should support claims to any such combination or sub-combination.

[0118] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments described herein are not limited to what has been particularly shown and described above. Additionally, unless stated to the contrary above, it should be noted that all of the drawings are not drawn to scale. In view of the above teachings, various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a network node (16) to adjust the period of periodic resources allocated to a wireless device WD (22) in a wireless network, the period defining the time interval between the periodic resources allocated to the WD (22), the method comprising: allocating (S100) periodic resources to the WD (22) for the WD (22) to use to transmit data to the network node (16), the allocation being at least partially based on the period; determining (S102) whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD (22) is successful or unsuccessful based on whether there are available resources for the period of the periodic resources; and adjusting (S104) the period of the periodic resources based on whether the allocation of the periodic resources to the WD (22) is successful.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Adjusting the period is further based on an output generated by one of an integral controller and a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein Adjusting the period further comprises: Let upStep be determined as the increase amount of the period, given by the following formula: downStep is a configurable parameter representing the reduction amount of the period, maxBlockProb is a configurable parameter representing the maximum blocking probability that the WD (22) needs unavailable periodic resources.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein Adjusting the period further comprises: If the allocation of the periodic resource to the WD (22) is successful, decrement the period by an amount equal to downStep ; and If the allocation of the periodic resource to the WD (22) is not successful, increment the period by an amount equal to upStep .

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, Adjusting the period is further based on the type of periodic resources being allocated by the network node (16).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, Adjusting the period further comprises: updating the period such that the period is within a configurable range.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, Adjusting the period is further based on one of a plurality of predefined classes of WD (22) users.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining that the periodic resources are not available for allocation to the WD (22); identifying a plurality of WDs (22) to which periodic resources are allocated; Obtain the period for each of the plurality of WD (22) identified WD (22) to determine the new period to be assigned to the WD (22) and each identified WD (22) p new , and p new be expressed as: f is a function that rounds up to the next supported period, n is the total number of identified WDs (22) with the allocated periodic resources, i is the index for summing over the identified WDs (22) among these identified WDs (22), p i is the period of the said identified WD (22); and Optionally, the period p new is assigned to the WD (22) and each identified WD (22).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein identifying the WD (22) to be included in the plurality of WDs (22) is at least partially based on predefined criteria, the predefined criteria including one of the priority of the WD (22), the activity of the WD (22) on the wireless network, the period of the WD (22), and the period benefit of the WD (22).

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Initiating the allocation of the periodic resources when it is determined that the periodic resources need to be allocated to the WD (22).

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The periodic resources are one of a physical uplink control channel PUCCH scheduling request SR resource, a PUCCH channel quality indicator CQI resource, and a periodic sounding reference signal SRS, and are used in one of Long Term Evolution LTE and New Radio NR.

12. A network node (16) in a wireless network, the network node (16) being configured to adjust the period of periodic resources allocated to a wireless device WD (22), the period defining the time interval between the periodic resources allocated to the WD (22), the network node (16) comprising: processing circuitry (38) having a processor (40) and a memory (42), the processing circuitry (38) being configured to: allocate periodic resources to the WD (22) for the WD (22) to use to transmit data to the network node (16), the allocation being at least partially based on the period; Determine whether the allocation of the periodic resource to the WD (22) is successful or not based on whether there is available resource for the period of the periodic resource; and Adjust the period of the periodic resource based on whether the allocation of the periodic resource to the WD (22) is successful.

13. The network node (16) according to claim 12, wherein, Adjusting the period is further based on an output generated by one of an integral controller and a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.

14. The network node (16) according to any one of claims 12 and 13, wherein, Adjusting the period further includes: Let upStep be determined as the increase in said period and is given by the following formula: downStep is a configurable parameter representing the amount of reduction in the period, maxBlockProb is a configurable parameter representing the maximum blocking probability that the WD (22) requires unavailable periodic resources.

15. The network node (16) according to claim 14, wherein, Adjusting the period further includes: If the allocation of the periodic resource to the WD (22) is successful, decrement the period by an amount equal to downStep ; and If the allocation of the periodic resource to the WD (22) is not successful, increment the period by an amount equal to upStep .

16. The network node (16) according to any one of claims 12 - 15, wherein, Adjusting the period is further based on the type of the periodic resource being allocated by the network node (16).

17. The network node (16) according to any one of claims 12 - 16, wherein, Adjusting the period further includes: Update the period such that the period is within a configurable range.

18. The network node (16) according to any one of claims 12 - 17, wherein, Adjusting the period is further based on one of a plurality of predefined classes of WD (22) users.

19. The network node (16) according to claim 12, wherein, The processing circuit (38) is further configured to: Determine that the periodic resource is not available for allocation to the WD (22); Identify a plurality of WDs (22) to which the periodic resource is allocated; Obtain the period for each of the plurality of WD (22) identified WD (22) to determine the new period to be assigned to the WD (22) and each identified WD (22) p new , will p new be expressed as: f is a function that rounds up to the next supported period, n is the total number of identified WDs (22) with allocated periodic resources, i is an index that sums over the identified WDs (22) among these identified WDs (22), p i is the period of the said identified WD (22); and Optionally, a period p new is assigned to the WD (22) and each identified WD (22).

20. The network node (16) according to claim 19, wherein, Identify the WD (22) to be included in the plurality of WDs (22) is at least partially based on predefined criteria, the predefined criteria including one of the priority of the WD (22), the activity of the WD (22) on the wireless network, the period of the WD (22), and the period benefit of the WD (22).

21. The network node (16) according to claim 12, wherein, Initiate the allocation of the periodic resource when it is determined that the periodic resource needs to be allocated to the WD (22).

22. The network node (16) according to any one of claims 12 - 21, wherein, The periodic resource is one of a physical uplink control channel PUCCH scheduling request SR resource, a PUCCH channel quality indicator CQI resource, and a periodic sounding reference signal SRS, and the periodic resource is available for use in one of Long Term Evolution LTE and New Radio NR.

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