Scheduling Request Management

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus, method, and computer-readable storage medium for scheduling request management. The method includes determining at an apparatus whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels based on determining that data on a logical channel is available for transmission; and determining a set of target SR configurations that can be used for an SR process from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and one or more additional logical channels based on determining that there is pending data available for transmission; and performing an SR process based on the target SR configuration. In this way, waste of SR configurations can be avoided, and the fastest SR opportunity can be used to transmit the SR.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and in particular to an apparatus, method, and computer-readable storage medium for scheduling request (SR) management. Background Art

[0002] When new data arrives at the user equipment (UE) buffer, a buffer status report (BSR) may be triggered to indicate, for example, the size of uplink (UL) data to be transmitted. If there are no UL resources available to transmit the BSR, the SR may be triggered to request a UL grant.

[0003] Each logical channel (LCH) can be pre-configured with an SR configuration. Each SR configuration consists of a set of PUCCH resources associated with a parameter configuration, a BWP and a cell, and the SR resources to be used depend on the LCH that triggered the BSR. It is proposed to allow multiple SR configurations for the SR procedure initiated by data arriving at an LCH configured with a logical channel group (LCG).

[0004] With multiple SRs, more SR opportunities may be reserved, such as for Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services, and the LCH(s) that request resources are identified directly from the SR used to request the resources. Summary of the invention

[0005] In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for scheduling request management.

[0006] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine, at least based on determining that data on a logical channel is available for transmission, whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more other logical channels; based on determining that there is pending data available for transmission, determine a set of target SR configurations available for an SR process from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and the one or more other logical channels, and perform an SR process based on the target SR configurations.

[0007] In a second aspect, a method is provided. The method includes determining at a device whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels based on determining that data on a logical channel is available for transmission; and determining a set of target SR configurations available for an SR procedure from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and the one or more additional logical channels based on determining that there is pending data available for transmission; and performing the SR procedure based on the target SR configurations.

[0008] In a third aspect, a device is provided, comprising a component for determining whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels based on determining that data on the logical channel is available for transmission; and a component for determining a set of target SR configurations that can be used for an SR process from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and one or more additional logical channels based on determining that there is pending data available for transmission; and a component for performing the SR process based on the target SR configurations.

[0009] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by at least one processor of a device, causes the device to perform a method according to the third aspect or the fourth aspect.

[0010] Other features and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of specific embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example the principles of embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The embodiments of the present disclosure are presented in the form of examples, and their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0012] Figure 1 An example environment is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0013] Figure 2 A signaling diagram illustrating a scheduling request management process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an example method of scheduling request management according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 5 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] 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 to illustrate and help those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways except the way described below.

[0019] 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.

[0020] In this disclosure, references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and "an example embodiment" 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, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an example embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, it is within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0021] 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 the functions of the various elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0022] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" used herein also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes", and / or "including" 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.

[0023] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one, more, or all of the following:

[0024] (a) a pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry), and

[0025] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0026] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0027] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processor(s)), software and memory(s) with software that work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0028] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may not be present when not required for operation.

[0029] 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. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0030] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as a fifth generation (5G) system, 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), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) communication protocol, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be 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, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0031] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from the network. 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 next generation NodeB (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.

[0032] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a 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 capture 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 endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop vehicle-mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (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 the context of an industrial and / or automated processing chain), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) part of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node (also known as a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0033] Although the functions described herein may be performed in fixed and / or wireless network nodes in various example embodiments, in other example embodiments, the functions may be performed in a user equipment device (such as a mobile phone, or a tablet, or a laptop, or a desktop computer, or a mobile IoT device, or a fixed IoT device). For example, the user equipment device may be equipped with corresponding capabilities described in conjunction with (multiple) fixed and / or wireless network nodes (as appropriate). The user equipment device may be a user device and / or a control device (such as a chipset or a processor) that is configured to control the user device when installed in the user device. Examples of such functions include a boot server function and / or a home subscriber server, which may be implemented in the user equipment device by providing software to the user equipment device, which is configured to cause the user equipment device to perform operations from the perspective of these functions / nodes.

[0034] Figure 1 1 shows an example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 includes a terminal device 110 (hereinafter also referred to as an apparatus 110 or UE 110) and a network device 120 (hereinafter also referred to as another apparatus 120 or gNB 120). The terminal device 110 can communicate with the network device 120. It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of network devices and terminal devices shown is given for ease of explanation and is not intended to be limiting. Communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices.

[0035] Depending on the communication technology, network 100 can be a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network, a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) network, etc. The communication discussed in network 100 can meet any suitable standard, including but not limited to new radio access (NR), long term evolution (LTE), LTE evolution, LTE advanced (LTE-A), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), cdma2000 and global system for mobile communications (GSM), etc. In addition, the communication can be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include but are not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols. The technology described herein can be used for the above-mentioned wireless networks and radio technologies as well as other wireless networks and radio technologies. For clarity, certain aspects of the techniques are described below for LTE, and LTE terminology is used in much of the description below.

[0036] As described above, when new data arrives at the user equipment (UE) buffer, a buffer status report (BSR) may be triggered to indicate, for example, the size of uplink (UL) data to be transmitted. If there are no UL resources available to transmit the BSR, a scheduling request (SR) may be triggered to request a UL grant.

[0037] Each logical channel (LCH) can be pre-configured with an SR configuration. Each SR configuration consists of a set of PUCCH resources associated with a parameter configuration, a BWP and a cell, and the SR resources to be used depend on the LCH that triggered the BSR. It is proposed to allow multiple SR configurations for the SR procedure initiated by data arriving at an LCH configured with a logical channel group (LCG).

[0038] It should be understood that “LCG is configured” is always assumed in the present disclosure. In other words, logical channels that are not configured with LCG are not considered.

[0039] With multiple SRs, more SR opportunities may be reserved, such as for ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) services, and the LCH(s) that directly request resources from the SR used to request resources may be identified.

[0040] In a conventional manner, only the SR of the logical channel with the highest priority is used. If data on another logical channel with a lower priority arrives at the UE buffer, a different SR configuration associated with the other logical channel with a lower priority cannot be used. Furthermore, if data on another logical channel with the same high priority arrives at the UE buffer, a different SR configuration associated with the other logical channel with the same high priority cannot be used, because the other BSR of the other logical channel will not be triggered.

[0041] Therefore, in URLLC or Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) scenarios, more services can be supported. The current mechanism of SR may cause delays due to the limited priorities of logical channels and SR configuration.

[0042] It has been agreed that if data on several logical channels with the same high priority arrive in sequence at the UE buffer, only one BSR will be triggered and only the SR configuration of the logical channel on which the data first arrived at the UE buffer will be used. Therefore, some SR configurations may be wasted and SR for high priority data may be delayed.

[0043] Therefore, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a solution for SR management. In this solution, multiple SR configurations associated with an LCH containing available UL data can be regarded as a set of target SR configurations for transmitting SR. In this way, waste of SR configurations can be avoided, and the fastest SR opportunity can be used to transmit SR.

[0044] The following will refer to Figures 2 to 3 The principles and implementations of the present disclosure are described in detail.

[0045] Figure 2 A signaling diagram of a scheduling request management process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1 Process 200 is described. Process 200 may involve Figure 1 UE 110 and gNB 120 are shown. It is worth noting that although process 200 has been Figure 1 The process is described in the communication network 100, but the process can also be applied to other communication scenarios.

[0046] When new data is available for a logical channel, UE 110 may determine whether a BSR associated with the logical channel is triggered and transmit an SR based on the SR configuration associated with the logical channel.

[0047] If UE 110 determines that there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels, then the SR configurations configured for the one or more additional logical channels may also be considered as transmission for the SR, since the SR resources indicated in these SR configurations are dedicated to UE 110 in any way.

[0048] Therefore, to transmit the SR, the UE 110 may determine 210 a set of target SR configurations for the SR procedure. Based on the set of target SR configurations, the UE 110 may select available resources for transmitting the SR.

[0049] For example, the SR configuration selection may depend on the priority of the logical channel on which new data arrives, and the corresponding further priorities of one or more further logical channels on which there is pending data.

[0050] In some example embodiments, if the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives is higher than the corresponding additional priority of one or more additional logical channels, then a BSR may be triggered when new data arrives. UE 110 may determine a plurality of SR configurations associated with all logical channels containing UL available data (i.e., the logical channel on which the new data arrives and the one or more additional logical channels with pending data) as a set of target SR configurations for transmitting the SR.

[0051] In some example embodiments, if the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives is equal to the additional priority of the additional logical channel in the one or more additional logical channels, then when the new data arrives, the BSR may not be triggered. UE 110 may determine whether an SR procedure for sending a BSR triggered by the additional logical channel is in progress.

[0052] If UE 110 determines that an SR procedure for sending a BSR triggered by another logical channel is ongoing, the UE may add the SR configuration configured for the logical channel to the current SR configuration for the ongoing scheduling request procedure. For example, if the current SR configuration for the ongoing scheduling request procedure includes the SR configuration configured for the other logical channel on which the BSR is triggered, a new set of SR configurations for the ongoing scheduling request procedure may include the SR configuration configured for the logical channel and the SR configuration configured for the other logical channel.

[0053] As another option, if the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives is equal to the additional priority of the additional logical channel of the one or more additional logical channels, and the BSR associated with the additional logical channel has been triggered, the UE may add multiple SR configurations configured for all other logical channels containing UL available data. Thus, a new set of SR configurations for the ongoing scheduling request procedure may include the SR configuration configured for the logical channel and the corresponding additional SR configurations configured for the one or more additional logical channels.

[0054] Similarly, if the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives is lower than the other priority of the other logical channel in the one or more other logical channels, the BSR may not be triggered when the new data arrives. The UE 110 may also determine whether an SR procedure for sending a BSR triggered by another logical channel is in progress.

[0055] If UE 110 determines that an SR procedure for sending a BSR triggered by another logical channel is ongoing, the UE may add the SR configuration configured for the logical channel to the current SR configuration for the ongoing scheduling request procedure. For example, if the current SR configuration for the ongoing scheduling request procedure includes the SR configuration configured for the other logical channel on which the BSR is triggered, a new set of SR configurations for the ongoing scheduling request procedure may include the SR configuration configured for the logical channel and the SR configuration configured for the other logical channel.

[0056] In some example embodiments, the SR configuration configured for the logical channel with new data arrival or one or more additional logical channels with data available for transmission is added to the ongoing SR process as the SR configuration for SR transmission. In some other example embodiments, additional SR(s) may be triggered for the logical channel with new data arrival or all logical channels with data available for transmission, regardless of whether a new BSR is triggered.

[0057] In some example embodiments, all pending SRs may be canceled when a BSR is transmitted in a MAC PDU by UE 110. For example, all pending SRs may be canceled and each corresponding sr-ProhibitTimer (associated with the SR configuration corresponding to the pending SR) may be stopped when a MAC PDU is transmitted and the PDU includes a long or short BSR MAC CE containing the buffer status up to (and including) the last event that triggered a BSR before the MAC PDU was assembled. Then, for example, all pending SRs with or without a new BSR trigger may be canceled.

[0058] An example is described as follows to illustrate the implementation of SR configuration selection.

[0059] Assume that UE 110 may be configured with LCH1 having priority 1 and SR resource configuration 1 (hereinafter referred to as SR1), LCH2 having priority 2 and SR resource configuration 2 (hereinafter referred to as SR2), LCH3 having priority 2 and SR resource configuration 3 (hereinafter referred to as SR3), and LCH4 having priority 3 and SR resource configuration 4 (hereinafter referred to as SR4). Priority 1 is the highest priority.

[0060] It is important to understand that although LCH3 has the same priority as LCH2, they have different LCP mapping restrictions and therefore require different SR resources.

[0061] In some example embodiments, if new data arrives for LCH1, and data for LCH2 with a low priority and LCH4 with a low priority already exist in the buffer, SR1, SR2, SR4 may be used for all LCHs with data available for transmission as resources to be used for transmitting SR.

[0062] In some example embodiments, if new data arrives for LCH3 when data for LCH2 with the same priority and LCH4 with a lower priority already exist in the buffer, and if there is already a pending SR for LCH2, then as an option, SR3 may also be added to the SR configuration for the pending SR process. As another option, both SR3 and SR4 may be added to the SR configuration for the pending SR process. That is, the SR may be transmitted using resources associated with SR2, SR3, and SR4.

[0063] In some example embodiments, if new data arrives for LCH4 when data for LCH2 with a higher priority already exists in the buffer, and if there is already a pending SR for LCH2, SR4 may also be added to the SR configuration for the pending SR process. That is, the SR may be transmitted using resources associated with SR2 and SR4.

[0064] In some example embodiments, additional SR configurations can be added to the SR configuration pool only if the UE has triggered at least one BSR and SR pending. If no SR is pending, adding resources has no effect.

[0065] In some example embodiments, additional SR configurations (configurations added without BSR triggers according to the above rules) may be utilized by the UE implementation. In other words, the UE is not authorized to signal an SR with every valid SR configuration added to the SR configuration pool unless it has a valid BSR trigger. Naturally, the SR configuration corresponding to the LCH without data should remain unused.

[0066] In some example embodiments, a logical channel priority threshold may be configured or pre-configured for UE 110 to control the logical channel priority, allowing for the addition of SR configuration. Such a priority threshold may be an absolute priority threshold, or a priority relative to the highest priority LCH containing data available for transmission. The logical channel priority threshold may be transmitted to UE 110 via higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling).

[0067] In some example embodiments, if the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives is higher than the corresponding additional priority of the one or more additional logical channels, then in addition to the SR configuration configured for the logical channel on which the new data arrives, UE 110 may also determine a set of SR configurations from candidate SR configurations based on the logical channel priority threshold, the candidate SR configurations being associated with all logical channels containing UL available data. That is, if the corresponding additional priority of a portion of the additional logical channels in the one or more additional logical channels is not lower than the logical channel priority threshold, then the set of SR configurations configured for the portion of the additional logical channels and the SR configuration configured for the logical channel on which the new data arrives may be used to transmit the SR.

[0068] In some example embodiments, if the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives is equal to or lower than the additional priority of the additional logical channel in the one or more additional logical channels, and if a BSR associated with the additional logical channel has been triggered, the UE 110 may determine whether the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives, or the priorities of the remaining additional logical channels in the one or more logical channels other than the additional logical channel, matches a logical channel priority threshold. If the priority of the logical channel on which the new data arrives is not lower than the logical channel priority threshold, the SR configuration configured for the logical channel may be added to the current SR configuration for the ongoing SR procedure. If the additional logical channels in the remaining additional logical channels are not lower than the logical channel priority threshold, the SR configuration configured for the additional logical channel may be added to the current SR configuration for the ongoing SR procedure.

[0069] After determining the SR configuration, UE 110 may transmit 220 the SR to gNB 120 using available resources based on the determined set of target SR configurations. The gNB may then allocate 230 UL resources for UE 110 for UL transmission and transmit 240 an UL grant to UE 110.

[0070] In some example embodiments, whenever there are overlapping valid PUCCH resources for signaling SR from the SR configuration pool, the PUCCH resources with valid BSR triggered SR configuration will be prioritized.

[0071] For example, the first SR configuration and the second SR configuration are used to transmit SR. If the first available resources of the first SR configuration configured for the first logical channel and the second available resources of the second SR configuration configured for the second logical channel overlap in the time domain, UE 110 can determine which logical channel triggers the current SR process.

[0072] If the current SR process is triggered by the first logical channel, the first available resources may be determined as available resources for transmitting the SR.

[0073] Similarly, instead of using the priority of the logical channel as the criterion for determining whether SR configuration can be considered, the amount of buffered data, power headroom, serving cell or active BWP are used as criteria.

[0074] In this way, waste of SR configuration can be avoided, and the fastest SR opportunity can be used to transmit the SR.

[0075] Figure 3 A flowchart of an example method 300 of scheduling request management according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 300 may be implemented in a manner such as Figure 1 For ease of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1 Method 300 is described.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, at 310, if the device determines that data on the logical channel is available for transmission, the device determines whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels.

[0077] At 320 , if the apparatus determines that there is pending data available for transmission, the apparatus determines a set of target SR configurations that can be used for the SR process from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and one or more additional logical channels.

[0078] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may determine a priority for the logical channel and a corresponding additional priority for one or more additional logical channels. If the apparatus determines that the priority exceeds the corresponding additional priority, the apparatus may determine the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the corresponding additional candidate SR configuration for the one or more additional logical channels as a set of target SR configurations.

[0079] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may determine a priority of the logical channel and a corresponding additional priority of one or more additional logical channels. If the apparatus determines that the priority exceeds the corresponding additional priority, the apparatus may obtain a threshold logical channel priority. If the apparatus determines that a first additional priority of a first additional logical channel of the one or more additional logical channels is not less than the threshold logical channel priority, the apparatus may further determine the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the additional candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as a set of target SR configurations.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may determine a priority of the logical channel and a corresponding additional priority of one or more additional logical channels. If the apparatus determines that the priority does not exceed a first additional priority of a first additional logical channel of the one or more additional logical channels, the apparatus may determine whether an SR procedure triggered by the first additional logical channel is ongoing. If the apparatus determines that the SR procedure is ongoing, the apparatus may determine a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and an additional candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as a set of target SR configurations.

[0081] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may determine a priority of the logical channel and a corresponding additional priority of one or more additional logical channels. If the apparatus determines that the priority does not exceed a first additional priority of a first additional logical channel of the one or more additional logical channels, the apparatus may determine whether an SR procedure triggered by the first additional logical channel is ongoing. If the apparatus determines that the SR procedure is ongoing, the apparatus may determine a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and a corresponding additional candidate SR configuration for the one or more additional logical channels as a set of target SR configurations.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may determine a priority of the logical channel and a corresponding additional priority of one or more additional logical channels. If the apparatus determines that the priority does not exceed a first additional priority of a first additional logical channel of the one or more additional logical channels, the apparatus may determine whether an SR procedure triggered by the first additional logical channel is ongoing. If the apparatus determines that the SR procedure is ongoing, the apparatus may obtain a threshold logical channel priority. If the apparatus determines that the priority of the logical channel is not less than the threshold logical channel priority, the apparatus may determine a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and an additional candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as a set of target SR configurations.

[0083] In some example embodiments, if the device determines that a second additional priority of a second additional logical channel among one or more additional logical channels is not less than a threshold logical channel priority, the device may determine the candidate SR configurations for the logical channel and the corresponding additional candidate SR configurations for the first additional logical channel and the second additional logical channel as a set of target SR configurations.

[0084] At 330 , the device performs an SR process based on the target SR configuration.

[0085] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may obtain a set of candidate SR resources configured with the set of target SR configurations, and select a target SR resource for the SR procedure from the set of candidate SR resources.

[0086] In some example embodiments, if the device determines that a first subset of candidate SR resources and a second subset of candidate SR resources in the group of candidate SR resources are in the same time domain, the device may determine a target logical channel through which SR is triggered from the logical channel and the first additional logical channel, and select a target SR resource from the first subset of candidate SR resources and the second subset of candidate SR resources based on the target logical channel.

[0087] In some example embodiments, a device capable of performing method 300 (e.g., implemented at device 110) may include a component for performing the corresponding steps of method 300. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented by a circuit system or a software module.

[0088] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for determining whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels based on determining that data on the logical channel is available for transmission; and a component for determining a set of target SR configurations that can be used for an SR process from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and the one or more additional logical channels based on determining that there is pending data available for transmission; and a component for performing the SR process based on the target SR configurations.

[0089] Figure 4 is a simplified block diagram of a device 400 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 400 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 As shown, the device 400 includes one or more processors 410, one or more memories 440 coupled to the processors 410, and one or more transmitters and / or receivers (TX / RX) 440 coupled to the processors 310.

[0090] TX / RX 440 is used for bidirectional communication. TX / RX 440 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0091] Processor 410 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 400 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0092] The memory 420 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) 424, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 422 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0093] Computer program 430 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by associated processor 410. Program 430 may be stored in ROM 420. Processor 410 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 430 into RAM 420.

[0094] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 430, so that the device 400 may execute the reference Figures 2 to 3 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.

[0095] In some embodiments, the program 430 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 400 (such as in the memory 420) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 400. The device 400 may load the program 430 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 422 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 5 An example of a computer readable medium 500 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 430 stored thereon.

[0096] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented using hardware, while other aspects may be implemented using 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 illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0097] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above referenced Figure 3 The method 300 described. Typically, a program module includes a routine, program, library, object, class, component, data structure, etc. that performs a specific task or implements a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functions of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed. The machine executable instructions of the program modules can be executed in a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0098] 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 the program code causes the function / operation specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized when executed by the processor or controller. The program code can be executed completely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0099] 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.

[0100] The computer readable medium can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A more specific example of a computer readable storage medium will 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 of the foregoing.

[0101] In addition, although the operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in sequence or performing all the operations shown to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but rather 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. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0102] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A device, include: at least one processor; as well as 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 apparatus to at least: Based on determining that data on the logical channel is available for transmission, determining whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels; and determining, based on determining that there is pending data available for transmission, a set of target SR configurations that can be used for an SR procedure from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and the one or more further logical channels; as well as performing the SR process based on the target SR configuration, The device is caused to determine the set of target SR configurations in the following manner: determining the priority of the logical channel and the priority of the one or more additional logical channels; determining whether the SR process triggered by the first additional logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of the first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels; and determining the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as the set of target SR configurations based on determining that the SR process is in progress.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to determine the set of target SR configurations by: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; and Based on determining that the priority of the logical channel exceeds the priority of the one or more additional logical channels, a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and a candidate SR configuration for the one or more additional logical channels are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to determine the set of target SR configurations by: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; obtaining a threshold logical channel priority based on determining that the priority of the logical channel exceeds the priority of the one or more other logical channels; and Based on determining that the priority of a first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels is not lower than the threshold logical channel priority, the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to determine the set of target SR configurations by: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; determining whether an SR procedure triggered by a first further logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of a first further logical channel among the one or more further logical channels; and Based on determining that the SR process is ongoing, a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and a candidate SR configuration for the one or more additional logical channels are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to determine the set of target SR configurations by: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; determining whether an SR procedure triggered by a first additional logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of a first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels; According to determining that the SR process is being performed, obtaining a threshold logical channel priority; as well as Based on determining that the priority of the logical channel is not lower than the threshold logical channel priority, determining a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and a candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as the set of target SR configurations.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: Based on determining that the priority of a second additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels is not lower than the threshold logical channel priority, the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel and the second additional logical channel are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: Obtaining a set of candidate SR resources configured with the set of target SR configurations; and A target SR resource for the SR process is selected from the set of candidate SR resources.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is caused to select the target SR resource by: determining, from the logical channel and the first further logical channel, a target logical channel through which the SR is triggered based on determining that the first candidate SR resource subset and the second candidate SR resource subset in the set of candidate SR resources are in the same time domain; and The target SR resource is selected from the first subset of candidate SR resources and the second subset of candidate SR resources based on the target logical channel.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a terminal device.

10. A method, include: Based on determining that data on the logical channel is available for transmission, determining at the device whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more additional logical channels; as well as determining, based on determining that there is pending data available for transmission, a set of target SR configurations that can be used for an SR procedure from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and the one or more further logical channels; as well as performing the SR process based on the target SR configuration, The device is caused to determine the set of target SR configurations in the following manner: determining the priority of the logical channel and the priority of the one or more additional logical channels; determining whether the SR process triggered by the first additional logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of the first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels; and determining the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as the set of target SR configurations based on determining that the SR process is in progress.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the set of target SR configurations include: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; as well as Based on determining that the priority of the logical channel exceeds the priority of the one or more additional logical channels, a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and a candidate SR configuration for the one or more additional logical channels are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the set of target SR configurations include: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; obtaining a threshold logical channel priority based on determining that the priority of the logical channel exceeds the priority of the one or more other logical channels; as well as Based on determining that the priority of a first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels is not lower than the threshold logical channel priority, the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the set of target SR configurations include: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; determining whether an SR procedure triggered by a first additional logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of a first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels; as well as Based on determining that the SR process is ongoing, a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and a candidate SR configuration for the one or more additional logical channels are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the set of target SR configurations include: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; determining whether an SR procedure triggered by a first additional logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of a first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels; According to determining that the SR process is being performed, obtaining a threshold logical channel priority; as well as Based on determining that the priority of the logical channel is not lower than the threshold logical channel priority, determining a candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and a candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as the set of target SR configurations.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the set of target SR configurations include: determining a priority of the logical channel and a priority of the one or more further logical channels; determining whether an SR procedure triggered by a first additional logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of a first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels; According to determining that the SR process is being performed, obtaining a threshold logical channel priority; as well as Based on determining that the priority of a second additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels is not lower than the threshold logical channel priority, the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel and the second additional logical channel are determined as the set of target SR configurations.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: include: Obtaining a set of candidate SR resources configured with the set of target SR configurations; as well as A target SR resource for the SR process is selected from the set of candidate SR resources.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the target SR resource is selected include: determining, based on determining that a first subset of candidate SR resources and a second subset of candidate SR resources in the set of candidate SR resources are in the same time domain, a target logical channel through which the SR is triggered from the logical channel and the first further logical channel; as well as The target SR resource is selected from the first subset of candidate SR resources and the second subset of candidate SR resources based on the target logical channel. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the apparatus comprises a terminal device.

19. A device, include: means for determining, based on determining that data on the logical channel is available for transmission, whether there is pending data available for transmission on one or more further logical channels; as well as means for determining a set of target SR configurations usable for an SR procedure from a plurality of candidate scheduling request SR configurations associated with the logical channel and the one or more further logical channels in response to determining that there is pending data available for transmission; as well as means for performing said SR procedure based on said target SR configuration, The device is caused to determine the set of target SR configurations in the following manner: determining the priority of the logical channel and the priority of the one or more additional logical channels; determining whether the SR process triggered by the first additional logical channel is in progress based on determining that the priority of the logical channel does not exceed the priority of the first additional logical channel among the one or more additional logical channels; and determining the candidate SR configuration for the logical channel and the candidate SR configuration for the first additional logical channel as the set of target SR configurations based on determining that the SR process is in progress.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to any one of claims 10 to 18.

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