Scheduling request and random access triggering for sdt

Abstract

Example embodiments of this disclosure relate to scheduling request (SR) and random access (RA) triggering for small data transmission (SDT). Apparatus, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for SDT scheduling request and random access triggering are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a terminal device receives from a network device a configuration of one or more configured authorized (CG) resources for an SDT procedure and a list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs) associated with a corresponding logical channel (LCH) permitted for SDT on at least one of the one or more CG resources. After the terminal device initiates an SDT procedure in inactive mode, if the terminal device determines that a buffer status report (BSR) has been triggered, the terminal device determines whether the configuration of the SR mask should be applied to the LCH configured for SDT.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to an apparatus, method, device, and computer-readable storage medium for triggering a scheduling request (SR) and random access (RA) for small data transmission (SDT). Background Technology

[0002] User equipment (UE) in an inactive state can perform SDT to reduce signaling overhead and latency caused by transitioning from an inactive state to a connected state. Two typical SDT types include SDT based on the Random Access Channel (RACH) (RACH-based SDT) and SDT based on Configured Grants (CG-SDT). For CG-SDT, one or more CG resources can be configured as initial bandwidth portions (BWPs) or separate SDT BWPs. If, during the selection phase for the SDT type, none of the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of the synchronization signaling blocks (SSBs) associated with the CG resources exceeds the RSRP threshold of the CG-SDT standard, the UE can select RA-SDT if the RA-SDT standard is met.

[0003] During the SDT process, a scheduling request (SR) may be triggered due to a lack of UL resources. If no SR resources are configured for SDT, the UE may trigger random access (RA) because SR resources are unavailable when a buffer status report (BSR) is triggered by SDT data. SR and RA triggering may cause unnecessary BWP handover. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In general, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide an apparatus, method, device, and computer-readable storage medium for SR and RA triggering of SDT.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to enable the terminal device to receive from a network device a configuration of one or more Configurable Granted (CG) resources for a Small Data Transmission (SDT) procedure, and a list of one or more Data Radio Bearers (DRBs), the one or more DRBs corresponding to a logical channel (LCH) permitted for SDT on at least one of the one or more Configurable Granted resources. The terminal device is also enabled to initiate an SDT procedure in an inactive mode and, based on a determination that a Buffer Status Report (BSR) has been triggered, determine whether a configuration of a scheduling request mask should be applied to the LCH configured for SDT.

[0006] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the terminal device to receive from a network device a configuration of one or more CG resources for an SDT procedure, and a list of one or more DRBs, the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding LCH for an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more CG resources. The terminal device is also configured to determine, in response to determining that a random access procedure is to be initiated, whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided. In this method, a terminal device receives from a network device a configuration of one or more CG resources for an SDT procedure, and a list of one or more DRBs, the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding LCH for an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more CG resources. After the terminal device initiates an SDT procedure in inactive mode, if the terminal determines that a BSR has been triggered, the terminal device determines whether the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied to the LCH configured for SDT.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. In this method, a terminal device receives from a network device a configuration of one or more CG resources for an SDT procedure and a list of one or more DRBs, the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding LCH for an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more CG resources. If the terminal device determines that a random access procedure is to be initiated, the terminal device determines whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for performing the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including program instructions stored thereon. When executed by a processor of a device, the instructions cause the device to perform the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

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

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

[0013] Figure 1 An example environment is shown that can implement example embodiments of this disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2 A flowchart is shown below illustrating an example method for triggering enhancements for a scheduling request (SR) according to some example embodiments of this disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 A flowchart is shown illustrating an example method for triggering enhancements for random access (RA) according to some other example embodiments of this disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 4 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these exemplary embodiments are described merely for illustration and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0019] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0020] As used herein, the terms "terminal device" or "user equipment" (UE) refer to any terminal device capable of wirelessly communicating with each other or with a base station. Communication may involve sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic signals, radio waves, infrared signals, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information over the air. In some example embodiments, the UE may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human-machine interaction. For example, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network side, the UE may send information to the base station according to a predetermined schedule.

[0021] Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, wireless-enabled tablets, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), wireless client devices (CPEs), sensors, metering devices, personal wearable devices (such as watches), and / or vehicles capable of communication. For the purposes of discussion, some exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to UEs as examples of terminal devices, and the terms "terminal device" and "user equipment" (UE) may be used interchangeably in the context of this disclosure.

[0022] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a device through which services can be provided to terminal devices in a communication network. As an example, a network device may include a base station. As used herein, the term "base station" (BS) refers to a network device through which services can be provided to terminal devices in a communication network. A base station may include any suitable device through which a terminal device or UE can access a communication network. Examples of base stations include relays, access points (APs), transport points (TRPs), Node Bs (NodeBs or NBs), evolved Node Bs (eNodeBs or eNBs), New Radio (NR) Node Bs (gNBs), Remote Radio Modules (RRUs), Radio Headers (RHs), Remote Radio Headers (RRHs), and low-power nodes (such as femtoseconds, picoseconds, etc.).

[0023] As used herein, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more, or all of the following:

[0024] (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems) and

[0025] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of (multiple) hardware processors having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions and

[0026] (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not exist when operation does not require it.

[0027] This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuit system also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion thereof and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuit system also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular base stations, or other computing or base stations.

[0028] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the / described” are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “comprising” and its variations should be understood as open terms meaning “including, but not limited to.” The term “based on” should be understood as “at least partially based on.” The terms “one embodiment” and “an embodiment” should be understood as “at least one embodiment.” The term “another embodiment” should be understood as “at least one other embodiment.” Other definitions, explicitly and implicitly, may be included below.

[0029] As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used to describe various elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0030] For RA-SDT, in 3GPP Release 17 (REL17), RACH-based schemes (including 2-step and 4-step RACH) are used to enable user plane (UP) data transmission for small data packets from the INACTIVE state, for example, using message A (MSGA) or message 3 (MSG3). The flexible payload size provided in Release 16 (Rel-16), larger than the Common Control Channel (CCCH) message size, can currently be used for MSGA and MSG3 in the INACTIVE state to support UP data transmission in the UL. The actual payload size may depend on the network (NW) configuration. RACH-based SDT supports context acquisition and data forwarding in the INACTIVE state (with and without anchor relocation). RA-SDT does not support contention-free random access (CFRA). The separate search space is common to the UE performing RA-SDT.

[0031] For CG-SDT, when the timing advance (TA) is active, the reuse of the configured license type 1 for transmitting UL data on the pre-configured PUSCH resource is permitted to provide small data transmission in the INACTIVE state via the configured license type 1 resource. The configured license type 1 resource is configured for small data transmission in the UL for the INACTIVE state. The UE-specific search space can be configured for the UE performing CG-SDT. After the UE initiates SDT, the UE may need to monitor paging for system information changes. CG-SDT resources can be configured on the initial BWP or separate SDT BWPs. If, during the SDT type selection phase, none of the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) exceeds the RSRP threshold of the CG-SDT standard, the UE can select RA-SDT if the RA-SDT standard is met.

[0032] When a UE initiates a Radio Resource Control (RRC) recovery procedure from a different cell than the one where RRCRelease was received, the UE can release CG-SDT resources (if stored). The Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) previously configured in the RRC_CONNECTED state can be used by the UE to monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) in the CG-SDT. A dynamic retransmission mechanism based on the configured Scheduled RNTI (CS-RNTI) can be reused in the CG-SDT. Whether the CS-RNTI is the same as the one previously configured in RRC_CONNECTED, or whether a new CS-RNTI is provided to the UE, requires further investigation.

[0033] For CG resource selection purposes, the UE can re-evaluate the SSB for subsequent CG transmissions. What happens if no valid SSB is available or if no candidate beam detection samples are available requires further investigation. The CG-SDT configuration may include several parameters, which may include a new TA timer under RRC_INACTIVE, an RSRP change threshold for the TA verification mechanism in the SDT, and / or an SSB RSRP threshold for beam selection (where the UE selects the beam and the associated CG resource for data transmission). Whether these parameters are common to multiple CG-SDT configurations or to each CG-SDT configuration requires further investigation.

[0034] During the SDT procedure, the UE can implicitly perform Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) reconstruction without explicitly indicating PDCP reconstruction. Robust Header Compression (ROHC) continuity can be explicitly configured by the network. PDCP replication and Connected Mode Discontinuous Reception (DRX) may not be supported, while Power Headroom Reporting (PHR) functionality may be supported for SDT.

[0035] Scheduling Request (SR) resources may not be configured for SDT. In this case, when a Buffer Status Report (BSR) is triggered by SDT data, the UE may trigger Random Access (RA) due to the unavailability of SR resources. For example, during the CG transmission phase, after the UE has received a response from the NW, it may trigger a traditional RACH procedure due to the lack of UL resources. Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) reconstruction may not be required. Whether RA-SDT RA resources can be used for subsequent data requires further investigation.

[0036] As an example, if no qualified SSB is available when the SSB assessment is performed, when the TA is invalid, and / or when the SR is triggered due to a lack of UL resources, the UE may initiate a RACH procedure. If the CG-SDT resource is configured on a dedicated BWP and no RA resource is configured on the dedicated BWP, the UE may need to switch to the initial BWP to perform the RACH procedure.

[0037] For example, during the initiation of the RA procedure on the serving cell, after selecting a carrier for the RA procedure, if the PRACH timing is not configured for the active UL BWP for the selected carrier of that serving cell, the UE's MAC entity can switch the active UL BWP to the BWP indicated by the initialUplinkBWP. If the serving cell is a SpCell, the MAC entity can switch the active DL BWP to the BWP indicated by the initialDownlinkBWP. If the PRACH timing is configured for the active UL BWP, when the serving cell is a SpCell, if the active DL BWP does not have the same bwp-Id as the active UL BWP, the MAC entity can switch the active DL BWP to a DL BWP with the same bwp-Id as the active UL BWP. The MAC entity can stop the bwp-InactivityTimer associated with the active DL BWP of this serving cell (if it is running). If the serving cell is a secondary cell (SCell), the MAC entity can stop the bwp-InactivityTimer associated with the active DL BWP of the SpCell (if it is running). The MAC entity can perform the RA procedure on the active DL BWP of the SpCell and the active UL BWP of the serving cell.

[0038] Furthermore, if the SR mask is not configured for the logical channel (LCH) that triggers a regular BSR, a UE in connected mode with configured authorization can trigger an SR. This may not be a problem for connected mode, as dedicated SRs are typically configured for connected mode when the mask is not configured. However, it may not be suitable for inactive mode during SDT procedures. If an SR is triggered in inactive mode with the SR mask set to false, it may cause unnecessary RA procedures and additional BWP handovers during the CG-SDT procedure, even if CG-SDT resources are still available.

[0039] This disclosure provides example embodiments of SR and RA triggering enhancement schemes for SDT to avoid unnecessary SR and / or RA triggering and thus unnecessary BWP handover. On one hand, for SR triggering enhancement, a terminal device (such as a UE) capable of CG-SDT receives from a network device (such as a base station) a configuration of one or more Configured Grant (CG) resources for the SDT procedure, and a list of Data Radio Bearers (DRBs), which are associated with a corresponding Logical Channel (LCH) permitted for SDT on at least one of the one or more CG resources. After the terminal device initiates the SDT procedure in an inactive mode (such as RRC_INACTIVE mode), the terminal device determines whether the LCH for triggering a Buffer Status Report (BSR) is permitted for SDT on at least one of the one or more CG resources. If the LCH is permitted for SDT, the terminal device determines whether a scheduling request (SR) mask configuration should be applied to the LCH.

[0040] In some example embodiments, if the terminal device determines that at least one CG resource is valid, it determines that the SR mask configuration will not be applied to the LCH. Therefore, the terminal device can bypass the SR mask. Alternatively, if the SR mask is set to false in a connection mode (such as RRC_CONNECTED mode), the terminal device can set the SR mask to true. Therefore, unnecessary SR triggering can be prevented during the SDT procedure.

[0041] On the other hand, for RA triggering enhancement, terminal devices that support CG-SDT can delay the initiation of the RA process when the terminal device determines that the RA process is needed. Therefore, unnecessary RA triggering can also be prevented.

[0042] This prevents unnecessary SR and RA triggering, thereby saving power consumption, reducing signaling overhead, and improving system efficiency.

[0043] Figure 1 An example environment 100 in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown.

[0044] Environment 100, which may be part of a communication network, includes terminal devices 110 and network devices 120 that can communicate with each other. It should be understood that the two devices shown in environment 100 are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. Environment 100 may include any suitable number of terminal devices and network devices.

[0045] Terminal device 110 can communicate directly with network device 120 or with other terminal devices, either directly or via network device 120. Communication in environment 100 can follow any suitable communication standards or protocols that exist or will be developed in the future, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (NR), Wi-Fi, and Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX) standards, and employ any suitable communication technologies, including, for example, Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Machine-Type Communication (MTC), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), Carrier Aggregation (CA), Dual Connectivity (DC), and New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) technologies.

[0046] Terminal device 110 may receive configuration from network device 120 for one or more CG resources in an inactive state or mode (such as RRC_INACTIVE) for SDT procedures. Terminal device 110 also receives from network device 120 a list of DRBs associated with the corresponding LCHs of SDTs permitted on at least one of the one or more CG resources. In various example embodiments, terminal device 110 attempts to avoid unnecessary SR and / or RA triggering to save power and improve system efficiency.

[0047] The following will refer to Figure 2 Some example implementations for SR trigger enhancement are discussed.

[0048] Figure 2 A flowchart is shown of an example method 200 for SR trigger enhancement at a terminal device 110 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown in block 205, terminal device 110 receives from network device 120 a configuration of one or more CG resources for the SDT procedure, and a list of DRBs, whereby the DRBs are associated with the corresponding LCHs that are permitted for SDT on at least one of the one or more CG resources. The configuration of one or more CG resources can be used by terminal device 110 in inactive mode to initiate a connection recovery attempt for SDT. The CG resources can be configured on a dedicated BWP or an initial BWP.

[0050] In box 210, terminal device 110 initiates the SDT procedure. In box 215, if terminal device 110 determines that BSR has been triggered, then terminal device 110 determines whether the configuration of the SR mask should be applied to the LCH configured for SDT.

[0051] For example, in some example embodiments, when terminal device 110 is in CONNECTED mode, terminal device 110 can receive from network device 120 the configuration of the SR mask for LCH, or the DRB associated with the LCH for SDT. The SR mask (or SR-mask) can be set to true or false. Traditionally, during the SDT process in active mode, no SR will be triggered if the SR mask = true, and an SR will be triggered if the SR mask = false. The SR mask configuration stored from CONNECTED mode can continue to be used in INACTIVE mode. If the SR mask is not stored from CONNECTED mode, the default value of the SR mask is false. Therefore, SR mask = false will cause an SR to be triggered, and then unnecessary RAs will be triggered during the CG-SDT process, even if at least one CG-SDT resource is still available.

[0052] According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, terminal device 110 can determine whether to apply an SR mask based on whether the LCH that triggers the BSR is allowed on SDT of at least one of one or more CG resources. If the LCH is allowed, terminal device 110 can determine that the configuration of the SR mask will not be applied, or alternatively consider it to be set to true. Otherwise, if the LCH is not allowed, terminal device 110 can determine that the SR mask will be applied, or alternatively consider it to be set to false. In other words, regardless of the SR mask configuration stored for the LCH, during the SDT process, a BSR triggered by an LCH that is allowed on SDT of at least one of one or more CG resources will not trigger an SR, while an SR triggered by an LCH that is not allowed on SDT of at least one of one or more CG resources will trigger an SR. The triggered SR then causes an RA process because no dedicated SR resource is available during SDT in INACTIVE mode. For example, if terminal device 110 determines that at least one of one or more CG resources is valid, terminal device 110 determines that the configuration of the SR mask will not be applied. For example, terminal device 110 can bypass the SR mask by ignoring the SR mask configuration. Therefore, even if the SR mask used for LCH is configured and stored as false in CONNCECTED mode, terminal device 110 will not trigger the SR.

[0053] In some example embodiments, the SR mask used in connected mode and inactive mode can be different without explicit reconfiguration. For example, terminal device 110 can set the SR mask to true for the LCH or data bearer used for the SDT procedure, regardless of the SR mask configuration stored in CONNCECTED mode.

[0054] In some example embodiments, if the LCH that triggers the BSR is allowed on at least one CG-SDT resource, the SR will not be triggered as long as a valid SSB for the CG-SDT exists, regardless of the SR mask configuration. Alternatively or additionally, if the CG-SDT resource associated with the LCH that triggers the BSR is invalid (e.g., there is no valid SSB associated with an available CG-SDT resource), the SR will not be triggered unless there is no valid CG-SDT resource at all.

[0055] In this way, unnecessary SR triggering can be avoided during the SDT process, thereby saving power consumption at the terminal device 110. In addition, signaling overhead can be reduced and system efficiency can be improved.

[0056] As described above, during the CG-SDT process, if a qualified SSB is not available when the SSB evaluation is performed, when the TA is invalid, and / or when the SR is triggered due to a lack of UL resources, the RA process can be initiated. According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device 110 delays the initiation of the RA process to reduce resource consumption and improve resource utilization, and further improve system efficiency.

[0057] The following will refer to Figure 3 Some example implementations for RA-triggered enhancement are discussed.

[0058] Figure 3 A flowchart is shown of an example method 300 for RA-triggered enhancement at a terminal device 110, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, in block 305, terminal device 110 receives from network device 120 a configuration for one or more CG resources for the SDT process, and a list of DRBs. Each DRB is associated with a corresponding LCH that allows SDT on at least one of the one or more CG resources, similar to... Figure 2Box 205 is shown. Then, in box 310, if terminal device 110 determines that the RA procedure is to be initiated, terminal device 110 determines whether the initiation of the RA procedure should be delayed. For example, if a qualified SSB is not present when the SSB assessment is performed, when the TA is invalid, and / or when the SR is triggered due to a lack of UL resources, terminal device 110 determines that the RA procedure is to be initiated. In this case, terminal device 110 will determine whether to delay the RA procedure.

[0060] In some example embodiments, if no qualified SSB is present when the SSB assessment is performed, terminal device 110 may determine to delay RA triggering to avoid immediate beam or radio link failure recovery. This is because beam or radio link failures may recover quickly if there are some sudden (and brief) obstructions or attenuation. In this case, delaying can avoid unnecessary RA triggering, thereby reducing power consumption, reducing network capacity, and improving system efficiency.

[0061] In some example embodiments, the RA process may be delayed or differentiated depending on whether the CG-SDT resource or the ongoing SDT process is on a dedicated BWP without RACH configuration. For example, if the CG-SDT resource is configured on a dedicated BWP, a delay may be applied. If the CG-SDT is to be executed on the initial BWP, the terminal device 110 may determine that the RA process will not be delayed but will be triggered immediately. For CG-SDT, RA triggered without a valid SSB may be delayed using a timer (or counter) or until multiple candidate beam detections (e.g., multiple samples for candidate beam detection) or multiple CG timings to avoid unnecessary BWP switching.

[0062] When the Time Alignment Timer (TA) is invalid, as described above, the Automated Redirection (RA) process is conventionally triggered when the Time Alignment Timer (TAT) expires. In some example embodiments, RA triggering may take into account both the TAT expiration and the availability of data in the buffer at terminal device 110. For example, when the TA is invalid, RA can be delayed if there is data to be transmitted in the buffer of terminal device 110. Therefore, when the TA is invalid, RA will be triggered when there is UL data available for transmission in the buffer. That is, the RA process will not be initiated immediately when the TAT expires.

[0063] The availability of data in the buffer can be considered together with the validity of the SSB. For example, if a valid SSB for CG-SDT does not exist, the terminal device 110 will not initiate the RA procedure until the data to be sent arrives in the buffer.

[0064] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may delay the RA process until it receives an instruction for RA triggering from network device 120. For example, terminal device 110 may remain on a dedicated BWP unless it receives a PDCCH command from the NW side to initiate the RA process. The delay in RA triggering can avoid unnecessary BWP handover and beam and / or radio link failure recovery, thereby improving system efficiency.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 400 applicable to implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] As shown in the figure, device 400 includes a processor 410, a memory 420 coupled to the processor 410, a communication module 430 coupled to the processor 410, and a communication interface (not shown) coupled to the communication module 430. The memory 420 stores at least a program 440. The communication module 430 is used for bidirectional communication, for example, via multiple antennas. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication.

[0067] Assume that program 440 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 410, enable device 400 to operate according to an example embodiment of this disclosure, as referenced herein. Figures 1 to 3 The exemplary embodiments discussed herein can be implemented by computer software executable by processor 410 of device 400, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Processor 410 can be configured to implement various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0068] Memory 420 can be of any type suitable for the local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, as non-limiting examples, non-transient computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 420 is shown in device 400, there can be several physically different memory modules in device 400. Processor 410 can be of any type suitable for the local technology network and, as non-limiting examples, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 400 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, which are time-subordinate to a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0069] When device 400 acts as terminal device 110, processor 410 and communication module 430 can cooperate to achieve the above-mentioned reference. Figures 1 to 3 Methods 200 and 300 are described above. (See above for reference.) Figures 1 to 3All the operations and features described also apply to device 400 and have similar effects. For simplicity, details will be omitted.

[0070] Generally, the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or other illustrated representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0071] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced... Figures 1 to 3 Methods 200 or 300 are described. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various example embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can execute on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0072] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code enables the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0073] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals and computer-readable media.

[0074] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile optical disc (DVD), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0075] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or to perform all of the shown operations to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular example embodiments. Certain features described in the context of separate example embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple example embodiments.

[0076] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that this disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

[0077] Various example embodiments of these technologies have been described. The following embodiments are described as supplements to or alternatives to the foregoing. Any features described in the following examples may be utilized in conjunction with any other examples described herein.

[0078] In some aspects, a terminal device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory, including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to enable the device to: receive from a network device a configuration of one or more configured licensed resources for a Small Data Transmission (SDT) procedure, and a list of one or more Data Radio Bearers (DRBs), the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding logical channel for SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more configured licensed resources; initiate an SDT procedure in an inactive mode; and, upon being triggered by a Determining Buffer Status Report (BSR), determine whether a configuration of a scheduling request mask should be applied to the logical channel configured for SDT.

[0079] In some example embodiments, the terminal device determines whether the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied by: determining that the configuration of the scheduling request mask will not be applied in response to determining that the BSR is triggered by a logical channel that is allowed on at least one of the configured authorized resources in one or more configured authorized resources, or setting the scheduling request mask for scheduling requests for logical channels configured for SDT to true and applying the scheduling request mask.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the terminal device determines whether the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied by: determining that the BSR is triggered by a logical channel that is not allowed to perform SDT on at least one of the one or more configured authorized resources.

[0081] In some example embodiments, the configuration of one or more configured authorized resources for the Small Data Transfer (SDT) procedure will be used by the terminal device in inactive mode to initiate a connection recovery attempt for SDT.

[0082] In some aspects, a terminal device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory, including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to enable the device to: receive from a network device a configuration of one or more configured licensed resources for a Small Data Transmission (SDT) procedure, and a list of one or more Data Radio Bearers (DRBs), the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding logical channel of an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more configured licensed resources; and, in response to determining that a random access procedure is to be initiated, determine whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is made to determine whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed by: determining that the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed in response to at least one of the following: the SDT procedure is to be initiated on the dedicated bandwidth portion (BWP), the synchronization signal block (SSB) associated with the dedicated BWP in one or more configured authorized resources on the dedicated BWP is invalid, or the timing is advanced and invalid.

[0084] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is also made to perform at least one of the following: delay the initiation of a random access procedure using a timer until multiple candidate beams are detected or multiple configured authorization times are reached, or until an instruction for initiating a random access procedure is received from a network device.

[0085] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is also configured to initiate a random access procedure if there is data to be sent in the terminal device's buffer when the timed early expiration date or when there is no valid SSB.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the terminal device determines whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed by: in response to the SDT procedure being initiated on the initial BWP, determining that the initiation of the random access procedure will not be delayed.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is also configured to initiate a random access procedure based on at least one of the following: invalidation of an SSB associated with one or more configuration authorization resources on the initial BWP, or invalidation of a timed advance.

[0088] In some aspects, one method includes: receiving from a network device a configuration of one or more configured licensed resources for a Small Data Transmission (SDT) procedure and a list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs), the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding logical channel for an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more configured licensed resources; initiating the SDT procedure in an inactive mode; and determining, based on a determined buffer status report (BSR) being triggered, whether a configuration of a scheduling request mask should be applied to the logical channel configured for the SDT.

[0089] In some example embodiments, determining whether the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied includes: in response to determining that the BSR is triggered by a logical channel that is allowed to perform SDT on at least one of one or more configured authorized resources, determining that the configuration of the scheduling request mask will not be applied, or setting the scheduling request mask for scheduling requests for logical channels configured for SDT to true and applying the scheduling request mask.

[0090] In some example embodiments, determining whether the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied includes: determining that the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied in response to determining that the BSR is triggered by a logical channel that is not allowed to perform SDT on at least one of the one or more configured authorized resources.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the configuration of one or more configured authorized resources for the Small Data Transfer (SDT) procedure will be used by the terminal device in inactive mode to initiate a connection recovery attempt for SDT.

[0092] In some aspects, one method includes: receiving from a network device by a terminal device a configuration of one or more configured licensed resources for a small data transmission (SDT) procedure, and a list of one or more DRBs, the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding logical channel of an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more configured licensed resources; and in response to determining that a random access procedure is to be initiated, determining whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed.

[0093] In some example embodiments, determining whether the initiation of a random access procedure should be delayed includes: determining that the initiation of a random access procedure should be delayed in response to at least one of the following: the SDT procedure is to be initiated on a dedicated bandwidth portion (BWP), the synchronization signal block (SSB) associated with the dedicated BWP in one or more configured authorized resources on the dedicated BWP is invalid, or the timing is advanced and invalid.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: delaying the initiation of a random access procedure using a timer until multiple candidate beams are detected or multiple configured authorization times are reached, or until an instruction for initiating a random access procedure is received from a network device.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the method further includes initiating a random access procedure if data to be sent exists in the buffer of the terminal device when the timed early expiration date or when no valid SSB exists.

[0096] In some example embodiments, determining whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed includes: in response to the SDT procedure being initiated on the initial BWP, determining that the initiation of the random access procedure will not be delayed.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the method further includes initiating a random access procedure based on at least one of the following: invalidation of an SSB associated with one or more configured authorized resources on the initial BWP, or invalidation of a timed advance.

[0098] In some aspects, an apparatus includes: components for receiving from a network device a configuration of one or more configured licensed resources for a Small Data Transmission (SDT) procedure and a list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs), the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding logical channel for an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more configured licensed resources; components for initiating an SDT procedure in an inactive mode; and components for determining, based on a determination that a buffer status report (BSR) has been triggered, whether a configuration of a scheduling request mask should be applied to the logical channel configured for SDT.

[0099] In some example embodiments, the component for determining whether the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied includes: a component for determining that the configuration of the scheduling request mask will not be applied in response to determining that the BSR is triggered by a logical channel of SDT that is allowed on at least one of the one or more configured authorized resources, or setting the scheduling request mask for scheduling requests for logical channels configured for SDT to true and applying the scheduling request mask.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the component for determining whether the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied includes: a component for determining the configuration of the scheduling request mask should be applied in response to determining that the BSR is triggered by a logical channel that is not allowed to perform SDT on at least one of the one or more configured authorized resources.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the configuration of one or more configured authorized resources for the Small Data Transfer (SDT) procedure will be used by the terminal device in inactive mode to initiate a connection recovery attempt for SDT.

[0102] In some aspects, an apparatus includes: components for receiving from a network device by a terminal device a configuration of one or more configured licensed resources for a small data transmission (SDT) procedure and a list of one or more DRBs, the one or more DRBs being associated with a corresponding logical channel of an SDT permitted on at least one of the one or more configured licensed resources; and components for determining whether the initiation of a random access procedure should be delayed in response to determining that a random access procedure is to be initiated.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the component for determining whether the initiation of a random access procedure should be delayed includes: a component for determining that the initiation of a random access procedure should be delayed in response to at least one of the following: the SDT procedure will be initiated on a dedicated bandwidth portion (BWP), the synchronization signal block (SSB) associated with the dedicated BWP in one or more configured authorized resources on the dedicated BWP is invalid, or the timing is advanced and invalid.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes at least one of the following: a component for delaying the initiation of a random access procedure using a timer, a component for delaying the initiation of a random access procedure until multiple candidate beam detections or multiple configured authorization times are achieved, or a component for delaying the initiation of a random access procedure until an instruction for initiating a random access procedure is received from a network device.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes a component for initiating a random access procedure when the timed period expires or when there is no valid SSB, if there is data to be transmitted in the buffer of the terminal device.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the component for determining whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed includes: a component for determining, in response to an SDT procedure to be initiated on the initial BWP, that the initiation of the random access procedure will not be delayed.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes a component for initiating a random access procedure based on at least one of the following in response to an SDT procedure to be initiated on the initial BWP: invalidation of an SSB associated with one or more configured authorized resources on the initial BWP, or invalidation of a timed advance.

[0108] In some aspects, a computer-readable storage medium includes program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform a method according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A terminal device for communication, said terminal device being configured to: The network device (120) receives configuration of one or more configuration authorization resources for configuring the authorized small data transmission CG-SDT process and a list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs), the list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs) being associated with a corresponding logical channel that is permitted to perform small data transmission SDT on at least one of the one or more configuration authorization CG resources; as well as While the CG-SDT process is in progress, it is determined that a random access procedure can be initiated by determining that there is no valid SSB associated with the one or more CG-SDT resources. In response to determining that the random access procedure can be initiated: Whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed is determined by considering the available data in the buffer of the terminal device that is associated with at least one of the one or more DRBs.

2. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to: The initiation of the random access procedure is delayed until data associated with at least one of the one or more DRBs to be transmitted is available in the buffer and there is no valid SSB associated with the CG-SDT procedure.

3. The terminal device as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the terminal device is configured to: When it is determined that the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of the SSBs associated with the one or more CG-SDT resources is not higher than the RSRP threshold, it is determined that there are no valid SSBs associated with the one or more CG-SDT resources.

4. The terminal device as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the random access procedure is different from the random access SDT RA-SDT procedure.

5. A method, the method comprising: At the terminal device (110) and from the network device (120), the configuration of one or more configuration authorization resources for configuring the authorized small data transmission CG-SDT process and a list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs) are received, the list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs) being associated with a corresponding logical channel that is permitted to perform small data transmission SDT on at least one of the one or more configuration authorization CG resources. as well as While the CG-SDT process is in progress, it is determined that a random access procedure can be initiated by determining that there is no valid SSB associated with the one or more CG-SDT resources. In response to determining that the random access procedure can be initiated: Whether the initiation of the random access procedure should be delayed is determined by considering the available data in the buffer of the terminal device that is associated with at least one of the one or more DRBs.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: The initiation of the random access procedure is delayed until data associated with at least one of the one or more DRBs to be transmitted is available in the buffer and there is no valid SSB associated with the CG-SDT procedure.

7. The method of any one of claims 5 to 6, further comprising: When it is determined that the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of the SSBs associated with the one or more CG-SDT resources is not higher than the RSRP threshold, it is determined that there are no valid SSBs associated with the one or more CG-SDT resources.

8. The method of any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein the random access procedure is different from the random access SDTRA-SDT procedure.

9. A computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, the instructions causing the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 5 to 8 when executed by a processor of the device.

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