Buffer Status Report (BSR) technology

Abstract

Techniques are described for indication of buffer status reports from multiple types of BSRs, selection and / or indication of buffer size (BS) level tables, design of BS level tables, and / or determination of total amounts of data for uplink shared channels. An example wireless communication method includes transmitting, by a communication device, a buffer status report (BSR), where the BSR includes an index indicating an amount of data to be transmitted by the communication device, where the index corresponding to the amount of data is from a table, and where each index in the table is associated with a maximum data amount.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to digital wireless communication. Background Art

[0002] Mobile communication technologies are pushing the world towards an increasingly interconnected and networked society. Compared with existing wireless networks, next-generation systems and wireless communication technologies will need to support a wider range of use case characteristics and provide more complex and sophisticated access requirements and flexibility.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a wireless communication standard for mobile devices and data terminals developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) is a wireless communication standard that enhances the LTE standard. The fifth-generation wireless system, known as 5G, advances the LTE and LTE-A wireless standards and aims to support higher data rates, massive connectivity, ultra-low latency, high reliability, and other emerging service requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Techniques are disclosed for the indication of buffer status reports (BSRs) from multiple types of BSRs, the selection and / or indication of buffer size (BS) level tables, the design and / or determination of the total amount of data on the BS level table, and / or the physical uplink shared channel (e.g., physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)). The buffer size level table may also be a set of buffer sizes or other types.

[0005] An example wireless communication method includes transmitting, by a communication device, a buffer status report (BSR), where the BSR includes an index indicating the amount of data to be transmitted by the communication device, where the index corresponding to the amount of data is from a table, and where each index in the table is associated with a maximum amount of data.

[0006] In some embodiments, the BSR or the table is determined by a first indication, where the first indication is received by the communication device. In some embodiments, the first indication is carried by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling, or physical (PHY) layer signaling. In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling includes at least downlink control information (DCI). In some embodiments, the BSR includes a first BSR or a second BSR. In some embodiments, the first BSR and / or the second BSR is associated with the table.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting, by a communication device, a second indication, where the second indication determines or indicates any one or more of a type of the BSR, a table for the BSR, difference index information, or scaling factor information. In some embodiments, the second indication is carried by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling, a MAC CE header, or physical (PHY) layer signaling. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes any one or more of user equipment (UE) capabilities or UE assistance information. In some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling includes information on the number of logical channels or a BSR. In some embodiments, the MAC CE header includes any one or more of a logical channel identifier (LCID) in a sub-header of a MAC protocol data unit (PDU), an enhanced logical channel identifier (eLCID), reserved bits in a sub-header of the MAC PDU, or extended Oct bits.

[0008] In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling includes scheduling request (SR) signaling. In some embodiments, the information carried by the SR is determined by a PUCCH format, predefined time and frequency transmission resources, a sequence, and / or a code point. In some embodiments, the second indication is valid within a first duration, where the duration is determined by a first timer. In some embodiments, the second indication is not transmitted within a second duration, where the second duration is determined by a second timer. In some embodiments, an end time of the first duration is configured by RRC signaling. In some embodiments, a start time of the first duration is determined by a slot offset and / or a symbol offset. In some embodiments, an end time of the second duration is configured by RRC signaling. In some embodiments, a start time of the second duration is determined by a slot offset and / or a symbol offset. In some embodiments, the second indication includes difference index information or scaling factor information, where transmission of the second indication is associated with a counter.

[0009] In some embodiments, the counter includes any one or more of the following features: (1) the counter increases or decreases after the transmission of a second indication, and (2) the counter is reset in response to the transmission of a BSR. In some embodiments, the table includes a first table, a second table, or a third table, wherein at least one of the first table or the second table is associated with the third table. In some embodiments, the table is the first table, wherein the table includes a total of N entries, where N is an integer and is a power of 2. In some embodiments, the maximum data volume of the Mth entry of the third table is the maximum data volume of the ith entry of the first table, where 0 < i < M, where M < N, and where M and i are integers. In some embodiments, the maximum data volume of the last N - M entries of the third table is the maximum data volume of the entries of the first table, and for the data volumes of two adjacent entries from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the first table, the ratio of the previous data volume to the latter data volume is greater than S and less than R, S is less than 0.7 or 0.9, and R is less than 1, and where N - M < Q < N, i < U < N, and U is an integer. In some embodiments, the granularity from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the first table is finer than that from the Wth entry to the (W + T - 1)th entry of the third table, where W and T are integers, and 0 < W < N - T, T < N.

[0010] In some embodiments, the data volume of any one of the last N - Q - i entries of the first table is respectively K times the maximum value of the third table, where K is greater than 1. In some embodiments, the table is the second table, wherein the table includes a total of P times N entries, where P and N are integers and are powers of 2. In some embodiments, the maximum data volume of the N entries of the third table is the maximum data volume of the entries of the second table. In some embodiments, for the data volumes of two adjacent entries from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the second table, the ratio of the previous data volume to the latter data volume is greater than S and less than R, and S is less than 0.7 or 0.9, and R is less than 1, where 1 < U < P * N, 1 < Q < P * N, where Q and U are integers. In some embodiments, the granularity from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the second table is finer than that from the Wth entry to the (W + T - 1)th entry of the third table, where W and T are integers, and 0 < W < N - T, T < N.

[0011] In some embodiments, the data volume of any one of the last (P - 1)*N - Q entries in the second table is K times the maximum value of the third table, where K is greater than 1. In some embodiments, the data volume is indicated by an index including any one or more of the following: (1) the corresponding maximum data volume indicated by the index is the data volume, (2) the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume indicated by the index by a scaling factor determined by a second indication is the data volume, (3) the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding minimum data volume indicated by the index by a scaling factor determined by a second indication is the data volume, and (4) the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume of the table by a scaling factor determined by a second indication is the data volume, where the rounded result is the result of rounding down, rounding up, or rounding to the nearest value. In some embodiments, the scaling factor is one of multiple values of candidate scaling factors determined by at least one of the following: RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling. In some embodiments, the data volume is determined by the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume by a scaling factor that is greater than 0.7 or 0.9 and less than 1.

[0012] In some embodiments, the data volume is determined by the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding minimum data volume by a scaling factor that is greater than 1 and less than 1.5 or 1.2. In some embodiments, the data volume is determined by the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume of the table by a scaling factor that is greater than 1.

[0013] Another example wireless communication method includes a network device receiving a buffer status report (BSR), where the BSR includes an index indicating the amount of data to be transmitted by a communication device, where the index corresponding to the data volume is from a table, and where each index in the table is associated with a maximum data volume.

[0014] In some embodiments, the BSR or the table is determined by a first indication, where the first indication is transmitted from the network device. In some embodiments, the first indication is carried by RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, or PHY layer signaling. In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling at least includes downlink control information (DCI). In some embodiments, the BSR includes a first BSR or a second BSR. In some embodiments, the first BSR and / or the second BSR is associated with the table. In some embodiments, the method further includes the network device receiving a second indication, where the second indication includes any one or more of the type of the BSR, the table for the BSR, difference index information, or scaling factor information. In some embodiments, the second indication is carried by RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, MAC CE header, or PHY layer signaling.

[0015] In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes any one or more of UE capabilities or UE assistance information. In some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling includes information on the number of logical channels or a BSR. In some embodiments, the MAC CE header includes any one or more of the LCID, eLCID in the sub-header of the MAC PDU, reserved bits in the sub-header of the MAC PDU, or extended Oct bits. In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling includes SR signaling. In some embodiments, the information carried by the SR is determined by the PUCCH format, predefined time and frequency transmission resources, sequence, and / or code point.

[0016] In yet another exemplary aspect, the above method is embodied in the form of processor-executable code and stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When executed by a processor, the code included in the computer-readable storage medium causes the processor to implement the method described in this patent document.

[0017] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a device configured to or operable to execute the above method is disclosed.

[0018] The above and other aspects and their embodiments will be described in more detail in the drawings, the description, and the claims. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1A Shows the structure of the buffer status report (BSR) signaling in the current art.

[0020] Figure 1B Shows the BSR mechanism in the current art.

[0021] Figure 1C Shows a flowchart of the BSR signaling to the gNB.

[0022] Figure 1D Shows a diagram showing the association of a new data request with BSR signaling.

[0023] Figure 1E Shows the base station pre-configuring the BSR type and / or BSR level table for use by the user equipment (UE).

[0024] Figure 1F Shows a flowchart of the UE determining the type and table usage of the BSR signaling.

[0025] Figure 1G Shows a flowchart of the UE transmitting configuration information and a scaling factor to the base station.

[0026] Figure 2A and 2B Shows two example tables showing the index values associated with each of the multiple BSR levels.

[0027] Figures 3A to 3D Shows an example size and structure of a first BSR and / or a second BSR.

[0028] Figure 4A Shows a MAC PDU sub-header including an identifier indicating a selected BS level table.

[0029] Figure 4B Shows a MAC sub-header including an identifier indicating a selected BS level table.

[0030] Figure 5A and 5B Shows an example implementation for scheduling resource (SR) signaling.

[0031] Figure 6 and Figure 7 Shows an entry of a third table obtained or derived from a first table.

[0032] Figure 8 Shows a diagram indicating that some indexes can be merged into a third BS level table without significant loss in an attitude / control traffic model.

[0033] Figure 9 Shows a diagram indicating that some entries inserted into some two adjacent entries in a third BS level table can improve the capacity performance in a video traffic model.

[0034] Figure 10 and Figure 11 Shows an entry of a third table obtained or derived from a second table.

[0035] Figure 12 Shows an exemplary block diagram of a hardware platform, which can be part of a network device or a communication device.

[0036] Figure 13 Shows an example of wireless communication including a base station and a user equipment (UE) based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology.

[0037] Figure 14 Shows an exemplary flowchart for transmitting a BSR.

[0038] Figure 15 Shows an exemplary flowchart for receiving a BSR. Detailed Description

[0039] When transmitting variable data volume services (which include, for example, virtual reality and augmented reality) in a wireless system, a user equipment (UE) can utilize an accurate BSR to indicate the total amount of data or the amount of data to be transmitted to the base station, so that the base station can allocate accurate radio resources for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The accurate BSR can reduce the utilization of radio resources and increase system capacity. Therefore, this patent document describes technologies that can solve technical problems related to the waste of PUSCH resource allocation. The technologies described in this patent application can also be applicable to data volume services where the data volume may not be variable.

[0040] The example headings in the following sections are used to facilitate the understanding of the disclosed subject matter and do not limit the scope of the claimed subject matter in any way. Therefore, one or more features of one example section can be combined with one or more features of another example section. In addition, for clarity of explanation, 5G terms are used, but the technologies disclosed in this document are not limited to 5G technologies and can be used in wireless systems implementing other protocols.

[0041] I. Current BSR Technology and the Proposed Improvements:

[0042] I. (a). BSR Signaling Structure

[0043] In the current technology, the BSR is transmitted via MAC CE signaling. And the structure of the signaling is shown in Figure 1A , for example, shown as a 5-bit BSR table. In Figure 1A , the field "buffer size" carries one of the indices of the table, while the field "LCGID" carries a logical channel group (LCG) identifier indication, including, for example, a range from 0 to 7.

[0044] I. (b). Traditional Mechanism of BSR Signaling Report

[0045] Generally, for uplink transmission, the UE should report its data volume to the gNB to request radio resources for that data (i.e., request radio resources for the PUSCH). And the information of the data volume is carried by the BSR signaling. In the current specification, the BSR mechanism is shown in Figure 1B .

[0046] In this patent document, technologies for the BSR trigger or SR trigger mechanism for requesting radio resources are described. Therefore, this patent document does not further describe the random access box in Figure 1B . In this patent document, among other things, it focuses on the "transmit BSR for requesting radio resources" box.

[0047] Generally, as shown in Figure 1CAs shown, the UE can know what the actual data volume X is. Therefore, the UE uses the actual data volume to obtain an index according to the BS level table. And the index obtained by the UE is carried by the BSR signaling, which will be reported to the gNB. From the perspective of the gNB, it receives the BSR from the UE and obtains the index reported by the UE. Then, the gNB can know the data volume Y indicated by the reported index according to the BS level table. Finally, the gNB allocates radio resources for the UE according to the data volume Y. There is a gap (or difference) between Y and X. If the gap becomes larger, more radio resources allocated by the gNB will be wasted, which will reduce the system capacity.

[0048] Generally, as Figure 1D shown, when requesting new data for radio resources, the BSR signaling is sent to notify the gNB of the uplink data volume.

[0049] I. (c). Improved Proposed BSR Signaling Report Mechanism

[0050] Based on the problems of the current BSR mechanism mentioned above, the improvements further described in this patent document focus on, among other things, designing an accurate BS level table to reduce the gap between X and Y. In addition, some signaling for indicating or enhancing the BSR is innovated to achieve flexible selection of BS level tables with different granularities according to traffic characteristics.

[0051] In summary, for the design of an accurate BS level table, the granularity of some entries in the traditional table should be finer, while the granularity of some entries in the traditional table should remain the same or be coarser. The maximum value of the traditional table should be extended to support larger data volumes.

[0052] For the new signaling for indicating or enhancing the BSR for flexible selection, the proposed mechanism can be divided into two directions, as shown in Figure 1E and Figure 1F respectively. The first direction is that the gNB determines which BSR signaling the UE uses and / or which table the index in the BSR indicates. In this case, the gNB transmits configuration information to the UE to determine the type of BSR signaling and / or the table used for BSR indication. The second direction is that the UE itself determines the type of BSR signaling and / or the table used for BSR indication. In this case, the gNB does not know which type of BSR signaling and table the UE uses. Therefore, the UE should not only transmit the BSR to the gNB, but also transmit indication information (including the type of BSR and / or the one used for BSR indication) to help the gNB correctly decode the data volume of the UE.

[0053] II. Introduction to BSR Technology

[0054] In this patent document, the BS-level indication of the uplink shared channel (e.g., PUSCH) can be indicated in the BSR or can be included in the BSR. In this patent document, the BSR can include an index of a first table, an index of a second table, and / or an index of a third table.

[0055] Figure 2A A first table is shown that includes at least some entries that are the same as the indices of the third table and some additional indices between the adjacent indices of the third table (e.g., between two neighboring indices), without increasing the total number of indices of the third table. In Figure 2A wherein variables A and B with subscripts in the BS level column indicate the maximum amount of data (e.g., in bytes), where each BS level can be associated with a different maximum amount of data. In some embodiments, as Figure 2A shown in, the set of merged entries of the first table is obtained from a first number of entries in the third table (shown as "i entries" in Figure 2A wherein each merged entry includes one or more entries from the first number of entries. In some embodiments, as Figure 2A shown, the set of inserted entries of the first table is located after the first number of entries in the third table.

[0056] Figure 2B A second table is shown in which additional entries are inserted between adjacent entries of the third table, thereby increasing (e.g., doubling) the total number of indices of the third table. In Figure 2B wherein variables A and B with subscripts in the BS level column indicate the maximum amount of data (e.g., in bytes), where each BS level can be associated with a different maximum amount of data.

[0057] Two additional tables are shown below for the conventional BS level table described in TS 38.321 V16.4.0 (either one is referred to as the "third table"). Figure 2A and 2B the "BS level" shown for the third table in is the same as the "BS value" shown in Table 6.1.3.1-1 and Table 6.1.3.1-2:

[0058] Table 6.1.3.1-1: Buffer size levels of the 5-bit buffer size field (in bytes)

[0059] Index BS Value Index BS Value Index BS Value Index BS Value 0 0 8 ≤102 16 ≤1446 24 ≤20516 1 ≤10 9 ≤142 17 ≤2014 25 ≤28581 2 ≤14 10 ≤198 18 ≤2806 26 ≤39818 3 ≤20 11 ≤276 19 ≤3909 27 ≤55474 4 ≤28 12 ≤384 20 ≤5446 28 ≤77284 5 ≤38 13 ≤535 21 ≤7587 29 ≤107669 6 ≤53 14 ≤745 22 ≤10570 30 ≤150000 7 ≤74 15 ≤1038 23 ≤14726 31 ＞150000

[0060] Table 6.1.3.1-2: Buffer size levels of the 8-bit buffer size field (in bytes)

[0061]

[0062]

[0063]

[0064]

[0065] In this patent document, the mapping indexed to the BS level can describe the mapping between multiple indexes and multiple BS levels, such that one index is mapped to one BS level. For a certain index, the BS level can be reported as the maximum value of the corresponding BS level range. In this patent document, the precise UL data resource can describe the enhanced BS level indication. And, in this patent document, the enhanced BS level indication can include the first BSR or the second BSR.

[0066] a) The term "first BSR" refers to the conventional BSR in TS38.321

[0067] ○ The first BSR can indicate the first table or the third table

[0068] b) The term "second BSR" can include the exemplary BSR technology described in this patent document.

[0069] ○ The second BSR can have the same length as the first BSR

[0070] ■ The second BSR is capable of indicating the first table

[0071] ○ Compared with the first BSR, the second BSR can have n more bits

[0072] ■ The second BSR is capable of indicating the second table

[0073] The term "first indication" refers to the configuration information transmitted by the gNB to the UE, while the term "second indication" refers to the configuration information transmitted by the UE to the gNB.

[0074] In this patent document, the technical problems to be solved at least include the following problems:

[0075] (1) Interpretation of BSR

[0076] (2) First indication

[0077] (3) Second indication

[0078] (4) Design of the precise buffer size level table

[0079] (5) Determination of the total amount of data of the uplink shared channel (e.g., PUSCH)

[0080] The following Sections III to VII describe exemplary technical solutions for at least the above four technical problems.

[0081] III. Explanation of BSR

[0082] The BSR signaling includes a first SR or a second BSR 。

[0083] (a), the first BSR (Type-1 interpretation)

[0084] The first BSR is a traditional BSR. The structure of the first BSR is shown as follows:

[0085] If only one logical channel has pending data, the structure is as Figure 3A depicted therein.

[0086] The field "LCG ID" indicates which logical channel group the data belongs to, and its range is from 0 to 7, while the field "buffer size" carries one of the indexes in the table. The table can be a first table, which is a newly designed table with finer granularity based on a third table, or it can be a third table, which is a traditional table in the current technical specification TS 38.321.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first BSR corresponds to one table.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first BSR corresponds to multiple tables.

[0089] If more than one logical channel has pending data, the structure is as Figure 3B depicted therein.

[0090] The field "LCGi" indicates which logical channel groups have pending data, while the field "buffer size" carries one of the indexes in the table. The table can be a first table, which is a newly designed table with finer granularity based on a third table, or it can be a third table, which is a traditional table in the current specification (TS 38.321).

[0091] In some embodiments, the first BSR corresponds to one table.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first BSR corresponds to multiple tables.

[0093] (b), the second BSR (Type-2 interpretation)

[0094] The second BSR signaling is a newly designed BSR.

[0095] (1) In some embodiments, the size and structure of the second BSR are the same as those of the first BSR.

[0096] - In some cases, if only one logical channel has pending data, the structure is as Figure 3A depicted therein.

[0097] —— In some cases, if more than one logical channel has pending data, the structure is as Figure 3B depicted in

[0098] (2) In some embodiments, the size of the second BSR is larger than the size of the first BSR.

[0099] —— In some cases, if only one logical channel has pending data, the size of the second BSR is A times 8, where A is greater than 1. The structure of the second BSR is as Figure 3C depicted in

[0100] The first three bits indicate the LCG ID. And the remaining 8A - 3 bits carry an index corresponding to a second table with a total number of entries of 2 8A-3 .

[0101] In some embodiments, the second BSR corresponds to one table.

[0102] In some embodiments, the second BSR corresponds to multiple tables.

[0103] —— In some cases, if more than one logical channel has pending data, the structure is as Figure 3D depicted in

[0104] The first Oct bit indicates which LCGs have pending data, and for the first LCG with pending data, the next A Oct bits (from Oct 2 to Oct A + 1) carry an index corresponding to a second table with a total number of entries of 2 A . And for the second LCG with pending data, the next A bits (from Oct A + 2 to Oct 2A + 1) carry an index corresponding to a second table with a total number of entries of 2 A .

[0105] In some embodiments, the mapping order of the fields "LCGi" and "buffer size m" is from the most significant bit (MSB) to the least significant bit (LSB).

[0106] For example, if the first Oct bit of the second BSR is "10000100", then "buffer size 1" indicates an index corresponding to the second table for LCG7, and "buffer size 2" indicates an index corresponding to the second table for LCG2.

[0107] In some embodiments, the mapping order of the fields "LCGi" and "buffer size m" is from the LSB to the MSB.

[0108] For example, if the first Oct bit of the second BSR is "10000100", "Buffer Size 1" indicates the index corresponding to the second table for LCG2, and "Buffer Size 2" indicates the index corresponding to the second table for LCG7.

[0109] In some embodiments, the second BSR corresponds to one table.

[0110] In some embodiments, the second BSR corresponds to multiple tables.

[0111] IV. First Indication

[0112] In some embodiments, the first indication is transmitted from the network device to the communication device, and determines the type of BSR (Type-1 interpretation, Type-2 interpretation) and the table to be used by the communication device for the BSR.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first indication determines the type of BSR. The first indication is determined by at least one of the following:

[0114] a) Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling

[0115] In some embodiments, the RRC signaling for BSR type determination is on BSR-config.

[0116]

[0117]

[0118] For example, if the BSRtype in BSR-config is bsr1 in the base station, the UE is notified to use one of the first BSRs. If the BSRtype in BSR-config is bsr2 in the base station, the UE is notified to use one of the second BSRs.

[0119] b) MAC CE

[0120] Downlink MAC CE signaling is designed to determine the type of BSR. Accordingly, the reserved LCID field or the reserved enhanced LCID (eLCID) field should be used to indicate the MAC CE signaling.

[0121] Table 6.2.1-1 Values of LCID for DL-SCH

[0122]

[0123]

[0124] Table 6.2.1-1b Values of one-octet eLCID for DL-SCH

[0125]

[0126] If a downlink MAC CE is used, in some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling can be identified by using the code points / indexes 35 - 46 of the LCID value in the sub - header of the MAC PDU. In some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling can be identified by using the code points / indexes 0 - 244 and 64 - 308 of the eLCID value in the sub - header of the MAC PDU.

[0127] c) Physical layer signaling

[0128] Downlink physical layer signaling includes downlink control information (DCI). In some embodiments, the DCI is DCI format 0_0, DCI format O_1, DCI format 0_2, or an additional DCI format 2. For DCI formats 0 / 2 used to carry type information of the BSR, an additional RNTI is considered.

[0129] d) Combination of RRC signaling and physical layer signaling

[0130] In some embodiments, the RRC signaling configures the BSR type for the BSR, and then the DCI indicates to the UE which type of BSR to use.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first indication determines the table to be used by the communication device for the BSR. The first indication is determined by any one or more of the following:

[0132] (a) RRC signaling

[0133] If the BSR signaling is the first BSR and the number of the first table is 1. The first indication can be the bsrTableSelectionFlag in the RRC signaling BSR - config.

[0134]

[0135] In some embodiments, if the bsrTableSelectionFlag is TRUE, the first BSR corresponds to the first table, and if the bsrTableSelectionflag is FALSE, the first BSR corresponds to the third table.

[0136] In some embodiments, if the bsrTableSelectionFlag is FALSE, the first BSR corresponds to the first table, and if the bsrTableSelectionflag is TRUE, the first BSR corresponds to the third table.

[0137] If the BSR signaling is the first BSR or the second BSR, and the number of the first table or the second table is greater than 1. The first indication may be the bsrTable in the RRC signaling BSR-config. In some embodiments, the bsrTable includes all the tables, including for example the first table, the second table, and the third table.

[0138]

[0139]

[0140] For example, Table 1 and Table 2 are the third table. Table 3, Table 4, … Table i are the first table, and Table (i + 1), … Table N are the second table.

[0141] In some embodiments, different tables correspond to different first indications.

[0142]

[0143] For example, bsrTable1 is used to determine the third table, bsrTable2 is used to determine the first table, and bsrTable3 is used to determine the second table.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first table and the second table correspond to different first indications, and the third table is implicitly determined according to the first indication.

[0145] (b) MAC CE signaling

[0146] The new downlink MAC CE signaling is designed to indicate the table used by the communication device for the BSR. Accordingly, the reserved LCID field or the reserved enhanced LCID (eLCID) should be used to indicate the new MAC CE signaling

[0147] Table 6.2.1-1 Values of LCID for DL-SCH

[0148]

[0149]

[0150] Table 6.2.1-1b Values of One Octet eLCID for DL-SCH

[0151]

[0152]

[0153] If a new downlink MAC CE is designed, in some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling can be identified by using the code points / indexes 35 - 46 of the LCID value in the sub - header of the MAC PDU. In some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling can be identified by using the code points / indexes 0 - 244 and 64 - 308 of the eLCID value in the sub - header of the MAC PDU.

[0154] (c) Physical layer signaling

[0155] Downlink physical layer signaling includes downlink control information (DCI). In some embodiments, the DCI is DCI format 0_0, DCI format 0_1, or DCI format 0_2. Among them, the DCI is DCI format 0_0, DCI format O_1, DCI format 0_2, or a new DCI format 2. For the DCI format 0 / 2 used to carry the type information of the BSR, a new RNTI is considered.

[0156] (d) Combination of RRC signaling and physical layer signaling

[0157] In some embodiments, the RRC signaling is to use the configuration bsrTable, and then the DCI explicitly indicates to the UE which table to use.

[0158] V. Second Indication

[0159] The second indication is transmitted by the communication device to the network device and determines the type of BSR, the table for the BSR, the difference index information, or the scaling factor, for example Figure 1G as shown. In some embodiments, the second indication is transmitted by the communication device to the network device and determines the BSR and / or the scaling factor.

[0160] The second indication is transmitted in at least one of the following:

[0161] (a) Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling

[0162] In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes UE capabilities or UE assistance information. And the determination of the second indication in the UE capabilities or UE assistance information is valid for a first duration.

[0163] The first duration of the UE capabilities or UE assistance information can be determined by the RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the start time of the first duration is configured, indicated, or determined by the RRC signaling. For example, the RRC signaling configures, indicates, or determines the time slot offset or symbol offset of the start time.

[0164] (b) MAC CE signaling

[0165] In some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling includes information on the number of logical channels with pending data. There are Oct bits indicating which LCGs have pending data. Thus, the number of logical channels with pending data can be ignored. If the number of logical channels with pending data is 1, the short BSR and the corresponding 5-bit table are considered. Whereas if the number of logical channels with pending data is greater than 1, the long BSR and the corresponding 8-bit table are considered.

[0166] (c) MAC CE header

[0167] In some embodiments, the type of BSR is determined by a second indication. The LCID field or the eLCID field in the MAC PDU sub-header can be used to identify different BSR types.

[0168] And the determination of the second indication in the MAC CE header is valid for a first duration.

[0169] The first duration of the MAC CE header can be determined by RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the start time of the first duration is configured, indicated, and determined by RRC signaling. For example, the RRC signaling configures, indicates, or determines the slot offset or symbol offset of the start time.

[0170] Table 6.2.1-2 Values of LCID for UL-SCH

[0171]

[0172]

[0173] The LCID value of the second BSR can be among the reserved LCID values 35 - 44, 47.

[0174] Table 6.2.1-2b Values of one octet eLCID for UL-SCH

[0175]

[0176]

[0177] The eLCID value of the second BSR can be among the reserved LCID values, whose code points range from 0 to 249 and indices range from 64 to 313.

[0178] In some embodiments, the table for the BSR is determined by a second indication.

[0179] The second indication is transmitted in the MAC CE sub-header.

[0180] In some embodiments, if the number of the first table is 1, the second indication may be a reserved bit of the MAC CE (e.g., BSR signaling) sub-header, as Figure 4A shown in

[0181] For example, if the LCID value indicates that the MAC PDU is the first BSR MAC CE signaling, the reserved bit "R" can indicate table switching.

[0182] For example, if "R" is 1, the first BSR corresponds to the first table, and if "R" is 0, the first BSR corresponds to the third table.

[0183] For example, if "R" is 1, the first BSR corresponds to the third table, and if "R" is 0, the first BSR corresponds to the first table.

[0184] In some embodiments, if the number of the first table or the second table is greater than 1, the second indication may be a reserved bit of the BSR signaling sub-header and an extended Oct bit, as Figure 4B shown in

[0185] For example, if "R" is 1, the second Oct bit represents a "table selection index" to indicate the index of the table used.

[0186] If "R" is 0, the second Oct bit will not exist, and the MAC CE sub-header falls back to the sub-header in the current specification.

[0187] (d) Physical layer signaling

[0188] The second indication is transmitted in the physical layer signaling. In some embodiments, the SR signal is indicated before a set of uplink data request periods, and the BSR type and table switching information are carried in the SR signaling or other UL signaling such as BSR.

[0189] When requesting new data for radio resources, the SR is triggered first, and the SR carries the table switching information. Subsequently, the SR signaling will trigger the BSR signaling, which is as Figure 5A depicted in. During the second duration, the same type of BSR corresponds to the same table, both determined by the information carried by the SR. If the second duration is exceeded, the determination of the BSR type and table switching information times out. When requesting new data for radio resources after the second duration, another SR signaling is triggered to determine the type and table for the subsequent BSR during its second duration.

[0190] The second duration of the SR signaling can be determined by the SR-ProhitbitTimer-r18 in the RRC signaling SchedulingRequestToAddMod. In some embodiments, the start time of the second duration is configured, indicated, or determined by the RRC signaling. For example, the RRC signaling configures, indicates, or determines the slot offset or symbol offset of the start time. For the slot granularity of the offset, the start time can be the SR-triggered slot or the next k slots triggered by the SR. For the symbol granularity of the offset, the start time can be the SR-triggered symbol or the next k symbols triggered by the SR.

[0191] In some embodiments, after being triggered based on the BSR signaling, the SR signaling can be used to request data instead of the BSR signaling, as Figure 5B depicted therein.

[0192] When the first new data is being requested, the BSR carrying the configuration information (including, for example, the type of BSR, the table for the BSR, the difference index, or the scaling factor information) is reported to the gNB along with the SR signaling for radio resources. Then, in the subsequent new data requests, the SR signaling is counter-based, and the UE can use the SR signaling to request radio resources instead of using the BSR signaling. The SR signaling is associated with the first triggered BSR based on the counter.

[0193] For example, if a BSR is transmitted to request radio resources for new UL data. The SR signaling will be transmitted simultaneously with the BSR, where the SR carries the type of BSR, the table for the BSR, the difference index information, and / or the scaling factor. When the SR is triggered, the counter will start counting the number of SR transmissions.

[0194] In some cases, when the SR is transmitted, the counter is incremented by 1. If the counter reaches the maximum number of transmissions or another BSR is triggered, the counter will be reset. The maximum number of transmissions (e.g., sr-TransMax-r18) is configured by the RRC signaling SchedulingRequestToAddMod.

[0195] The mechanism of the maximum number of transmissions limit is depicted as follows.

[0196]

[0197] In some cases, when the SR is transmitted, the counter is decremented by 1. If the counter reaches zero or another BSR is triggered, the counter will be reset. The minimum number of transmissions (e.g., sr-TransMin-r18) is configured by the RRC signaling SchedulingRequestToAddMod.

[0198] The mechanism of the minimum transmission times limit is depicted as follows.

[0199]

[0200] VI. Design of the Exact Buffer Size Level Table

[0201] The first table is based on the third table with a total of N entries and includes the following features:

[0202] a) The first table has N entries, which is the same as the third table, where N is an integer, and in some examples, N can be a power of 2. For example, in the first 5-bit table, there are N = 32 entries, while in the first 8-bit table, there are N = 256 entries.

[0203] b) The maximum data volume of the M-th entry in the third table is the maximum data volume of the i-th entry in the first table, where M < N and i < M, and M and i are integers. For example, when M = 21 and i = 2, it indicates that the M entries in the third table have been compressed, merged, or reduced to the i entries in the first table in order to save the number of entries to achieve a finer granularity in the subsequent entries of the third table, as Figure 6 shown in.

[0204] Figure 8 It shows that in the attitude / control (fixed 100-byte) traffic model, some indexes can be merged in the third BS-level table without significant capacity loss.

[0205] For this kind of merging, obviously, it will cause waste of radio resources for some small packet traffic, for example, control signaling traffic with a packet size of about 100 bytes. We hope that for the design of the first table, the BS level of small packet traffic can be relatively coarse to save some entries for enhancing the indication granularity of the middle and subsequent entries of the third table for large packet traffic. However, the performance of small packet traffic should not be rapidly degraded. Therefore, Figure 8 is to simulate the relationship between the system capacity of the third table and the number of merges.

[0206] It seems that (UEs satisfied at 90% are regarded as system capacity) for M = 15 or M = 17, the capacity is greater than 20 UEs per cell, while for M = 20, the capacity is 10 - 12 UEs per cell, and for M = 24, the capacity is 0 UEs per cell. Figure 8 It shows an appropriate M for which merging may exist without performance loss for small packet traffic.

[0207] 1) In some cases, M is determined by the maximum bearable BS level, which is related to:

[0208] I. Modulation order

[0209] II. Frequency domain resources

[0210] III. Time-domain resources

[0211] c) The maximum data volume of the last N - M entries in the third table is the maximum data volume of the entries in the first table, where their indices in the first table are b1, b2,..., b N-M . Based on the above-mentioned example, the remaining entries in the third table are the entries in the first table. This process is depicted as in Figure 7 .

[0212] d) From the U-th entry to the (U + Q - 1)-th entry in the first table includes the following characteristics:

[0213] 1) b1, b2,..., b N-M within Q entries,

[0214] 2) L 1,2 entries are within the entry pairs between b1 and b2, L 2，3 entries are within the entry pairs between b2 and b3

[0215] and so on, L N-M-1,N-M entries are within the entry pairs between b N-M-1 and b N-M .

[0216] I. The sum of L 1,2 , L 2，3 … and L N-M-1,N-M is Q1, and Q1 is less than Q

[0217] ① L i,j is related to at least one of the following:

[0218] o The maximum bearable BS level

[0219] o The BS level range determined by b i and b j

[0220] ② The ratio between the data volumes determined by two adjacent entries among the Q entries is greater than R and less than S.

[0221] o In some cases, R is greater than 0.7 or R is greater than 0.9.

[0222] o In this case, S is greater than R.

[0223] Based on the above-mentioned example, a finer-grained enhancement is from index 21 to index 30 in the third table. For example, three entries are inserted / added at index 27 and index 28 in the third table, where all entries are in the first table.

[0224] ​

[0225]

[0226] For a 5-bit traditional table, the ratio of two adjacent BS levels in the table is approximately 0.72 (the former divided by the latter) (e.g., for index 27 and index 28, 55474 / 77284 = 0.72). If some entries are inserted / added between the entry of index 27 and the entry of index 28, the ratios of 55474 / A1, A1 / A2, A2 / A3, A3 / 77284 are greater than 0.72. Therefore, the ratio is greater than 0.7.

[0227] For an 8-bit traditional table, the ratio of two adjacent BS levels in the table is approximately 0.94 (the former divided by the latter). If some entries are inserted / added between two adjacent entries, the ratio is greater than 0.94. Therefore, the ratio is greater than 0.9.

[0228] The ratio of the data amounts of two adjacent entries in the third 5-bit table is approximately 0.72. The entries from the Xth to the (X + 4)th in the first table are finer than the 27th to the 28th entries in the third 5-bit table. In other words, the ratio of the data amounts of two adjacent entries within the range from the Xth entry to the (X + 4)th entry is greater than 0.72, or greater than the minimum ratio in the third 5-bit table, or greater than the maximum ratio in the third 5-bit table, or greater than the average ratio in the third 5-bit table.

[0229] Figure 9 It shows that some entries inserted into some two adjacent entries in the third BS level table can improve the capacity performance in the video (20Mbps@60fps) traffic model. Assuming that the BSR signaling can always indicate the actual data amount, the capacity will increase significantly. Perhaps this novel table still cannot always indicate the actual data amount, but the simulation can also show that the finer granularity of the new table will undoubtedly increase the capacity performance.

[0230] 3) The data amount indicated by N - Q - i entries is the rounded result of the multiplication of the last index of the third table by K, where K is greater than 1.

[0231] For the remaining N - Q - i entries, their corresponding data amounts are the rounded results of the multiplication of the maximum value of the traditional table by K.

[0232]

[0233]

[0234] For different Aᵢ, K is different. For example, A₄ = F(150000 * 1.5), A₅ = F(150000 * 2), A₆ = F(150000 * 2.5), A₇ = F(150000 * 3), and NewMax = F(150000 * 3.5). For A₄, A₅, A₆, A₇, NewMax, K is 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 respectively. F(x) is any one of the floor, ceiling, or round operations.

[0235] In this case, the second table is based on a third table having a total of N entries and includes the following features:

[0236] a) The total number of entries in the second table is P times the total number of entries in the third table, where P and N are integers. In some examples, P and N are powers of 2.

[0237] b) The maximum data volume of the first M entries in the third table is the maximum data volume of the first M entries in the second table.

[0238] 1) In some cases, the number of entries M is determined by the maximum bearable BS level, which is related to:

[0239] I. Modulation order

[0240] II. Frequency domain resources

[0241] III. Time domain resources

[0242] Assume M = 21. The first M entries in the third table are the first M entries in the second table. This step is depicted in Figure 10 .

[0243] 2) The maximum data volume of the N - M entries in the third table is the maximum data

[0244] volume of the entries in the second table, where their indices in the second table are b₁, b₂, …, b N-M . This step is depicted in Figure 11 .

[0245] 3) From the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry in the second table includes the following features:

[0246] I. b₁, b₂, …, b N-M are within Q entries

[0247] II. L 1,2 entries are in the entry pairs between b₁ and b₂, L 2，3 entries are in the entry pairs between b₂ and b₃, and so on, L N-M-1,N-M entries are in the entry pairs between b N-M-1 and b N-M .

[0248] a. L 1,2 , L 2，3 … and L N-M-1,N-M The sum is Q1 and Q1 is less than Q.

[0249] b. L i,j is related to at least one of the following:

[0250] i. The maximum load-bearing BS level

[0251] ii. The BS level range determined by b i and b j

[0252] c. The ratio between the data amounts determined by two adjacent entries among N - M + P entries is greater than R and less than S.

[0253] i. In some cases, R is greater than 0.7 or R is greater than 0.9.

[0254] ii. In these cases, S is greater than R.

[0255] For a 5-bit traditional table, the ratio of two adjacent BS levels in the table is approximately 0.72 (the former divided by the latter) (for example, for index 27 and index 28, 55474 / 77284 = 0.72). If some entries are inserted / added between the entry at index 27 and the entry at index 28, the ratios of 55474 / A1, A1 / A2, A2 / A3, A3 / 77284 are greater than 0.72. Therefore, this ratio is greater than 0.7.

[0256] For an 8-bit traditional table, the ratio of two adjacent BS levels in the table is approximately 0.94 (the former divided by the latter). If some entries are inserted / added between two adjacent entries, this ratio is greater than 0.94. Therefore, this ratio is greater than 0.9.

[0257] The ratio of the data amounts of two adjacent entries in the third 5-bit table is approximately 0.72. The entries from the Xth to the (X + 4)th in the first table are finer than the 27th to the 28th entries in the third 5-bit table. In other words, the ratio of the data amounts of two adjacent entries within the range from the Xth entry to the (X + 4)th entry is greater than 0.72, or greater than the minimum ratio in the third 5-bit table, or greater than the maximum ratio in the third 5-bit table, or greater than the average ratio in the third 5-bit table.

[0258] IV. The data amount indicated by (P - 1)*N - Q entries is the result of multiplying the last index of the third table by K

[0259] where K is greater than 1

[0260] ​For the remaining N - Q - i entries, the corresponding data volume is the result of rounding down the maximum value of the traditional table and K.

[0261]

[0262]

[0263] For different Ai, K is different. For example, A4 = F(150000 * 1.5), A5 = F(150000 * 2), A6 = F(150000 * 2.5), A7 = F(150000 * 3), and NewMax = F(150000 * 3.5). For A4, A5, A6, A7, NewMax, K is 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 respectively. F(x) is any one of the floor, ceiling, or round operations.

[0264] VII. Determination of the Data Volume of PUSCH

[0265] The data volume is determined to be at least one of the following:

[0266] (1) The maximum value of the buffer size level range

[0267] Taking the 5 - bit traditional table as an example, BSR includes index 26, and the UL actual data volume is reported as 39818.

[0268] (2) The result of rounding down the product of the maximum value of the buffer size level range and the scaling factor Ti (where the result can be rounded), where Ti is greater than 0.7 or greater than 0.9. And Ti is less than Tmax. In some embodiments, Tmax is less than 1. Ti is one of the multiple values of the candidate scaling factor in in the RRC signaling (such as scaling factor 1).

[0269]

[0270]

[0271] Taking a 5-bit traditional table as an example, if the actual data volume is 30,000 bytes. The index is determined to be 26 according to the 5-bit traditional table. If scalingFactor1 is configured in the RRC signaling (in both the gNB and the UE), we assume that a set of values is deduced, such as {0.75, 0.8, 0.9, 0.95, 0.96, …} (note that all values are greater than 0.72 because 28581 / 39818 = 0.72, and 0.72 is the ratio of any adjacent entries). Obviously, the scaling factor “0.8” is the smallest factor whose multiplication result can cover 30,000 bytes. [F(0.75 * 3988) < 30000 < F(0.8 * 39818)], where F(x) can be any one of the floor, ceiling, or round operations. Therefore, the UE will report the index 26 and the scaling factor index 2 to the gNB. Note that the scaling factor index can be carried by the aforementioned SR signaling.

[0272] (3) The minimum value of the buffer size level range multiplied by Ti (where the result can be rounded), where Ti is less than 1.5 or Ti is less than 1.2, and Ti is greater than Tmin. In some embodiments, Tmin is greater than 1. Ti is one of multiple values in the candidate scaling factors in (e.g., scaling factor 1) in the RRC signaling.

[0273]

[0274] Taking a 5-bit table as an example, if the actual data volume is 30,000 bytes. The index is determined to be 26 according to the 5-bit traditional table. If scalingFactor1 is configured in the RRC signaling (in both the gNB and the UE), we assume that a set of values is deduced, such as {1.04, 1.05, 1.11, 1.25, 1.33, …} (note that all values are less than 1.5 because 39818 / 28581 = 1.40, and 1.40 is the ratio of almost adjacent entries). Obviously, the scaling factor “0.8” is the smallest factor whose multiplication result can cover 30,000 bytes. [F(1.04 * 28581) < 30000 < F(1.05 * 28581)], where F(x) can be any one of the floor, ceiling, or round operations. Therefore, the UE will report the index 26 and the scaling factor index 2 to the gNB. The scaling factor index can be carried by the aforementioned SR signaling or other UL signaling such as BSR.

[0275] (4) The maximum value of the buffer size level range determined by the first BSR or the second BSR and the difference BSR

[0276] For some variable data packet traffic, the variability of consecutive packet sizes is relevant. Thus, the sizes of two adjacent packets do not change rapidly. In some embodiments, the UE may transmit only some difference information to the gNB via physical layer signaling (e.g., SR signaling or BSR) for the radio resources of the PUSCH. In some embodiments, the transmission of the difference information is associated with a counter.

[0277] Taking the 5-bit traditional table as an example again,

[0278]

[0279]

[0280] If the index of the first data request for authorization is index 20, the UE is able to report the difference information for the next subsequent data request to the gNB for a period of time. For the second data request, if the second data volume for the request is 10000, the index corresponds to index 22. In this mechanism, the SR signaling can carry the difference index information "2" (22 - 20 = 2) and report it to the gNB. On the gNB side, it should combine the previous "index 20" information with the reported difference index information "2". And the data volume corresponding to index 22 (20 + 2) can be notified by the gNB.

[0281] (5) When the BSR signaling carries the last index of the table, the rounded result of multiplying the maximum amount of the table by the scaling factor Wi, where Wi is a non-negative value. In some embodiments, Wi is one of the multiple values of the candidate scaling factors in (e.g., scaling factor 2) in the RRC signaling, and Wi is greater than 1.

[0282]

[0283] Taking the 5-bit table as an example: If the scalingFactor2 is a set of v = {2, 3, 4, 5,...}. To further report the total data volume greater than the maximum value of the table, given the candidate scaling factor, the UE will find the smallest scaling factor Wi that covers the total data volume. If the total data volume is 380000, the BSR carries the last index of the traditional table. The UE will first find that 150000 * v(1) = 150000 * 2 = 300000. Obviously, 300000 does not cover 380000 at the BS level, and as the scaling factor increases based on the candidate scaling factor, the UE will find that 150000 * v(2) = 150000 * 3 = 450000. It seems that 450000 can cover 380000. Therefore, the total data volume is reported as 450000. And the index 2 of the scaling factor will be transmitted via physical layer signaling (e.g., SR signaling).

[0284] Figure 12 An exemplary block diagram of a hardware platform 1200 is shown. The hardware platform 1200 can be part of a network device (e.g., a base station) or a communication device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)). The hardware platform 1000 includes at least one processor 1210 and a memory 1205 having instructions stored thereon. The instructions, when executed by the processor 1210, configure the hardware platform 1000 to perform the operations described in Figures 1A to 11 and Figures 13 to 15 and various embodiments described in this patent document. The transmitter 1215 transmits or sends information or data to another device. For example, a network device transmitter can send a message to a user equipment. The receiver 1220 receives information or data transmitted or sent by another device. For example, a user equipment can receive a message from a network device.

[0285] The embodiments discussed above will apply to wireless communication. Figure 13 An example of a wireless communication system (e.g., a 5G or NR cellular network) including a base station 620 and one or more user equipments (UEs) 1311, 1312, and 1313 is shown. In some embodiments, the UE uses a communication link to the network (sometimes referred to as the uplink direction, as depicted by the dashed arrows 1331, 1332, 1333) to access the BS (e.g., the network), which subsequently enables subsequent communication from the BS to the UE (e.g., shown in the direction from the network to the UE, sometimes referred to as the downlink direction, as shown by the arrows 1341, 1342, 1343). In some embodiments, the BS sends information to the UE (sometimes referred to as the downlink direction, as depicted by the arrows 1341, 1342, 1343), which subsequently enables subsequent communication from the UE to the BS (e.g., shown in the direction from the UE to the BS, sometimes referred to as the uplink direction, as shown by the dashed arrows 1331, 1332, 1333). The UE can be, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a mobile computer, a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.

[0286] Figure 14 An exemplary flowchart for transmitting a BSR is shown. Operation 1402 includes transmitting, by a communication device, a buffer status report (BSR), where the BSR includes an index indicating the amount of data to be transmitted by the communication device, where the index corresponding to the amount of data is from a table, and where each index in the table is associated with a maximum data amount.

[0287] In some embodiments, the BSR or table is determined by a first indication, where the first indication is received by the communication device. In some embodiments, the first indication is carried by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling, or physical (PHY) layer signaling. In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling includes at least downlink control information (DCI). In some embodiments, the BSR includes a first BSR or a second BSR. In some embodiments, the first BSR and / or the second BSR is associated with the table.

[0288] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting, by the communication device, a second indication, where the second indication determines or indicates any one or more of the type of the BSR, the table for the BSR, difference index information, or scaling factor information. In some embodiments, the second indication is carried by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling, MAC CE header, or physical (PHY) layer signaling. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes any one or more of user equipment (UE) capabilities or UE assistance information. In some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling includes information on the number of logical channels or the BSR. In some embodiments, the MAC CE header includes any one or more of a logical channel identifier (LCID) in a sub-header of a MAC protocol data unit (PDU), an enhanced logical channel identifier (eLCID), reserved bits in a sub-header of the MAC PDU, or extended Oct bits.

[0289] In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling includes scheduling request (SR) signaling. In some embodiments, the information carried by the SR is determined by a PUCCH format, predefined time and frequency transmission resources, sequence, and / or code point. In some embodiments, the second indication is valid within a first duration, where the duration is determined by a first timer. In some embodiments, the second indication is not transmitted within a second duration, where the second duration is determined by a second timer. In some embodiments, the end time of the first duration is configured by RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the start time of the first duration is determined by a slot offset and / or a symbol offset. In some embodiments, the end time of the second duration is configured by RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the start time of the second duration is determined by a slot offset and / or a symbol offset. In some embodiments, the second indication includes difference index information or scaling factor information, where the transmission of the second indication is associated with a counter.

[0290] In some embodiments, the counter includes any one or more of the following features: (1) the counter increases or decreases after the transmission of a second indication, and (2) the counter is reset in response to the transmission of a BSR. In some embodiments, the table includes a first table, a second table, or a third table, wherein at least one of the first table or the second table is associated with the third table. In some embodiments, the table is the first table, wherein the table includes a total of N entries, where N is an integer and is a power of 2. In some embodiments, the maximum data volume of the Mth entry of the third table is the maximum data volume of the ith entry of the first table, where 0 < i < M, where M < N, and where M and i are integers. In some embodiments, the maximum data volume of the last N - M entries of the third table is the maximum data volume of the entries of the first table, and for the data volumes of two adjacent entries from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the first table, the ratio of the previous data volume divided by the latter data volume is greater than S and less than R, S is less than 0.7 or 0.9, and R is less than 1, and where N - M < Q < N, i < U < N, and U is an integer. In some embodiments, the granularity from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the first table is finer than that from the Wth entry to the (W + T - 1)th entry of the third table, where W and T are integers, and 0 < W < N - T, T < N.

[0291] In some embodiments, the data volume of any one of the last N - Q - i entries of the first table is K times the maximum value of the third table, where K is greater than 1. In some embodiments, the table is the second table, wherein the table includes P times the total number of N entries, where P and N are integers and are powers of 2. In some embodiments, the maximum data volume of the N entries of the third table is the maximum data volume of the entries of the second table. In some embodiments, for the data volumes of two adjacent entries from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the second table, the ratio of the previous data volume divided by the latter data volume is greater than S and less than R, and S is less than 0.7 or 0.9, and R is less than 1, where 1 < U < P * N, 1 < Q < P * N, where Q and U are integers. In some embodiments, the granularity from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the second table is finer than that from the Wth entry to the (W + T - 1)th entry of the third table, where W and T are integers, and 0 < W < N - T, T < N.

[0292] In some embodiments, the data volume of any one of the last (P - 1)*N - Q entries in the second table is K times the maximum value of the third table, where K is greater than 1. In some embodiments, the data volume is indicated by an index including any one or more of the following: (1) the corresponding maximum data volume indicated by the index is the data volume, (2) the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume indicated by the index by a scaling factor determined by a second indication is the data volume, (3) the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding minimum data volume indicated by the index by a scaling factor determined by a second indication is the data volume, and (4) the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume of the table by a scaling factor determined by a second indication is the data volume, where the rounded result is the result of rounding down, rounding up, or rounding to the nearest value. In some embodiments, the scaling factor is one of multiple values of candidate scaling factors determined by at least one of the following: RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling. In some embodiments, the data volume is determined by the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume by a scaling factor that is greater than 0.7 or 0.9 and less than 1.

[0293] In some embodiments, the data volume is determined by the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding minimum data volume by a scaling factor that is greater than 1 and less than 1.5 or 1.2. In some embodiments, the data volume is determined by the rounded result of multiplying the corresponding maximum data volume of the table by a scaling factor that is greater than 1.

[0294] Figure 15 An exemplary flowchart for receiving a BSR is shown. Operation 1502 includes receiving, by a network device, a buffer status report (BSR), where the BSR includes an index indicating the data volume for data to be transmitted by a communication device, where the index corresponding to the data volume is from a table, and where each index in the table is associated with a maximum data volume.

[0295] In some embodiments, the BSR or the table is determined by a first indication, where the first indication is transmitted from a network device. In some embodiments, the first indication is carried by RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, or PHY layer signaling. In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling includes at least downlink control information (DCI). In some embodiments, the BSR includes a first BSR or a second BSR. In some embodiments, the first BSR and / or the second BSR is associated with the table. In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by the network device, a second indication, where the second indication includes any one or more of the type of the BSR, the table for the BSR, difference index information, or scaling factor information. In some embodiments, the second indication is carried by RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, MAC CE header, or PHY layer signaling.

[0296] In some embodiments, the RRC signaling includes any one or more of UE capabilities or UE assistance information. In some embodiments, the MAC CE signaling includes information on the number of logical channels or the BSR. In some embodiments, the MAC CE header includes any one or more of the LCID, eLCID in the sub-header of the MAC PDU, reserved bits in the sub-header of the MAC PDU, or extended Oct bits. In some embodiments, the PHY layer signaling includes SR signaling. In some embodiments, the information carried by the SR is determined by the PUCCH format, predefined time and frequency transmission resources, sequences, and / or code points.

[0297] As used herein, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "an example of" and does not mean an ideal or preferred embodiment unless otherwise stated.

[0298] Some embodiments described herein are described in the general context of methods or processes that may be implemented in one embodiment by a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium and including computer-executable instructions, such as program code, executed by a computer in a network environment. The computer-readable medium may include removable and non-removable storage devices including, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), etc. Thus, the computer-readable medium can include non-transitory storage media. In general, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer or processor-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for performing the steps of the methods disclosed herein. A particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents an example of the corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in these steps or processes.

[0299] Some of the disclosed embodiments can be implemented using devices or modules of hardware circuits, software, or combinations thereof. For example, a hardware circuit implementation can include discrete analog and / or digital components, such as being integrated as part of a printed circuit board. Alternatively or additionally, the disclosed components or modules can be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices. Some embodiments additionally or alternatively include a digital signal processor (DSP), which is a specialized microprocessor whose architecture is optimized for the operational requirements of digital signal processing related to the functions disclosed in this application. Similarly, the various components or sub-components within each module can be implemented in software, hardware, or firmware. Connections between modules and / or components within a module can be provided using any of the connection methods and media known in the art, including but not limited to communication via the Internet, wired or wireless networks using appropriate protocols.

[0300] Although this document contains many details, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed invention or what can be claimed, but rather as descriptions of specific features of particular embodiments. Certain features described herein in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Additionally, although the above features may be described as acting in a particular combination and even initially claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from the claimed combination can be excised from the claimed combination, and the claimed combination can be directed to a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination. Similarly, although operations are described in the drawings as being performed in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired result.

[0301] Only some embodiments and examples are described herein, and other embodiments, improvements, and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: Transmitting, by a communication device, a buffer status report (BSR) and a second indication indicating a selection of a table for the BSR, wherein the BSR includes an index indicating an amount of data to be transmitted by the communication device, wherein the index corresponding to the amount of data is from the table, wherein each index in the table is associated with a maximum amount of data, wherein the table is selected between a first table and a second table, wherein the first table has a finer granularity than the second table, wherein the first table includes a total of N entries, where N is an integer and is a power of 2, wherein the maximum amount of data of the Mth entry of the second table is the maximum amount of data of the ith entry of the first table, where 0 < i < M, where M < N, and where M and i are integers, wherein a first ratio of two adjacent amounts of data in the first table is greater than a second ratio of two adjacent amounts of data in the second table, and wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are obtained by dividing a previous amount of data by a subsequent amount of data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The table is determined by a first indication, wherein the first indication is received by the communication device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second indication is carried by a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The MAC CE signaling includes information on the number of logical channels or the BSR.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the amounts of data in two adjacent entries from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the first table, the ratio of dividing a previous amount of data by a subsequent amount of data is greater than S and less than R, wherein S is less than 0.7 or 0.9, and R is less than 1, wherein N - M < Q < N, i < U < N, and U is an integer, and where 0 < i < M, where M < N, and where M and i are integers.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The granularity from the Uth entry to the (U + Q - 1)th entry of the first table is finer than the granularity from the Wth entry to the (W + T - 1)th entry of the second table, where W and T are integers, and 0 < W < N - T, T < N, and where U and Q are integers.

7. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a processor configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium having stored thereon code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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