Uplink delay improvement method and device thereof

Abstract

Examples are described for improvements in user equipment (UE) uplink latency in wireless communications. When an apparatus is in a special mode, a processor of the apparatus sends a request to a network a plurality of times to allow execution of an uplink (UL) transmission. The processor then receives the permission from the network. The processor performs the UL transmission to the network in response to receiving the grant. In the multiple transmission of the request, the processor transmits the request multiple times at a frequency higher than a frequency at which the request to perform the UL transmission is transmitted to the network when the apparatus is in the normal operation mode. The invention provides the method and the device for improving the uplink time delay, and the beneficial effect of reducing the time delay is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to mobile communications, and, more particularly, to user equipment (UE) uplink latency improvement in wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Unless otherwise indicated, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0003] Under the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specification, when there is uplink (UL) traffic (e.g., data packets) to be sent by a UE, the UE sends one or more scheduling requests (SRs) to a base station (e.g., an eNB or gNB). In response, the base station replies with a UL grant for the UE to send the UL traffic. However, there is usually a latency between the time when the UE sends the SR and the time when the UE receives the UL grant, and therefore there is usually a latency associated with the UL traffic transmission.

[0004] To reduce latency, one approach is to make improvements on the network side, using shortcuts for forwarding packet transmission services. Alternatively, another approach is for the network to identify the UE's Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card and provide a low latency mode for the UE. However, this approach requires support from an Internet service provider (ISP), which may be expensive for end users. Summary of the invention

[0005] The following summary of the invention is merely illustrative and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary of the invention is provided to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits, and beneficial effects of the novel and non-obvious technologies described herein. Selected embodiments are further described in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following summary of the invention is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a scheme, a solution, a concept, a method and a method for improving UE uplink delay in wireless communication. Specifically, the present invention aims to provide a cost-effective solution for improving UE uplink delay in wireless communication.

[0007] In one aspect, a method may include a processor of a device in a special mode sending a request to a network multiple times for permission to perform an uplink (UL) transmission. The method also includes the processor receiving a grant from the network. The method further includes the processor performing the UL transmission to the network in response to receiving the grant. In sending the requests multiple times, the method includes the processor sending the requests multiple times at a frequency higher than the frequency of sending the requests to the network to perform the UL transmission when the device is in a normal operating mode.

[0008] On the other hand, a method may include a processor of a device in a special mode sending a request to a network multiple times for permission to perform an UL transmission. The method also includes the processor receiving a grant from the network. The method further includes the processor performing an UL transmission to the network in response to receiving the grant. In sending the requests multiple times, the method includes the processor sending the requests multiple times at a frequency higher than the frequency of sending the request to the network to perform the UL transmission when the device is in a normal operating mode. The special mode may be an event triggered mode. When sending the request in the event triggered mode, the method may include the processor performing operations including: (i) receiving information from one or more information sources associated with the device; (ii) predicting a need to perform an UL transmission based on the received information; and (iii) sending the request multiple times in response to predicting the need.

[0009] In yet another aspect, an apparatus includes a processor, wherein during execution of operations, the processor performs certain operations including: (i) sending a request to a network multiple times for permission to perform an UL transmission when the apparatus is in a special mode; (ii) receiving permission from the network; and (iii) performing an UL transmission to the network in response to receiving the permission. In sending the requests multiple times, the processor sends the requests multiple times at a frequency higher than the frequency of sending the request to the network to perform the UL transmission when the apparatus is in a normal operating mode.

[0010] The present invention proposes an improved method for uplink time delay and a device thereof, achieving the beneficial effect of reducing time delay.

[0011] It is worth noting that although the description provided herein includes content of specific radio access technologies, networks and network topologies such as the fifth generation (5G) and new radio (NR), the proposed concepts, schemes and any variations / derivatives thereof can be implemented on, for or through any other type of radio access technology, network and network topology, such as but not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). The scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the present invention. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the invention. It is understood that in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of the present invention, the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some components shown may be shown in a scale that exceeds the size in the actual embodiment.

[0013] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an example scenario in a solution proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an example scenario in a solution proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of an example scenario in a solution proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an example communication device and an example network device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example process according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrations of the claimed subject matter that can be implemented in various forms. Moreover, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. On the contrary, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided to make the description of the present invention comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of known features and technologies may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0020] Overview

[0021] Embodiments according to the present invention relate to various technologies, methods, schemes and / or solutions for improving UE uplink delay in wireless communication. According to the present invention, multiple possible solutions can be implemented separately or jointly. That is, although these solutions are described separately below, two or more of these possible solutions can be implemented in one combination or another combination form.

[0022] Under various schemes proposed in the present invention, the latency of network services between the UE and the base station can be shortened or otherwise improved. The term "latency" herein refers to the time lapse between the time when data transmitted uplink arrives at layer 2 (L2) of the UE and the time of uplink transmission of such data. Under the proposed scheme, the UE can send a scheduling request SR or a non-zero buffer status report (BSR) to the base station in advance before the UE actually has data packets queued for UL transmission to the base station. Specifically, when in event-triggered mode, the UE can send an SR and / or a non-zero BSR to the base station when any of a number of predefined events occurs, such as but not limited to, detecting a touch of the UE screen, activating or performing an operation through the UE gyroscope, activating or performing an operation through the UE accelerometer, detecting a press of a UE key, receiving input from another device of the UE, detecting the occurrence of a hardware event regarding the hardware of the UE, and detecting the occurrence of a software flow regarding software executed on the UE. In addition, when in forced mode, the UE may continue (e.g., continuously or periodically) to send SR and / or non-zero BSR to the base station even when the UE is not aware of any user data available for UL transmission. The timing of the forced mode may be configured as a timeout or reception start / stop event. In addition, when in background mode, the UE may send SR or non-zero BSR whenever the UE knows that a data packet for UL transmission is available. Background mode does not directly rely on the control of SR / BSR, but the UE may send SR and / or BSR quite frequently, and actual traffic may benefit from this behavior. The purpose of this background traffic is to improve latency regardless of the size and interval of the data packets to be transmitted or the usage scenario. Therefore, background mode may be configured as the default mode of UE operation.

[0023] Under the proposed scheme, there may be a mechanism for handling prediction failures for event-triggered mode and mandatory mode. Under the proposed scheme, when a UL grant is received from a base station but there is no data for UL transmission, the UE may still send some information for UL services. For example, the UE may send modem medium access control (MAC) padding, which may be configured as frequency-based transmission parameters or threshold configuration. As another example, the UE may send modem layer 2 (L2) control data, retransmission data, or invalid protocol data unit (PDU). As yet another example, the UE may send network virtual data, such as, but not limited to, private Internet Protocol (IP) address data that is discarded once received by any router, IP packet data specifically for a predetermined IP address or a random IP address (wherein the IP packet data has a TTL value less than a predefined time-to-live (TTL) value), or service data specifically for a predetermined or specific server.

[0024] Figure 1 An example scenario 100 that can be implemented in the proposed solution according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In order to compare and help better understand the beneficial effects and benefits associated with the proposed solution, Figure 1 Part (A) shows the conventional method, however Figure 1 Part (B) shows a scenario 100 according to the proposed solution.

[0025] refer to Figure 1 In part (A), under the conventional method, the default behavior of the UE is to send an SR and / or a BSR when there is user data available for UL transmission (e.g., user data of layer 2 arriving at the UE's modem). Under the conventional method, a time slot for transmission of an SR is usually pre-scheduled (pre-scheduled SR opportunity). For example, the duration between the transmission of two adjacent SRs is usually 20 milliseconds (ms). Once the UE sends an SR, the base station may continue to send an UL grant to the UE until the UE sends a zero BSR (value = 0 in the BSR).

[0026] refer to Figure 1In part (B), under the proposed scheme for UE behavior in event-triggered mode, upon detection of any one of a plurality of predefined events (e.g., a touch of the UE touch sensing screen or the launch of a gaming application (app) on the UE), a prediction indication may be provided to Layer 2 (MAC layer) of the UE's modem (via the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer) for early preparation of UL transmission resources. Thus, the UE may send a SR to the base station to request permission for UL transmission, and this may occur before a packet of user data for UL transmission arrives at Layer 2. Upon receiving the UL grant from the base station, the UE may perform UL transmission of the user data packet with a short delay between the time when the data for UL transmission arrives at Layer 2 and the time of UL transmission of such data due to the early preparation of UL transmission resources.

[0027] Figure 2 An example scenario 200 that can be implemented in the proposed solution according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In order to compare and help better understand the beneficial effects and benefits associated with the proposed solution, Figure 2 Part (A) shows the conventional method, however Figure 2 Part (B) shows a scenario 200 according to the proposed solution.

[0028] refer to Figure 2 In part (A), under the conventional method, the default behavior of the UE is to send an SR and / or a BSR when there is user data available for UL transmission (e.g., user data of layer 2 arriving at the UE's modem). Under the conventional method, a time slot for transmission of an SR is usually pre-scheduled (pre-scheduled SR opportunity). Once the UE sends an SR, the base station may continue to send an UL grant to the UE until the UE sends a zero BSR (value = 0 in the BSR).

[0029] refer to Figure 2 In part (B), under the proposed scheme for UE behavior in forced mode, the UE may be in forced mode (in Figure 2 "Forced Mode On" in the Figure 2” in the figure) for another period of time, and so on. When in forced mode, layer 2 of the UE's modem always prepares UL transmission resources even when there is no data available for UL transmission. Therefore, even when there is no data available for UL transmission, the UE can still send an SR to the base station to request permission for UL transmission. In response, the UE can continuously or periodically receive an UL grant from the base station. Therefore, as user data for UL transmission becomes available (e.g., user data arrives at layer 2 of the modem), the UE can perform UL transmission of user data packets with a short delay, which is the time between the time when the data for UL transmission arrives at layer 2 and the time of UL transmission of such data due to the early preparation of UL transmission resources. At some point in time, the UE can exit forced mode and, accordingly, the UE can stop UL transmission resource preparation and sending SR / BSR when there is no data for UL transmission.

[0030] Figure 3 An example scenario 300 that can be implemented in the proposed solution according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In order to compare and help better understand the beneficial effects and benefits associated with the proposed solution, Figure 3 Part (A) shows the conventional method, however Figure 3 Part (B) of FIG. 3 shows a scene 300 according to the proposed solution. It is worth noting that, for simplicity, although the proposed solution can be applied to other scenes and contents, Figure 3 The example shown in is provided in combining a gaming application on a UE with content through touch of a user's touch-sensitive screen.

[0031] refer to Figure 3 In part (A), under the conventional method, a gaming application on the UE may be launched due to detection of a touch event (e.g., a touch through a touch-sensitive screen of the user's UE). Therefore, an indication of the gaming application launch is provided to the UE's network socket, which in turn notifies the UE's modem. The modem then sends an SR to the base station to request permission for UL transmission.

[0032] refer to Figure 3 In part (B), the detection result of the touch event may also be provided to a prediction engine or a control unit in a processor of the UE (in Figure 3In the example, the prediction engine or control unit in the processor of the UE may be used to predict the behavior of the UE part in the event-triggered mode, the forced mode or the background mode as described above. In addition, the start-up of the game application may also be provided to the prediction engine or control unit in the processor of the UE, which may be used to predict the behavior of the UE part in the event-triggered mode, the forced mode or the background mode as described above. In addition, the network socket may also notify the prediction engine or control unit of the predicted behavior of the UE part in the event-triggered mode, the forced mode or the background mode as described above. That is, one, some or all of the event-triggered mode, the forced mode and the background mode as described above may be used or otherwise implemented in the UE at any given time.

[0033] Illustrative Embodiments

[0034] Figure 4 According to an embodiment of the present invention, an example communication environment 400 having an example device 410 and an example device 420 is shown. In order to implement the schemes, techniques, processes and methods described herein related to UE uplink delay improvement in wireless communication, each of the device 410 and the device 420 can perform various functions, including the various schemes described above and the processes 500 and 600 described below.

[0035] Each of the devices 410 and 420 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a UE such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, each of the devices 410 and 420 may be implemented in a smartphone, a smart watch, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, or a computing device such as a tablet, a laptop, or a notebook computer. Each of the devices 410 and 420 may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be an IoT or NB-IoT device such as a fixed or static device, a home device, a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, each of the devices 410 and 420 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, each of the devices 410 and 420 may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors. Each of the devices 410 and 420 includes at least Figure 4The apparatus 410 may further include one or more other components that are not related to the solution proposed by the present invention (e.g., an internal power supply, a display device, and / or a user interface device), but for simplicity and brevity, these other components in each of the apparatus 410 and the apparatus 420 are not shown in the figure. Figure 4 , nor described below.

[0036] In some embodiments, at least one of the devices 410 and 420 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a network node or base station (e.g., an evolved Node B (eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), or a transmit receive point (TRP)), a small cell, a router, or a gateway. For example, at least one of the devices 410 and 420 may be implemented in an eNB in ​​LTE, LTE-Advanced, or an advanced LTE-Advanced version, in a gNB in ​​5G, NR, IoT, and NB-IoT, or in an access point in a wireless local area network (WLAN). Or at least one of the devices 410 and 420 may be implemented in the form of one or more IC chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC processors.

[0037] On the one hand, each of the processors 412 and 422 can be implemented in the form of one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, even if the singular term "processor" is used herein to refer to the processors 412 and 422, each of the processors 412 and 422 may include multiple processors in some embodiments and may include a single processor in other embodiments according to the present invention. On the other hand, each of the processors 412 and 422 may be implemented in the form of hardware (and, optionally, firmware) having electronic components, which may include but are not limited to one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more varactors configured and arranged according to the present invention to achieve a specific purpose. In other words, according to the various embodiments described in the present invention, at least in some embodiments, each of the processors 412 and 422 can be used as a dedicated machine specially designed, configured, and arranged to perform specific tasks including improved implementations of UE uplink in wireless communication according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] In some embodiments, the device 410 may also include a transceiver 416, which is coupled to the processor 412 and is capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data. The device 410 may further include a memory 414, which is coupled to the processor 412 and is accessible by the processor 412 and stores data therein. The device 420 may also include a transceiver 426 coupled to the processor 422. The transceiver 426 is capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data. In some embodiments, the device 420 may further include a memory 424, which is coupled to the processor 422 and is accessible by the processor 422 and stores data therein. Therefore, the device 410 and the device 420 can communicate with each other via the transceiver 416 and the transceiver 426, respectively.

[0039] To facilitate better understanding, the following description of the operation, functions and capabilities of each of the devices 410 and 420 is provided in the context of a mobile communication environment, wherein the device 410 is implemented in or as a wireless communication device, a communication device or a UE, and the device 420 is implemented in or as a network node connected to or communicatively coupled to a communication network (5GNR mobile network or LTE, advanced LTE, advanced LTE upgraded mobile network) .

[0040] In one aspect of the improvement of UE uplink latency in wireless communication, the processor 412 of the device 410 as a UE may send a request to the network (e.g., via the device 420) multiple times via the transceiver 416 and when the device 410 is in a special mode to allow the UL transmission to be performed. For example, the processor 412 may send the request multiple times at a frequency higher than the frequency at which the request to perform the UL transmission is sent to the network when the device 410 is in a normal operating mode. In addition, the processor 412 may receive a grant for the UL transmission from the network (e.g., via the device 420) via the transceiver 416. In addition, the processor 412 may perform the UL transmission to the network (e.g., via the device 420) via the transceiver 416 in response to receiving the grant.

[0041] In some implementations, in sending the request, the processor 412 may send the SR.

[0042] In some implementations, in sending the request, the processor 412 may send a non-zero BSR.

[0043] In some embodiments, the special mode may be a forced mode. In this case, in sending a request in the forced mode, the processor 412 may perform certain operations. For example, the processor 412 may enter the forced mode. In addition, the processor 412 may send requests multiple times in a row in the forced mode without knowing that any user data is available for UL transmission. In addition, in response to the occurrence of any one of a plurality of predefined events, the processor 412 may exit the forced mode to stop sending requests multiple times in a row. In some embodiments, the plurality of predefined events may include the following: (1) expiration of a predetermined period of time in the forced mode; (2) receiving an input to start an operation; (3) receiving another input to stop another operation.

[0044] In some embodiments, when performing UL transmission, the processor 412 may perform certain operations. For example, the processor 412 may determine that there is no buffered data to be sent in the UL transmission. In addition, the processor 412 may perform UL transmission of any of the following: (a) modem MAC padding; (b) modem layer 2 control data, retransmission data, or invalid PDU; (c) network virtual data. In some embodiments, the modem MAC padding may be configured as a frequency-based transmission parameter or threshold configuration. In this case, the network virtual data may include any of the following: (i) private IP address data; (ii) IP packet data dedicated to a predetermined IP address or a random IP address, wherein the TTL value of the IP packet data is less than a predefined TTL value; (iii) service data dedicated to a predetermined server.

[0045] In some embodiments, the special mode may be a background mode. In this case, in sending the request in the background mode, the processor 412 may perform certain operations. For example, the processor 412 may receive an indication of the availability of one or more data packets for UL transmission. In addition, in response to receiving the indication, the processor 412 may send the request multiple times.

[0046] In some embodiments, the special mode may be a background mode. In this case, in the background mode, the processor 412 may perform certain operations in sending a request. For example, unless there is higher priority data to be sent, the processor 412 may continuously or periodically send lower priority data to maintain a grant for UL transmission. In addition, when higher priority data from an application is available, the processor 412 may send higher priority data instead of lower priority data.

[0047] In some embodiments, the special mode may be an event-triggered mode. In this case, in sending a request in the event-triggered mode, the processor 412 may perform certain operations. For example, the processor 412 may receive information from one or more information sources associated with the device 410. In addition, the processor 412 may predict the need to perform UL transmission based on the received information. In addition, the processor 412 may send the request multiple times in response to predicting the need.

[0048] In some embodiments, when predicting the need to perform UL transmission, the processor 412 may detect at least one of a plurality of predefined events based on the received information. In some embodiments, the plurality of predefined events may include the following: (a) detecting a touch of a screen of the device 410; (b) activating or performing an operation through a gyroscope of the device 410; (c) activating or performing an operation through an accelerometer of the device 410; (d) detecting a key press on the device 410; (e) receiving input from another device of the device 410; (f) detecting the occurrence of a hardware event related to the hardware of the device 410; (g) detecting the occurrence of a software flow related to software executed on the device 410.

[0049] Illustrative Process

[0050] Figure 5 It is an example process 500 described according to an embodiment of the present invention. Process 500 is an example implementation of the above-mentioned proposed solution for improving UE uplink delay in wireless communication according to the present invention. Process 500 may represent one aspect of an implementation of the features of apparatus 410 and apparatus 420. Process 500 may include one or more operations, actions or functions shown in one or more of blocks 510, 520 and 530. Although the blocks shown are discrete, the blocks in process 500 may be split into more blocks, combined into fewer blocks or some blocks may be deleted depending on the desired implementation. In addition, the blocks of process 500 may be arranged according to Figure 5 The steps 500 may be performed in the order shown or may be performed in other orders. Process 500 may also be repeated partially or completely. Process 500 may be implemented by apparatus 410, apparatus 420 and / or any suitable wireless communication device, UE, base station or machine-type device. For illustrative purposes only and not limiting, process 500 is described below in the context of apparatus 410 as a UE (e.g., UE 110) and apparatus 420 as a network node (e.g., access point, eNB or gNB) in a wireless network (e.g., a Wi-Fi basic service set (BSS), an NR cell, an LTE cell or a UMTS cell). Process 500 may start at block 510.

[0051] In block 510, the process 500 may include the processor 412 of the device 410 as a UE, via the transceiver 416 and when the device 410 is in the special mode, sending a request to the network (e.g., via the device 420) multiple times to allow the UL transmission to be performed. For example, the process 500 may include the processor 412 sending the request multiple times at a frequency higher than the frequency at which the request to perform the UL transmission is sent to the network when the device 410 is in the normal operating mode. The process 500 may continue from block 510 to block 520.

[0052] At block 520, process 500 may include processor 412 receiving a grant for UL transmission from a network (eg, via device 420) via transceiver 416. Process 500 may continue from block 520 to block 530.

[0053] At block 530 , process 500 may include processor 412 performing, via transceiver 416 , a UL transmission to a network (eg, via device 420 ) in response to receiving the grant.

[0054] In some implementations, in sending the request, process 500 may include processor 412 sending the SR.

[0055] In some implementations, in sending the request, flow 500 may include processor 412 sending a non-zero BSR.

[0056] In some embodiments, the special mode may be a forced mode. In this case, in sending a request in the forced mode, process 500 may include processor 412 performing certain operations. For example, process 500 may include processor 412 entering the forced mode. In addition, process 500 may include processor 412 sending requests multiple times in a row in the forced mode without knowing that any user data is available for UL transmission. In addition, in response to the occurrence of any one of a plurality of predefined events, processor 412 may exit the forced mode to stop sending the request multiple times in a row. In some embodiments, the plurality of predefined events may include the following: (1) expiration of a predetermined period of time in the forced mode; (2) receiving an input to start an operation; (3) receiving another input to stop another operation.

[0057] In some embodiments, while performing UL transmission, process 500 may include processor 412 performing certain operations. For example, process 500 may include processor 412 determining that there is no buffered data to be sent in the UL transmission. In addition, process 500 may include processor 412 performing UL transmission of any of the following: (a) modem MAC padding; (b) modem layer 2 control data, retransmission data, or invalid PDU; (c) network virtual data. In some embodiments, modem MAC padding may be configured as a frequency-based transmission parameter or threshold configuration. In this case, the network virtual data may include any of the following: (i) private IP address data; (ii) IP packet data dedicated to a predetermined IP address or a random IP address, wherein the TTL value of the IP packet data is less than a predefined TTL value; (iii) service data dedicated to a predetermined server.

[0058] In some embodiments, the special mode may be a background mode. In this case, in sending the request in the background mode, the process 500 may include the processor 412 performing certain operations. For example, the process 500 may include the processor 412 receiving an indication of the availability of one or more data packets for UL transmission. In addition, in response to receiving the indication, the process 500 may include the processor 412 sending the request multiple times.

[0059] In some embodiments, the special mode may be a background mode. In this case, in sending a request in the background mode, the process 500 may include the processor 412 performing certain operations. For example, unless there is higher priority data to be sent, the process 500 may include the processor 412 continuously or periodically sending lower priority data to maintain a grant for UL transmission. In addition, when higher priority data from the application is available, the process 500 may include the processor 412 sending the higher priority data in place of the lower priority data.

[0060] Figure 6 It is an example process 600 described according to an embodiment of the present invention. Process 600 is an example implementation of the above-mentioned proposed solution for improving UE uplink delay in wireless communication according to the present invention. Process 600 may represent one aspect of an implementation of features of apparatus 410 and apparatus 420. Process 600 may include one or more operations, actions or functions shown in blocks 610, 620 and 630 and in one or more of sub-processes 612, 614 and 616. Although the blocks shown are discrete, the blocks in process 600 may be split into more blocks, combined into fewer blocks or some blocks may be deleted depending on the desired implementation. In addition, the blocks of process 600 may be arranged according to Figure 6The process 600 may be performed in the order shown or may be performed in other orders. The process 600 may also be repeated partially or completely. The process 600 may be implemented by the apparatus 410, the apparatus 420 and / or any suitable wireless communication device, UE, base station or machine-type device. For illustrative purposes only and not limiting, the process 600 is described below in the context of the apparatus 410 as a UE (e.g., UE 110) and the apparatus 420 as a network node (e.g., access point, eNB or gNB) in a wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi, BSS, NR cell, LTE cell or UMTS cell). The process 600 may start at block 610.

[0061] In block 610, the process 600 may include the processor 412 of the device 410 as a UE, via the transceiver 416 and when the device 410 is in the special mode, sending a request to the network (e.g., via the device 420) multiple times to allow the UL transmission to be performed. For example, when the device 410 is in the normal operating mode, the process 600 may include the processor 412 sending the request multiple times at a frequency higher than the frequency of sending the request to the network to perform the UL transmission when the device 410 is in the normal operating mode. The process 600 may continue from block 610 to block 620.

[0062] At block 620, process 600 may include processor 412 receiving a grant for UL transmission from a network (eg, via device 420) via transceiver 416. Process 600 may continue from block 620 to block 630.

[0063] At block 630 , process 600 may include processor 412 performing, via transceiver 416 , a UL transmission to a network (eg, via device 420 ) in response to receiving the grant.

[0064] In some implementations, the special mode may be an event-triggered mode. Flow 600 may include processor 412 performing specific operations represented by sub-blocks 612 , 614 , and 616 .

[0065] At sub-block 612, process 600 may include processor 412 receiving information from one or more information sources associated with device 410. Process 600 may continue from sub-block 612 to sub-block 614.

[0066] At sub-block 614, process 600 may include processor 412 predicting a need to perform an UL transmission based on the received information. Process 600 may continue from sub-block 614 to sub-block 616.

[0067] At sub-block 616 , process 600 may include processor 412 sending the request multiple times in response to predicting the demand.

[0068] In some embodiments, when predicting the need to perform UL transmission, process 600 may include processor 412 detecting at least one of a plurality of predefined events based on the received information. In some embodiments, the plurality of predefined events may include the following: (a) detecting a touch of a screen of device 410; (b) activating or performing an operation through a gyroscope of device 410; (c) activating or performing an operation through an accelerometer of device 410; (d) detecting a key press on device 410; (e) receiving input from another device of device 410; (f) detecting the occurrence of a hardware event related to hardware of device 410; (g) detecting the occurrence of a software flow related to software executed on device 410.

[0069] In some embodiments, while performing UL transmission, process 600 may include processor 412 performing certain operations. For example, process 600 may include processor 412 determining that there is no buffered data to be sent in the UL transmission. In addition, process 600 may include processor 412 performing UL transmission of any of the following: (a) modem MAC padding; (b) modem layer 2 control data, retransmission data, or invalid PDU; (c) network virtual data. In some embodiments, modem MAC padding may be configured as a frequency-based transmission parameter or threshold configuration. In some embodiments, network virtual data may include any of the following: (i) private IP address data; (ii) IP packet data dedicated to a predetermined IP address or a random IP address, wherein the TTL value of the IP packet data is less than a predefined TTL value; (iii) service data dedicated to a predetermined server.

[0070] Additional Notes

[0071] The subject matter described herein sometimes shows different components included in or connected to different other components. But it should be understood that these depicted architectures are only examples, and in fact many other architectures that realize the same function can be implemented. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components that realize the same function is effectively "associated", so that the desired function is realized. Therefore, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components, any two components that are combined to realize a specific function herein can be regarded as "associated" with each other, so that the desired function is realized. Similarly, any two components so associated can also be regarded as "operationally connected" or "operationally coupled" to each other to realize the desired function, and any two components that can be so associated can also be regarded as "operationally couplable" to each other to realize the desired function. Operationally, the specific examples that can be coupled include but are not limited to physically matching and / or physically interactive components and / or wirelessly interactive and / or wirelessly interactive components and / or logically interactive and / or logically interactive components.

[0072] Further, with respect to any plural and / or singular terms used in this article, those skilled in the art may convert from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural when appropriate for the content and / or application. For the sake of clarity, various singular / plural reciprocities may be explicitly set forth herein.

[0073] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, in general, the terms used herein and especially in the appended claims (e.g., the bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended to be "open" terms, e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," and the like. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation, such intent is absent. For example, to aid understanding, the appended claims may include the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more." However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as implying that a claim recitation, through the introduction of the indefinite article "a" or "an", will include any particular claim of such introduced claim recitation to include only one implementation of such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrase "one or more" or "at least one" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an", for example, "a and / or an" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more", and the same applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of introduced claim recitations is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted as meaning at least the recited number, for example, the unmasked recitation of "two recitations" means at least two recitations or two or more recitations in the absence of other modifiers. Furthermore, where a convention similar to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, it is generally intended to be interpreted in the sense that a person skilled in the art would understand this convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but is not limited to systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). Where a convention similar to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, it is generally intended to be interpreted in the sense that a person skilled in the art would understand this convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but is not limited to systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). A person skilled in the art would also understand that any transitional words and / or phrases that actually indicate two or more alternatives, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibility of including one, any, or both of these items. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0074] As can be seen from the above, it can be understood that various embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not meant to be restrictive, and the true scope and spirit are determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for improving uplink delay, comprising: The device in the special mode sends multiple requests to the network for permission to perform uplink transmissions; receiving a license from the network; as well as performing the uplink transmission to the network in response to receiving the grant; wherein the step of sending the request multiple times comprises sending the request multiple times at a frequency higher than the frequency at which the request to perform uplink transmission is sent to the network when the device is in a normal operating mode, The special mode is a forced mode or a background mode. Wherein, in response to the special mode being the mandatory mode, the step of sending the request in the mandatory mode comprises: Enter this forced mode; sending the request a plurality of times consecutively in the forced mode without knowing that any user data is available for the uplink transmission; and In response to the occurrence of any one of a plurality of predefined events, exiting the forced mode to stop the step of continuously sending the request a plurality of times, In response to the special mode being the background mode, the step of sending the request in the background mode comprises: continuously or periodically sending lower priority data to maintain the grant for the uplink transmission unless there is higher priority data to send; and When the higher priority data from the application is available, the higher priority data is sent in place of the lower priority data.

2. The method for improving uplink delay according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of sending the request comprises sending a scheduling request or sending a non-zero buffer status report.

3. The method for improving uplink delay according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of predefined events include: The predetermined period of time in the enforcement mode expires; receiving input to start an operation; and Receive another input to stop another operation.

4. The method for improving uplink delay according to claim 1, characterized in that: Performing the uplink transmission includes: determining that there is no buffered data to send in the uplink transmission; and After the determination, the uplink transmission is performed by any of the following: Modem medium access control padding; Modem Layer 2 control data, retransmitted data, or invalid protocol data units; and Network virtual data.

5. The method for improving uplink delay according to claim 4, characterized in that: The modem medium access control padding is configured as a frequency-based transmission parameter or threshold configuration, and wherein the network virtual data includes any of the following: Private Internet Protocol address data; Internet Protocol packet data dedicated to a predetermined Internet Protocol address or a random Internet Protocol address, wherein the time-to-live value of the Internet Protocol packet data is less than a predefined time-to-live value; as well as Service data specific to the intended server.

6. An improved device for uplink delay, comprising: The processor, during the execution of the operation, performs the following operations: When the device is in the special mode, a plurality of requests are sent to the network for permission to perform an uplink transmission; receiving a license from the network; and performing the uplink transmission to the network in response to receiving the grant; wherein the processor sends the request to perform an uplink transmission a plurality of times at a frequency higher than the frequency at which the request is sent to the network when the apparatus is in a normal operating mode, The special mode is a forced mode or a background mode. In response to the special mode being the mandatory mode, and in sending the request in the mandatory mode, the operations performed by the processor include: Enter this forced mode; sending the request a plurality of times consecutively in the forced mode without knowing that any user data is available for the uplink transmission; and In response to the occurrence of any one of a plurality of predefined events, exiting the forced mode to stop the step of continuously sending the request a plurality of times, In response to the special mode being the background mode, the step of sending the request in the background mode comprises: continuously or periodically sending lower priority data to maintain the grant for the uplink transmission unless there is higher priority data to send; and When the higher priority data from the application is available, the higher priority data is sent in place of the lower priority data.

7. The device for improving uplink delay according to claim 6, characterized in that: The step of sending the request comprises sending a scheduling request or sending a non-zero buffer status report.

8. The device for improving uplink delay according to claim 6, characterized in that: The plurality of predefined events include: The predetermined period of time in the enforcement mode expires; receiving input to start an operation; and Receive another input to stop another operation.

9. The device for improving uplink delay according to claim 6, characterized in that: In performing the uplink transmission, the operations performed by the processor include: determining that there is no buffered data to send in the uplink transmission; and After the determination, the uplink transmission is performed by any of the following: Modem medium access control padding; Modem Layer 2 control data, retransmitted data, or invalid protocol data units; and Network virtual data.

10. The device for improving uplink delay according to claim 9, characterized in that: The modem medium access control padding is configured as a frequency based transmission parameter or threshold configuration, The network virtual data includes any of the following: Private Internet Protocol address data; Internet Protocol packet data dedicated to a predetermined Internet Protocol address or a random Internet Protocol address, wherein the time-to-live value of the Internet Protocol packet data is less than a predefined time-to-live value; and Service data specific to the intended server.

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