Method and device for small data transmission

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to small data transmission. In a small data transmission (SDT) process, the terminal device performs transmission using a resource associated with the selected synchronization signal and the PBCH block (SSB). The selected SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process. And monitoring the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period. The time period is based on at least one of a timer, a time window, a slot counter, a portion of the SDT process. According to the SDT solution provided by the invention, the DL SSB between the terminal equipment and the network equipment can be kept consistent during the SDT process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and in particular to methods, devices, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for Small Data Transmission (SDT). Background Art

[0002] For a terminal device in Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode or RRC inactive mode, when it has a small amount of data (small data) to be transmitted, the signal for transitioning to RRC connected mode and maintaining RRC connected mode may result in large overhead (e.g., power consumption and delay).

[0003] With the development of communication systems, SDT technology has been proposed to reduce signaling overhead and delay by avoiding transition to RRC connection mode. The New Radio (NR) system supports SDT based on random access channel (RACH) (i.e. RA-SDT) and SDT based on configured grant (CG) (i.e. CG-SDT). In the RA-SDT process, the terminal device is enabled to transmit small data in RRC inactive mode using the uplink grant received via the random access (RA) process for SDT. In the CG-SDT process, the terminal device is enabled to transmit small data in RRC inactive mode using pre-configured uplink resources. Summary of the invention

[0004] In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for small data transmission.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: perform transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the selected SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and monitor the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of the following items: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a part of the SDT process.

[0006] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: perform transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and monitor the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period depends at least on the quality of the selected SSB.

[0007] In a third aspect, a network device is provided. The device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the network device to: configure a time period for a terminal device through higher layer signaling, wherein the terminal device is configured to: monitor SSB for downlink (DL) reception within the time period, and wherein the time period is indicated by any one of the following items: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a part of the SDT process of the terminal device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method implemented at a terminal device is provided. The method comprises: performing transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and monitoring the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of the following items: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a portion of the SDT process.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a method implemented at a terminal device is provided. The method comprises: performing transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and monitoring the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period depends at least on the quality of the selected SSB.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a method implemented at a network device is provided. The method comprises: configuring a time period for a terminal device via high-layer signaling, wherein the terminal device is configured to monitor SSB for downlink (DL) reception within the time period, wherein the time period is indicated by the length of any one of the following: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a part of an SDT process of the terminal device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for performing transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and a component for monitoring the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of the following items: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, and a portion of the SDT process.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for performing transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and a component for monitoring the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period depends at least on the quality of the selected SSB.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for configuring a time period for a terminal device via higher layer signaling, wherein the terminal device is configured to: monitor SSB for downlink (DL) reception for the time period, and wherein the time period is indicated by the length of any one of the following items: a timer, a time window or a time slot counter, part of the SDT process of the terminal device.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to execute a method according to at least any one of the fourth to sixth aspects above.

[0015] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 illustrates an example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0018] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0019] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0020] Figure 4A flowchart of a method implemented at a network device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0021] Figure 5 illustrates a flow chart illustrating a process for small data transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6a illustrates a diagram illustrating SSB for small data transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6b Another diagram illustrating SSB for small data transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0024] Figure 6c illustrates another diagram illustrating SSB for small data transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 7 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0026] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for illustrative purposes and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure without implying any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein may also be implemented in various ways in addition to the ways described below.

[0029] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0030] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, it is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0031] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the example embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0032] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms. It will also be understood that when used in this article, the terms "including", "having" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, elements and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0034] (a) pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation with only analog and / or digital circuit systems) and

[0035] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0036] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0037] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software and memory(s) that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions), and

[0038] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), but the software may not be present when it is not required for operation.

[0039] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. By way of example and where applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0040] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any appropriate communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any appropriate generation communication protocol, including but not limited to the third generation (3G) and the like. rd The present invention relates to the present invention in the form of 3G, 4G, 4.5G, 5G and 5G communication protocols. The embodiments of the present invention may be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the present invention. It should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention to only the above-mentioned systems.

[0041] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network, via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a NodeB (NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Head (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a relay, a low-power node (such as a femto, pico, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0042] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device that can perform wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), game terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer-premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMD), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (such as remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (such as robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0043] As used herein, the terms "resource", "transmission resource", "resource block", "physical resource block" (Radio Resource Block, PRB), "uplink (Uplink, UL) resource" or "downlink (Downlink, DL) resource" may refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as resources in the time domain, resources in the frequency domain, resources in the space domain, resources in the code domain, resources in a combination of more than one domain, or any other resource capable of communication, etc. In the following, some example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described using resources in the time domain (such as subframes) as examples of transmission resources. It should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0044] As discussed above, SDT technology has been proposed to reduce signaling overhead and avoid delays in transitioning to RRC connected mode, and currently the NR system supports RACH-based SDT (i.e., RA-SDT) and CG-based SDT (i.e., CG-SDT).

[0045] According to the protocol and assumptions of Radio Access Network (RAN) Working Group (WG) 1 (RAN1), the terminal device selects a synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) (referred to as the selected SSB / PBCH in this disclosure) for downlink monitoring, and the SSB / PBCH is associated with resources used for uplink transmission in the initial transmission phase (e.g., CG resources associated with the SSB / PBCH). It is assumed that according to the protocol of RAN1, the selected SSB / PBCH will be used during the entire SDT process. RAN WG2 (RAN2) stipulates that the terminal device can use any resource associated with any SSB whose quality (e.g., reference signal received power RSRP) is higher than a threshold.

[0046] From the perspective of RAN2, the CG resources during the small data transmission process may change, and the monitoring of downlink SSB / PBCH during the SDT process may also change. Therefore, the assumptions of RAN1 and RAN2 for small data transmission are different.

[0047] It should be understood that, generally, there is a correspondence between SSB and beam. Therefore, the process for beam management can also be implemented through SSB management according to the above correspondence. The terms "beam" and "SSB" used in this document are equivalent, or can be used interchangeably. In the following, the term "SSB" will be used to discuss example embodiments. It should be understood that all discussions about "SSB" also apply to "beam". In another example, the "beam" can be a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and therefore, it should be understood that all discussions about "SSB" also apply to "CSI-RS".

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution for SDT is provided to keep the DL SSB between the UE and the NW consistent during the SDT process. In a communication network, for the SDT process between the terminal device and the network device, a time period (such as a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a part of the SDT process, etc.) can be predetermined, for example, configured by the network device; during the time period, the terminal device assumes that the DL reception from a specific SSB remains unchanged.

[0049] In one possible embodiment, the terminal device may reselect a DL reception SSB (such as the next SSB, a new SSB, or the same SSB) for subsequent transmissions in the SDT process and start a new time period. In this way, the DL SSB may be changed to monitor DL ​​reception for SDT transmissions and keep the SDT process successful most of the time. Alternatively or additionally, the time period may depend at least on the quality of the selected SSB and / or the reselected SSB.

[0050] Although the functionality described herein may be performed in fixed and / or wireless network nodes in various example embodiments, in other example embodiments, the functionality may be implemented in a user device (such as a mobile phone or tablet or laptop or desktop computer or mobile IOT device or fixed IOT device). The user device may, for example, be appropriately equipped with the corresponding capabilities described in relation to (multiple) fixed and / or wireless network nodes. The user device may be a user device and / or a control device, such as a chipset or processor, which is configured to control the user device when installed therein. Examples of such functionality include boot server functionality and / or a home subscriber server, which may be implemented in a user device device by providing the user device device with software configured to cause the user device device to execute from the perspective of these functions / nodes.

[0051] The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 Reference is made to an example communication system 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. System 100 includes a network device, such as network device 111. Network device 111 uses multiple SSBs, such as SSB 121, SSB 122, and SSB 123, to serve terminal devices during an SDT process.

[0052] The system 100 also includes a terminal device, such as a terminal device 101. The terminal device 101 can connect and communicate with the network device 111 via SSB to perform, for example, an SDT process. In a communication system, UL refers to a communication link from a terminal device to a network device, and DL refers to a communication link from a network device to a terminal device.

[0053] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustration purposes only and does not imply any limitation. System 100 may include any number of network devices and terminal devices suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0054] The communication in the communication system 100 can be implemented according to any appropriate (multiple) communication protocols, including but not limited to third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) and fifth generation (5G) or further cellular communication protocols, wireless local area network communication protocols (such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc.) and / or any other currently known or future developed protocols. In addition, the communication can use any appropriate wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) and / or any other currently known or future developed technology.

[0055] For SDT between the terminal device 101 and the network device 111, either the terminal device 101 or the network device 111 may initiate an SDT process. The terminal device 101 may then select resources associated with an SSB and perform UL transmissions, such as SSB 121, during the SDT process. SSB 121 is selected from one or more available SSBs for monitoring DL responses to the SDT with any suitable SSB selection strategy, such as using a quality criterion. For example, an SSB having a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) value above a predetermined threshold may be selected for UL transmission. The network device 111 may respond to the terminal device 101 via SSB 121. Thus, the terminal device 101 monitors SSB 121 for DL ​​reception for a period of time.

[0056] In some scenarios, the time period can be measured by a timer, a time window, a time slot count, or a part of the SDT process. And a part of the SDT process can be the initial transmission duration of the SDT process, or the subsequent transmission duration of the SDT process. For example, the initial transmission duration of the SDT may include the first message of the SDT process by the terminal device 101, and the transmission and possible retransmission of the DL response by the network device 111. The first message may include at least a CCCH (Common Control Channel) SDU (Service Date Unit). For example, the subsequent transmission duration of the SDT process may include the remaining part of the SDT process duration after the initial transmission duration of the SDT process. For example, the terminal device 101 and the network device 111 maintain timers respectively. The timer can be started / restarted for the initial transmission in the SDT process and / or any subsequent transmission in the SDT process. Additionally or alternatively, the timer may be restarted after a response is received on an SSB associated with a UL transmission, or after any DL transmission is received on an SSB, in order to extend the period of further SDTs for DL ​​monitoring on the same SSB, for example when the quality of selected resources associated with the SSB exceeds a particular threshold, or when a DL transmission may be decoded on the SSB.

[0057] In some embodiments, during this time period, the terminal device 101 may monitor the selected SSB, i.e., SSB 121, for DL ​​reception; when the timer expires, the terminal device 101 may perform subsequent transmissions via any configured resources associated with any SSB whose quality is above the threshold level. For example, when the timer expires, the resources associated with SSB 122 are selected for subsequent transmission, and the timer is started. In this case, the terminal device 101 may perform another UL transmission via (multiple) resources associated with SSB 122 during the SDT process. SSB 122 may then be a reselected SSB or the current "selected SSB". In this case, for example, when the timer is running, the network device 111 responds to the terminal device 101 via SSB 122. The terminal device 101 monitors SSB 122 for DL ​​reception accordingly.

[0058] In some embodiments, the terminal device 101 performs another UL transmission during the SDT using the resource(s) associated with the selected SSB until the time period expires. Thus, for example, when the timer is running, the SSB used for UL and DL transmissions during the SDT process does not change during the time period.

[0059] Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 101 may perform another UL transmission during the SDT process using resources associated with another SSB different from the selected SSB during the time period. The other SSB may be any available SSB, such as an SSB with a quality above a threshold. At the same time, for example, while the timer is running, the SSB used for DL ​​reception is not changed during the time period. In other words, the terminal device 111 may perform UL transmissions via resources associated with more than one SSB, but only monitor the selected SSB for DL ​​reception during the time period, for example, while the timer is running.

[0060] Alternatively or additionally, in the event that the resources associated with SSB 122 are reselected for another UL transmission, the terminal device 101 may stop monitoring the previously selected SSB 121 for DL ​​reception and instead monitor SSB 122. The network device may use SSB 122 for DL ​​transmission after receiving a UL transmission on SSB 122 from the terminal device. In addition, the terminal device may restart the DL reception timer to set another time period for SSB 122. Alternatively, when the terminal device 101 further selects another resource associated with the SSB for a subsequent UL transmission, the SSB monitored by the terminal device for DL ​​reception may change.

[0061] Alternatively or additionally, in the case where resources associated with the SSB are reselected for another UL transmission, the terminal device 101 may continue to monitor the previously selected SSB 121 before the timer expires while monitoring SSB 122 for DL ​​reception. In this case, if the terminal device supports two timers for DL ​​reception, the UE may start another timer for SSB 122. At the same time, the network device may use either of the previously selected SSB 121 and SSB 122.

[0062] In some scenarios, the time period depends only on the quality of the selected SSB. For example, the terminal device 101 measures the RSRP of the selected SSB. If the RSRP of the selected SSB is higher than a threshold, the selected SSB will not change. Otherwise, the terminal device 101 will select another SSB with an RSRP higher than the threshold as the new selected SSB for the SDT process.

[0063] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an example method 200 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The method 200 is described from the perspective of the terminal device 101. Figure 6a , Figure 6b and Figure 6c Method 200 is described.

[0064] At block 210, the terminal device 101 performs transmission in the SDT process using resources associated with a selected SSB, wherein the selected SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process.

[0065] At block 220, the terminal device 101 monitors the selected SSB for DL ​​reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of: a timer, a time window or slot counter, a part of an SDT procedure.

[0066] In some embodiments, the time period is configured by high-layer signaling. For example, the network device may configure the time period for the terminal device 101 via RRC signaling.

[0067] In some embodiments, the time period may be further extended after any DL reception on the selected SSB 121. For example, the time period may be extended by any of the following: restarting the timer; extending the time window; and resetting the time slot counter.

[0068] refer to Figure 6a An example of the extension of the time period is described below. Figure 6a SSB for small data transmission according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0069] like Figure 6a As shown in FIG. 1 , the blocks in the first row represent UL transmission, the blocks in the second row represent resources associated with the SSB used for the SDT process, the blocks in the third row represent DL reception, the blocks in the fourth row represent the process of monitoring the timer for DL ​​reception associated with a specific SSB, and the blocks in the fifth row represent beams used for DL ​​reception. It should be understood that Figure 6a The timers, transmission opportunities, and candidate beam numbers shown and their corresponding relationships are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation.

[0070] exist Figure 6a In the example of , for example, three candidate SSBs (i.e., SSB 121, SSB 122, and SSB 123) are available for SDT. The terminal device 101 initiates the SDT process via the resources associated with SSB 121 and starts the timer at the same time. Thereafter, the terminal device 101 monitors SSB 121 for DL ​​reception. When the terminal device 101 receives a DL reception via SSB 121, the timer can be restarted to extend the time period. The DL reception can be a response to one of the previous UL transmissions, or any other transmission from the network device. Therefore, the terminal device 101 continues to monitor SSB 121 for DL ​​reception until the timer expires.

[0071] In some embodiments, the terminal device 101 performs another uplink (UL) transmission during the SDT process using the resources associated with the selected SSB until the time period expires. In other words, the SSB used for UL transmission is not changed before the time period expires. For example, Figure 6a As illustrated in FIG, the terminal device 101 performs UL SDT via resources associated with the SSB 121 until the timer expires. After the timer expires, the terminal device may select an SSB for a subsequent SDT procedure.

[0072] In some embodiments, the terminal device 101 performs another UL transmission during the SDT process using resources associated with another SSB during the time period. In some embodiments, after the DL reception on the selected SSB, resources associated with another SSB are reselected for another UL transmission. Figure 6b Reference is made to , which illustrates a schematic diagram for small data transmission according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0073] like Figure 6b As illustrated in , the terminal device 101 initiates the SDT process via the resources associated with SSB 121 and starts the timer at the same time. The terminal device 101 performs UL transmission via the resources associated with SSB 121. After the terminal device 101 receives a DL reception (e.g., a DL response to one of the previous UL transmissions), the terminal device 101 is allowed to freely change the resources associated with the SSBs available for UL. For example, the terminal device 101 can select any SSB above the quality threshold, such as SSB122. In this case, the terminal device 101 performs subsequent UL transmissions via the resources associated with SSB 122 and the resources associated with SSB 123, respectively. However, the network device will still use SSB 121 to perform DL transmissions, and therefore the terminal device 101 will still monitor SSB 121 (i.e., the SSB initially selected after the timer is started) for DL ​​reception until the timer expires.

[0074] In some embodiments, terminal device 101 starts new timers for other SSBs, such as SSB 122 and SSB 123. When the corresponding timers are running, network device 111 can respond to terminal device 101 via the initially selected SSB and the other SSBs. When the corresponding timers are running, terminal device 101 can monitor the initially selected SSB and the other SSBs for DL ​​reception. Monitoring both the initially selected SSB and the other SSBs for DL ​​reception can depend on the capabilities of terminal device 101.

[0075] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned solution may be applied to the initial transmission in the SDT process. The initial transmission includes: the first UL transmission after the SDT process is triggered and the retransmission of subsequent UL transmissions.

[0076] The above-mentioned solution can be applied to subsequent UL transmission in the SDT process. The subsequent transmission includes transmission except the initial transmission in the entire SDT process.

[0077] In some embodiments, for subsequent transmissions in the SDT process, the SSB can be reselected during the SDT process. This means that the initial transmission and subsequent transmissions can use different, for example, CG resources for SDT, but the SSB for DL ​​reception for different CG resources is the same.

[0078] In some embodiments, based on the determination that there is no DL reception before the time period expires, the terminal device 101 may start another transmission during the SDT using resources associated with another SSB different from the selected SBB, and monitor the other SSB for DL ​​reception for another time period.

[0079] For example, Figure 6c Reference is made to , which illustrates SSB for small data transmission according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6c As shown in FIG. 1 , the terminal device 101 initiates an SDT process via resources associated with SSB 121. A timer is started. The terminal device 101 monitors SSB 121 for DL ​​reception. However, no DL reception is received until the timer expires. Therefore, the terminal device 101 initiates another UL transmission via resources associated with SSB 122, and monitors SSB 122 for DL ​​reception, and starts or restarts the timer when the UL small data transmission is completed.

[0080] In some embodiments, if the quality of the selected SSB is above a threshold when the time period expires, the time period is extended.

[0081] It should be noted that the above embodiments can be applied to both CG-based SDT processes and RACH-based processes.

[0082] In some embodiments, when the quality of the selected SSB is below a threshold, the terminal device 101 performs an RA procedure. The RA procedure is used to indicate a new SSB to the network device for DL ​​reception. In this case, resources other than those associated with the selected SSB may be released / suspended after the initial transmission.

[0083] Figure 3FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example method 300 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1 The method 300 is described from the perspective of the terminal device 101 .

[0084] At block 310, the terminal device 101 performs transmission in a small data transmission (SDT) process using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), where the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process.

[0085] At block 320, the terminal device 101 monitors the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, where the time period depends at least on the quality of the selected SSB.

[0086] In some embodiments, the time period expires based on a determination that the quality of the selected SSB is below a threshold. For example, the terminal device 101 initiates an SDT process via resources associated with SSB 121, and the RSRP of SSB 121 is above a threshold. The terminal device 101 measures the RSRP of SSB 121. If the RSRP of the selected SSB is above the threshold, the selected SSB does not change. And the terminal continues to monitor SSB 121 for DL ​​reception. Otherwise, the terminal device 101 selects another SSB as the "selected SSB". The RSRP of the new "selected SSB" is above the threshold.

[0087] In some embodiments, UL SDT is performed based on a configuration grant (CG).

[0088] In some embodiments, UL SDT is performed based on a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

[0089] In some embodiments, when the quality of the selected SSB is below a threshold, the terminal device 101 performs a RA process.

[0090] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example method 400 implemented on a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 Method 400 is described from the perspective of network device 111 .

[0091] At block 410, the network device 111 configures a time period for the terminal device via high-layer signaling. The terminal device is configured to monitor the SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is indicated by any one of the following: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a part of the SDT process of the terminal device.

[0092] In some embodiments, for simplified implementation of network device 111, the network device uses the SSB associated with the resource on which the most recent UL transmission was performed as the DL SSB.

[0093] In some embodiments, the network device 111 may also follow a similar timer to enable a time period for the first selected SSB. For example, the network device may receive an UL transmission in the SDT process from the terminal device using resources associated with the SSB. The terminal device selects an SSB from one or more SSBs available for SDT. The network device performs a DL transmission using resources associated with the selected SSB for a time period, where the time period is based on at least one of the following: a timer, a time window or time slot counter, a portion of the SDT process at the network device.

[0094] In some embodiments, the time period is extended after any DL transmission on the selected SSB.

[0095] In some embodiments, the time period is extended by any of: restarting a timer; extending a time window; and resetting a time slot counter.

[0096] In some embodiments, the network device 111 receives another UL transmission during the SDT using the resources associated with the selected SSB until the time period expires.

[0097] In some embodiments, network device 111 receives another UL transmission in the SDT process using resources associated with another SSB different from the selected SBB during the time period.

[0098] In some embodiments, the SSB is reselected after any DL transmission on the selected SSB.

[0099] In some embodiments, the transmission is an initial transmission in an SDT process.

[0100] In some embodiments, the transmission is a subsequent transmission in the SDT process.

[0101] For subsequent transmissions during the SDT process, another SSB is reselected to perform the SDT process.

[0102] In some embodiments, the SDT process is performed based on a configuration grant (CG).

[0103] In some embodiments, the SDT process is performed based on a random access channel (RACH).

[0104] Now to Figure 5 Reference is made to FIG. 5 , which shows a process 500 of small data transmission according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For ease of discussion, reference is made to FIG. Figure 1Process 500 is described. Process 500 may involve Figure 1 It should be understood that although the process 500 has been described in detail, Figure 1 The process is described in the communication system 100 of FIG. 1 , but the process can also be applied to other communication scenarios, in which different network devices are jointly deployed to provide corresponding service cells. It should also be understood that although the small data transmission of the terminal device 101 is discussed, a similar process can be applied to any other terminal device. In addition, Figure 5 An example SDT process based on CG is given as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and a similar process can be applied to the SDT process based on RACH.

[0105] In process 500, the terminal device 101 initiates 501 a CG-SDT transmission via a CG resource and starts a new timer. The CG resource is associated with a selected SSB. The network device 111 performs 502 a DL transmission to the terminal device via the selected SSB. The DL transmission may involve a transmission to any terminal device on the selected SSB (e.g., CG) or a response to a UL transmission. The terminal device 101 monitors the selected SSB for DL ​​reception while the timer is running. The terminal device 101 performs 504 a CG-SDT transmission via the selected SSB. Alternatively, the terminal device 101 may be allowed to select another resource associated with another SSB, and therefore perform a CG-SDT via any CG resource associated with any SSB, where the RSRP is above the RSRP threshold. The network device 111 still responds 505 via the selected SSB. The terminal device 101 monitors 506 the selected SSB for DL ​​reception. If the timer expires, the terminal device is allowed to select another SSB, and the timer may be restarted.

[0106] After the timer expires, the terminal device performs a new UL transmission using resources from a different SSB and restarts the timer. The terminal device 101 performs 507 another CG-SDT transmission using any CG resources associated with any SSB with an RSRP above the threshold. The network device 111 responds 508 to the terminal device 101 via the new SSB. The terminal device 101 monitors 509 the new SSB for DL ​​reception while the timer is running. The terminal device 101 performs 510 another CG-SDT transmission in a similar manner as 504.

[0107] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing any one of the methods 200 (e.g., terminal device 101) may include a component for executing the corresponding steps of the method 200. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in the form of a circuit system or a software module.

[0108] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for performing a transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and a component for monitoring the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a portion of the SDT process.

[0109] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 200. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0110] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing any of the methods 300 (e.g., terminal device 101) may include a component for executing the corresponding steps of the method 300. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0111] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for performing transmission in a small data transmission (SDT) process using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; and a component for monitoring the selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period depends at least on the quality of the selected SSB.

[0112] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 300. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0113] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing any one of the methods 400 (e.g., network device 111) may include a component for executing the corresponding steps of the method 400. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0114] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for configuring a time period for a terminal device by, for example, higher layer signaling, wherein the terminal device is configured to monitor the SSB for downlink (DL) reception within the time period, and wherein the time period is indicated by any one of: a timer, a time window, a timeslot counter, a part of the SDT process of the terminal device.

[0115] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 400. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0116] Figure 7 700 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 The terminal device 101 and the network device 111 shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 740 coupled to the processor 710, and one or more transmitters and / or receivers (TX / RX) 740 coupled to the processor 710.

[0117] TX / RX 640 is used for bidirectional communication. TX / RX 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary to communicate with other network elements.

[0118] Processor 710 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, that are time-slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0119] The memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic storage devices and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist during the duration of a power outage.

[0120] The computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The program 730 may be stored in the ROM 1020. The processor 710 may perform any appropriate actions and processes by loading the program 730 into the RAM 722.

[0121] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by means of program 730, so that the device 700 can execute the following steps: Figures 2 to 6c Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0122] In some embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device 700 (such as in the memory 720) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 8 An example of a computer readable medium 800 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 730 stored thereon.

[0123] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0124] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as those included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced Figure 2-6c Methods 200, 300 and 400 and process 500 are described. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or split as needed. The machine executable instructions of program modules can be executed in local devices or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0125] The program code for executing the disclosed method can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, so that when the processor or controller executes the program code, the program code causes the function / operation specified in the flow chart and / or the block diagram to be realized. The program code can be executed completely on the machine, partially on the machine, executed as an independent software package, partially on the machine, partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0126] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, and the like.

[0127] The computer readable medium can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium can include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the above. More specific examples of computer readable storage media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0128] In addition, although each operation is depicted in a specific order, it should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a continuous order, or performing all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In some scenarios, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be combined in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0129] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: performing transmissions in a small data transmission (SDT) process using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), wherein the selected SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; as well as The selected SSB is monitored for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of: a timer, a time window, a slot counter, a portion of the SDT process.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the time period is configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

3. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the time period is extended after any DL reception on the selected SSB.

4. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the time period is extended by any one of the following items: Restarting the timer; extending the time window; and The time slot counter is reset.

5. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Another uplink (UL) transmission is performed during the SDT process using the resources associated with the selected SSB until the time period expires.

6. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: During the time period, another UL transmission is performed in the SDT process using resources associated with another SSB different from the selected SBB.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the another SSB is used after DL reception on the selected SSB.

8. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the transmission is an initial transmission in the SDT process.

9. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the transmission is a subsequent transmission in the SDT process.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein for subsequent transmissions in the SDT process, another SSB different from the selected SBB is reselected during the SDT process.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in dependence on the determination that there is no DL reception before expiry of the time period, the terminal device is further caused to: starting another transmission during the SDT using resources associated with another SSB different from the selected SBB; and For another time period, the another SSB is monitored for DL ​​reception.

12. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the SDT process is performed based on a Configuration Grant (CG).

13. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the SDT process is performed based on a random access channel (RACH) process.

14. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: If the quality of the selected SSB is above the threshold after expiration of the time period, the selected SSB continues to be used.

15. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: When the quality of the selected SSB is lower than the threshold, a random access (RA) procedure is performed.

16. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: performing a transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; as well as The selected SSB is monitored for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period depends at least on the quality of the selected SSB.

17. The terminal device of claim 16, wherein the time period expires based on a determination that the quality of the selected SSB is below a threshold.

18. The terminal device according to any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein the SDT process is performed based on a Configuration Grant (CG).

19. The terminal device according to any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein the SDT process is performed based on a random access channel (RACH) process.

20. The terminal device according to claim 19, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: When the quality of the selected SSB is below the threshold, another random access (RA) procedure is performed.

21. A network device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: A time period is configured for a terminal device via higher layer signalling, wherein the terminal device is configured to monitor SSBs for downlink (DL) reception for the time period, and wherein the time period is indicated by any one of: a timer, a time window or a timeslot counter of the terminal device.

22. The network device of claim 21, wherein the network device is further configured to: receiving an uplink (UL) transmission from the terminal device during a small data transfer (SDT) using resources associated with the selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), wherein the SSB is selected by the terminal device from one or more SSBs available for the SDT; and For a time period, downlink (DL) transmission is performed using resources associated with the selected SSB, wherein the time period is based on at least one of the following items: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, and a portion of the SDT process at the network device.

23. The network device of claim 22, wherein the time period is extended after any DL transmission on the selected SSB.

24. The network device according to any one of claims 22 to 23, wherein the time period is extended by any one of the following: Restarting the timer; extending the time window; and The time slot counter is reset.

25. The network device according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the network device is further configured to: Another UL transmission in the SDT process is received using the resources associated with the selected SSB until the time period expires.

26. The network device according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the network device is further configured to: During the time period, another UL transmission in the SDT procedure is received using resources associated with another SSB different from the selected SBB.

27. The network device of claim 26, wherein the SSB is reselected after any DL transmission on the selected SSB.

28. The network device according to any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein the transmission is an initial transmission in the SDT process.

29. The network device according to any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein the transmission is a subsequent transmission in the SDT process.

30. The network device according to any one of claims 21 to 29, wherein for subsequent transmissions in the SDT process, another SSB from the selected SBB is reselected during the SDT process.

31. The network device according to any one of claims 21 to 30, wherein the SDT process is performed based on a Configuration Grant (CG).

32. The network device according to any one of claims 21 to 30, wherein the SDT procedure is performed based on a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

33. A method at a terminal device, comprising: performing a transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; as well as The selected SSB is monitored for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of: a timer, a time window, a slot counter, a portion of the SDT process.

34. A method at a terminal device, comprising: performing a transmission using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) during a small data transmission (SDT) process, wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT process; as well as The selected SSB is monitored for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period depends at least on the quality of the selected SSB.

35. A method at a network device, comprising: A time period is configured for a terminal device via higher layer signaling, wherein the terminal device is configured to: monitor SSB for downlink (DL) reception for the time period, wherein the time period is indicated by the length of any one of the following items: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a part of the SDT process for the terminal.

36. A terminal device, comprising: means for performing transmissions in a small data transmission (SDT) procedure using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT procedure; as well as Means for monitoring a selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period is based on at least one of: a timer, a time window, a slot counter, a portion of the SDT process.

37. A terminal device, comprising: means for performing transmissions in a small data transmission (SDT) procedure using resources associated with a selected synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), wherein the SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT procedure; as well as Means for monitoring a selected SSB for downlink (DL) reception for a time period, wherein the time period depends at least on a quality of the selected SSB.

38. A network device, comprising: A component for configuring a time period for a terminal device via high-layer signaling, wherein the terminal device is configured to: monitor SSB for downlink (DL) reception for the time period, and wherein the time period is indicated by the length of any one of the following items: a timer, a time window, a time slot counter, a part of the SDT process at the network device.

39. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 33 to 35.

Images