Method and apparatus for PDU set based scheduling

Abstract

A method for a user equipment (UE) includes: acquiring scheduling information for at least one protocol data unit (PDU) in a set of PDUs in a scheduling occasion, where the scheduling information is used to determine a plurality of occasions, each of the plurality of occasions corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the set of PDUs; and performing data transmission or reception for each PDU in the PDU set via a corresponding opportunity among the plurality of opportunities determined by the scheduling information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for scheduling based on a protocol data unit (PDU) set. Background Art

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to send data between base stations and wireless mobile devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols may include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE); the fifth generation (5G) 3GPP New Radio (NR) standard; the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, which is often referred to by industry organizations as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); and the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless local area networks (WLANs), which is often referred to by industry organizations as Wi-Fi. In the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) in an LTE system, a base station may include a RAN node such as an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also often referred to as an evolved Node B, enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB) and / or a Radio Network Controller (RNC) in the E-UTRAN, which communicates with a wireless communication device referred to as a user equipment (UE). In a fifth generation (5G) wireless RAN, the RAN nodes may include 5G nodes, new radio (NR) nodes, or gNode Bs (gNBs), which communicate with wireless communication devices, also known as user equipment (UE). Summary of the invention

[0003] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes: obtaining scheduling information for at least one PDU in a protocol data unit (PDU) set in a scheduling opportunity, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine a plurality of opportunities, each of the plurality of opportunities corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the PDU set; and performing data transmission or reception for each PDU in the PDU set via a corresponding opportunity in the plurality of opportunities determined by the scheduling information.

[0004] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for a network device to communicate with a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes: sending scheduling information for at least one PDU in a protocol data unit (PDU) set to the UE in a scheduling opportunity, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine a plurality of opportunities, each of the plurality of opportunities corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the PDU set.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for a communication device, the apparatus comprising components for executing the steps of the method described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system including a base station and a UE according to some embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a UE according to some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 3a to Figure 3b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0010] Figure 4a to Figure 4b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 5a to Figure 5b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 6a to Figure 6b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 7 A communication device (eg, UE or base station) according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 8 Example interfaces for baseband circuitry according to some embodiments are illustrated.

[0015] Fig. 9 Components according to some embodiments are illustrated.

[0016] Fig.10 The architecture of a wireless network according to some embodiments is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In the present disclosure, a “network device” or “base station” may include a RAN node such as an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly referred to as an evolved Node B, enhanced Node B, eNodeB or eNB) and / or a Radio Network Controller (RNC) and / or a 5G node, a New Radio (NR) node or a gNode B (gNB), which communicates with a wireless communication device also referred to as a user equipment (UE).

[0018] As used herein, unless otherwise noted, the terms "user equipment", "network equipment" and "base station" are not specific to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT). Generally speaking, such a UE may be any wireless communication device used by a user (e.g., a mobile phone, a router, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a tracking device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.). A UE may be mobile or may be fixed (e.g., at a particular time) and may communicate with a radio access network (RAN).

[0019] As used herein, the term "and / or" or "at least one of" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0020] In 5G networks, Quality of Service (QoS) flows are the finest granularity of QoS differentiation in a PDU session. Each packet in a QoS flow is processed according to the same QoS requirements. QoS processing (such as QoS parameter maintenance and QoS scheduling in the medium access control (MAC)) is applied to each packet or each PDU.

[0021] Data traffic in a group of packets is used in extended reality (XR) or media services. The group of packets is used to carry the payload of a PDU set (such as a frame, video slice, or tile). Scheduling based on PDU sets is needed to improve the performance of such data traffic.

[0022] To achieve this goal, the present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for scheduling based on a PDU set. The principle and specific implementation of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the figures.

[0023] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system including a base station and a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments. Figure 1 A wireless network 100 is illustrated according to some embodiments. The wireless network 100 comprises a UE 101 and a base station 150 connected via an air interface 190.

[0024] UE 101 and any other UE in the system may be, for example, a laptop computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a printer, a machine type device, such as a smart meter or a dedicated device for healthcare monitoring, remote safety monitoring, an intelligent transportation system, or any other wireless device with or without a user interface. Base station 150 provides network connection to a wider network (not shown) to UE 101 via air interface 190 in the base station service area provided by base station 150. In some embodiments, such a wider network may be a wide area network operated by a cellular network provider, or may be the Internet. Each base station service area associated with base station 150 is supported by an antenna integrated with base station 150. The service area is divided into a plurality of sectors associated with certain antennas. Such sectors may be physically associated with fixed antennas, or may be assigned to physical areas with tunable antennas or antenna settings that may be adjusted in a beamforming process for directing signals to a particular sector. For example, one embodiment of the base station 150 includes three sectors, each sector covering a 120 degree area, with antenna arrays pointed toward each sector to provide 360 ​​degree coverage around the base station 150 .

[0025] UE 101 includes a control circuit 105 coupled to a transmitting circuit 110 and a receiving circuit 115. The transmitting circuit 110 and the receiving circuit 115 may each be coupled to one or more antennas. The control circuit 105 may be adapted to perform operations associated with MTC. In some embodiments, the control circuit 105 of UE 101 may perform calculations or may initiate measurements associated with the air interface 190 to determine the channel quality of the available connection to the base station 150. These calculations may be performed in conjunction with the control circuit 155 of the base station 150. The transmitting circuit 110 and the receiving circuit 115 may be adapted to transmit and receive data, respectively. The control circuit 105 may be adapted or configured to perform various operations, such as various operations related to the UE described elsewhere in this disclosure. The transmitting circuit 110 may transmit multiple multiplexed uplink physical channels. The multiple uplink physical channels may be multiplexed according to time division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency division multiplexing (FDM). The transmitting circuit 110 may be configured to receive block data from the control circuit 105 for transmission across the air interface 190. Similarly, the receiving circuit 115 can receive multiple multiplexed downlink physical channels from the air interface 190 and relay these physical channels to the control circuit 105. The uplink and downlink physical channels can be multiplexed according to TDM or FDM. The transmitting circuit 110 and the receiving circuit 115 can transmit and receive control data and content data (e.g., messages, images, videos, etc.) structured within data blocks carried by the physical channels.

[0026] Figure 1Also illustrated is a base station 150 according to various embodiments. The base station 150 circuitry may include a control circuit 155 coupled to a transmit circuit 160 and a receive circuit 165. The transmit circuit 160 and the receive circuit 165 may each be coupled to one or more antennas that may be used to enable communication via an air interface 190.

[0027] The control circuit 155 may be adapted to perform operations associated with MTC. The transmit circuit 160 and the receive circuit 165 may be adapted to transmit and receive data, respectively, within a narrow system bandwidth that is narrower than a standard bandwidth for personal communications. In some embodiments, for example, the transmit bandwidth may be set to or close to 1.4 MHz. In other embodiments, other bandwidths may be used. The control circuit 155 may perform various operations, such as base station-related operations described elsewhere in this disclosure.

[0028] Within the narrow system bandwidth, the transmission circuit 160 may transmit a plurality of multiplexed downlink physical channels. The plurality of downlink physical channels may be multiplexed according to TDM or FDM. The transmission circuit 160 may transmit the plurality of multiplexed downlink physical channels in a downlink superframe composed of a plurality of downlink subframes.

[0029] In a narrow system bandwidth, the receiving circuit 165 can receive a plurality of multiplexed uplink physical channels. The plurality of uplink physical channels can be multiplexed according to TDM or FDM. The receiving circuit 165 can receive the plurality of multiplexed uplink physical channels in an uplink superframe composed of a plurality of uplink subframes.

[0030] As further described below, control circuits 105 and 155 may be involved in measuring channel quality of air interface 190. Channel quality may be based, for example, on physical obstacles between UE 101 and base station 150, electromagnetic signal interference from other sources, reflections, or indirect paths between UE 101 and base station 150, or other such signal noise sources. Based on the channel quality, multiple retransmissions of a data block may be scheduled, such that transmit circuit 110 may transmit copies of the same data multiple times, and receive circuit 115 may receive multiple copies of the same data multiple times.

[0031] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method 200 for a UE according to some embodiments. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to Figure 1 Describe method 200. For example, the UE may be Figure 1 UE 101 is shown. The UE may obtain scheduling information for at least one PDU in the PDU set from a network device (e.g., from base station 150). It should be understood that method 200 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the blocks shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown in, the method 200 for UE includes the following steps: S202, obtaining scheduling information for at least one PDU in a PDU set in a scheduling opportunity, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine multiple opportunities, each of the multiple opportunities corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the PDU set; and S204, performing data transmission or reception for each PDU in the PDU set via a corresponding opportunity in the multiple opportunities determined by the scheduling information.

[0033] The scheduling information may be obtained via downlink control information (DCI).A bundle of UL grants or DL ​​assignments may be allocated in the scheduling information for transmitting or receiving the entire PDU set or at least a portion of the PDU set (eg, some PDUs in the PDU set).

[0034] In some embodiments, data transmission or reception is not performed in a repeated manner. In this case, within the bundle of UL grants or DL ​​assignments, the MAC PDUs transmitted or received via different UL grants or DL ​​assignments are different. In other words, each PDU in the PDU set can be transmitted or received via only one UL grant or DL ​​assignment, respectively.

[0035] Multiple opportunities (e.g., UL grant opportunities or DL ​​assignment opportunities) may be determined based on the bundle of UL grants or DL ​​assignments allocated in the scheduling information, which means that the UE may deliver UL transmissions or monitor to receive DL at multiple opportunities determined by the bundle of UL grants or DL ​​assignments, respectively. In some embodiments, one PDU is sent or received via one corresponding opportunity. In some other embodiments, more than one PDU is sent or received via one corresponding opportunity.

[0036] In some embodiments, the plurality of opportunities are determined by the scheduling information based on the quality of service (QoS) requirement of the PDU set. For the case where the UE obtains the scheduling information from the network device, the scheduling information may be generated by the network device based on the QoS requirement of the PDU set.

[0037] In addition, in some embodiments, the QoS requirement includes a start time of the PDU set and an end time of the PDU set, and a plurality of opportunities are between the start time of the PDU set and the end time of the PDU set. For example, in some application scenarios in the XR field, the data of the PDU set may be considered valid only for a given time period. Therefore, determining the scheduling information based on the start time and the end time may ensure that the transmission or reception of the data of the PDU set can be performed within the given time period.

[0038] In some embodiments, the scheduling information obtained by the UE in a single scheduling opportunity can be used to schedule the entire PDU set. In some other embodiments, the network device cannot provide scheduling information for data accommodating the entire PDU set because the relevant data does not arrive at the same time or the current radio capacity does not allow such scheduling information. In this case, the network device can provide scheduling information for a portion of the PDU set in the scheduling opportunity. The UE can perform data transmission or reception for a portion of the PDU set after obtaining the scheduling information.

[0039] In some embodiments, the scheduling information may indicate the number of opportunities and the interval between two opportunities. Based on this, multiple opportunities may be determined, and the UE may perform data transmission or reception via such opportunities. In some embodiments, the scheduling information is obtained via one of downlink control information (DCI), L2 signaling, or radio resource control (RRC) messages, and the scheduling information indicates the number of multiple opportunities and the interval between multiple opportunities. At step S204, performing data transmission or reception includes: performing data transmission or reception via multiple opportunities of the number with the interval, wherein each PDU is sent or received via a corresponding opportunity in the multiple opportunities.

[0040] Figure 3a to Figure 3b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0041] like Figure 3a As shown in , the UE obtains DL scheduling information 301 with the number of opportunities (number = 8) and the interval (interval = 2ms) for the PDU set from the network side (NW). Therefore, the DL assignment opportunity 302 is determined to include 8 opportunities (opportunities 302-1 to 302-8) for DL ​​data reception. The interval between opportunities (e.g., between opportunity 302-1 and opportunity 302-2) is set to 2ms. The first opportunity 302-1 can be determined according to the scheduling information, for example, by the start time of the PDU set. After the first opportunity 302-1, the subsequent 7 opportunities are determined at a given interval of 2ms. In some embodiments, in response to detecting the end of the last opportunity 302-8, the DL assignment opportunity 302 is released.

[0042] Similarly, regarding UL transmission, the scheduling information may also include the number and interval of opportunities. Figure 3bAs shown in , the UE obtains UL scheduling information 311 with the number of opportunities (number = 8) and interval (interval = 2ms) for the PDU set from the NW. The UL grant opportunity 312 includes 8 opportunities (opportunities 312-1 to 312-8) for data transmission with a given interval of 2ms, where the first opportunity 312-1 can be determined according to the start time of the PDU set. In some embodiments, in response to detecting the end of the last opportunity 312-8, the UL grant opportunity 312 is released.

[0043] In some embodiments, the DL scheduling information 301 and the UL scheduling information 311 may be acquired by the UE via DCI, RRC or via other L2 signaling.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be understood that the DL scheduling information 301 and the UL scheduling information 311 may also indicate other PDU numbers or other interval values, and the timings included in the DL assignment timing 302 and the UL grant timing 312 may be adjusted based on the scheduling information, respectively.

[0045] In some embodiments, the scheduling information may indicate a validity duration of multiple opportunities and an interval between each two opportunities. The UE may receive data within the validity duration according to the interval. In some embodiments, the scheduling information is obtained via downlink control information (DCI), and the scheduling information indicates a duration for data transmission or reception of a PDU set and an interval between multiple opportunities. Performing data transmission or reception includes: performing data transmission or reception via multiple opportunities with the interval in the duration, wherein each PDU is transmitted or received via a corresponding opportunity in the multiple opportunities.

[0046] Figure 4a to Figure 4b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0047] like Figure 4a As shown in FIG, the UE obtains DL scheduling information 401 for a PDU set with a duration (duration = 40 ms) and an interval (interval = 5 ms) for data reception from the NW. Therefore, a DL assignment opportunity 402 is determined within a 40 ms duration. The first opportunity 402-1 can be determined according to the scheduling information, for example, by the start time of the PDU set. After the first opportunity 402-1, each of the following opportunities is determined at a given interval of 5 ms until a given duration of 40 ms is achieved. Therefore, in Figure 4a In the case shown in , there are a total of 8 opportunities (opportunities 402-1 to 402-8) in the DL assignment opportunity 402 for DL ​​data reception. In some embodiments, in response to detecting the end of the last opportunity 402-8 within the duration, the DL assignment opportunity 402 is released.

[0048] Similarly, regarding UL transmission, the scheduling information may also include duration and interval. Figure 4b As shown in , the UE obtains UL scheduling information 411 for a PDU set with a duration (duration = 40ms) and an interval (interval = 5ms) for data transmission from the NW. The UL grant opportunity 412 is determined within the 40ms duration, where the first opportunity 412-1 can be determined according to the start time of the PDU set. After the first opportunity 412-1, each of the following opportunities is determined at a given interval of 5ms until the given duration 40ms is achieved. Therefore, in Figure 4b In the case shown in FIG. 4 , there are a total of eight opportunities (opportunities 412 - 1 to 412 - 8 ) in the UL grant opportunity 412 for UL data transmission. In some embodiments, the UL grant opportunity 412 is released in response to detecting the end of the last opportunity 412 - 8 within the duration.

[0049] In some embodiments, the DL scheduling information 401 and the UL scheduling information 411 may be acquired by the UE via DCI.

[0050] In addition, it should be understood that the DL scheduling information 401 and the UL scheduling information 411 may also indicate other duration values ​​or interval values, and the timings included in the DL assignment timing 402 and the UL grant timing 412 may be adjusted, respectively.

[0051] In some embodiments, the scheduling information indicates a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) of a preset type for the PDU set and a first new data indicator (NDI). Performing data transmission or reception includes: performing data transmission or reception for the PDU based on determining that the RNTI of the preset type is included in the acquired scheduling information and the first NDI has a first value for the PDU in the PDU set.

[0052] In some embodiments, the UE may identify the scheduling information for the PDU set by a preset type of radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) (e.g., DX-RNTI or C-RNTI). In this case, in response to determining that the acquired scheduling information indicates the preset type of RNTI, the UE may identify the data sent or received via the timing determined by the scheduling information as data in the PDU set.

[0053] In some embodiments, similar to the SPS / CG scheme, the NDI can be used to identify whether the received transport block (TB) is a new transmission or a retransmission of data. For example, when the NDI is switched back and forth in the scheduling information, the UE is notified to send or receive new data. When the NDI is not switched back and forth in the scheduling information, the UE is notified that the data sent or received belongs to the same TB. Whether to switch the NDI back and forth can be determined based on a comparison between the current NDI and the previous NDI. For example, if the value of the current NDI is changed compared to the previous NDI, it implies that the data sent or received belongs to a new TB. Otherwise, the data sent or received belongs to the same TB. In some embodiments, NDI switching back and forth is performed for each PDU, each PDU set, or at both the PDU level and the PDU set level.

[0054] In each of the opportunities determined by the scheduling information, similar to the SPS operation, a different hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process may be performed for data transmitted or received in each opportunity. A plurality of HARQ processes are used to schedule a PDU set.

[0055] In some embodiments, method 200 may also include: performing a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process to determine a PDU in a PDU set for which data transmission or reception is unsuccessful; obtaining additional scheduling information including a HARQ identifier and a second NDI, wherein the HARQ identifier identifies the PDU for which data transmission or reception is unsuccessful; and performing additional data transmission or reception for the identified PDU based on determining that the second NDI has a second value different from the first value for the PDU.

[0056] Figure 5a to Figure 5b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0057] like Figure 5a As shown in , the UE obtains DL scheduling information 501 with DX-RNIT for a PDU set from the NW, and the DL scheduling information indicates that the scheduling information 501 is for the PDU set. The DL assignment timing 502 including 8 timings (timings 502-1 to 502-8) can be determined based on the DL scheduling information 501 according to any of the above methods for the UE.

[0058] In some embodiments, during this process, data reception may not be successful at some times. Figure 5aAs shown in , data reception via timing 502-2 and timing 502-4 (which is shown as a dotted line) is unsuccessful. Therefore, two HARQ processes are used for the PDU assumed to have been received by timing 502-2 and timing 502-4. In one example, the UE obtains the first additional scheduling information 503 including the HARQ identifier (HID=2) and the NDI (NDI=1) from the NW. The HARQ identifier (HID=2) identifies the PDU assumed to have been received in timing 502-2. The NDI (NDI=1) is different from the NDI (NDI=0) in the DL scheduling information 501 and indicates that the scheduled reception is another TB reception of the unsuccessful PDU. In addition, after performing data reception of the corresponding PDU via the DL assignment timing 504 scheduled by the first additional scheduling information, the UE obtains the second scheduling information 505 for scheduling data reception of the PDU assumed to have been received in timing 502-4. Similarly, the second scheduling information 505 indicates a HARQ identifier (HID=4) and an NDI (NDI=1) Subsequently, the UE performs data reception via the DL assignment opportunity 506 scheduled by the second additional scheduling information 505 .

[0059] In addition, similar HARQ utilization is performed in UL scheduling. Figure 5b As shown in FIG, the UE acquires UL scheduling information 511 with DX-RNTI and NDI=0 for a PDU set from the NW. UL assignment timing 512 including 8 timings (timings 512-1 to 512-8) can be determined based on the scheduling information by any of the above methods for the UE.

[0060] Similarly, during this process, data transmission may not be successful at some times. Figure 5b As shown in , data transmission via timings 512-2 and 512-4 is unsuccessful. Therefore, two HARQ processes are used for the PDU assumed to have been sent by timing 512-2 and timing 512-4. In one example, the first additional scheduling information 513 indicating the HARQ identifier (HID=2) and the NDI (NDI=1) is acquired by the UE for scheduling the UL grant timing 514 for sending the PDU assumed to have been sent by timing 512-2. The second additional scheduling information 514 indicating the HARQ identifier (HID=4) and the NDI (NDI=1) is acquired by the UE for scheduling the UL grant timing 516 for sending the PDU assumed to have been sent in timing 512-4.

[0061] In some embodiments, the NW may configure multiple RNTIs of preset types for multiple scheduling of the PDU set. For example, if the UE receives an RNTI of a preset type and an NDI for new data transmission or reception, the HARQ process associated with the previous scheduling of the PDU set is released. In some embodiments, the method 200 may also include: based on determining that the second NDI has the first value, abandoning the HARQ process for the PDU set.

[0062] As mentioned above, the UE may obtain scheduling information from the network side (eg, from a network device). In this case, the UE may further provide additional information to the NW to support scheduling based on PDU sets.

[0063] In some embodiments, the scheduling information is obtained from the network device, and the method for the UE further includes: sending size information of the PDU set to the network device. The scheduling information for determining multiple opportunities for the PDU set is determined based on the size information of the PDU set.

[0064] Figure 6a to Figure 6b A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary method for a UE according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0065] In some embodiments, the size information of the PDU set includes the number of PDUs in the PDU set.

[0066] like Figure 6a As shown in , the UE provides the NW with size information 601 indicating the number of PDUs in the PDU set (PDU number = 5). The PDU number may be the maximum number of PDUs allowed in the PDU set, the number of PDUs to be sent in a given PDU set, or other preset number of PDUs in the PDU set. Based on the size information 601 provided by the UE, the network device may determine the UL scheduling information. For example, Figure 6a As shown in FIG, 5 opportunities are scheduled in the UL scheduling information 602. After acquiring the UL scheduling information 602, the UE performs data transmission for each of the 5 PDUs in the PDU set via the corresponding opportunity determined by the UL scheduling information 601 (i.e., via opportunities 603-1 to 603-5 in the UL grant opportunity 603, respectively).

[0067] In some embodiments, the size information of the PDU set includes at least one of the following: the data amount of the PDU set, the preset data amount for data transmission or reception scheduled by scheduling information, or the preset data amount for a logical channel (LCH).

[0068] like Figure 6bAs shown in , the UE provides the NW with size information 611 indicating the total data amount of the PDU set (e.g., total size = 1000B). Alternatively, other size information such as a preset data amount for a PDU set, a preset data amount for one scheduling, or a preset data amount for a specific LCH may be included in the size information 611. Based on the size information 611 provided by the UE, the network device may determine the UL scheduling information 612. For example, Figure 6b As shown in , the transport block size (TBsize=1100B) is included in the UL scheduling information 612. The UE performs data transmission in the UL grant opportunity 613 determined by the UL scheduling information 612 until the transport block size is achieved. Multiple opportunities (eg, opportunities 613-1 to 613-N) may be included in the UL grant opportunity 613.

[0069] In some embodiments, the size information is sent via L1 signaling, L2 signaling, or L3 signaling. L1 signaling includes uplink control information (UCI) or scheduling request (SR). L2 signaling includes MAC CE. L3 signaling includes radio resource control (RRC) messages.

[0070] In some embodiments, a method for a network device to communicate with a user equipment (UE) includes: sending scheduling information for at least one protocol data unit (PDU) in a protocol data unit (PDU) set to the UE in a scheduling opportunity, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine a plurality of opportunities, each of the plurality of opportunities corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the PDU set. A bundle of UL grants or DL ​​assignments may be allocated in the scheduling information to determine the opportunity for data transmission or reception for the UE.

[0071] For the purpose of discussion, the following references Figure 1 For example, the network device and the UE may be Figure 1 Base station 150 and UE 101 in.

[0072] In some embodiments, the method for a network device further comprises: generating scheduling information for determining a plurality of opportunities for a PDU set based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the PDU set. The QoS requirement may include a start time of the PDU set and an end time of the PDU set, and the plurality of opportunities are between the start time of the PDU set and the end time of the PDU set.

[0073] In some embodiments, the scheduling information is sent via one of downlink control information (DCI), L2 signaling, or radio resource control (RRC) messages, and the scheduling information indicates the number of multiple opportunities and the intervals between the multiple opportunities. For example, the scheduling information may be Figure 3aDL scheduling information 301 indicating the number of opportunities (number=8) and interval (interval=2ms) for DL ​​assignment opportunities 302 as shown in , or Figure 3b The UL scheduling information 311 shown in FIG. 3 indicates the number of opportunities (number=8) and the interval (interval=2ms) for the UL grant opportunities 312.

[0074] In some embodiments, the scheduling information is sent via downlink control information (DCI), and the scheduling information indicates the duration of data transmission or reception for a PDU set and the intervals between multiple opportunities. For example, the scheduling information may be Figure 4a DL scheduling information 401 indicating a duration for data transmission (duration = 40 ms) and an interval for DL ​​assignment opportunities 402 (interval = 5 ms) as shown in , or Figure 3b The UL scheduling information 411 shown in FIG. 4 indicates a duration for data transmission (duration=40 ms) and an interval for UL grant opportunities 412 (interval=5 ms).

[0075] In some embodiments, the scheduling information indicates a Radio Network Temporary Identity (RNTI) of a preset type for the PDU set and a first New Data Indicator (NDI) having a first value for the PDUs in the PDU set.

[0076] For example, the network device may schedule data transmission or reception for a PDU set by indicating a preset type of RNTI (e.g., DX-RNTI or C-RNTI) in the scheduling information. In response to determining that the acquired scheduling information indicates a preset type of RNTI, the UE may identify data transmitted or received via a timing determined by the scheduling information as data in the PDU set.

[0077] In addition, similar to the SPS / CG scheme, NDI can be used to identify whether the received TB is a new transmission or a retransmission of data. The NDI that switches back and forth is indicated in the scheduling information to identify the transmission or reception of new data.

[0078] In some embodiments, the method for a network device further includes: sending additional scheduling information including a HARQ identifier and a second NDI having a second value different from the first value to the UE, wherein the HARQ identifier identifies a PDU in the PDU set for which data transmission or reception is unsuccessful. After acquiring the additional scheduling information from the network device, the UE may perform additional data transmission or reception for the identified PDU that was unsuccessful during the opportunity scheduled by the previous scheduling information.

[0079] In some embodiments, the method for a network device further includes: acquiring size information of a PDU set from a UE, wherein scheduling information for determining a plurality of occasions for the PDU set is determined based on the size information of the PDU set.

[0080] In some embodiments, the size information may be Figure 6a The size information 601 indicating the number of PDUs in the PDU set (number of PDUs = 5) is shown in FIG. Based on the size information 601 provided by the UE, the network device can determine the UL scheduling information, and the UE can perform data transmission for each PDU in the PDU set via the corresponding timing determined by the UL scheduling information.

[0081] In other embodiments, the size information may be Figure 6b , the size information 611 shown in the UE includes the total data amount of the PDU set (e.g., total size = 1000B). Alternatively, other size information such as a preset data amount for a PDU set, a preset data amount for one scheduling, or a preset data amount for a specific LCH may be included in the size information. Based on the size information provided by the UE, the network device may determine the UL scheduling information including the TB size, and the UE may perform data transmission in the UL grant opportunity determined by the UL scheduling information until the transport block size is achieved.

[0082] Figure 7 Example components of the device 700 according to some embodiments are illustrated. In some embodiments, the device 700 may include at least an application circuit 702, a baseband circuit 704, a radio frequency (RF) circuit (shown as RF circuit 720), a front-end module (FEM) circuit (shown as FEM circuit 730), one or more antennas 732, and a power management circuit (PMC) (shown as PMC 734) coupled together as shown in the figure. The components of the illustrated device 700 may be included in a UE or a RAN node. In some embodiments, the device 700 may include fewer elements (for example, the RAN node cannot utilize the application circuit 702, but includes a processor / controller to process IP data received from the EPC). In some embodiments, the device 700 may include additional elements, such as, for example, a memory / storage device, a display, a camera, a sensor, or an input / output (I / O) interface. In other embodiments, the components described below may be included in more than one device (for example, the circuit may be separately included in more than one device for a cloud-RAN (C-RAN) specific implementation).

[0083] The application circuit 702 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuit 702 may include circuits such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). These processors may be coupled to or may include memory / storage devices, and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage devices to enable various applications or operating systems to run on the device 700. In some embodiments, the processor of the application circuit 702 may process IP data packets received from the EPC.

[0084] The baseband circuit 704 may include circuits such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuit 704 may include one or more baseband processors or control logic components to process baseband signals received from the receive signal path of the RF circuit 720 and generate baseband signals for the transmit signal path of the RF circuit 720. The baseband circuit 704 may interact with the application circuit 702 to generate and process baseband signals and control the operation of the RF circuit 720. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit 704 may include a third generation (3G) baseband processor (3G baseband processor 706), a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor (4G baseband processor 708), a fifth generation (5G) baseband processor (5G baseband processor 710), or other baseband processors 712 of other existing generations, generations under development, or generations to be developed in the future (e.g., second generation (2G), sixth generation (6G), etc.). The baseband circuit 704 (e.g., one or more processors in the baseband processor) may handle various radio control functions that can communicate with one or more radio networks via the RF circuit 720. In other embodiments, some or all of the functions of the illustrated baseband processor may be included in a module stored in the memory 718 and executed via the central processing ETnit (CPET 714). Radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, the modulation / demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 704 may include fast Fourier transform (FFT), precoding, or constellation mapping / demapping functions. In some embodiments, the encoding / decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 704 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, or low-density parity check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functions. The implementation of the modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functions is not limited to these examples, and may include other suitable functions in other embodiments.

[0085] In some embodiments, the baseband circuit 704 may include a digital signal processor (DSP), such as one or more audio DSPs 716. The audio DSP 716 may include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments. In some embodiments, the components of the baseband circuit may be appropriately combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on the same circuit board. In some embodiments, some or all of the components of the baseband circuit 704 and the application circuit 702 may be implemented together, such as on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0086] In some embodiments, the baseband circuit 704 may provide communications compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit 704 may support communications with an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless personal area network (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuit 704 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuits.

[0087] RF circuit 720 can communicate with a wireless network through a non-solid medium using modulated electromagnetic radiation. In various embodiments, RF circuit 720 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate communication with a wireless network. RF circuit 720 may include a receive signal path, which may include circuits for down-converting RF signals received from FEM circuit 730 and providing baseband signals to baseband circuit 704. RF circuit 720 may also include a transmit signal path, which may include circuits for up-converting baseband signals provided by baseband circuit 704 and providing RF output signals for transmission to FEM circuit 730.

[0088] In some embodiments, the receive signal path of the RF circuit 720 may include a mixer circuit 722, an amplifier circuit 724, and a filter circuit 726. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of the RF circuit 720 may include a filter circuit 726 and a mixer circuit 722. The RF circuit 720 may also include a synthesizer circuit 728 for synthesizing frequencies used by the mixer circuit 722 of the receive signal path and / or the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 722 of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert the RF signal received from the FEM circuit 730 based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 728. The amplifier circuit 724 may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and the filter circuit 726 may be a low pass filter (LPF) or a band pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal. The output baseband signal may be provided to the baseband circuit 704 for further processing. In some embodiments, although this is not required, the output baseband signal may be a zero frequency baseband signal. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 722 of the receive signal path may include a passive mixer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0089] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 722 of the transmit signal path can be configured to up-convert an input baseband signal based on a synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 728 to generate an RF output signal for the FEM circuit 730. The baseband signal can be provided by the baseband circuit 704 and can be filtered by the filter circuit 726.

[0090] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 722 of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 722 of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature down-conversion and up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 722 of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 722 of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 722 of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 722 of the transmit signal path may be arranged for direct down-conversion and direct up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 722 of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 722 of the transmit signal path may be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0091] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the RF circuit 720 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit, and the baseband circuit 704 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuit 720.

[0092] In some dual-mode implementations, separate radio IC circuits may be provided to process signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the implementations is not limited in this respect.

[0093] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 728 may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional-N / N+1 synthesizer, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard, as other types of frequency synthesizers may also be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuit 728 may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0094] The synthesizer circuit 728 may be configured to synthesize an output frequency based on the frequency input and the divider control input for use by the mixer circuit 722 of the RF circuit 720. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 728 may be a fractional-N / N+1 synthesizer.

[0095] In some embodiments, the frequency input may be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although this is not required. The divider control input may be provided by baseband circuitry 704 or application circuitry 702 (such as an application processor) according to the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, the divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table based on the channel indicated by application circuitry 702.

[0096] The synthesizer circuit 728 of the RF circuit 720 may include a frequency divider, a delay locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer, and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the frequency divider may be a dual-mode frequency divider (DMD), and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a cascaded, tunable, delay element, a phase detector, a charge pump, and a set of D-type flip-flops. In these embodiments, the delay element may be configured to divide the VCO cycle into Nd equal phase groups, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0097] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 728 can be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency can be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and can be used with a quadrature generator and divider circuit to generate multiple signals with multiple different phases relative to each other at the carrier frequency. In some embodiments, the output frequency can be the LO frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuit 720 can include an IQ / polarity converter.

[0098] The FEM circuitry 730 may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 732, amplify the receive signals, and provide an amplified version of the receive signals to the RF circuitry 720 for further processing. The FEM circuitry 730 may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry configured to amplify transmit signals provided by the RF circuitry 720 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 732. In various embodiments, amplification by either the transmit signal path or the receive signal path may be accomplished only in the RF circuitry 720, only in the FEM circuitry 730, or in both the RF circuitry 720 and the FEM circuitry 730.

[0099] In some embodiments, the FEM circuit 730 may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuit 730 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuit 730 may include an LNA to amplify the received RF signal and provide the amplified received RF signal as an output (e.g., to the RF circuit 720). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuit 730 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify the input RF signal (e.g., provided by the RF circuit 720), and one or more filters to generate an RF signal for subsequent transmission (e.g., through one or more of the one or more antennas 732).

[0100] In some embodiments, PMC 734 can manage the power provided to baseband circuit 704. Specifically, PMC 734 can control power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion. When device 700 is capable of being powered by a battery, such as when device 700 is included in an EGE, PMC 734 can generally be included. PMC 734 can improve power conversion efficiency while providing the desired specific implementation size and heat dissipation characteristics.

[0101] Figure 7PMC 734 is shown coupled only to baseband circuitry 704. However, in other embodiments, PMC 734 may additionally or alternatively be coupled to other components (such as, but not limited to, application circuitry 702, RF circuitry 720, or FEM circuitry 730) and perform similar power management operations for these components.

[0102] In some embodiments, the PMC 734 may control or otherwise be part of various power saving mechanisms of the device 700. For example, if the device 700 is in an RRC connected state, and in this state the device is still connected to a RAN node because the device expects to receive communications soon, the device may enter a state called discontinuous reception mode (DRX) after a period of inactivity. During this state, the device 700 may be powered off for short time intervals, thereby saving power.

[0103] If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time, the device 700 may transition to an RRC idle state, in which the device is disconnected from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handovers, etc. The device 700 enters a very low power state and performs paging, in which the device periodically wakes up again to listen to the network and then powers down again. The device 700 cannot receive data in this state, and in order to receive data, the device must transition back to the RRC connected state.

[0104] An additional power saving mode can render the device unavailable for use of the network for periods exceeding the paging interval, ranging from a few seconds to several hours. During this period, the device is completely unable to connect to the network and can be completely powered down. Any data transmitted during this period will incur significant latency, assuming that latency is acceptable.

[0105] The processor of the application circuit 702 and the processor of the baseband circuit 704 can be used to execute elements of one or more instances of the protocol stack. For example, the processor of the baseband circuit 704 can be used alone or in combination to perform layer 3, layer 2, or layer 1 functions, while the processor of the application circuit 702 can utilize data received from these layers (e.g., packet data) and further perform layer 4 functions (e.g., transmit communication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers). As mentioned herein, layer 3 may include a radio resource control (RRC) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 2 may include a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 1 may include a physical (PHY) layer of a UE / RAN node, which will be described in further detail below.

[0106] Figure 8An example interface 800 of a baseband circuit according to some embodiments is illustrated. As discussed above, Figure 7 The baseband circuit 704 may include a 3G baseband processor 706, a 4G baseband processor 708, a 5G baseband processor 710, other baseband processors 712, a CPU 714, and a memory 718 utilized by the processors. As illustrated, each of the processors may include a corresponding memory interface 802 for sending / receiving data to / from the memory 718.

[0107] The baseband circuit 704 may also include one or more interfaces to communicatively couple to other circuits / devices, such as a memory interface 804 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving data to / from a memory external to the baseband circuit 704), an application circuit interface 806 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving data to / from a memory external to the baseband circuit 704), and an application circuit interface 807 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving data to / from a memory external to the baseband circuit 704). Figure 7 The application circuit 702 sends / receives data), the RF circuit interface 808 (for example, for sending / receiving data to / from Figure 7 an interface for sending / receiving data to / from a RF circuit 720), a wireless hardware connection interface 810 (e.g., for sending / receiving data to / from a near field communication (NFC) component, Components (e.g. Low power consumption), components and other communication components to send / receive data) and a power management interface 812 (for example, an interface for sending / receiving power or control signals to / from PMC 734).

[0108] Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a component 900 capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and capable of performing any one or more of the methods discussed herein, according to some example embodiments. Specifically, Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of hardware resources 902 is shown, which includes one or more processors 912 (or processor cores), one or more memory / storage devices 918, and one or more communication resources 920, each of which may be communicatively coupled via a bus 922. For embodiments in which node virtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 904 may be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 902.

[0109] Processor 912 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP) (such as a baseband processor), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, processor 914 and processor 916.

[0110] The memory / storage device 918 may include main memory, disk storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage device 918 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile or non-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state storage, etc.

[0111] The communication resources 920 may include an interconnect or network interface component or other suitable device to communicate with one or more peripheral devices 906 or one or more databases 908 via the network 910. For example, the communication resources 920 may include a wired communication component (e.g., for coupling via a universal serial bus (USB)), a cellular communication component, an NFC component, Components (e.g. Low power consumption), components and other communication components.

[0112] The instructions 924 may include software, programs, applications, applet, applications, or other executable code for causing at least any of the processors 912 to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. The instructions 924 may reside completely or partially in at least one of the processor 912 (e.g., in a cache memory of the processor), the memory / storage device 918, or any suitable combination thereof. In addition, any portion of the instructions 924 may be transmitted to the hardware resources 902 from any combination of the peripheral device 906 or the database 908. Therefore, the memory of the processor 912, the memory / storage device 918, the peripheral device 906, and the database 908 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0113] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes and / or methods described in the following examples section. For example, the baseband circuit described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below. For another example, the circuits associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc. described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples set forth in the examples section below.

[0114] Fig.10 The architecture of a system 1000 of a network according to some embodiments is illustrated. The following description is provided for an example system 1000 operating in conjunction with LTE system standards and 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP technical specifications. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited in this regard, and the embodiments may be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G)) systems, etc.

[0115] like Fig.10 As shown, system 1000 includes UE 1001a and UE 1001b (collectively referred to as "UE 1001"). UE 1001a and / or UE 1001b may correspond to the above-mentioned UEs.

[0116] In this example, UE 1001 is illustrated as a smart phone (e.g., a handheld touch screen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a consumer electronic device, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a feature phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computer device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a pager, a wireless handheld device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), an in-car entertainment (ICE) device, an instrument panel (IC), a head-up display (HUD) device, an on-board diagnostic (OBD) device, a dashtop mobile equipment (DME), a mobile data terminal (MDT), an electronic engine management system (EEMS), an electronic / engine electronic control unit (ECU), an electronic / engine electronic control module (ECM), an embedded system, a microcontroller, a control module, an engine management system (EMS), a networked or "smart" appliance, an MTC device, an M2M, an IoT device, etc.

[0117] In some embodiments, any of the UEs 1001 may include an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-term UE connections. The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as M2M or MTC to exchange data with an MTC server or device via PLMN, ProSe or D2D communications, sensor networks, or IoT networks. M2M or MTC data exchanges may be machine-initiated data exchanges. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure) with short-lived connections. The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity to the IoT network.

[0118] UE 1001 may be configured to connect, e.g., be communicatively coupled, to RAN 1010. In an embodiment, RAN 1010 may be an NG RAN or 5G RAN, E-UTRAN, or a legacy RAN, such as UTRAN or GERAN. As used herein, the term "NGRAN" or the like may refer to RAN 1010 operating in NR or 5G system 1000, while the term "E-UTRAN" or the like may refer to RAN 1010 operating in LTE or 4G system 1000. UE 1001 utilizes connections (or channels) 1003 and 1004, respectively, each connection comprising a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below).

[0119] In this example, connections 1003 and 1004 are illustrated as air interfaces to achieve communication coupling, and may be consistent with a cellular communication protocol, such as a GSM protocol, a CDMA network protocol, a PTT protocol, a POC protocol, a UMTS protocol, a 3GPP LTE protocol, a 5G protocol, a NR protocol, and / or any other communication protocol discussed herein. In an embodiment, the UE 1001 may directly exchange communication data via the ProSe interface 1005. The ProSe interface 1005 may alternatively be referred to as a SL interface 1005, and may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to PSCCH, PSSCH, PSDCH, and PSBCH.

[0120] UE 1001b is shown as being configured to access AP 1006 (also referred to as "WLAN node 1006," "WLAN 1006," "WLAN terminal 1006," or "WT 1006," etc.) via connection 1007. Connection 1007 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, wherein AP 1006 would include Wireless Fidelity. router. In this example, AP 1006 is shown as being connected to the Internet without being connected to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below). In various embodiments, UE 1001b, RAN 1010, and AP 1006 may be configured to utilize LWA operation and / or LWIP operation. LWA operation may involve UE 1001b in RRC CONNECTED being configured by RAN nodes 1011a-b to utilize radio resources of LTE and WLAN. LWIP operation may involve UE 1001b using WLAN radio resources (e.g., connection 1007) via an IPsec protocol tunnel to authenticate and encrypt packets (e.g., IP packets) sent through connection 1007. IPsec tunneling may include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header, thereby protecting the original header of the IP packet.

[0121] The RAN 1010 may include one or more AN nodes or RAN nodes 1011a and 1011b (collectively referred to as "multiple RAN nodes 1011" or "RAN node 1011") that enable connections 1003 and 1004. As used herein, the terms "access node", "access point", etc. may describe equipment that provides radio baseband functions for data and / or voice connections between a network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, Node B, RSU, TRxP or TRP, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms "NG RAN node" and the like may refer to a RAN node 1011 (e.g., a gNB) operating in an NR or 5G system 1000, while the terms "E-UTRAN node" and the like may refer to a RAN node 1011 (e.g., an eNB) operating in an LTE or 4G system 1000. According to various embodiments, the RAN node 1011 may be implemented as one or more of dedicated physical devices such as a macrocell base station and / or a low power (LP) base station for providing a femtocell, picocell or other similar cell with a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity or higher bandwidth than a macrocell.

[0122] In some embodiments, all or part of the RAN node 1011 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network that may be referred to as a CRAN and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In these embodiments, the CRAN or vBBUP may implement RAN functional splits, such as PDCP splits, where the RRC and PDCP layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and other L2 protocol entities are operated by individual RAN nodes 1011; MAC / PHY splits, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, and MAC layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and the PHY layer is operated by individual RAN nodes 1011; or "lower PHY" splits, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC layers, and upper portions of the PHY layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and the lower portions of the PHY layers are operated by individual RAN nodes 1011. The virtualization framework allows idle processor cores of the RAN node 1011 to execute other virtualized applications. In some specific implementations, a separate RAN node 1011 may be represented via a separate FI interface ( Fig.10 In some implementations, the gNB-DU may include one or more remote radio heads or RFEMs, and the gNB-CU may be operated by a server (not shown) located in the RAN 1010 or by a server pool in a manner similar to the CRAN / vBBUP. In addition or alternatively, one or more of the RAN nodes 1011 may be a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), which is a RAN node that provides E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminals to the UE 1001 and is connected to the 5G core (5GC) via an NG interface.

[0123] In the V2X scenario, one or more of the RAN nodes 1011 may be an RSU or act as an RSU. The term "roadside unit" or "RSU" may refer to any traffic infrastructure entity used for V2X communication. The RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable RAN node or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE, wherein an RSU implemented in or by a UE may be referred to as a "UE-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by an eNB may be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by a gNB may be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU", and so on. In one example, the RSU is a computing device coupled to a radio frequency circuit located on the road side that provides connectivity support to a passing vehicle UE 1001 (vUE1001). The RSU may also include internal data storage circuitry for storing intersection map geometry, traffic statistics, media, and applications / software for sensing and controlling ongoing vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The RSU may operate on the 5.9 GHz Direct Short Range Communication (DSRC) band to provide extremely low latency communications required for high-speed events, such as collision avoidance, traffic warnings, etc. In addition or alternatively, the RSU may operate on the cellular V2X band to provide the aforementioned low latency communications as well as other cellular communication services. In addition or alternatively, the RSU may operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot (2.4 GHz band) and / or provide connectivity to one or more cellular networks to provide uplink and downlink communications. Some or all of the computing device and the RSU's RF circuitry may be packaged in a weather-resistant enclosure suitable for outdoor installation, and may include a network interface controller to provide a wired connection (e.g., Ethernet) to a traffic signal controller and / or backhaul network.

[0124] Any of the RAN nodes 1011 may terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for the UE 1001. In some embodiments, any of the RAN nodes 1011 may perform various logical functions of the RAN 1010, including but not limited to the functions of a radio network controller (RNC), such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0125] In an embodiment, UE 1001 may be configured to communicate with each other or with any of RAN nodes 1011 over a multi-carrier communication channel using OFDM communication signals according to various communication techniques, such as, but not limited to, OFDMA communication techniques (e.g., for downlink communications) or SC-FDMA communication techniques (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communications), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. OFDM signals may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0126] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid may be used for downlink transmissions from any of the RAN nodes 1011 to the UE 1001, while uplink transmissions may utilize similar techniques. The grid may be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or a time-frequency resource grid, which is a physical resource in the downlink in each time slot. Such a time-frequency plane representation is common practice for OFDM systems, which makes radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and each row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid includes a plurality of resource blocks, which describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block includes a set of resource elements; in the frequency domain, this may represent the minimum amount of resources currently available for allocation. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0127] According to various embodiments, the UE 1001 and the RAN node 1011 communicate data (e.g., send data and receive data) through a licensed medium (also referred to as a "licensed spectrum" and / or a "licensed frequency band") and an unlicensed shared medium (also referred to as an "unlicensed spectrum" and / or an "unlicensed frequency band"). The licensed spectrum may include channels operating in a frequency range of about 400 MHz to about 3.8 GHz, and the unlicensed spectrum may include a 5 GHz frequency band.

[0128] To operate in the unlicensed spectrum, the UE 1001 and the RAN node 1011 may operate using LAA, eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these implementations, the UE 1001 and the RAN node 1011 may perform one or more known medium sensing operations and / or carrier sensing operations to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmitting in the unlicensed spectrum. The medium / carrier sensing operations may be performed according to a listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol.

[0129] LBT is a mechanism by which equipment (e.g., UE 1001, RAN node 1011, etc.) senses the medium (e.g., a channel or carrier frequency) and transmits when the medium is sensed to be idle (or when a particular channel in the medium is sensed to be unoccupied). The medium sensing operation may include a CCA that utilizes at least an ED to determine whether other signals are present on the channel in order to determine whether the channel is occupied or idle. The LBT mechanism allows cellular / LAA networks to coexist with existing systems in unlicensed spectrum and with other LAA networks. ED may include sensing RF energy on an intended transmission band over a period of time, and comparing the sensed RF energy to a predefined or configured threshold.

[0130] Typically, existing systems in the 5 GHz band are WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 technology. WLANs use a contention-based channel access mechanism called CSMA / CA. Here, when a WLAN node (e.g., a mobile station (MS) such as UE 1001, AP 1006, etc.) intends to send, the WLAN node may first perform CCA before sending. In addition, in the case where more than one WLAN node senses the channel as idle and sends at the same time, a backoff mechanism is used to avoid conflicts. The backoff mechanism may be a counter randomly introduced within the CWS that increases exponentially when a conflict occurs and is reset to a minimum value when the transmission is successful. The LBT mechanism designed for LAA is somewhat similar to the CSMA / CA of WLAN. In some specific implementations, the LBT process for a DL or UL transmission burst (including PDSCH or PUSCH transmission) may have a LAA contention window of variable length between X and Y ECCA slots, where X and Y are the minimum and maximum values ​​of the CWS of LAA. In one example, the minimum CWS for LAA transmissions may be 9 microseconds (μs); however, the size of the CWS and MCOT (eg, transmission burst) may be based on government regulatory requirements.

[0131] The LAA mechanism is built on the CA technology of the LTE-Advanced system. In CA, each aggregated carrier is called a CC. A CC may have a bandwidth of 1.4MHz, 3MHz, 5MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz, or 20MHz, and up to five CCs may be aggregated, so the maximum aggregated bandwidth is 100MHz. In an FDD system, the number of aggregated carriers may be different for DL ​​and UL, where the number of UL CCs is equal to or lower than the number of DL component carriers. In some cases, each CC may have a different bandwidth from other CCs. In a TDD system, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC are typically the same for DL ​​and UL.

[0132] CA also includes individual serving cells to provide individual CCs. The coverage of the serving cells may be different, for example, because CCs on different frequency bands will experience different path losses. The primary serving cell or PCell may provide the PCC for both UL and DL, and may handle activities related to RRC and NAS. Other serving cells are called SCells, and each SCell may provide individual SCCs for both UL and DL. SCCs may be added and removed as needed, and changing PCCs may require UE 1001 to undergo switching. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCells may operate in an unlicensed spectrum (referred to as "LAA SCells"), and the LAA SCells are assisted by the PCells operating in the licensed spectrum. When a UE is configured with more than one LAA SCell, the UE may receive UL grants on the configured LAA SCells, indicating different PUSCH start positions within the same subframe.

[0133] The PDSCH carries user data and higher layer signaling to the UE 1001. The PDCCH carries, among other information, information about the transport format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. It may also inform the UE 1001 about the transport format, resource allocation, and HARQ information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (assignment of control and shared channel resource blocks to UE 1001b within a cell) may be performed at any one of the RAN nodes 1011 based on channel quality information fed back from any one of the UEs 1001. Downlink resource allocation information may be sent on the PDCCH for (e.g., assigned to) each of the UEs 1001.

[0134] PDCCH uses control channel elements (CCE) to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex-valued symbols can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. Each PDCCH can be sent using one or more of these CCEs, where each CCE can correspond to six resource element groups (REGs). Each REG includes a resource block in an OFDM symbol. Depending on the size of the downlink control information (DCI) and channel conditions, one or more CCEs can be used to send PDCCH. Different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L=1, 2, 4, 8, or 16) can be used for the transmission of PDCCH.

[0135] Some embodiments may use the concept of resource allocation for control channel information, which is an extension of the above concept. For example, some embodiments may utilize EPDCCH that uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. One or more ECCEs may be used to transmit EPDCCH. Similar to the above, each ECCE may correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements, referred to as EREG. In some cases, ECCE may have other numbers of EREGs.

[0136] The RAN nodes 1011 may be configured to communicate with each other via an interface 1012. In an embodiment where the system 1000 is an LTE system (e.g., when the CN 1020 is an EPC), the interface 1012 may be an X2 interface 1012. The X2 interface may be defined between two or more RAN nodes 1011 (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) connected to the EPC 1020, and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC 1020. In some implementations, the X2 interface may include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). The X2-U may provide a flow control mechanism for user packets sent over the X2 interface, and may be used to transmit information about the delivery of user data between eNBs. For example, X2-U may provide specific sequence number information about user data sent from MeNB to SeNB; information about successful in-sequence delivery of PDCP PDUs from SeNB to UE 1001 for user data; information about PDCP PDUs not delivered to UE 1001; information about the current minimum expected buffer size at SeNB for sending user data to UE; and so on. X2-C may provide intra-LTE access mobility functions, including context transfer from source eNB to target eNB, user plane transmission control, etc.; load management functions; and inter-cell interference coordination functions. In an embodiment where system 1000 is a 5G or NR system (e.g., when CN 1020 is a 5GC), interface 1012 may be an Xn interface 1012. The Xn interface is defined between two or more RAN nodes 1011 (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) connected to 5GC 1020, between a RAN node 1011 (e.g., gNB) connected to 5GC 1020 and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to 5GC 1020. In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. The Xn-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and support / provide data forwarding and flow control functions. The Xn-C may provide management and error handling functions for managing the functions of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for UE 1001 in connected mode (e.g., CM connection) includes functions for managing UE mobility in connected mode between one or more RAN nodes 1011. Mobility support may include context transfer from the old (source) serving RAN node 1011 to the new (target) serving RAN node 1011, and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving RAN node 1011 and the new (target) serving RAN node 1011. The protocol stack of the Xn-U may include a transport network layer built on an Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer, and a GTP-U layer on top of a UDP and / or IP layer for carrying user plane PDUs.The Xn-C protocol stack may include an application layer signaling protocol (referred to as the Xn Application Protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer built on SCTP. SCTP may be on top of the IP layer and may provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. In the transport IP layer, signaling PDUs are delivered using point-to-point transmission. In other specific implementations, the Xn-U protocol stack and / or the Xn-C protocol stack may be the same or similar to the user plane and / or control plane protocol stacks shown and described herein.

[0137] RAN 1010 is shown as being communicatively coupled to a core network—in this embodiment, a core network (CN) 1020. CN 1020 may include a plurality of network elements 1022 configured to provide various data and telecommunication services to customers / users (e.g., users of UE 1001) connected to CN 1020 via RAN 1010. The components of CN 1020 may be implemented in one physical node or separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium). In some embodiments, NFV may be used to virtualize any or all of the above-mentioned network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instance of CN 1020 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instance of a portion of CN 1020 may be referred to as a network sub-slice. NFV architecture and infrastructure may be used to virtualize one or more network functions onto physical resources comprising a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches (alternatively performed by proprietary hardware). In other words, the NFV system may be used to perform a virtual or reconfigurable implementation of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0138] Generally speaking, the application server 1030 may be an element that provides applications that use IP bearer resources with the core network (e.g., UMTS PS domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). The application server 1030 may also be configured to support one or more communication services for the UE 1001 via the EPC 1020 (e.g., VoIP session, PTT session, group communication session, social network service, etc.).

[0139] In an embodiment, CN 1020 may be a 5GC (referred to as "5GC 1020" or the like), and RAN 1010 may be connected to CN 1020 via an NG interface 1013. In an embodiment, NG interface 1013 may be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface 1014, which carries traffic data between RAN node 1011 and UPF; and an S1 control plane (NG-C) interface 1015, which is a signaling interface between RAN node 1011 and AMF.

[0140] In an embodiment, CN 1020 may be a 5G CN (referred to as "5GC 1020", etc.), while in other embodiments, CN 1020 may be an EPC. In the case where CN 1020 is an EPC (referred to as "EPC 1020", etc.), RAN 1010 may be connected to CN 1020 via an S1 interface 1013. In an embodiment, the S1 interface 1013 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (SI-U) interface 1014, which carries traffic data between the RAN node 1011 and the S-GW; and an S1-MME interface 1015, which is a signaling interface between the RAN node 1011 and the MME.

[0141] Additional Embodiments

[0142] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes and / or methods described in the following examples section. For example, the baseband circuit described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the embodiments described below. For another example, the circuits associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc. described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the embodiments described below in the examples section.

[0143] The following examples relate to additional embodiments.

[0144] Embodiment 1 is a method for a user equipment (UE), comprising: obtaining scheduling information for at least one PDU in a protocol data unit (PDU) set in a scheduling opportunity, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine multiple opportunities, each of the multiple opportunities corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the PDU set; and performing data transmission or reception for each PDU in the PDU set via a corresponding opportunity in the multiple opportunities determined by the scheduling information.

[0145] Embodiment 2 is a method according to embodiment 1, wherein the plurality of opportunities are determined by the scheduling information based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the PDU set.

[0146] Embodiment 3 is a method according to embodiment 2, wherein the QoS requirement includes a start time of the PDU set and an end time of the PDU set, and the multiple opportunities are between the start time of the PDU set and the end time of the PDU set.

[0147] Embodiment 4 is a method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the scheduling information is obtained via one of downlink control information (DCI), L2 signaling or radio resource control (RRC) messages, and the scheduling information indicates the number of the multiple opportunities and the intervals between the multiple opportunities, and wherein performing the data sending or receiving includes: performing the data sending or receiving via the multiple opportunities with the number of intervals, wherein each PDU is sent or received via a corresponding opportunity among the multiple opportunities.

[0148] Embodiment 5 is a method according to embodiment 1, wherein the scheduling information is obtained via downlink control information (DCI), and the scheduling information indicates the duration of the data transmission or reception for the PDU set and the interval between the multiple opportunities, and wherein performing the data transmission or reception includes: performing the data transmission or reception via the multiple opportunities having the interval in the duration, wherein each PDU is sent or received via a corresponding opportunity among the multiple opportunities.

[0149] Embodiment 6 is a method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the scheduling information indicates a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) of a preset type for the PDU set and a first new data indicator (NDI), and wherein performing the data sending or receiving includes: performing the data sending or receiving for the PDU based on determining that the preset type of RNTI is included in the acquired scheduling information and the first NDI has a first value for the PDU in the PDU set.

[0150] Embodiment 7 is a method according to embodiment 6, further comprising: performing a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process to determine the PDU in the PDU set where the data transmission or reception is unsuccessful; obtaining additional scheduling information including a HARQ identifier and a second NDI, wherein the HARQ identifier identifies the PDU where the data transmission or reception is unsuccessful; and performing additional data transmission or reception for the identified PDU based on determining that the second NDI has a second value different from the first value for the PDU.

[0151] Embodiment 8 is a method according to embodiment 7, further comprising: abandoning the HARQ process for the PDU set based on determining that the second NDI has the first value.

[0152] Embodiment 9 is a method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the scheduling information is obtained from a network device, and the method further includes: sending size information of the PDU set to the network device, wherein the scheduling information for determining the multiple opportunities for the PDU set is determined based on the size information of the PDU set.

[0153] Embodiment 10 is a method according to embodiment 9, wherein the size information of the PDU set includes the number of PDUs in the PDU set.

[0154] Embodiment 11 is a method according to embodiment 9, wherein the size information of the PDU set includes at least one of the following items: the data amount of the PDU set, the preset data amount for data sending or receiving scheduled by the scheduling information, or the preset data amount for a logical channel (LCH).

[0155] Embodiment 12 is a method according to embodiment 9 or 10, wherein the size information is sent via L1 signaling, L2 signaling or L3 signaling, wherein the L1 signaling includes uplink control information (UCI) or scheduling request (SR), the L2 signaling includes MAC CE, and the L3 signaling includes a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0156] Embodiment 13 is a method for a network device to communicate with a user equipment (UE), comprising: sending scheduling information for at least one protocol data unit (PDU) in a protocol data unit (PDU) set to the UE at a scheduling opportunity, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine a plurality of opportunities, each of the plurality of opportunities corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the PDU set.

[0157] Embodiment 14 is a method according to embodiment 13, further comprising: generating the scheduling information for determining the multiple occasions for the PDU set based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the PDU set.

[0158] Embodiment 15 is a method according to embodiment 13, wherein the scheduling information is obtained via one of downlink control information (DCI), L2 signaling, or radio resource control (RRC) messages, and the scheduling information indicates the number of the multiple opportunities and the intervals between the multiple opportunities.

[0159] Embodiment 16 is a method according to embodiment 13, wherein the scheduling information is obtained via downlink control information (DCI), and the scheduling information indicates a duration for data transmission or reception of the PDU set and an interval between the multiple occasions.

[0160] Embodiment 17 is a method according to any one of embodiments 13 to 16, wherein the scheduling information indicates a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) of a preset type for the PDU set and a first new data indicator (NDI) having a first value for the PDU in the PDU set.

[0161] Embodiment 18 is a method according to embodiment 17, further comprising: sending additional scheduling information to the UE including a HARQ identifier and a second NDI having a second value different from the first value, wherein the HARQ identifier identifies the PDU in the PDU set where the data transmission or reception is unsuccessful.

[0162] Embodiment 19 is a method according to any one of embodiments 13 to 18, further comprising: obtaining size information of the PDU set from the UE, wherein the scheduling information for determining the multiple opportunities for the PDU set is determined based on the size information of the PDU set.

[0163] Embodiment 20 is an apparatus for a communication device, comprising components for executing the steps of the method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 19.

[0164] Embodiment 21 is an apparatus for a user equipment (UE), comprising one or more processors configured to execute the method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 12.

[0165] Embodiment 22 is an apparatus for a network device, comprising one or more processors configured to execute the method according to any one of embodiments 13 to 19.

[0166] Embodiment 23 is a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a device having one or more processors, causes the device to perform a method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19.

[0167] Embodiment 24 is a computer program product comprising a computer program, which, when executed by a device having one or more processors, causes the device to perform the method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19.

[0168] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings or may be obtained from the practice of various embodiments.

[0169] It should be appreciated that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific embodiments. These embodiments may be combined into a single system, partially combined into other systems, separated into multiple systems, or otherwise divided or combined. In addition, it is contemplated that parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. of one embodiment may be used in another embodiment. For clarity, these parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. are described only in one or more embodiments, and it should be appreciated that unless otherwise stated herein, these parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. may be combined with or substituted for parameters / attributes, etc. of another embodiment.

[0170] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0171] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for the sake of clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways to implement both the processes and the apparatus described herein. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the specification is not limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE), comprising: Obtaining scheduling information for at least one protocol data unit (PDU) in a set of PDUs in a scheduling opportunity, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine a plurality of opportunities, each of the plurality of opportunities corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the set of PDUs; as well as Data transmission or reception is performed for each PDU in the PDU set via a corresponding timing among the plurality of timings determined by the scheduling information. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of opportunities are determined by the scheduling information based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the PDU set.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the QoS requirement includes a start time of the PDU set and an end time of the PDU set, and the plurality of opportunities are between the start time of the PDU set and the end time of the PDU set.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the scheduling information is acquired via one of downlink control information (DCI), L2 signaling, or radio resource control (RRC) messages, and the scheduling information indicates the number of the plurality of opportunities and the intervals between the plurality of opportunities, and The execution of sending or receiving the data includes: The data transmission or reception is performed via the plurality of opportunities having the number of intervals, wherein each PDU is transmitted or received via a corresponding opportunity among the plurality of opportunities.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling information is acquired via downlink control information (DCI), and the scheduling information indicates a duration of the data transmission or reception for the PDU set and an interval between the plurality of opportunities, and wherein performing the data transmission or reception comprises: The data transmission or reception is performed via the plurality of occasions having the intervals in the duration, wherein each PDU is transmitted or received via a corresponding occasion in the plurality of occasions.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the scheduling information indicates a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) of a preset type for the PDU set and a first new data indicator (NDI), and The execution of sending or receiving the data includes: According to determining that the preset type of RNTI is indicated in the acquired scheduling information and the first NDI has a first value for the PDU in the PDU set, the data transmission or reception for the PDU is performed.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: Performing a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process to determine the PDU in the PDU set for which the data transmission or reception is unsuccessful; Acquire additional scheduling information including a HARQ identifier and a second NDI, wherein the HARQ identifier identifies the PDU for which data transmission or reception is unsuccessful; as well as Based on determining that the second NDI has a second value different from the first value for the PDU, additional data transmission or reception is performed for the identified PDU.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Based on determining that the second NDI has the first value, abandoning the HARQ process for the PDU set.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the scheduling information is obtained from a network device, and the method further comprises: Sending size information of the PDU set to the network device, The scheduling information for determining the plurality of opportunities for the PDU set is determined based on the size information of the PDU set.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the size information of the PDU set comprises the number of PDUs in the PDU set.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the size information of the PDU set includes at least one of the following: the data amount of the PDU set, the preset data amount for data sending or receiving scheduled by the scheduling information, or the preset data amount for a logical channel (LCH).

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the size information is sent via L1 signaling, L2 signaling or L3 signaling, The L1 signaling includes uplink control information (UCI) or scheduling request (SR), the L2 signaling includes MACCE, and the L3 signaling includes radio resource control (RRC) message.

13. A method for a network device for communicating with a user equipment (UE), comprising: Scheduling information for at least one protocol data unit (PDU) in a set of PDUs is sent to the UE in a scheduled occasion, wherein the scheduling information is used to determine a plurality of occasions, each of the plurality of occasions corresponding to data transmission or reception of one or more PDUs in the set of PDUs.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: The scheduling information for determining the plurality of opportunities for the PDU set is generated based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the PDU set.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the scheduling information is transmitted via one of downlink control information (DCI), L2 signaling, or a radio resource control (RRC) message, and the scheduling information indicates the number of the plurality of occasions and intervals between the plurality of occasions. 16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the scheduling information is transmitted via downlink control information (DCI), and the scheduling information indicates a duration for data transmission or reception of the PDU set and intervals between the plurality of occasions.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the scheduling information indicates a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) of a preset type for the PDU set and a first new data indicator (NDI) having a first value for the PDU in the PDU set.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: Additional scheduling information including a HARQ identifier and a second NDI having a second value different from the first value is sent to the UE, wherein the HARQ identifier identifies the PDU in the PDU set for which the data transmission or reception is unsuccessful.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, further comprising: Acquire size information of the PDU set from the UE, The scheduling information for determining the plurality of opportunities for the PDU set is determined based on the size information of the PDU set.

20. An apparatus for a communication device, comprising means for performing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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