Method for power efficient delivery of small amounts of data in radio resource control connection reduction mode

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A user equipment (UE) may send a UE message to a base station during a connection setup procedure indicating support for a plurality of connection modes, wherein the plurality of connection modes include a first connection mode. The UE may receive a configuration message from the base station based at least in part on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use when the UE operates in the first connected mode. The UE may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communications with the base station when operating in the first connected mode.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with application number 202080073059.7.

[0002] Cross-references

[0003] This patent application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 17 / 077,957, entitled “METHODS FOR POWER-EFFICIENT TRANSFER OF SMALL DATA IN RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL CONNECTED LITE MODE,” filed by He et al. on October 22, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 925,984, entitled “METHODS FOR POWER-EFFICIENT TRANSFER OF SMALL DATA IN RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL CONNECTED LITE MODE,” filed by He et al. on October 25, 2019, which is assigned to the assignee of this application. Technical Field

[0004]

[0013] In general, the following relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in a radio resource control (RRC) connection lite mode. Background Art

[0005] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems (e.g., long term evolution (LTE) systems, improved LTE (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems) and fifth generation (5G) systems that may be referred to as new wireless (NR) systems. These systems may employ techniques such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple access communication system may include multiple base stations or network access nodes, each of which simultaneously supports communication for multiple communication devices (which may be referred to as user equipment (UE)). Summary of the invention

[0006] The described technology relates to methods for supporting power efficient transmission of small amounts of data in a radio resource control (RRC) connection lite mode, systems, devices and apparatus supporting these methods. In general, the described technology introduces a new RRC operation mode that reduces the power consumption and cost of a user equipment (UE) while saving a large amount of resources of a wireless network. The new RRC operation mode may be referred to as an RRC connection lite mode, which configures resources for unlicensed communication when operating in an RRC connection lite mode, but without many complex and resource-intensive configurations associated with the RRC connection mode. In at least some aspects, the RRC connection lite mode may be based on UE capabilities, UE communication requirements, and the like. For example, a UE may, for example, signal its support for various RRC modes in a UE message (e.g., a capability message) during an RRC connection establishment process between the UE and a base station. This may include support for an RRC connection lite mode (e.g., a first connection mode) for unlicensed resource scheduling or an indication of a preference for the RRC connection lite mode in some cases. Broadly speaking, the RRC connection lite mode omits one, some, and in some examples most of the features of the UE configured to operate in the RRC connection mode. For example, when the UE operates in the RRC connection lite mode, the RRC connection lite mode may omit (e.g., not configure) control channels, confirmation feedback reports, mobility management functions, channel performance measurements and reports, etc. of the UE and the base station. This approach dramatically reduces the complexity / cost of the UE (e.g., simplifies the communication circuit, or reduces the cost of components), minimizes the resources configured for the UE, and improves the communication between the UE and the base station as a whole. Based on the UE message, the base station may configure resources to the UE for use by the UE when operating in the RRC connection lite mode (e.g., the first connection mode). Accordingly, the UE and the base station may perform unlicensed communication (e.g., uplink or downlink or both) when the UE operates in the RRC connection lite mode.

[0007] A method of wireless communication at a UE is described. The method may include: sending a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes to a base station during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; receiving a configuration message from the base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and performing unlicensed communication with the base station while operating in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0008] An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor (e.g., operatively coupled, communicatively coupled, functionally coupled, electronically coupled, or electrically coupled), and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: send a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes to a base station during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; receive a configuration message from the base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and perform unlicensed communication with the base station while operating in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0009] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include means for sending a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes to a base station during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; receiving a configuration message from the base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and performing unlicensed communication with the base station while operating in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0010] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a UE is described. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: send a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes to a base station during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; receive a configuration message from the base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and perform unlicensed communication with the base station while operating in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0011] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the first connection mode can be associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and be absent from at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or configured control channels, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof.

[0012] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, means, or instructions for configuring the UE message to identify the first connection mode as a preferred connection mode for the UE.

[0013] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, means, or instructions for prohibiting, based on the UE operating in the first connected mode, performing reference signal transmission in conjunction with performing the unlicensed communication with the base station.

[0014] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, units, or instructions for determining at a first protocol layer of the UE that the unlicensed communication has failed in a second protocol layer of the UE, and performing retransmission of the unlicensed communication with the base station at the first protocol layer of the UE.

[0015] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, units, or instructions for determining that the mobility of the UE may be below a threshold, or that the UE may have a data volume below a threshold, or at least one of a combination thereof, and prohibiting the performance of mobility management based on the determination when operating in the first connection mode.

[0016] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, units, or instructions for transitioning from the first connection mode to the second connection mode based on expiration of an RRC connection release, expiration of a data inactivity timer, or receipt of a signal instructing the UE to transition from the first connection mode to the second connection mode, or a combination thereof.

[0017] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the UE message may be sent as part of a random access channel (RACH) message A (msgA), or a RACH message 3 (msg3), or a UE assistance information message, or a combination thereof.

[0018] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the unlicensed communication includes uplink communication, downlink communication, or a combination thereof.

[0019] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the first connection mode includes an RRC inactive mode, and the set of connection modes includes an RRC connected mode, an RRC connection reduced mode, the RRC inactive mode, and an RRC idle mode.

[0020] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the configured control channel includes at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a combination thereof.

[0021] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the configured resources include at least one of semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources for unlicensed downlink communications, or configured grants (CG) for unlicensed uplink communications, or a combination thereof.

[0022] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the UE message includes an RRC resume message of RACH msg2.

[0023] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, units, or instructions for sending information for scheduling subsequent data transmission to the base station, the information comprising one or more of a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility status, or a combination thereof, wherein the information for scheduling subsequent data transmission may be sent in one of RACH msg3 or RACH message 5 (msg5).

[0024] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, one or more parameters associated with the configured resources may be received in a release configuration message.

[0025] A method of wireless communication at a base station is described. The method may include: receiving a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from a UE during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; sending a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and performing unlicensed communication with the UE when the UE operates in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0026] An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor (e.g., operatively coupled, communicatively coupled, functionally coupled, electronically coupled, or electrically coupled), and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: receiving a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from a UE during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; sending a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and performing unlicensed communication with the UE when the UE operates in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0027] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a base station is described. The apparatus may include means for receiving a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from a UE during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; sending a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and performing unlicensed communication with the UE when the UE operates in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0028] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a base station is described. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: receive a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from a UE during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; send a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and perform unlicensed communication with the UE when the UE operates in the first connection mode and using the configured resources.

[0029] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the first connection mode can be associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and be absent from at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or configured control channels, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof.

[0030] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, means, or instructions for determining that the UE message identifies the first connection mode as a preferred connection mode for the UE.

[0031] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, means, or instructions for performing the unlicensed communication with the UE based on the UE operating in the first connected mode without a reference channel transmission by the UE.

[0032] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, units, or instructions for determining that the mobility of the UE may be below a threshold, or that the UE may have a data volume below a threshold, or at least one of a combination thereof, and prohibiting, based on the determination, from performing mobility management for the UE when the UE may be operating in the first connection mode.

[0033] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, units, or instructions for transitioning the UE from the first connection mode to the second connection mode based on expiration of an RRC connection release, expiration of a data inactivity timer, or receipt of a signal instructing the UE to transition from the first connection mode to the second connection mode, or a combination thereof.

[0034] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the UE message is sent as part of a RACH message A (msgA), or a RACH message 3 (msg3), or a UE assistance information message, or a combination thereof.

[0035] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the unlicensed communication includes uplink communication, downlink communication, or a combination thereof.

[0036] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the first connection mode includes an RRC inactive mode, and the set of connection modes includes an RRC connected mode, an RRC connection reduced mode, the RRC inactive mode, and an RRC idle mode.

[0037] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the configured control channel includes at least one of a PDCCH, or a PUCCH, or a combination thereof.

[0038] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the configured resources include at least one of semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources for unlicensed downlink communications, or configured grants (CG) for unlicensed uplink communications, or a combination thereof.

[0039] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the UE message includes an RRC resume message of RACH msg2.

[0040] Some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, units, or instructions for receiving information for scheduling subsequent data transmission from the UE, the information comprising one or more of a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility status, or a combination thereof, wherein the information for scheduling subsequent data transmission may be sent in one of RACH msg3 or RACH message 5 (msg5).

[0041] In some examples of the methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, one or more parameters associated with the configured resources may be received in a release configuration message. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system supporting methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in a radio resource control (RRC) connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0043] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication system supporting methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0044] Figure 3 An example of a process supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0045] Figure 4 An example of a process supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0046] Figure 5 and Figure 6 A block diagram of a device supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in an RRC connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0047] Figure 7 A block diagram of a communication manager supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0048] Figure 8A diagram of a system including devices supporting a method for power-efficiently transferring small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A block diagram of a device supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in an RRC connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0050] Fig.11 A block diagram of a communication manager supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0051] Fig.12 A diagram of a system including devices supporting a method for power-efficiently transferring small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0052] Figure 13 to Figure 17 A flow chart illustrating support for a method for power-efficiently transferring small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] A user equipment (UE) operating in a wireless communication system may operate in a radio resource control (RRC) connected mode, an RRC inactive mode, and an RRC idle mode. The RRC connected mode may be associated with a full set of control channels, channel performance measurements and reports, confirmation feedback message transmissions, etc. configured for the UE (which may consume a large amount of resources and increase the complexity / cost of the UE). In the RRC idle mode, the UE turns off various components to save power, while the base station releases most of the resources configured for the UE. In the RRC inactive mode, the network and the UE may maintain a certain degree of context (e.g., access layer context), which may be used to more quickly transition the UE to the RRC connected mode if there is data to be communicated. Although these RRC modes support many operations, they are limited because these RRC modes do not provide the flexibility required for certain types of UEs, certain types of wireless communication requirements, etc.

[0054] Aspects of the present disclosure are initially described in the context of a wireless communication system. The described technology relates to improved methods for power-efficiently transmitting small amounts of data in an RRC connection lite mode, systems, devices, and apparatuses supporting these methods. In general, the described technology introduces a new RRC operating mode that reduces both power consumption and cost of a UE. The new RRC operating mode may be referred to as an RRC connection lite mode, which configures resources that will be used for unlicensed communication when the UE operates in the RRC connection lite mode, but without many complex and resource-intensive configurations associated with the RRC connection mode. In at least some aspects, the RRC connection lite mode may be based on UE capabilities, UE communication requirements, and the like. For example, a UE may signal its support for various RRC modes in a UE message (e.g., a UE capability message), for example, during an RRC connection establishment process between the UE and a base station. This may include an indication of support for an RRC connection lite mode (e.g., a first connection mode) for unlicensed resource scheduling. Broadly speaking, the RRC connection lite mode omits some or sometimes many of the features of a UE configured to operate in an RRC connection mode. For example, when the UE operates in RRC connection lite mode, the RRC connection lite mode may omit (e.g., not configure) control channels, confirmation feedback reports, mobility management, channel performance measurements and reports, etc. of the UE and the base station. This approach dramatically reduces the complexity / cost of the UE (e.g., simplifies the communication circuit, or reduces component costs), minimizes the resources configured for the UE, and improves the communication of the UE, base station, and wireless network as a whole. Based on the UE message indicating preference, or capability, or both, the base station may configure the UE with resources for use when the UE operates in RRC connection lite mode (e.g., first connection mode), such as semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources for unlicensed downlink communication, or configured licensed (CG) resources for unlicensed uplink communication, or both. Accordingly, the UE and the base station may perform unlicensed communication when the UE operates in RRC connection lite mode.

[0055] Aspects of the present disclosure are further illustrated and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flow charts related to methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode.

[0056] Figure 1An example of a wireless communication system 100 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in an RRC connection lite mode in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The wireless communication system 100 includes a base station 105, a UE 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may be a long term evolution (LTE) network, an improved LTE (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a new radio (NR) network. In some cases, the wireless communication system 100 may support enhanced broadband communications, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission-critical) communications, low-latency communications, or communications with low-cost and low-complexity devices.

[0057] The base station 105 may communicate wirelessly with the UE 115 via one or more base station antennas. The base station 105 described herein may include or may be referred to by those skilled in the art as a base station transceiver, a wireless base station, an access point, a wireless transceiver, a node B, an evolved node B (eNB), a next generation node B, or a giga node B (any of which may be referred to as a gNB), a home node B, a home evolved node B, or some other appropriate terminology. The wireless communication system 100 may include different types of base stations 105 (e.g., macro or small cell base stations). The UE 115 described herein may communicate with various types of base stations 105 and network devices (including macro eNBs, small cell eNBs, gNBs, relay base stations, etc.).

[0058] Each base station 105 may be associated with a particular geographic coverage area 110 in which it supports communications with respective UEs 115. Each base station 105 may provide communications coverage for the respective geographic coverage area 110 via a communication link 125, and the communication link 125 between the base station 105 and the UE 115 may utilize one or more carriers. The communication link 125 shown in the wireless communication system 100 may include an uplink transmission from the UE 115 to the base station 105, or a downlink transmission from the base station 105 to the UE 115. Downlink transmissions may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, and uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions.

[0059] The geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105 can be divided into sectors that constitute only a portion of the geographic coverage area 110, and each sector can be associated with a cell. For example, each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a small cell, a hotspot, or other types of cells, or various combinations thereof. In some examples, the base station 105 can be mobile and thus provide communication coverage for a mobile geographic coverage area 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can overlap, and overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can be supported by the same base station 105 or by different base stations 105. The wireless communication system 100 may include, for example, a heterogeneous LTE / LTE-A / LTE-APro or NR network, in which different types of base stations 105 provide coverage for each geographic coverage area 110.

[0060] The term "cell" refers to a logical communication entity for communicating with a base station 105 (e.g., on a carrier), and may be associated with an identifier (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID)) for distinguishing adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers. In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types that may provide access to different types of devices (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other). In some cases, the term "cell" may refer to a portion (e.g., a sector) of a geographic coverage area 110 on which the logical entity operates.

[0061] UE 115 may be distributed throughout the wireless communication system 100, and each UE 115 may be fixed or mobile. UE 115 may also be referred to as a mobile device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, or a user device, or some other appropriate terminology, where a "device" may also be referred to as a unit, a station, a terminal, or a client. UE 115 may also be a personal electronic device, such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a multimedia / entertainment device (e.g., a radio, an MP3 player, or a video device), a camera, a gaming device, a navigation / positioning device (e.g., a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device based on, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), Beidou, GLONASS, or Galileo, a land-based device), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a smartbook, a personal computer, a smart device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, virtual reality goggles, a smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., a smart ring, a smart bracelet)), a drone, a machine / robotic device, a vehicle, an on-board device, a meter (e.g., a parking meter, an electricity meter, a gas meter, a water meter), a monitor, a gas pump, a household appliance (e.g., a kitchen appliance, a washing machine, a dryer), a location tag, a medical / health device, an implanted device, a sensor / actuator, a display, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium. In some examples, UE 115 may also refer to a wireless local loop (WLL) station, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or an MTC device, etc., which may be implemented in various items (e.g., appliances, vehicles, meters, etc.).

[0062] Some UEs 115 (e.g., MTC or IoT devices) may be low-cost or low-complexity devices and may provide automated communication between machines (e.g., via machine-to-machine (M2M) communication). M2M communication or MTC may refer to data communication technology that allows devices to communicate with each other or with a base station 105 without human intervention. In some examples, M2M communication or MTC may include communications from devices with integrated sensors or meters that measure or capture information and relay the information to a central server or application that may utilize the information or present the information to a human interacting with the program or application. Some UEs 115 may be designed to collect information or implement automated behavior of machines. Examples of applications for MTC devices include smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, health monitoring, wildlife monitoring, weather and geographic event monitoring, fleet management and tracking, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based commercial charging. In one aspect, the techniques disclosed herein may be applicable to MTC or IoT UEs. MTC or IoT UE may include MTC / enhanced MTC (eMTC, also known as CAT-M, CAT M1) UE, NB-IoT (also known as CAT NB1) UE, and other types of UE. eMTC and NB-IoT may refer to future technologies that may evolve from or be based on these technologies. For example, eMTC may include FeMTC (further eMTC), eFeMTC (enhanced further eMTC), and mMTC (massive MTC), and NB-IoT may include eNB-IoT (enhanced NB-IoT) and FeNB-IoT (further enhanced NB-IoT).

[0063] Some UEs 115 may be configured to employ a reduced power consumption mode of operation, such as half-duplex communication (e.g., a mode that supports one-way communication via transmission or reception, but not simultaneous transmission and reception). In some examples, half-duplex communication may be performed at a reduced peak rate. Other power saving techniques for UE 115 include entering a power-saving "deep sleep" mode when not engaged in active communications, or operating over a limited bandwidth (e.g., in accordance with narrowband communications). In some cases, UE 115 may be designed to support critical functions (e.g., mission-critical functions), and the wireless communication system 100 may be configured to provide ultra-reliable communications for these functions.

[0064] In some cases, UE 115 can also communicate directly with other UE 115 (e.g., using peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D) protocols). One or more UE 115 in a group of UEs 115 utilizing D2D communication can be within the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105. Other UEs 115 in the group can be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105, or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station 105. In some cases, each group of UEs 115 communicating via D2D communication can utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, in which each UE 115 transmits to each other UE 115 in the group. In some cases, the base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication is performed between UEs 115 without involving the base station 105.

[0065] The base stations 105 may communicate with the core network 130 and with each other. For example, the base stations 105 may interface with the core network 130 via a backhaul link 132 (e.g., via S1, N2, N3, or other interfaces). The base stations 105 may communicate with each other directly (e.g., directly between the base stations 105) or indirectly (e.g., via the core network 130) on a backhaul link 134 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or other interfaces).

[0066] The core network 130 may provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connections, and other access, routing or mobility functions. The core network 130 may be an evolved packet core (EPC), which may include at least one mobility management entity (MME), at least one serving gateway (S-GW), and at least one packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW). The MME may manage non-access stratum (e.g., control plane) functions, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management of UE 115 served by a base station 105 associated with the EPC. User IP packets may be transmitted through the S-GW, which itself may be connected to the P-GW. The P-GW may provide IP address allocation and other functions. The P-GW may be connected to a network operator IP service. Operator IP services may include access to the Internet, an intranet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or a packet switched (PS) streaming service.

[0067] At least some network devices (e.g., base stations 105) may include subcomponents, such as access network entities, which may be examples of access node controllers (ANCs). Each access network entity may communicate with UE 115 through multiple other access network transport entities (which may be referred to as radio heads, smart radio heads, or transmit / receive points (TRPs)). In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity or base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio heads and access network controllers) or merged into a single network device (e.g., base station 105).

[0068] The wireless communication system 100 may operate using one or more frequency bands sometimes in the range of 300 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Typically, the region from 300 MHz to 3 GHz is referred to as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band, because the wavelength ranges from about one decimeter to one meter in length. UHF waves may be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features. However, these waves may fully penetrate the structure of the macrocell to provide services to the UE 115 located indoors. Compared to transmissions using smaller frequencies and longer waves of the high frequency (HF) and very high frequency (VHF) spectrum portions below 300 MHz, transmissions of UHF waves may be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than 100 km).

[0069] The wireless communication system 100 may also operate in the Super High Frequency (SHF) region using a frequency band from 3 GHz to 30 GHz, also known as a decimeter band. The SHF region includes frequency bands such as the 5 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, which may be opportunistically used by devices that can tolerate interference from other users.

[0070] The wireless communication system 100 may also operate in the extremely high frequency (EHF) region of the spectrum (e.g., from 30 GHz to 300 GHz), also referred to as the millimeter band. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may support millimeter wave (mmW) communications between the UE 115 and the base station 105, and the EHF antennas of the various devices may be even smaller and more closely spaced than the UHF antennas. In some cases, this may facilitate the use of antenna arrays within the UE 115. However, the propagation of EHF transmissions may be subject to even greater atmospheric attenuation and shorter range than SHF or UHF transmissions. The techniques disclosed herein may be employed across transmissions using one or more different frequency regions, and the designated use of frequency bands across these frequency regions may vary by country or regulatory agency.

[0071] In some cases, the wireless communication system 100 can utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands. For example, the wireless communication system 100 can adopt license assisted access (LAA), LTE-unlicensed (LTE-U) wireless access technology, or NR technology in an unlicensed band (e.g., 5GHz ISM band). When operating in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, wireless devices (e.g., base stations 105 and UE 115) can use a pre-talk listen (LBT) process to ensure that the frequency channel is clear before sending data. In some cases, operations in unlicensed bands can be based on carrier aggregation configuration (e.g., LAA) in combination with component carriers operating in licensed bands. Operations in unlicensed spectrum can include downlink transmissions, uplink transmissions, peer transmissions, or a combination of these. Duplexing in unlicensed spectrum can be based on frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), or a combination of both.

[0072] In some examples, the base station 105 or UE 115 may be equipped with multiple antennas, which may be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, or beamforming. For example, the wireless communication system 100 may use a transmission scheme between a transmitting device (e.g., a base station 105) and a receiving device (e.g., a UE 115), wherein the transmitting device is equipped with multiple antennas and the receiving device is equipped with one or more antennas. MIMO communications may employ multipath signal propagation to increase spectral efficiency (which may be referred to as spatial multiplexing) by transmitting or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers. The multiple signals may be transmitted, for example, by a transmitting device via different antennas or different antenna combinations. Similarly, the multiple signals may be received by a receiving device via different antennas or different antenna combinations. Each of the multiple signals may be referred to as a separate spatial stream and may carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams. Different spatial layers may be associated with different antenna ports for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO technology includes single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) (where multiple spatial layers are sent to the same receiving device) and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) (where multiple spatial layers are sent to multiple devices).

[0073] Beamforming (which may also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception) is a signal processing technique that may be used at a transmitting device or receiving device (e.g., a base station 105 or a UE 115) to shape or direct an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit beam or a receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting device and the receiving device. Beamforming may be achieved by combining signals transmitted via antenna elements of an antenna array so that signals propagating in a particular orientation relative to the antenna array experience constructive interference while other signals experience destructive interference. Adjustments to signals transmitted via antenna elements may include the transmitting device or receiving device applying specific amplitude and phase offsets to signals carried via each antenna element associated with the device. Adjustments associated with each antenna element may be defined by a set of beamforming weights associated with a particular orientation (e.g., relative to the antenna array of the transmitting device or receiving device, or relative to some other orientation).

[0074] In one example, the base station 105 may use multiple antennas or antenna arrays to perform beamforming operations for directional communication with the UE 115. For example, some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) may be sent multiple times by the base station 105 in different directions, which may include sending signals according to different sets of beamforming weights associated with different transmission directions. Transmissions in different beam directions may be used (e.g., by the base station 105 or a receiving device (e.g., UE 115)) to identify a beam direction for subsequent transmission and / or reception by the base station 105.

[0075] Some signals (e.g., data signals associated with a particular receiving device) may be sent by base station 105 in a single beam direction (e.g., a direction associated with a receiving device (e.g., UE 115)). In some examples, the beam direction associated with transmissions along a single beam direction may be determined based at least in part on signals sent in different beam directions. For example, UE 115 may receive one or more signals sent by base station 105 in different directions, and UE 115 may report to base station 105 an indication of the signal it received having the highest signal quality, or otherwise acceptable signal quality. Although these techniques are described with reference to signals sent by base station 105 in one or more directions, UE 115 may employ similar techniques to send signals multiple times in different directions (e.g., for identifying beam directions for subsequent transmission or reception by UE 115), or to send signals in a single direction (e.g., for sending data to a receiving device).

[0076] A receiving device (e.g., UE 115, which may be an example of a mmW receiving device) may attempt multiple receive beams when receiving various signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) from base station 105. For example, the receiving device may attempt multiple receive directions by receiving via different antenna subarrays, processing received signals according to different antenna subarrays, receiving according to different receive beamforming weight sets applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, or processing received signals according to different receive beamforming weight sets applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, any of which may be referred to as "listening" according to different receive beams or receive directions. In some examples, the receiving device may receive along a single beam direction using a single receive beam (e.g., when receiving a data signal). The single receive beam may be aligned on a beam direction determined at least in part based on listening according to different receive beam directions (e.g., a beam direction determined to have the highest signal strength, the highest signal-to-noise ratio, or otherwise acceptable signal quality based at least in part on listening according to multiple beam directions).

[0077] In some cases, the antennas of a base station 105 or a UE 115 may be located within one or more antenna arrays that may support MIMO operations, or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays may be co-located at an antenna assembly (e.g., an antenna tower). In some cases, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with a base station 105 may be located at different geographic locations. A base station 105 may have an antenna array having multiple rows and columns of antenna ports that the base station 105 may use to support beamforming for communications with a UE 115. Similarly, a UE 115 may have one or more antenna arrays that may support various MIMO or beamforming operations.

[0078] In some cases, the wireless communication system 100 can be a packet-based network that operates according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, the communication at the bearer or packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer can be IP-based. The radio link control (RLC) layer can perform packet segmentation and reassembly to communicate on the logical channel. The medium access control (MAC) layer can perform priority processing and multiplex the logical channel into the transport channel. The MAC layer can also use a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) to provide retransmission at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the RRC protocol layer can provide the establishment, configuration and maintenance of the RRC connection of the radio bearer supporting user plane data between the UE 115 and the base station 105 or the core network 130. At the physical layer, the transport channel can be mapped to the physical channel.

[0079] In some cases, UE 115 and base station 105 can support data retransmission to increase the possibility of successfully receiving the data. HARQ feedback is a technique that increases the possibility of correctly receiving data on communication link 125. HARQ can include a combination of error detection (e.g., using cyclic redundancy check (CRC)), forward error correction (FEC) and retransmission (e.g., automatic repeat request (ARQ)). HARQ can improve the throughput at the MAC layer in poor wireless conditions (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio conditions). In some cases, a wireless device can support same-slot HARQ feedback, where the device can provide HARQ feedback for data received in the previous symbol in the slot in a specific slot. In other cases, the device can provide HARQ feedback in subsequent slots or according to some other time interval.

[0080] The time interval in LTE or NR can be expressed in multiples of a basic time unit (which can, for example, refer to a sampling period of Ts=1 / 30,720,000 seconds). The time interval of the communication resource can be organized according to radio frames each having a duration of 10 milliseconds (ms), where the frame period can be expressed as Tf=307,200Ts. The radio frame can be identified by a system frame number (SFN) ranging from 0 to 1023. Each frame can include 10 subframes numbered from 0 to 9, and each subframe can have a duration of 1ms. The subframe can be further divided into 2 time slots, each time slot has a duration of 0.5ms, and each time slot can contain 6 or 7 modulation symbol periods (for example, depending on the length of the cyclic prefix appended to each symbol period). Excluding the cyclic prefix, each symbol period can contain 2048 sampling periods. In some cases, a subframe can be the minimum scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 and can be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In other cases, the minimum scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 may be shorter than a subframe or may be dynamically selected (e.g., in a shortened TTI (sTTI) or in a selected component carrier using an sTTI).

[0081] In some wireless communication systems, a time slot may be further divided into a plurality of mini-slots containing one or more symbols. In some instances, a symbol of a mini-slot or a mini-slot may be the minimum scheduling unit. For example, depending on the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band, the duration of each symbol may vary. In addition, some wireless communication systems may implement time slot aggregation, where multiple time slots or mini-slots are aggregated together and used for communication between UE 115 and base station 105.

[0082] The term "carrier" refers to a set of radio frequency spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting communications on the communication link 125. For example, a carrier of the communication link 125 may include a portion of a radio frequency spectrum band that operates according to a physical layer channel for a given wireless access technology. Each physical layer channel may carry user data, control information, or other signaling. A carrier may be associated with a predefined frequency channel (e.g., an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN)) and may be placed according to a channel grid for discovery by a UE 115. A carrier may be a downlink or uplink (e.g., in FDD mode), or may be configured to carry downlink and uplink communications (e.g., in TDD mode). In some examples, a signal waveform transmitted on a carrier may be composed of multiple subcarriers (e.g., using a multi-carrier modulation (MCM) technique such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM)).

[0083] The organizational structure of the carrier can be different for different radio access technologies (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR). For example, communications on a carrier can be organized according to TTIs or time slots, where each TTI or time slot can include user data and control information or signaling to support decoding of the user data. The carrier can also include dedicated acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals or system information) and control signaling to coordinate the operation of the carrier. In some examples (e.g., in a carrier aggregation configuration), the carrier may also have acquisition signaling or control signaling to coordinate the operation of other carriers.

[0084] Physical channels may be multiplexed on a carrier according to various techniques. For example, a physical control channel and a physical data channel may be multiplexed on a downlink carrier using a time division multiplexing (TDM) technique, a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) technique, or a hybrid TDM-FDM technique. In some examples, the control information sent in the physical control channel may be distributed in a cascaded manner between different control regions (e.g., between a common control region or common search space and one or more UE-specific control regions or UE-specific search spaces).

[0085] A carrier may be associated with a particular bandwidth of radio frequency spectrum, and in some examples, the carrier bandwidth may be referred to as the "system bandwidth" of the carrier or wireless communication system 100. For example, the carrier bandwidth may be one of a plurality of predetermined bandwidths of a carrier for a particular radio access technology (e.g., 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, or 80 MHz). In some examples, each served UE 115 may be configured to operate on portions or all of the carrier bandwidth. In other examples, some UEs 115 may be configured to operate using a narrowband protocol type associated with a predefined portion or range (e.g., a set of subcarriers or RBs) within a carrier (e.g., an "in-band" deployment of a narrowband protocol type).

[0086] In a system using MCM technology, a resource element may include a symbol period (e.g., the duration of a modulation symbol) and a subcarrier, where the symbol period and the subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element may depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme). Therefore, the more resource elements received by UE 115 and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate for UE 115. In a MIMO system, wireless communication resources may refer to a combination of radio frequency spectrum resources, time resources, and space resources (e.g., space layers), and the use of multiple space layers may further increase the data rate of communication with UE 115.

[0087] A device (e.g., base station 105 or UE 115) of wireless communication system 100 may have a hardware configuration that supports communication on a specific carrier bandwidth, or may be configured to support communication on one of a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, wireless communication system 100 may include base stations 105 and / or UEs 115 that support simultaneous communication via carriers associated with more than one different carrier bandwidths.

[0088] The wireless communication system 100 may support communication with the UE 115 on multiple cells or carriers, a feature that may be referred to as carrier aggregation or multi-carrier operation. The UE 115 may be configured with multiple downlink component carriers and one or more uplink component carriers according to a carrier aggregation configuration. Carrier aggregation may be used with both FDD and TDD component carriers.

[0089] In some cases, the wireless communication system 100 can utilize an enhanced component carrier (eCC). An eCC can be characterized by one or more characteristics, including a wider carrier or frequency channel bandwidth, a shorter symbol duration, a shorter TTI duration, or a modified control channel configuration. In some cases, an eCC can be associated with a carrier aggregation configuration or a dual connectivity configuration (e.g., when multiple serving cells have suboptimal or non-ideal backhaul links). An eCC can also be configured for use in an unlicensed spectrum or a shared spectrum (e.g., where more than one operator is allowed to use the spectrum). An eCC characterized by a wide carrier bandwidth can include one or more segments that can be utilized by a UE 115 that cannot monitor the entire carrier bandwidth or is otherwise configured to use a limited carrier bandwidth (e.g., to save power).

[0090] In some cases, an eCC may utilize a different symbol duration than other component carriers, which may include using a shortened symbol duration compared to the symbol duration of these other component carriers. A shorter symbol duration may be associated with an increased spacing between adjacent subcarriers. A device utilizing an eCC (e.g., a UE 115 or a base station 105) may transmit a wideband signal (e.g., according to a frequency channel or carrier bandwidth of 20, 40, 60, or 80 MHz) at a shortened symbol duration (e.g., 16.17 milliseconds). A TTI in an eCC may include one or more symbol periods. In some cases, the TTI duration (i.e., the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable.

[0091] The wireless communication system 100 may be an NR system that may utilize any combination of licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum bands, etc. The flexibility of eCC symbol duration and subcarrier spacing may allow eCC to be used across multiple spectrums. In some examples, NR shared spectrum may increase spectrum utilization and spectrum efficiency, particularly through dynamic vertical (e.g., across frequency domain) and horizontal (e.g., across time domain) resource sharing.

[0092] UE 115 may send a UE message indicating support for multiple connection modes to base station 105 during a connection establishment process, wherein the multiple connection modes include a first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode, RRC inactive mode, etc.). In some examples, the first connection mode may be associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and lack at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or configured control channels, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof. UE 115 may receive a configuration message from base station 105 based at least in part on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by UE 115 when operating in the first connection mode. UE 115 may perform unlicensed communication with base station 105 using the configured resources when operating in the first connection mode.

[0093] The base station 105 may receive a UE message indicating support for multiple connection modes from the UE 115 during a connection establishment process, wherein the multiple connection modes include a first connection mode (e.g., an RRC connection lite mode). In some examples, the first connection mode may be associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and lack at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or a configured control channel, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof. The base station 105 may send a configuration message to the UE 115 based at least in part on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use when the UE 115 operates in the first connection mode. When operating in the first connection mode (e.g., when the UE 115 operates in the first connection mode), the base station 105 may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication with the UE 115.

[0094] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication system 200 supporting methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In some examples, the wireless communication system 200 can implement aspects of the wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system 200 can include a base station 205 and a UE 210, which can be examples of corresponding devices described herein.

[0095] In some wireless communication systems, UE 210 may establish an RRC connection (e.g., switch to RRC connected mode) in order to exchange data with the network (e.g., via base station 205). The RRC connection may include UE 210 being configured with a control channel (e.g., PDCCH or PUCCH or both) to support data exchange. For example, PDCCH may be used for UE 210 to receive scheduling information about its downlink allocation and uplink grant. PUCCH may be used for UE 210 to request an uplink grant, send HARQ feedback for downlink data, or provide channel state information (CSI) reports for link adaptation. In addition, to support mobility management, the network may configure measurement objects (e.g., CSI) to UE 210 to monitor the link quality of both the serving cell and the neighboring cell, which consumes both time and power.

[0096] However, this mode may be unnecessary in some scenarios. For example, when UE 210 has a small amount of data to send / receive, when the data rate is low, when UE 210 is fixed or has low mobility, then UE 210 may not need to be configured with complete resources, functions or channels. Accordingly, various aspects of the described technology introduce an RRC connection simplified mode (e.g., first connection mode) with a simplified configuration, which saves time when setting the configuration for data exchange. A complete configuration (e.g., when switching to the RRC connection mode) can be a significant overhead for a connection of short duration (e.g., for a small amount of data transfer). The low overhead savings of the RRC connection simplified mode improve the power saving of UE 210, reduce costs, and save valuable air and time resources.

[0097] Initially, the UE 210 may send (and the base station 205 may receive) a UE message during a connection establishment process. For example, the UE message may be sent during an RRC connection establishment process between the UE 210 and the base station 205. The UE message may carry or otherwise convey an indication of multiple (e.g., one or more) connection modes (e.g., RRC modes) supported by the UE 210. This may include support for a first connection mode, which may be referred to as an RRC connection lite mode, which is used for unlicensed resource scheduling for the UE 210 or otherwise associated with it. This may also include that the first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode) has no (e.g., is not configured with) confirmation feedback message transmission (e.g., HARQ report), control channels (e.g., PDCCH or PUCCH or both), mobility management functions (e.g., in some scenarios where the UE has low mobility), channel performance measurement and reporting (e.g., CSI / sounding reference signal (SRS)), etc. UE 210 may indicate support for the first connection mode to the network in a random access channel (RACH) message A (msgA) transmission, a RACH message 1 (msg1) transmission, a RACH message 3 (msg3) transmission during a connection establishment process, in a UE assistance information transmission during a connection establishment process, and the like. In some examples, UE 210 may indicate support for the first connection mode to the network in an RRC recovery message of RACH msg3 during a connection establishment process. In some aspects, UE 210 may configure a UE message to identify or otherwise indicate that the first connection mode is a preferred connection mode for UE 210. Additionally or alternatively, UE 210 may send information for scheduling subsequent data transmission, including one or more of a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, and a mobility state. In some examples, the information for scheduling subsequent data transmission may be sent in RACH msg3 or RACH message 5 (msg5). Accordingly, the wireless communication system 200 may support the RRC connection lite mode for the UE 210, for example, based on a UE message.

[0098] Base station 205 may receive a UE message indicating support for a first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode) and respond by sending a configuration message to UE 210 or otherwise providing an indication of the configuration message, which configures resources for use by UE 210 when operating in the first connection mode. The configured resources may be uplink resources (e.g., CG resources) or downlink resources (e.g., SPS resources) or both. In some cases, the base station may send one or more parameters associated with the configured resources in a release configuration (Release-Config) message. Additionally or alternatively, the base station may configure resources based on receiving a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility state, or a combination thereof.

[0099] UE 210 and base station 205 can use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication when UE 210 operates in a first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode). That is, UE 210 can send / receive data on pre-configured periodic downlink / uplink resources (e.g., downlink SPS and type-1CG resources), which are activated when configured. In some aspects, a new type of downlink SPS can be configured, the activation of which is based on the configuration, for example, automatically activated when configured. Transmission on the configured resources can avoid the need for dynamic scheduling (e.g., downlink control information scheduling) so that it may not be necessary for UE 120 to be configured with a control channel (e.g., PDCCH or PUCCH or both).

[0100] In addition, the first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode) may not have confirmation feedback message transmission (e.g., ACK / NACK report). That is, no HARQ process may be applied to the transmission / reception performed by UE 210 in unlicensed communication. In order to consider the impact on reliability, some or all downlink SPS and uplink CG communications may be configured with repetition. If the physical layer (e.g., second layer) transmission still fails, the retransmission may be handled by the RRC protocol layer (e.g., first layer) of UE 210 following the RLC ARQ process.

[0101] As discussed, the first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode) may not have (e.g., may not be configured with) some channels / processes. For example, a UE that is fixed or has low mobility may omit the mobility management process. Additionally or alternatively, a UE with a small amount of data to send may omit the radio resource management (RRM) process. Additionally or alternatively, a UE with a small amount of data to send may not perform CSI transmission or SRS transmission or both. That is, the UE may not perform channel performance measurements and reporting (e.g., CSI-RS measurements or CSI reports during downlink unlicensed communication or SRS transmissions during uplink unlicensed communication).

[0102] Accordingly, aspects of the described technology reduce both power consumption and cost of UE 210. Aspects of the described technology can be implemented when UE 210 is a certain type or category of UE (e.g., wearable device, MTC device, or IoE device). In terms of power reduction, RRC connection simplified mode can get rid of (e.g., no) PDCCH, because PDCCH monitoring may be one of the more power-expensive processes. This can simplify RRC configuration by not configuring unnecessary channels or processes. Simplified RRC configuration saves time during RRC setup, which may be a significant overhead for connections of short duration (e.g., in a small amount of data transfer). Low overhead can also save power of UE 210. In terms of cost reduction, RRC connection simplified mode can eliminate HARQ processes that may require PDCCH or PUCCH. HARQ buffers can constitute an important part of the chip memory of the UE, because memory is the main cost component of the chip. Large HARQ buffers also consume additional power by moving buffered data in and out of cache during discontinuous reception (DRX) operation.

[0103] Typically, UE 210 can switch between a first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode) and one or more other supported connection modes (e.g., RRC connection mode), and vice versa. During the connection, the network can reconfigure the UE 210 RRC to a conventional RRC connection mode, and vice versa. With respect to switching between other RRC modes or states, the RRC connection lite mode can be considered to be just a form of RRC operating mode, and thus the same state (or mode) transition process can be applied, for example, based on RRC connection release, expiration of a data inactivity timer, or receipt of a signal indicating that the UE is transitioning from a first connection mode to a second connection mode (e.g., in response to the UE requesting the network to switch between connection types).

[0104] Although the above techniques are described with reference to the new RRC connection simplified mode, it is to be understood that these techniques can also be implemented by modifying one or more existing RRC connection modes (e.g., RRC connection mode or RRC inactive mode). In addition, the described techniques can also be implemented outside the context of RRC mode.

[0105] As a non-limiting example, some types or categories of UEs may automatically support the described techniques during RRC connected mode. That is, in a UE message communicated during the initial connection establishment process, the UE may signal to the base station that the UE is a certain UE type or category. Based on the specific UE type or category, the base station that configures the RRC connected mode to the UE may use the configured resources for unlicensed communication without control channels, mobility management, or HARQ processes.

[0106] In another non-limiting example, aspects of the described techniques may be implemented based on UE 210 signaling that the UE has a small amount of data to transmit to base station 205. For example, base station 205 and UE 210 may be configured such that when a small amount of data is being transmitted, the described techniques may be employed for UE 210 and base station 205 when the small amount of data is being transmitted (e.g., on a temporary basis or on a per small amount of data communication basis).

[0107] Figure 3 An example of a process 300 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in an RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In some examples, the process 300 can implement aspects of the wireless communication system 100 or 200. Aspects of the process 300 can be implemented by a UE or a base station or both, which can be examples of corresponding devices described herein.

[0108] At 305, the base station may receive a UE message sent from the UE during the connection establishment process. The UE message may carry or otherwise convey an indication of support for multiple connection modes (e.g., multiple RRC operation modes). For example, the UE message may carry or otherwise convey an indication of support for the first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode may be associated with unlicensed resource scheduling for the UE. The first connection mode may be referred to as RRC connection lite mode. The first connection mode may include that the UE is not configured with or does not otherwise support (e.g., does not) confirmation feedback message transmission (e.g., HARQ process), configured control channels (e.g., PUCCH or PDCCH or both), mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting (e.g., CSI / SRS). The UE may send or otherwise convey the UE message in a RACH message (e.g., RACH msgA, RACH msg1, or msg3) or a UE assistance information message. The UE message may be included in the RRC recovery message of RACH msg3. In some examples, the UE may send information for scheduling subsequent data transmission, which includes one or more of a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility state, or a combination thereof, wherein the information for scheduling subsequent data transmission may be sent in one of RACH msg3 or RACH msg5. Other connection modes in the multiple connection modes may include, but are not limited to, RRC connection mode, RRC inactive mode, RRC idle mode, and the like.

[0109] At 310, the base station may send or otherwise communicate an indication of a configuration message to the UE, which configures resources for use by the UE when operating in a first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode). The configured resources may be SPS resources (e.g., for unlicensed downlink communication) or CG resources (e.g., for unlicensed uplink communication). In some aspects, the base station may configure resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode based on the UE message. That is, if the UE message indicates UE support for the first connection mode, the base station may configure resources for unlicensed communication when operating in the first connection mode. In some cases, one or more parameters associated with the configured resources may be received in a release configuration message.

[0110] At 315, the base station may configure the UE to operate in at least one of the multiple connection modes. In the example shown in process 300, this may include the UE being configured to operate in an RRC connection lite mode (e.g., a first connection mode). Accordingly, at 325, the base station may configure the UE to operate in the first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode may be associated with unlicensed resource scheduling for the UE and there is no confirmation feedback message transmission, configured control channels, mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting. In some aspects, the base station may configure the UE to operate in the first connection mode based on UE message indication support, based on the base station determining that the UE has a small amount of data to transmit, based on the UE having no mobility or having low mobility, etc. Accordingly, the base station and the UE may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication when operating in the first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode).

[0111] In some aspects, the UE may transition between each of the multiple connection modes. As an example, at 320, the UE may transition to an RRC connected mode, in which the UE stores access layer context information, has network-controlled switching and measurements, uses a connected mode DRX configured by a base station, supports CA / dual connectivity (DC), supports CSI feedback, etc. As another example, at 330, the UE may transition to an RRC inactive mode, in which the UE is configured to support cell reselection, initiate monitoring of paging messages configured by the network, the UE may obtain SIBs from the base station, the UE stores access layer context information, etc. As another option, at 335, the UE may transition to an RRC idle mode, in which the UE is configured for idle mode DRX operation, cell reselection, paging configured by the network, etc.

[0112] However, it is to be understood that in the event that the UE indicates that the UE does not support the first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode, RRC inactive mode, etc.) or the scenario does not ensure a full RRC connection mode (e.g., due to a small amount of data communication), the base station may configure the UE to operate in the RRC connection mode at 320, the RRC inactive mode at 330, or the RRC idle mode at 335.

[0113] The UE may transition from one connection mode to the next connection mode based on expiration of an RRC connection release, expiration of a data inactivity timer, an RRC connection release message, receipt of a signal instructing the UE to transition from a first connection mode to a second connection mode (e.g., in response to the UE requesting the network to transition between modes), and the like.

[0114] Figure 4An example of a process 400 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in an RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In some examples, the process 400 can implement aspects of the wireless communication system 100 and / or 200 and / or the process 300. The process 400 can be implemented by the UE 405 or the base station 410 or both, which can be examples of corresponding devices described herein.

[0115] At 415, UE 405 may send (and base station 410 may receive) a UE message during the connection establishment process. The UE message may carry or otherwise convey an indication of UE 405's support for multiple connection modes (e.g., RRC connection mode). The multiple connection modes may include RRC connection mode, RRC connection simplified mode, RRC inactive mode, or RRC idle mode. The UE message may carry or otherwise convey an indication of support for a first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection simplified mode, RRC inactive mode, etc.). In some examples, the first connection mode uses unlicensed resource scheduling for UE 405 or is otherwise associated with it. The first connection mode may not have confirmation feedback message transmission, configured control channels, mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting. The UE message may carry or otherwise convey an indication that the first connection mode is the preferred connection mode of UE 405.

[0116] At 420, the base station 410 may send (and the UE 405 may receive) a configuration message that configures resources for use by the UE 405 when operating in a first connection mode (e.g., in an RRC connection lite mode). At least in some aspects, the configuration message may be provided based on a UE message. For example, when the UE message indicates support for the UE 405 operating in a first connection mode (e.g., in an RRC connection lite mode), the base station 410 may configure resources for use by the UE 405 when operating in the first connection mode. The configured resources may be SPS resources for unlicensed downlink communications or CG resources for unlicensed uplink communications.

[0117] At 425, UE 405 and base station 410 may perform unlicensed communication using the configured resources when UE 405 operates in the first connected mode. The unlicensed communication may be an uplink communication or a downlink communication.

[0118] This may include: based on the UE 405 operating in the first connection mode, the UE 405 prohibiting reference signal transmission in combination with performing unlicensed communication with the base station 410. That is, the UE 405 may prohibit performing CSI information during downlink communication or prohibiting sending SRS during unlicensed uplink communication. This may include: the first protocol layer (e.g., RLC layer) of the UE 405 may determine that the unlicensed communication has failed in the second protocol layer (e.g., physical layer). Accordingly, and at the first protocol layer (e.g., RLC layer) of the UE 405, the UE 405 may perform retransmission of the unlicensed communication with the base station 410. This may include: the UE 405 determines that the mobility of the UE 405 is below a threshold (e.g., has low mobility or no mobility) or the UE 405 has a data volume below a threshold (e.g., a small amount of data transmission). In this example, the UE 405 may prohibit performing mobility management when operating in the first connection mode.

[0119] In some aspects, the UE 405 may transition from a first connection mode (e.g., RRC connection lite mode, RRC inactive mode, etc.) to a second connection mode based on expiration of an RRC connection release, a connection release message, expiration of a data inactivity timer, or receipt of a signal instructing the UE to transition from the first connection mode to the second connection mode. The second connection mode may be at least one of an RRC connection mode, an RRC inactive mode, or an RRC idle mode.

[0120] Figure 5 A block diagram 500 of a device 505 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in an RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 505 may be an example of aspects of a UE 115 as described herein. The device 505 may include a receiver 510, a communication manager 515, and a transmitter 520. The device 505 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0121] The receiver 510 may receive information, such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, or information related to methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode). The information may be delivered to other components of the device 505. The receiver 510 may be a reference Figure 8 Examples of aspects of the described transceiver 820. The receiver 510 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0122] The communication manager 515 can send a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes to the base station during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; receive a configuration message from the base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication with the base station when operating in the first connection mode. The communication manager 515 can be an example of various aspects of the communication manager 810 described herein. In some examples, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and does not have at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or a configured control channel, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof.

[0123] The communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be implemented in hardware, software (e.g., executed by a processor), or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be performed by a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure.

[0124] The communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be physically located at various locations, including being distributed so that each part of the function is implemented by one or more physical components at different physical locations. In some examples, according to various aspects of the present disclosure, the communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be separate and different components. In some examples, according to various aspects of the present disclosure, the communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be combined with one or more other hardware components (including but not limited to input / output (I / O) components, transceivers, network servers, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof). The actions performed by the communication manager 515 as described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more potential advantages. An implementation may allow UE 115 to save resources and power and increase battery life by prohibiting conversion to RRC connection mode. Another implementation may provide improved quality of service and reliability at UE 115, because the number of separate resources allocated to UE 115 and delays may be reduced.

[0125] The transmitter 520 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 505. In some examples, the transmitter 520 can be co-located with the receiver 510 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 520 can be a reference Figure 8 Examples of aspects of the described transceiver 820. The transmitter 520 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0126] Figure 6 A block diagram 600 of a device 605 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in an RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 605 may be an example of aspects of the device 505 or UE 115 as described herein. The device 605 may include a receiver 610, a communication manager 615, and a transmitter 635. The device 605 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0127] The receiver 610 may receive information, such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode). The information may be delivered to other components of the device 605. The receiver 610 may be a reference Figure 8 Examples of aspects of the described transceiver 820. The receiver 610 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0128] Communications manager 615 may be an example of aspects of communications manager 515 as described herein. Communications manager 615 may include UE capabilities manager 620, configuration manager 625, and unlicensed communications manager 630. Communications manager 615 may be an example of aspects of communications manager 810 as described herein.

[0129] The UE capability manager 620 may send a UE message to the base station during a connection establishment procedure indicating support for a set of connection modes, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and lacks at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or configured control channels, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof. The UE capability manager 620 may configure the UE message to identify the first connection mode as a preferred connection mode for the UE.

[0130] The configuration manager 625 may receive a configuration message from a base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode.

[0131] Unlicensed communication manager 630 may perform unlicensed communication with a base station using the configured resources when operating in the first connected mode.

[0132] The transmitter 635 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 605. In some examples, the transmitter 635 can be co-located with the receiver 610 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 635 can be a reference Figure 8 Examples of aspects of the described transceiver 820. The transmitter 635 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0133] Figure 7 A block diagram 700 of a communication manager 705 supporting methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The communication manager 705 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 515, the communication manager 615, or the communication manager 810 described herein. The communication manager 705 may include a UE capability manager 710, a configuration manager 715, an unlicensed communication manager 720, a reference signal manager 725, a retransmission manager 730, a mobility manager 735, and a transition manager 740. Each of these modules may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0134] The UE capability manager 710 may send a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes to a base station during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode. In some cases, the UE message is sent as part of a RACHmsgA or RACH msg3, or a UE assistance information message, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the first connection mode includes an RRC inactive mode. In some cases, the set of connection modes includes an RRC connection mode, an RRC connection simplified mode, an RRC inactive mode, and an RRC idle mode. In some aspects, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and does not have at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or a configured control channel, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof. The UE capability manager 710 may configure the UE message to identify the first connection mode as a preferred connection mode for the UE. The UE capability manager 710 can send information for scheduling subsequent data transmission to the base station, which includes one or more of a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility status, or a combination thereof, wherein the information for scheduling subsequent data transmission is sent in one of RACH msg3 or RACH message 5 (msg5).

[0135] The configuration manager 715 may receive a configuration message from the base station based on the UE message, which configures the resources used by the UE when operating in the first connection mode. In some cases, the configured control channel includes at least one of the PDCCH, or the PUCCH, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the configured resources include at least one of the SPS resources for unlicensed downlink communication, or the CG resources for unlicensed uplink communication, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the UE message includes an RRC recovery message of RACH msg3. In some cases, one or more parameters associated with the configured resources are received in a release configuration message.

[0136] Unlicensed communication manager 720 may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication with the base station when operating in the first connected mode. In some cases, the unlicensed communication includes uplink communication, downlink communication, or a combination thereof.

[0137] The reference signal manager 725 may refrain from performing reference signal transmission in conjunction with performing unlicensed communication with the base station based on the UE operating in the first connected mode.

[0138] The retransmission manager 730 may determine at the first protocol layer of the UE that the unlicensed communication has failed in the second protocol layer of the UE. In some examples, the retransmission manager 730 may perform retransmission of the unlicensed communication with the base station at the first protocol layer of the UE.

[0139] The mobility manager 735 may determine at least one of: the mobility of the UE is below a threshold, or the UE has a data volume below a threshold, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the mobility manager 735 may prohibit performing mobility management based on the determination when operating in the first connection mode.

[0140] The transition manager 740 may transition from the first connection mode to the second connection mode based on expiration of an RRC connection release, expiration of a data inactivity timer, receipt of a signal instructing the UE to transition from the first connection mode to the second connection mode, or a combination thereof.

[0141] Figure 8A diagram of a system 800 including a device 805 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 805 may be an example of or include components of a device 505, a device 605, or a UE 115 as described herein. The device 805 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for sending and receiving communications, including a communication manager 810, an I / O controller 815, a transceiver 820, an antenna 825, a memory 830, and a processor 840. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., a bus 845).

[0142] The communication manager 810 can send a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes to a base station during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; receive a configuration message from the base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode; and use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication with the base station when operating in the first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and does not have at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or a configured control channel, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof.

[0143] I / O controller 815 can manage input and output signals of device 805. I / O controller 815 can also manage peripheral devices that are not integrated into device 805. In some cases, I / O controller 815 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I / O controller 815 can utilize an operating system, such as Or another known operating system. In other cases, I / O controller 815 can represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touch screen, or similar device. In some cases, I / O controller 815 can be implemented as a part of a processor. In some cases, a user can interact with device 815 via I / O controller 805 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 815.

[0144] The transceiver 820 can communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, as described herein. For example, the transceiver 820 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 820 can also include a modem for modulating packets and providing the modulated packets to an antenna for transmission, and demodulating packets received from an antenna.

[0145] In some cases, a wireless device may include a single antenna 825. However, in some cases, the device may have more than one antenna 825, which may simultaneously send or receive multiple wireless transmissions.

[0146] The memory 830 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory 830 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 835 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform the various functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 830 may also contain, among other things, a basic I / O system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0147] The processor 840 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 840 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 840. The processor 840 may be configured to: execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 830) so that the device 805 performs various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting a method for efficiently transmitting a small amount of data in an RRC connection simplified mode).

[0148] The code 835 may include instructions for implementing various aspects of the present disclosure, including instructions for supporting wireless communications. The code 835 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the code 835 may not be directly executed by the processor 840, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0149] The actions performed by the processor 840, memory 830, I / O controller 815, communication manager 810, transceiver 820, and antenna 825 as described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more potential advantages. One implementation may allow the device 805 to save resources by prohibiting transitioning from a first connection mode to a second connection mode. Another implementation may provide improved data throughput and user experience at the device 805 by reducing signaling overhead.

[0150] Fig. 9A block diagram 900 of a device 905 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in an RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 905 may be an example of aspects of a base station 105 as described herein. The device 905 may include a receiver 910, a communication manager 915, and a transmitter 920. The device 905 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0151] The receiver 910 may receive information, such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode). The information may be delivered to other components of the device 905. The receiver 910 may be a reference Fig.12 Examples of various aspects of the described transceiver 1220. The receiver 910 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0152] The communication manager 915 may receive a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from the UE during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode; send a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use when the UE operates in the first connection mode; and perform unlicensed communication with the UE using the configured resources when the UE operates in the first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and does not have at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or configured control channels, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof. The communication manager 915 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 1210 described herein.

[0153] The communication manager 915 or its subcomponents may be implemented in hardware, software (e.g., executed by a processor), or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communication manager 915 or its subcomponents may be performed by a general purpose processor, DSP, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure. The actions performed by the communication manager 915 as described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more potential advantages. One implementation may allow the base station 105 to save resources and power and increase battery life by performing unlicensed communications with the UE 115. Another implementation may provide improved quality of service and reliability at the base station 105 because latency and the number of individual resources allocated may be reduced.

[0154] The communication manager 915 or its subcomponents may be physically located in various locations, including being distributed so that portions of functionality are implemented by one or more physical components at different physical locations. In some examples, according to various aspects of the present disclosure, the communication manager 915 or its subcomponents may be separate and distinct components. In some examples, according to various aspects of the present disclosure, the communication manager 915 or its subcomponents may be combined with one or more other hardware components (including, but not limited to, input / output (I / O) components, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof).

[0155] The transmitter 920 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 905. In some examples, the transmitter 920 can be co-located with the receiver 910 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 920 can be a reference Fig.12 Examples of aspects of the described transceiver 1220. The transmitter 920 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0156] Fig.10 A block diagram 1000 of a device 1005 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in an RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1005 may be an example of aspects of the device 905 or base station 105 as described herein. The device 1005 may include a receiver 1010, a communication manager 1015, and a transmitter 1035. The device 1005 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0157] The receiver 1010 may receive information, such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode). The information may be delivered to other components of the device 1005. The receiver 1010 may be a reference Fig.12 Examples of various aspects of the described transceiver 1220. The receiver 1010 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0158] Communications manager 1015 may be an example of aspects of communications manager 915 as described herein. Communications manager 1015 may include UE capabilities manager 1020, configuration manager 1025, and unlicensed communications manager 1030. Communications manager 1015 may be an example of aspects of communications manager 1210 as described herein.

[0159] The UE capability manager 1020 may receive a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from the UE during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and lacks at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or configured control channels, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof. The UE capability manager 1020 may determine that the UE message identifies the first connection mode as a preferred connection mode for the UE.

[0160] The configuration manager 1025 may send a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode.

[0161] The unlicensed communication manager 1030 may perform unlicensed communication with the UE using the configured resources when the UE operates in the first connected mode.

[0162] Transmitter 1035 can transmit signals generated by other components of device 1005. In some examples, transmitter 1035 can be co-located with receiver 1010 in a transceiver module. For example, transmitter 1035 can be a reference Fig.12 Examples of various aspects of the described transceiver 1220. The transmitter 1035 may utilize a single antenna or a group of antennas.

[0163] Fig.11 A block diagram 1100 of a communication manager 1105 supporting methods for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The communication manager 1105 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 915, the communication manager 1015, or the communication manager 1210 described herein. The communication manager 1105 may include a UE capability manager 1110, a configuration manager 1115, an unlicensed communication manager 1120, a reference signal manager 1125, a mobility manager 1130, and a transition manager 1135. Each of these modules may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0164] The UE capability manager 1110 may receive a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from the UE during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and does not have at least one of: confirmation feedback message transmission, or configured control channels, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the UE message is sent as part of a RACH msgA or RACHmsg3, or a UE assistance information message, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the first connection mode includes an RRC inactive mode. In some cases, the set of connection modes includes an RRC connection mode, an RRC connection simplified mode, an RRC inactive mode, and an RRC idle mode. The UE capability manager 1110 may receive information for scheduling subsequent data transmission from the UE, which includes one or more of a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility state, or a combination thereof, wherein the information for scheduling subsequent data transmission may be sent in one of RACH msg3 or RACH msg5.

[0165] The configuration manager 1115 may send a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, which configures the resources used by the UE when operating in the first connection mode. In some cases, the configured control channel includes at least one of the PDCCH, or the PUCCH, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the configured resources include at least one of the SPS resources for unlicensed downlink communication, or the CG resources for unlicensed uplink communication, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the UE message includes an RRC recovery message of RACH msg3. In some cases, one or more parameters associated with the configured resources are received in a release configuration message.

[0166] The unlicensed communication manager 1120 may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication with the UE when the UE operates in the first connected mode. In some cases, the unlicensed communication includes uplink communication, downlink communication, or a combination thereof.

[0167] The reference signal manager 1125 may perform unlicensed communication with the UE without reference signal transmission by the UE based on the UE operating in the first connected mode.

[0168] The mobility manager 1130 may determine at least one of: the mobility of the UE is below a threshold, or the UE has a data volume below a threshold, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the mobility manager 1130 may prohibit performing mobility management for the UE based on the determination when the UE operates in the first connection mode.

[0169] The transition manager 1135 can transition the UE from the first connection mode to the second connection mode based on the expiration of the RRC connection release, the expiration of the data inactivity timer, or the receipt of a signal indicating that the UE transitions from the first connection mode to the second connection mode, or a combination thereof.

[0170] Fig.12 A diagram of a system 1200 including a device 1205 supporting a method for power-efficiently delivering small amounts of data in RRC connection lite mode according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1205 may be an example of or include components of the device 905, device 1005, or base station 105 as described herein. The device 1205 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for sending and receiving communications, including a communication manager 1210, a network communication manager 1215, a transceiver 1220, an antenna 1225, a memory 1230, a processor 1240, and an inter-station communication manager 1245. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus 1250).

[0171] The communication manager 1210 may receive a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from the UE during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode. In some examples, the first connection mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and is absent from at least one of: confirming feedback message transmission, or a configured control channel, or mobility management, or channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof; sending a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use when the UE operates in the first connection mode; and performing unlicensed communication with the UE using the configured resources when the UE operates in the first connection mode.

[0172] The network communications manager 1215 may manage communications with the core network (eg, via one or more wired backhaul links). For example, the network communications manager 1215 may manage the delivery of data communications for client devices (eg, one or more UEs 115).

[0173] The transceiver 1220 can communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, as described herein. For example, the transceiver 1220 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 1220 can also include a modem for modulating packets and providing the modulated packets to an antenna for transmission, and demodulating packets received from an antenna.

[0174] In some cases, a wireless device may include a single antenna 1225. However, in some cases, the device may have more than one antenna 1225, which may be capable of sending or receiving multiple wireless transmissions simultaneously.

[0175] Memory 1230 may include RAM, ROM, or a combination thereof. Memory 1230 may store computer readable code 1235 including instructions that, when executed by a processor (e.g., processor 1240), cause the device to perform the various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 1230 may also contain, among other things, a BIOS that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0176] Processor 1240 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, processor 1240 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some cases, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 1240. Processor 1240 may be configured to: execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 1230) to cause device 1205 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting a method for efficiently transmitting a small amount of data in RRC connection simplified mode).

[0177] The inter-site communication manager 1245 may manage communications with other base stations 105 and may include a controller or scheduler for coordinating with other base stations 105 to control communications with UE 115. For example, the inter-site communication manager 1245 may coordinate scheduling of transmissions to UE 115 for various interference mitigation techniques (e.g., beamforming or joint transmission). In some examples, the inter-site communication manager 1245 may provide an X2 interface within an LTE / LTE-A wireless communication network technology to provide communications between base stations 105.

[0178] The code 1235 may include instructions for implementing various aspects of the present disclosure, including instructions for supporting wireless communications. The code 1235 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the code 1235 may not be directly executed by the processor 1240, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0179] The actions performed by the processor 1240, memory 1230, network communication manager 1215, communication manager 1210, transceiver 1220, and antenna 1225 as described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more potential advantages. One implementation may allow the device 1205 to save resources by prohibiting transitioning from a first connection mode to a second connection mode. Another implementation may provide improved data throughput and user experience at the device 1205 by reducing signaling overhead.

[0180] Fig.13 A flowchart of a method 1300 for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in RRC connection lite mode is shown according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1300 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1300 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the functions described herein.

[0181] At 1305, the UE may send a UE message to the base station during a connection establishment process indicating support for a set of connection modes, wherein the set of connection modes includes the first connection mode. The operations of 1305 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1305 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The UE capability manager described herein is used to perform the above operations.

[0182] At 1310, the UE may receive a configuration message from a base station based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1310 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1310 may be as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The configuration manager described is executed.

[0183] At 1315, the UE may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communications with the base station when operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1315 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1315 may be as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The described permissionless communication manager is implemented.

[0184] Fig.14A flow chart of a method 1400 for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in RRC connection lite mode is shown according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1400 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1400 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the functions described herein.

[0185] At 1405, the UE may send a UE message to the base station during a connection establishment process indicating support for a set of connection modes, wherein the set of connection modes includes the first connection mode. The operations of 1405 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1405 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The UE capability manager described herein is used to perform the above operations.

[0186] At 1410, the UE may receive a configuration message from a base station based on a UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in a first connection mode. The operations of 1410 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1410 may be as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The configuration manager described is executed.

[0187] At 1415, the UE may perform unlicensed communications with the base station using the configured resources when operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1415 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1415 may be as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The described permissionless communication manager is implemented.

[0188] At 1420, the UE may refrain from performing reference signal transmission in conjunction with performing unlicensed communication with the base station based on the UE operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1420 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1420 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The described reference signal manager is implemented.

[0189] Fig.15 A flow chart of a method 1500 for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in RRC connection lite mode is shown according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1500 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1500 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the functions described herein.

[0190] At 1505, the UE may send a UE message to the base station during a connection establishment process indicating support for a set of connection modes, wherein the set of connection modes includes the first connection mode. The operations of 1505 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1505 may be as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The UE capability manager described herein is used to perform the above operations.

[0191] At 1510, the UE may receive a configuration message from a base station based on a UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in a first connection mode. The operations of 1510 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1510 may be as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The configuration manager described is executed.

[0192] At 1515, the UE may perform unlicensed communications with the base station using the configured resources when operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1515 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1515 may be as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The described permissionless communication manager is implemented.

[0193] At 1520, the UE may determine at the first protocol layer of the UE that unlicensed communication has failed at the second protocol layer of the UE. The operations of 1520 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1520 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The retransmission manager described is performed.

[0194] At 1525, the UE may perform retransmission of unlicensed communication with the base station at the first protocol layer of the UE. The operations of 1525 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1525 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 5 to 8 The retransmission manager described is performed.

[0195] Fig.16 A flowchart of a method 1600 for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in RRC connection lite mode is shown according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1600 may be implemented by a base station 105 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1600 may be implemented by a base station 105 or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12In some examples, the base station may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the base station to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the base station may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the functions described herein.

[0196] At 1605, the base station may receive a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from the UE during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode. The operations of 1605 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1605 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The UE manager described is used to perform the above operations.

[0197] At 1610, the base station may send a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1610 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1610 may be as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The configuration manager described is executed.

[0198] At 1615, the base station may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication with the UE when the UE is operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1615 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1615 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The described permissionless communication manager is implemented.

[0199] Fig.17 A flowchart of a method 1700 for power-efficiently delivering a small amount of data in RRC connection lite mode is shown according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1700 may be implemented by a base station 105 or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1700 may be implemented by a base station 105 or components thereof as described herein. Figures 9 to 12 In some examples, the base station may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the base station to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the base station may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the functions described herein.

[0200] At 1705, the base station may receive a UE message indicating support for a set of connection modes from the UE during a connection establishment process, wherein the set of connection modes includes a first connection mode. The operations of 1705 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1705 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The UE manager described is used to perform the above operations.

[0201] At 1710, the base station may send a configuration message to the UE based on the UE message, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1710 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1710 may be as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The configuration manager described is executed.

[0202] At 1715, the base station may use the configured resources to perform unlicensed communication with the UE when the UE is operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1715 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1715 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The described permissionless communication manager is implemented.

[0203] At 1720, the base station may determine at least one of: the mobility of the UE is below a threshold, or the UE has a data volume below a threshold, or a combination thereof. The operations of 1720 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1720 may be performed as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The described mobility manager is used to perform

[0204] At 1725, the base station may prohibit performing mobility management for the UE based on the determination when the UE is operating in the first connection mode. The operations of 1725 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1725 may be as described in reference to Figures 9 to 12 The described mobility manager is used to perform

[0205] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and that the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified and other implementations are possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more methods may be combined.

[0206] The technology described herein can be used in various wireless communication systems, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) and other systems. CDMA systems can implement wireless technologies such as CDMA2000, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA). CDMA2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95 and IS-856 standards. IS-2000 versions can be generally referred to as CDMA2000 1X and 1X. IS-856 (TIA-856) is generally referred to as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD). UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. TDMA systems can implement wireless technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

[0207] OFDMA systems can implement wireless technologies such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WIMAX), IEEE 802.20, and Flash OFDM. UTRA and E-UTRA are parts of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). LTE, LTE-A, and LTE-A Pro are UMTS versions using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR, and GSM are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP). CDMA2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). The technology described herein can be used for the systems and wireless technologies mentioned herein as well as other systems and wireless technologies. Although aspects of an LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR system may be described for example purposes and LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR terminology may be used in much of the description, the techniques described herein are applicable to applications other than LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR applications.

[0208] A macro cell generally covers a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription to a network provider. A small cell may be associated with a low-power base station (compared to a macro cell), and the small cell may operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed or unlicensed) frequency band as the macro cell. According to various examples, a small cell may include a pico cell, a femto cell, and a micro cell. For example, a pico cell may cover a small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription to a network provider. A femto cell may also cover a small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may provide restricted access by UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.). A base station (e.g., a gNB for a macro cell) may be referred to as a macro base station (e.g., a macro gNB). A base station for a small cell may be referred to as a small cell base station (e.g., a small cell gNB), a pico base station (e.g., a pico gNB), a femto base station (femto gNB), or a home base station (e.g., a home gNB). A base station may support one or more (eg, two, three, four, etc.) cells, and may also support communications using one or more component carriers.

[0209] The wireless communication systems described herein may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the base stations may have similar frame timing and may cause transmissions from different base stations to be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the base stations may have different frame timing and may not cause transmissions from different base stations to be aligned in time. The techniques described herein may be used for synchronous or asynchronous operation.

[0210] Any of a variety of different technologies and techniques may be used to represent the information and signals described herein. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout this description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0211] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in conjunction with the disclosure herein may be implemented or executed using a general purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0212] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, or any combination thereof. Software should be broadly interpreted as representing instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable programs, threads of execution, processes or functions, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language or other terms. If implemented in software executed by a processor, each function can be stored on a computer-readable medium or sent by a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein can be implemented using software, hardware, hard wiring, or any combination of these executed by a processor. The features that implement the functions can also be physically located at various locations, including being distributed so that the various parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0213] Computer readable medium includes both non-transitory computer storage medium and communication medium, and communication medium includes any medium that promotes computer program to be transmitted from one place to another place.Non-transitory storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by general or special-purpose computer.For example, but not limitation, non-transitory computer readable medium can include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or can be used for carrying or storing the desired program code unit with instruction or data structure form and can be accessed by general or special-purpose computer or general or special-purpose processor Any other non-transitory medium.In addition, any connection is appropriately called computer readable medium.For example, if using coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL) or wireless technology such as infrared, radio and microwave to transmit software from website, server or other remote source, then coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technology such as infrared, radio and microwave are included in the definition of medium. As used herein, disk and disc include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0214] As used herein, including as used in the claims, "or" used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items with a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, so that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). In addition, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be interpreted as referring to a closed set of conditions. For example, an exemplary step described as "based on condition A" can be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based at least in part on". As used herein, when the term "and / or" is used in a list of two or more items, it means that any one of the listed items can be adopted individually, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be adopted. For example, if a composition is described as comprising components A, B, and / or C, the composition may include only A; only B; only C; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0215] In the drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference number. In addition, individual components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference number with a dash and a second reference number that distinguishes between the similar components. If only the first reference number is used in the specification, the description applies to any of the similar components having the same first reference number, regardless of the second reference number or other subsequent reference numbers.

[0216] The descriptions set forth herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings describe exemplary configurations and do not represent all examples that may be implemented or within the scope of the claims. The term "exemplary" as used herein means "used as an example, instance, or illustration," and does not mean "preferably" or "more advantageous than other examples." The detailed description includes specific details to provide an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid confusing the concepts of the described examples.

[0217] The description herein is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one processor; as well as a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: sending a UE message indicating support for at least one connection mode to a network entity during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the at least one connection mode includes a radio resource control inactive mode; receiving, based at least in part on the UE message, from the network entity a configuration message indicating configured resources for use by the UE when operating in the radio resource control inactive mode; and While operating in the radio resource control inactive mode and using the configured resources, unlicensed communications are performed with the network entity.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: determining at least one of: a mobility of the UE is below a mobility threshold, or the UE has a data volume below a data threshold, or a combination thereof; as well as Performing mobility management is avoided while operating in the radio resource control inactive mode and based at least in part on the determination.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: One or more parameters associated with a resource being configured are received.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The one or more parameters are received in a Release-Config message.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: Information for scheduling subsequent data transmission is sent to the network entity, the information comprising one or more of: a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility status, or a combination thereof.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The configured resources are based at least in part on one or more of: the buffer status report, the preferred beam index, the beam measurement report, the power headroom report, the mobility status, or a combination thereof.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The information for scheduling subsequent data transmission is sent in one of RACH message 3 (msg3) or RACH message 5 (msg5).

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The radio resource control inactive mode is associated with unlicensed resource scheduling and an absence of at least one of acknowledging feedback messaging, configured control channels, mobility management, channel performance measurement and reporting, or a combination thereof.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein: The configured control channel includes at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a combination thereof.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: The UE message is configured to identify the radio resource control inactive mode as a preferred connection mode for the UE.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: Based at least in part on the UE operating in the radio resource control inactive mode, refraining from performing reference signal transmission in conjunction with performing the unlicensed communication with the network entity.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: determining, at a first protocol layer of the UE, that the unlicensed communication has failed in a second protocol layer of the UE; as well as Retransmission of the unlicensed communication with the network entity is performed at the first protocol layer of the UE.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: The UE is configured to transition from the radio resource control inactive mode to the other connected mode based at least in part on expiration of a radio resource control connection release, expiration of a data inactivity timer, receipt of a signal instructing the UE to transition from the radio resource control inactive mode to the other connected mode, or a combination thereof.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The UE message is sent as part of a Random Access Channel (RACH) message A (msgA), or a RACH message 3 (msg3), or a UE Assistance Information message, or a combination thereof.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The unlicensed communication includes uplink communication, downlink communication, or a combination thereof.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein The configured resources include at least one of semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources for unlicensed downlink communications, or configured grants (CGs) for unlicensed uplink communications, or a combination thereof.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The UE message includes a radio resource control recovery message of RACH msg3.

18. An apparatus for wireless communication at a network entity, comprising: at least one processor; as well as a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the network entity to: receiving a UE message from a user equipment (UE) during a connection establishment procedure indicating support for at least one connection mode, wherein the at least one connection mode includes a radio resource control inactive mode; Based at least in part on the UE message, sending a configuration message to the UE, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the radio resource control inactive mode; and When the UE operates in the radio resource control inactive mode and using the configured resources, unlicensed communication with the UE is performed.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein: The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the network entity to: Send one or more parameters associated with the resource being configured.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein The one or more parameters are sent in a Release-Config message.

21. The device according to claim 18, wherein The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the network entity to: Information for scheduling subsequent data transmission is received from the UE, the information comprising one or more of a buffer status report, a preferred beam index, a beam measurement report, a power headroom report, a mobility status, or a combination thereof, wherein the information for scheduling subsequent data transmission is sent in one of RACH message 3 (msg3) or RACH message 5 (msg5).

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein The configured resources are based at least in part on one or more of: the buffer status report, the preferred beam index, the beam measurement report, the power headroom report, the mobility status, or a combination thereof.

23. The device according to claim 18, wherein The UE message is sent as part of a Random Access Channel (RACH) message A (msgA), or a RACH message 3 (msg3), or a UE Assistance Information message, or a combination thereof.

24. The device according to claim 18, wherein The unlicensed communication includes uplink communication, downlink communication, or a combination thereof.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: The configured resources include at least one of semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources for unlicensed downlink communications, or configured grants (CGs) for unlicensed uplink communications, or a combination thereof.

26. The device according to claim 18, wherein The UE message includes a radio resource control recovery message of RACH msg3.

27. The device according to claim 18, wherein The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the network entity to: Determining that the UE message identifies the radio resource control inactive mode as a preferred connection mode for the UE.

28. The device according to claim 25, wherein The instructions are also executable by the at least one processor to cause the network entity to: Based at least in part on the UE operating in the radio resource control inactive mode, the unlicensed communication with the UE is performed without reference signal transmission by the UE.

29. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: sending a UE message indicating support for at least one connection mode to a network entity during a connection establishment procedure, wherein the at least one connection mode includes a radio resource control inactive mode; receiving, based at least in part on the UE message, from the network entity a configuration message indicating configured resources for use by the UE when operating in the radio resource control inactive mode; and While operating in the radio resource control inactive mode and using the configured resources, unlicensed communications are performed with the network entity.

30. A method for wireless communication at a network entity, comprising: receiving a UE message from a user equipment (UE) during a connection establishment procedure indicating support for at least one connection mode, wherein the at least one connection mode includes a radio resource control inactive mode; Based at least in part on the UE message, sending a configuration message to the UE, the configuration message configuring resources for use by the UE when operating in the radio resource control inactive mode; and When the UE operates in the radio resource control inactive mode and using the configured resources, unlicensed communication with the UE is performed.

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