Reporting of configuration authorization opportunities

Abstract

Various example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to reporting configuration authorization (CG) opportunities. The terminal device acquires information about a criterion for reporting whether the at least one CG occasion is to be used by the terminal device. Based on the determination that the criteria are met, the terminal device sends to the network device an indication of whether the at least one CG occasion is to be used by the terminal device. A solution for reporting CG opportunities as provided in example embodiments of the present disclosure may ensure that an indication of unused CG resources may be reused by a network, and may ensure that resources are not reused and a UE may change the indication from cancel to activity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate generally to the field of communications, and more particularly to a terminal device, a network device, a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for reporting a configuration grant (CG) opportunity. Background Art

[0002] Extended reality (XR) refers to all combined real and virtual environments generated by computer technology and wearables, as well as the associated human-computer interactions. It includes representative forms such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), as well as the areas interpolated between them. One of the characteristics of XR-related video services in the uplink (UL) is non-integer period (for example, 16.67 milliseconds for 60 frames per second).

[0003] Scheduling in the UL can be achieved by adopting CG. For CG-based scheduling, parameters are configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages. The actual downlink grant can be configured via RRC or provided via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). Summary of the Invention

[0004] In general, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal device, a network device, a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for reporting unused configuration grant (CG) opportunities. Specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can ensure that indications of unused CG resources can be reused by the network, and can ensure that resources are not reused, and that the UE can change the indication from canceled to active.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may include one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, and the one or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to: obtain information about criteria for reporting whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and, based on determining that the criteria are met, send an indication to a network device of whether the at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device may include: one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, and the one or more processors are configured to cause the network device to: determine information about a criterion for a terminal device to report whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and send information about the criterion to the terminal device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method may include: obtaining, at a terminal device, information about criteria for reporting whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and sending, to a network device, an indication of whether the at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device based on determining that the criteria is met.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method may include determining, at a network device, information about a criterion for a terminal device to report whether at least one Configuration Grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and sending information about the criterion to the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: means for obtaining, at a terminal device, information about criteria for reporting whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and means for sending, to a network device, an indication of whether at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device based on determining that the criteria is met.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: means for determining, at a network device, information about a criterion for a terminal device to report whether at least one Configuration Grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and means for sending information about the criterion to the terminal device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a computer program is provided comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least: obtain information about criteria for reporting whether at least one configuration authorization (CG) opportunity is to be used by a terminal device; and, based on determining that the criteria are met, send an indication to a network device as to whether at least one CG opportunity is to be used by a terminal device.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least: determine information about a standard for a terminal device to report whether at least one configuration authorization (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and send information about the standard to the terminal device.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: an acquisition circuit system configured to acquire information about a criterion for reporting whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and a transmission circuit system configured to transmit an indication to a network device regarding whether the at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device based on determining that the criterion is satisfied.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes: a determining circuit system configured to determine information about a standard for a terminal device to report whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and a transmitting circuit system configured to transmit the information about the standard to the terminal device.

[0016] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 shows an example network environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0019] Figure 2A shows an example signaling procedure for reporting CG occasions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2B Another example signaling procedure for reporting CG occasions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 3 illustrates example configurations and behaviors of unused resources with minimum indicated offsets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 shows an example timeline of an indication process and a minimum indication offset according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 5 An example flow chart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 6 An example flow chart illustrating a method implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 7shows an example simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0026] Figure 8 An example block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

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

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

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

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

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

[0032] The term used in this article is only used to describe the purpose of specific embodiment, but is not intended to limit example embodiment.As used in this article, the singular form " (a) ", " one (an) " and " the (the) " are also intended to include plural forms, unless context clearly indicates otherwise.It will also be understood that the terms "comprise", "contain", "have", "have", "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the existence of described features, elements and / or components when used in this article, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or their combination.As used in this article, "at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of <list of two or more elements>" and similar wording, wherein the list of two or more key elements is connected by "and" or "or", representing at least any one element in the element, or at least any two or more elements in the element, or at least all elements.

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

[0034] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry); and

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

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

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

[0038] as well as

[0039] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), whose operation requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but in which case the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0040] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuitry" also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0041] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal equipment and the network equipment in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable intergenerational communication protocol, including but not limited to third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols and / or above. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to implement the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be considered to be limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0042] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from the network. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low-power node (such as a femto, pico, etc.).

[0043] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), game terminal devices, music storage and playback appliances, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop vehicle-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated process chains), consumer electronic devices, commercially operated devices, relay nodes, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0044] As used herein, the terms "resources," "transmission resources," "resource blocks," "physical resource blocks" (PRBs), "uplink (UL) resources," or "downlink (DL) resources" may refer to any resources used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as resources in the time domain, resources in the frequency domain, resources in the spatial domain, resources in the code domain, resources in a combination of more than one domain, or any other resources that enable communication. Hereinafter, resources in the time domain (such as subframes) will be used to describe examples of transmission resources for some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Note that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0045] As mentioned above, the main XR-related video service characteristics in UL can be summarized as follows according to TR 38.838: 1) non-integer period (e.g., 16.67ms for 60fps); 2) 30ms as baseline, and 10ms, 15ms as optional PDB requirements; and 3) video frame size that follows a truncated Gaussian distribution with an average of 20.8kByt for 60fps and 10Mbit / s.

[0046] In addition to video in the UL, attitude / control information may be sent according to Technical Report (TR) 38.838 with the following main characteristics: 1) 4 ms periodicity; 2) strict PDB requirement (10 ms); and 3) 100 byte frame size.

[0047] For CG, the main features of NR Rel-16 UL CG are as follows: 1) UL radio resources for sending one transport block with regular time periodicity are configured for UE; 2) periodicity is: 2, 7, n*14 symbols, where the range for n depends on the configured SCS; and 3) grant configuration of up to 12 configurations per bandwidth part (BWP) (configured through RRC signaling).

[0048] The above-mentioned CG enhancements approved for specification work in RAN#98 are driven by large and variable video sizes in the UL, which in many cases require more than one time slot to be sent. For certain XR applications, such as augmented reality according to TR 38.838, different services can exist in the UL. The different services are: (i) gesture / control every 4ms, and (ii) video every 16.67ms for 60fps. The PDB for gesture / control is equal to 10ms, and the PDB for UL video is 30ms, with options of 10ms, 15ms.

[0049] One of the enhancements being considered for specification work is the dynamic indication of unused(s) CG opportunities. This is particularly needed when video is sent using CG resources and one video frame is transmitted via multiple UL time slots using multiple UL CG PUSCH opportunities. In this case, multiple CG opportunities (time slots) per CG period are assumed. However, due to the variable video frame size, not all CG opportunities can be used in one period. To improve resource utilization, the UE can indicate that certain CG opportunities are not used. In this case, the gNB can allocate the released resources to other users.

[0050] The purpose of UE indication of unused CG opportunities is to enable the network to reuse those resources (for another UE, or for the same UE for transmission, or for transmission of other data with different LCP restrictions). In order to enable reuse of CG resources that have not been used but have been authorized to a UE, two timelines need to be met.

[0051] One of the two timelines that need to be met is that the network must have enough time to reschedule unused CG resources (based on UE reporting). The other of the two timelines that need to be met is that a UE selected to reuse unused resources left by another UE must have enough time to send its data in the UL, including at least the PUSCH preparation time.

[0052] This means that first, upon receiving an indication of unused resources from a UE (or UEs), the network scheduler has to decide how to reallocate the unused resources indicated by the UE or UEs. This delay depends on the network implementation (and possibly the load).

[0053] Secondly, the reallocation of unused UL resources needs to take into account the UE processing time in order to allow sufficient time for the UE (to which the resources are allocated) to encode / form the PUSCH to be transmitted. For example, section 6.4 of TS38.214 describes requirements related to UE processing time. When scheduling a UE, the slot offset K2 in the time slot and the start of the PUSCH allocation (set by the S and L of the "Time Domain Resource Allocation" of the scheduling DCI) and also taking into account the timing advance need to be set so that the first symbol of the PUSCH cannot be earlier than symbol L2, where L2 is defined as the cyclic prefix (CP) starting T after the end of the DCI scheduling the PUSCH. proc2 Symbol. proc2 is defined as:

[0054] T proc,2 =max((N2+d 2,1 +d2)(2048+144)·κ2 -μ ·T c +T ext +T switch ,d 2,2 )

[0055] in:

[0056] - N2 is based on μ in Table 6.4-1 and Table 6.4-2 of TS38.214 for UE processing capability 1 and UE processing capability 2, respectively, where μ corresponds to (μ DL , μ UL ) to obtain the maximum T proc,2 , where μ DL The subcarrier spacing corresponding to the downlink on which the PDCCH carrying the DCI scheduling the PUSCH is transmitted, and μ UL corresponds to the subcarrier spacing of the uplink channel with which the PUSCH is transmitted, and κ is defined in [4, TS 38.211]

[0057] is defined in Clause 4.1.

[0058] - For operation with shared spectrum channel access, T ext Calculated according to [4, TS 38.211], otherwise T ext =0.

[0059] - If the first symbol of the PUSCH allocation consists of only DM-RS, then d 2,1 =0, otherwise

[0060] d 2,1 =1.

[0061] - If the UE is configured with multiple active component carriers, the first uplink symbol in the PUSCH allocation also includes the effect of the timing difference between the component carriers as given in [11, TS 38.133].

[0062] - If the scheduling DCI triggers the switching of BWP, then d 2,2 is equal to the switching time as defined in [11, TS 38.133], otherwise d 2,2 =0.

[0063] - If a PUSCH of a larger priority index overlaps with a PUCCH of a smaller priority index, d2 for the PUSCH of the larger priority is set to be reported by the UE, otherwise d2 = 0.

[0064] - For UEs supporting capability 2 on a given cell, if the higher layer parameter processingType2Enabled in PUSCH-ServingCellConfig is configured for that cell and is set to "enabled", the processing time is applied according to UE processing capability 2.

[0065] If the PUSCH indicated by the DCI overlaps with one or more PUCCH channels, the transport block is multiplexed following the procedure in clause 9.2.5 of [6, TS 38.213], otherwise the transport block is sent on the PUSCH indicated by the DCI.

[0066] - If an uplink switching gap is triggered as defined in clause 6.1.6, then T switch is equal to the switching gap duration, and for UEs configured with the higher layer parameter uplinkTxSwitchingOption (set to “dualUL” for uplink carrier aggregation), μ UL =min(μ UL,carrier1 , μ UL,carrier2 ), otherwise T switch =0.

[0067] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a solution for reporting CG opportunities. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal device obtains information about a standard for reporting whether at least one configuration authorization (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device. Based on determining that the standard is met, the terminal device sends an indication to the network device whether at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device. It should be understood that the above process steps can work together, partially work together, or work independently of each other in the operation flow described in the next section.

[0068] The solution for reporting CG opportunities as provided in the present disclosure introduces a prohibition duration / time to ensure that the UE is allowed or enabled to report unused CG opportunities only when there is sufficient time to allow rescheduling. The solution can ensure that the indication of unused CG resources can be reused by the network, and / or can ensure that resources are not reused and the UE can change the indication from canceled to active. The principles and some example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] For the purpose of illustration, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 8 The principles and example embodiments of the present disclosure for reporting CG timing are described. However, it should be noted that these embodiments are given to enable those skilled in the art to understand the inventive concepts of the present disclosure and implement the solutions proposed herein, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way.

[0070] refer to Figure 1 , which shows an example network environment 100A in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. The network environment 100 (which may be part of a communication network) includes a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 .

[0071] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, terminal device 110 may also be referred to as user equipment 110 or UE 110. Network device 120 may also be referred to as gNB 120. In some example embodiments, network device 120 may configure terminal device 110 with UL CG resources. Network device 120 may also configure rules for UE reporting of unused / used CG opportunities, for example, the starting symbol of the unused / used resources being at least equal to the minimum offset after the last symbol of the resources for UL reporting.

[0072] In some example embodiments, upon knowing that some configured CG opportunities will not be used, the terminal device 110 reports the unused CG opportunities if the timeline condition is met (assuming the timeline is configured or specified). Otherwise, the terminal device 110 does not send the indication.

[0073] refer to Figure 2A, which shows an example signaling process 200A for reporting CG occasions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2A As shown in FIG, terminal device 110 obtains (202) information regarding criteria for whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by reporting terminal device 110. Based on determining (204) that the criteria is met, terminal device 110 sends (206) to network device 120 an indication 210 of whether at least one CG opportunity is to be used by terminal device 110. Network device 120 receives (208) indication 210 from terminal device 110.

[0074] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may obtain information about a standard for reporting whether multiple CG opportunities are to be used by terminal device 110 .

[0075] refer to Figure 2B , which shows an example signaling process 200B for reporting CG occasions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2B As shown in FIG, network device 120 determines (212) information about a criterion 218 for whether terminal device 110 reports at least one CG opportunity to be used by terminal device 110. Network device 120 sends (216) the information about the criterion 218 to terminal device 110. Terminal device 110 receives (214) the information about the criterion 218.

[0076] In some example embodiments, the criteria 208 may include that the following CG opportunities of the at least one CG opportunity are allowed to be indicated as unused: the CG opportunity is equal to or greater than a first time offset after the last symbol of the uplink (UL) channel carrying the indication 216. In some example embodiments, the criteria 208 may include that the most recent CG opportunity after a second time offset is the first CG opportunity allowed to be indicated as used or unused, and the second time offset may be part of the indication 216. In some example embodiments, the criteria 208 may include a third time offset that tells when the indication 216 is not allowed to be changed, e.g., if the time between the indication and the indicated opportunity is less than a certain time offset, then the change of the indication is not allowed.

[0077] By achieving Figure 2A or Figure 2B , a solution for reporting CG opportunities can be provided. In this way, a prohibition duration / time is provided to ensure that the UE is allowed or enabled to report unused / used CG opportunities only when there is enough time to allow rescheduling. Through the implementation of this solution, it can be ensured that the indication of unused CG resources can be reused by the network, and it can be ensured that resources are not reused, and the UE can change the indication from cancelled to active.

[0078] refer to Figure 3 , which illustrates an example configuration and behavior 300 of unused resources with minimum indicated offset according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that Figure 3 The example configuration and behavior in 300 can be considered as Figure 2A Signaling process 200A or Figure 2B Thus, Figure 3 The UE 302 is Figure 2A or Figure 2B An example of a terminal device 110 in . Figure 3 The gNB 304 in Figure 2A or Figure 2B An example of a network device 120 in FIG.

[0079] In some example embodiments, UE 302 and gNB 304 may be connected (306). gNB 304 may send (310) a configuration 312 of (multiple) CGs and an indication 313 of unused resources, along with a minimum indication time (Ioff) 315. UE 302 may receive (308) the configuration 312 and indication 313 along with Ioff 315.

[0080] In some example embodiments, UE 302 may transmit (314) data 318 on the allocated CG resources. UE 302 may evaluate (320) the need for subsequent CG resources that may occur after Ioff 315. In some example embodiments, the evaluation of the need for upcoming CG resources may occur continuously or, for example, be triggered by an UL data buffer status. In some example embodiments, the evaluation of the need for upcoming CG resources may occur before the first data transmission, i.e., the evaluation (320) may occur before the transmission (314).

[0081] In some example embodiments, if UE 302 determines that it does not need the CG opportunity coming after Ioff 315 based on UL data buffering, UE 302 may send 322 an indication to the network that the CG opportunity(s) are not used.

[0082] In some example embodiments, if UE 302 determines that it may require CG opportunity(s) occurring after Ioff 315, UE 302 may not send an indication. In some example embodiments, if UE 302 determines that it may require CG opportunity(s) occurring after Ioff 315, UE 302 may send (324) an indication indicating that CG resource(s) occurring after Ioff 315 will be used or required.

[0083] In some example embodiments, gNB 304 may configure Ioff 315 for an indication of unused resources (e.g., reported in UCI) such that UE 302 may only indicate resources that are at least equal to or greater than a minimum offset after the last symbol of the UL channel carrying the indication.

[0084] In some example embodiments, gNB 304 may configure a minimum offset. The minimum offset may be part of the CG indication of used / unused resources to define the start of the CG indication as, for example, the most recently scheduled CG opportunity after the minimum offset being the first opportunity that may be indicated by UE 110 to gNB 120 as used / unused.

[0085] In some example embodiments, gNB 304 may configure a minimum offset after which a previous indication from UE 110 may not be changed, e.g., to change a previous indication from canceled to used. In this case, the minimum offset may define rules for gNB 304 when gNB 304 may begin using resources for another UE or for other purposes.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may determine a minimum offset for indicating unused resources to account for (network's) scheduling decision processing delays. In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may determine a minimum offset for indicating unused resources to account for available scheduling opportunities (SSset configuration(s) and DL slot mode). In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may determine a minimum offset for indicating unused resources to account for the subcarrier spacing of the BWP of unused CG resources. The minimum offset may be configured per BWP, per SCS, or scaled by the UE based on the SCS. In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may determine a minimum offset for indicating unused resources to account for the time division duplex (TDD) radio frame configuration (in the case of a TDD system).

[0087] In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may determine a minimum offset for the indication of unused / used resources, considering that the minimum offset Ioff may depend on the processing capabilities of the active UEs belonging to the same cell (where the processing timeline may be determined based on the UE group, e.g., worst-case capability or best-case capability). The minimum offset may be dynamically updated based on the state of the UE. In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may determine a minimum offset for the indication of unused resources, considering that the minimum indication time offset may be evaluated as a function of the time difference between the CG resource (current, future), or the CG occasion of multiple CG resources (last symbol of the current CG occasion, first symbol of the evaluated CG occasion), or the timing of the slots (current (UL) slot vs. the upcoming slot of the evaluated CG resource).

[0088] In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may determine a minimum offset for the indication of unused / used resources, taking into account that the minimum indication offset may be determined as the minimum number of DL time slots between the UL time slot carrying the indication and the UL time slot of the CG resources. In the absence of network configuration, the minimum offset may be predetermined based on the maximum or minimum UE processing time for the SCS and / or TDD radio frame structure and UL time slot mode (in the case of a TDD system).

[0089] In some example embodiments, gNB 304 always requests UE 302 to report unused resources, so that gNB 304 may not need to detect data on the allocated resources, and it may be possible that UE 302 can skip UL transmission.

[0090] In some example embodiments, UE 302 may be provided by gNB 304 with a configuration of a minimum indication time offset as part of the configuration of CG resource(s) and enable indication of unused / used resources. Based on UL data buffering and / or expected UL traffic characteristics (e.g., size, periodicity, packet delay budget, reliability requirements, priority), UE 302 may determine whether it will require CG resource(s) for at least a certain number of time units (e.g., symbols or slots) after the end of the UL symbol / slot / transmission carrying the indication of unused resources. UE 302 may also assess whether the resources within Ioff are sufficient to carry the buffered data. The number of time units may be a time offset indicated by gNB 304, a preconfigured time offset based on processing times for SCS and TDD frame structures, or may be specified in the standard. If UE 302 determines that the granted resources are not needed after the time offset, UE 302 may provide an indication to the NW, for example, by piggybacking UCI with the UL data transmission.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the gNB 304 may define a closest scheduled CG opportunity after which a minimum offset may be a first opportunity that may be indicated by the UE 302 to the gNB 304 as used / unused.

[0092] refer to Figure 4 , which shows an example timeline 400 of an indication process and a minimum indication offset according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0093] In some example embodiments, for data in UL buffer 402, evaluation of an indication of unused resources may be required for indications in CG 1.1 through CG 1.3, as shown in block 420. For data in UL buffer 404, evaluation of the need for a CG may not be required after minimum indication offset 414 to CG 1.4, as shown in block 422.

[0094] In some example embodiments, for CG 1.2, as shown in block 424, for example, piggybacking UCI onto CG 1.2 (PUSCH) to indicate CG 1.4 may not be required. For data in UL buffer 406, as shown in block 426, after the minimum indication offset 416 to CG 1.5, an evaluation of the need for a CG may not be required. For CG 1.3, as shown in block 428, for example, piggybacking UCI onto CG 1.3 (PUSCH) to indicate CG 1.5 may not be required.

[0095] In some example embodiments, a network (such as Figure 3 The gNB 304 in the example may identify multiple categories of UEs based on their processing capabilities and determine multiple minimum time offsets, as well as one time offset for each UE capability. The network may indicate to the UE the time offset of its capability. Unused CG resources indicated by the UE may be reallocated by the network to UEs of the same capability or a capability with a shorter time offset. In some example embodiments, the network (such as Figure 3 The gNB 304 in the cell can determine the same minimum time offset that applies to all UEs in the cell, independent of UE capabilities.

[0096] As an example, unused resources belonging to UEs of capability 2 may be reallocated to UEs of capability 1 and capability 2 (excluding UEs for which unused resources have been indicated).

[0097] In some example embodiments, the network may configure a minimum offset, Ioff, after which a previous indication from a UE cannot be changed, e.g., changing a previous indication from deactivate to activate. In this case, the minimum offset may define the rules for the gNB when it starts using resources for another UE.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the UE may send an indication 110. With respect to indication "110", 1 may be used for the 2nd (CG 1.2), 1 may be used for the 3rd (CG 1.3), and 0 may be used for the 4th (CG 1.4) UL, where 1 indicates a used time slot and 0 indicates an unused time slot. If for some reason the UE would need a fourth UL, the time between the UCI carrying the change and the time slot to be changed from canceled to used would be greater than the minimum offset. In some example embodiments, the UE may also indicate whether no additional CG is required for a duration.

[0099] refer to Figure 5 , which is an example flow chart of a method 500 implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 For reference.

[0100] At 502, terminal device 110 obtains information about criteria for reporting whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by terminal device 110. At 504, based on determining that the criteria is met, terminal device 110 sends an indication to network device 120 whether at least one CG opportunity is to be used by terminal device 110.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the criteria may include at least one of the following: the following CG opportunities among the at least one CG opportunity are allowed to be indicated as unused: the CG opportunity is equal to or greater than a first time offset after the last symbol of the uplink (UL) channel carrying the indication; and the most recent CG opportunity after a second time offset is the first CG opportunity allowed to be indicated as used or unused. The second time offset may be part of the indication, or indicate a third time offset after which it is not allowed to be changed.

[0102] In some example embodiments, at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset may be determined based on at least one of: an indication from the network device 120; a scheduling decision processing delay by the network device 120; available scheduling opportunities; a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of a bandwidth portion (BWP) of unused CG resources; a processing capability of the terminal device 110; a processing capability of active terminal devices belonging to the cell; a function of a time difference between the timing of a CG resource, a CG opportunity of multiple CG resources, or a time slot; a minimum number of downlink (DL) time slots between a UL time slot carrying an indication and a UL time slot of at least one CG resource; or, in the absence of network configuration, a maximum or minimum processing time of the terminal device 110 for an SCS, or a structure of a time division duplex (TDD) radio frame and a UL time slot pattern.

[0103] In some example embodiments, at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset may be configured per BWP, per SCS, or scaled by the terminal device 110 based on the SCS.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may evaluate the need for a CG opportunity based on at least one of UL data buffering or UL traffic characteristics based on determining that criteria are met for the CG opportunity.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may send the indication by at least one of: sending an indication to indicate that at least one CG opportunity will not be used by the terminal device 110 based on determining that the terminal device 110 does not need the at least one CG opportunity; or sending an indication to indicate that the CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device 110 based on determining that the terminal device 110 needs the CG opportunity.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the evaluation of the need for at least one CG opportunity may be performed continuously or triggered by an UL data buffer status. In some example embodiments, at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset may be applicable to a capability of the terminal device, and the terminal device 110 may be of the capability of the terminal device.

[0107] In some example embodiments, at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset may be applicable to a plurality of terminal devices served by the network device.

[0108] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may be a first terminal device, and the capabilities of the terminal device may be the first capabilities of the terminal device. In some example embodiments, the unused CG opportunities indicated by the first terminal device may be rescheduled by network device 120 to a second terminal device. In some example embodiments, the second terminal device may be the first capabilities of the terminal device, or a second capability of the terminal device having a shorter time offset than the first capabilities of the terminal device.

[0109] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may obtain information about the criteria by receiving information about the criteria from network device 120. In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may skip sending an indication to network device 120 based on determining that the criteria are not met.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a first CG opportunity that meets the criteria as the first CG opportunity; the terminal device 110 may send an indication to the network device 120 indicating that the first CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device 110.

[0111] refer to Figure 6 , which shows an example flow chart of a method 600 implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 For reference.

[0112] At 602 , network device 120 determines information regarding a criterion for terminal device 110 to report whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by terminal device 110 .

[0113] In some example embodiments, the criteria may include at least one of the following: the following CG opportunities among the at least one CG opportunity are allowed to be indicated as unused: equal to or greater than a first time offset after the last symbol of the uplink (UL) channel carrying the indication; the nearest CG opportunity after a second time offset is the first CG opportunity allowed to be indicated as used or unused. The second time offset may be part of the indication, or indicate a third time offset after which the indication is not allowed to be changed.

[0114] In some example embodiments, at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset may be determined based on at least one of: an indication from the network device 120; a scheduling decision processing delay by the network device 120; available scheduling opportunities; a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of a bandwidth portion (BWP) of unused CG resources; a processing capability of the terminal device 110; a processing capability of active terminal devices belonging to the cell; a function of a time difference between the timing of a CG resource, a CG opportunity of multiple CG resources, or a time slot; a minimum number of downlink (DL) time slots between a UL time slot carrying the indication and a UL time slot of at least one CG resource; or a maximum processing time of the terminal device 110 for an SCS, or a structure of a time division duplex (TDD) radio frame and a UL time slot pattern in the absence of network device configuration.

[0115] In some example embodiments, at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset may be configured per BWP, per SCS, or scaled by the terminal device 110 based on the SCS.

[0116] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may determine information about the standard by identifying the capabilities of the terminal device based on the processing capabilities of the terminal device. Terminal device 110 may belong to the capabilities of the terminal device; and network device 120 may determine information about the standard by determining information about the standards for the capabilities of the terminal device.

[0117] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may be a first terminal device.In some example embodiments, network device 120 may receive an indication from the first terminal device that the CG opportunity will not be used by the first terminal device; and reschedule the CG opportunity to a second terminal device.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may be a first terminal device, and the capability of the terminal device may be a first capability of the terminal device. In some example embodiments, the second terminal device may belong to the first capability of the terminal device, or a second capability of the terminal device having a shorter time offset than the first capability of the terminal device.

[0119] By implementing methods 500 and 600, a prohibition duration / time is introduced to ensure that the UE is allowed / enabled to report unused CG opportunities only when there is sufficient time to allow rescheduling. This method can ensure that the indication of unused CG resources can be reused by the network, and can ensure that resources are not reused and the UE can change the indication from canceled to active.

[0120] In some example embodiments, an apparatus of a terminal device capable of executing method 500 may include a component for executing the corresponding steps of method 500. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0121] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include: a component for obtaining information about criteria for reporting whether a configuration authorization (CG) opportunity is to be used by a terminal device; and a component for sending an indication to a network device about whether the CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device based on determining that the criteria is met.

[0122] In some example embodiments, the criterion may include at least one of the following: the following CG opportunities of at least one CG opportunity are allowed to be indicated as unused: equal to or greater than a first time offset after the last symbol of an uplink (UL) channel carrying the indication; the most recent CG opportunity after a second time offset is the first CG opportunity allowed to be indicated as used or unused, where the second time offset is part of the indication, or the indication is a third time offset after which it is not allowed to be changed.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the components for determining the criterion may include: components for determining at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset based on at least one of: an indication from a network device; a scheduling decision processing delay of the network device; available scheduling opportunities; a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of a bandwidth portion (BWP) of unused CG resources; a processing capability of a terminal device; a processing capability of active terminal devices belonging to a cell; a function of a time difference between the timing of a CG resource, a CG opportunity of multiple CG resources, or a time slot; a minimum number of downlink (DL) time slots between a UL time slot carrying an indication and a UL time slot of at least one CG resource; or, in the absence of network device configuration, a maximum processing time of a terminal device for an SCS, or a structure of a time division duplex (TDD) radio frame and a UL time slot pattern.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include means for configuring at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset per BWP, per SCS, or scaling by the terminal device based on the SCS.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include means for evaluating the need for a CG opportunity based on at least one of a UL data buffer or a UL traffic characteristic based on determining that criteria are met for the CG opportunity.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the component for sending the indication may include a component for sending the indication by at least one of: sending an indication to indicate that the CG opportunity will not be used by the terminal device based on determining that the terminal device does not need the CG opportunity; or sending an indication to indicate that the CG opportunity will be used by the terminal device based on determining that the terminal device needs the CG opportunity.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the means for evaluating the need for a CG opportunity may include means for continuously performing the evaluation of the need for a CG opportunity, or means for triggering the evaluation of the need for a CG opportunity by a UL data buffer status.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may comprise means for applying at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset or the third time offset to a capability of the terminal device.In some example embodiments, the terminal device may pertain to a capability of the terminal device.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may be a first terminal device, and the capabilities of the terminal device may be a first capability of the terminal device. In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include means for rescheduling, by the network device, an unused CG opportunity indicated by the first terminal device to a second terminal device. In some example embodiments, the second terminal device may be of the first capability of the terminal device, or of a second capability of the terminal device having a shorter time offset than the first capability of the terminal device.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the means for obtaining information about the criteria may include means for obtaining information about the criteria by receiving information about the criteria from the network device. In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include means for skipping sending an indication to the network device based on determining that the criteria is not met.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include: a component for determining a first CG opportunity that meets the criterion as the first CG opportunity; and a component for sending an indication to the network device indicating that the first CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device.

[0132] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some example embodiments of method 500. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0133] In some example embodiments, an apparatus of a network device capable of executing method 600 may include a component for executing the corresponding steps of method 600. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include: means for determining information about a criterion for a terminal device to report whether a Configuration Grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and means for sending the information about the criterion to the terminal device.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the criteria may include at least one of the following: a CG opportunity of at least one CG opportunity being allowed to be indicated as unused is equal to or greater than a first time offset after the last symbol of an uplink (UL) channel carrying the indication; the most recent CG opportunity after a second time offset is the first CG opportunity allowed to be indicated as used or unused, where the second time offset is part of the indication; or the indication is a third time offset after which it is not allowed to be changed.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the components for determining information about the standard may include: components for determining at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset based on at least one of: an indication from a network device; a scheduling decision processing delay of the network device; available scheduling opportunities; a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of a bandwidth portion (BWP) of unused CG resources; a processing capability of a terminal device; a processing capability of active terminal devices belonging to a cell; a function of a time difference between the timing of a CG resource, a CG opportunity of multiple CG resources, or a time slot; a minimum number of downlink (DL) time slots between a UL time slot carrying an indication and a UL time slot of at least one CG resource; or, in the absence of network device configuration, a maximum processing time of a terminal device for an SCS, or a structure of a time division duplex (TDD) radio frame and a UL time slot pattern.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include means for configuring at least one of the following: the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset per BWP, per SCS, or scaling by the terminal device based on the SCS.

[0138] In some example embodiments, the means for determining information about a standard may include: means for identifying a capability of a terminal device based on a processing capability of the terminal device, wherein the terminal device belongs to the capability of the terminal device; and means for determining information about a standard for the capability of the terminal device.

[0139] In some example embodiments, at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset may be applicable to a plurality of terminal devices served by the network device.

[0140] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may be a first terminal device.In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include: means for receiving an indication from the first terminal device that the CG opportunity will not be used by the first terminal device; and means for rescheduling the CG opportunity to the second terminal device.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may be a first terminal device, and the capability of the terminal device may be a first capability of the terminal device. In some example embodiments, the second terminal device may belong to the first capability of the terminal device, or a second capability of the terminal device having a shorter time offset than the first capability of the terminal device.

[0142] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some example embodiments of method 600. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0143] refer to Figure 7 , which shows an example simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus 700 may be provided to implement a communication apparatus, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the terminal device 110 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 740 can be coupled to the processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 can be coupled to the processor 710.

[0144] The communication module 740 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements. For example, the communication interface to other network elements can be wireless or wired, or a software-based interface for communication.

[0145] Processor 710 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and, as non-limiting examples, may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Apparatus 700 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0146] The memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0147] Computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions executed by associated processor 710. Program 730 may be stored in ROM 724. Processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0148] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in a program manner so that the device 700 can execute the following steps: Figures 2A to 6Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 700 (such as in the memory 720) or in another storage device accessible by the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 8 An example of a computer readable medium 800 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 730 stored thereon.

[0150] In general, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software, which can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0151] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced Figure 5 or Figure 6 Method 500 or 600. Generally speaking, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed in various embodiments. Machine-executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0152] The program code for performing the disclosed method can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatus so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, enables specific function / operation in flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized. The program code can be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as an independent software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0153] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0154] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The term "non-transient" as used herein is a restriction on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than signal), rather than a restriction on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0155] In addition, although operation is described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring these operations or all shown operations to be performed in described particular order or in sequential order, to realize desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as the description of the features that can be specific to a particular embodiment. Some features described in the context of a separate embodiment also can be realized in the combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment also can be realized individually or with any suitable subcombination in a plurality of embodiments.

[0156] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: obtaining information about criteria for reporting whether at least one Configuration Grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and Based on determining that the criterion is met, an indication is sent to the network device whether the at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the standard comprises at least one of the following: The following CG opportunities of the at least one CG opportunity are allowed to be indicated as unused: the CG opportunity is equal to or greater than a first time offset after a last symbol of an uplink (UL) channel carrying the indication; the nearest CG opportunity after a second time offset is a first CG opportunity permitted to be indicated as used or unused, wherein the second time offset is part of the indication; or The indication is not allowed to be changed after the third time offset.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset is determined based on at least one of the following: an indication from the network device; Scheduling decision processing delay of the network device; Available scheduling opportunities; The subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the bandwidth part (BWP) of the unused CG resources; The processing capability of the terminal device; The processing capabilities of active terminal devices belonging to the cell; a function of the time difference between the timings of a CG resource, a CG timing of multiple CG resources, or a time slot; a minimum number of downlink (DL) time slots between a UL time slot carrying the indication and a UL time slot of the at least one CG resource; or The maximum processing time of the terminal device for the SCS, or the structure of the time division duplex (TDD) radio frame and the UL time slot mode in the absence of network device configuration.

4. The terminal device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset is configured per BWP, per SCS, or scaled by the terminal device based on the SCS.

5. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Based on determining that the criteria are met for the at least one CG opportunity, the need for the at least one CG opportunity is evaluated based on at least one of UL data buffering or UL traffic characteristics.

6. The terminal device according to claim 5, wherein the terminal device is caused to send the indication by at least one of: Based on determining that the terminal device does not need the at least one CG opportunity, sending the indication to indicate that the at least one CG opportunity is not to be used by the terminal device; or Based on determining that the terminal device requires the at least one CG opportunity, the indication is sent to indicate that the at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device.

7. A terminal device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the evaluation of the need for the at least one CG opportunity is performed continuously or is triggered by a UL data buffer status.

8. A terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset is applicable to a capability of the terminal device, and the terminal device belongs to the capability of the terminal device.

9. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset is applicable to a plurality of terminal devices served by the network device.

10. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: The terminal device is a first terminal device, and the capability of the terminal device is a first capability of the terminal device; The unused CG opportunity indicated by the first terminal device is rescheduled by the network device to the second terminal device; as well as The second terminal device belongs to the first capability of the terminal device, or a second capability of the terminal device having a shorter time offset than the first capability of the terminal device.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the terminal device is caused to obtain the information about the standard by: The information about the standard is received from the network device.

12. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Based on determining that the criterion is not met, sending the indication to the network device is skipped.

13. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: determining a first CG opportunity that meets the criteria as the first CG opportunity; and An indication is sent to the network device indicating that the first CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device.

14. A network device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: determining information regarding criteria for a terminal device to report whether at least one Configuration Grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; and The information about the standard is sent to the terminal device.

15. The network device according to claim 14, wherein the criteria include at least one of the following: The following CG opportunity of at least one opportunity is allowed to be indicated as unused: the CG opportunity is equal to or greater than a first time offset after the last symbol of the uplink (UL) channel carrying the indication; the nearest CG opportunity after a second time offset is a first CG opportunity permitted to be indicated as used or unused, wherein the second time offset is part of the indication; or The indication is not allowed to be changed after the third time offset.

16. The network device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset is determined based on at least one of: an indication from the network device; Scheduling decision processing delay of the network device; Available scheduling opportunities; The subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the bandwidth part (BWP) of the unused CG resources; The processing capability of the terminal device; The processing capabilities of active terminal devices belonging to the cell; a function of the time difference between the timings of a CG resource, a CG timing of multiple CG resources, or a time slot; a minimum number of downlink (DL) time slots between a UL time slot carrying the indication and a UL time slot of the at least one CG resource; or The maximum processing time of the terminal device for the SCS, or the structure of the time division duplex (TDD) radio frame and the UL time slot mode in the absence of network device configuration.

17. The network device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein at least one of the first time offset, the second time offset, or the third time offset is configured per BWP, per SCS, or scaled by the terminal device based on the SCS.

18. The network device according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the network device is caused to determine the criterion by: identifying capabilities of a terminal device based on processing capabilities of the terminal device, wherein the terminal device belongs to the capabilities of the terminal device; and Determining said criteria for said capabilities of a terminal device.

19. The network device according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the terminal device is a first terminal device, and the network device is further caused to: receiving an indication from the first terminal device that a CG opportunity is not to be used by the first terminal device; and Reschedule the at least one CG opportunity to the second terminal device.

20. The network device according to claim 19, wherein: The terminal device is a first terminal device, and the capability of the terminal device is a first capability of the terminal device; as well as The second terminal device belongs to the first capability of the terminal device, or a second capability of the terminal device having a shorter time offset than the first capability of the terminal device.

21. A method comprising: obtaining, at a terminal device, information about criteria for reporting whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; as well as Based on determining that the criterion is met, an indication is sent to the network device whether the at least one CG opportunity is to be used by the terminal device.

22. A method comprising: determining, at a network device, information regarding criteria for a terminal device to report whether at least one configuration grant (CG) opportunity is to be used by the terminal device; as well as The information about the standard is sent to the terminal device.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to claim 21 or 22.

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