Device, method and medium for communication

Abstract

Example embodiments of the disclosure relate to devices, methods, and computer storage media for communication. In one embodiment, a terminal device receives CG PUSCH information indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions in a CG cycle. The terminal device determines a transmission opportunity of the UCI and determines a time offset from the end of the transmission opportunity of the UCI to a time instance after which the CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device. And if at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance exists in the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities, the terminal device transmits a UCI at the transmission opportunity, the UCI indicating whether the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance is available for reuse. In this way, another terminal device may reuse at least one CG PUSCH opportunity based on the scheduling DCI from the network device. Thus, resources may be utilized in a more efficient manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to the field of communication technology, and more particularly to devices, methods and computer-readable media for communication. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, a new work project regarding extended reality (XR) services has been underway in new radio (NR) release 18 (Rel-18). To better support XR services, enhancements to power efficiency and capacity will be researched and specified.

[0003] The configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) is beneficial for meeting some requirements of XR services because it eliminates the need for scheduling requests (SR) and buffer status reports (BSR). However, further research is needed to enhance the CG PUSCH. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In general, the example embodiments of this disclosure provide devices, methods, and computer storage media for communication.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor configured to cause the terminal device to perform at least the following operations: receiving Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information from a network device, the information indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities within a CG period; determining the transmission opportunity of uplink control information (UCI) within the CG period; determining a time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device; and transmitting the UCI to the network device at the transmission opportunity based on at least one CGPUSCH opportunity following the determined number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities, the UCI indicating whether the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity following the time instance is available for reuse.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor configured to cause the network device to perform at least the following operations: transmit Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information to the terminal device, the information indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities within a CG period; determine the transmission opportunity of Uplink Control Information (UCI) within the CG period; determine the time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device; and receive the UCI from the terminal device at the transmission opportunity, the UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance of the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities is available for reuse.

[0007] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes: receiving, at a terminal device, Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information from a network device, the information indicating the number of configured CGPUSCH opportunities within a CG period; determining the transmission opportunity of Uplink Control Information (UCI) within the CG period; determining a time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device; and transmitting the UCI to the network device at the transmission opportunity based on at least one CGPUSCH opportunity following the determined number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities, the UCI indicating whether the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity following the time instance is available for reuse.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes: transmitting Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information to an end device at a network device, the information indicating the number of configured CGPUSCH opportunities within a CG period; determining the transmission opportunity of Uplink Control Information (UCI) within the CG period; determining a time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another end device; and receiving the UCI from the end device at the transmission opportunity, the UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance of the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities is available for reuse.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the third or fourth aspect described above.

[0010] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to illustrate key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the more detailed description of some exemplary embodiments of the disclosure in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 Example communication systems are shown in which some embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented; Figure 2 Signaling diagrams illustrating communication processes according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 3A A schematic diagram illustrating a time offset in a CG cycle according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3B A schematic diagram illustrating time offsets in two CG cycles according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 4A A schematic diagram illustrating TB transfers during a CG cycle according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 4B A schematic diagram illustrating TB transfer in a CG cycle according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 5 Schematic diagrams illustrating bitmap-based UCI according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating example methods implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is provided. Figure 7 Flowcharts illustrating example methods implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of this disclosure; and Figure 8 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0012] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The principles of this 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 assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0014] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein in the following description and claims shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0015] The references to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it should be understood that implementing such a feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art, whether explicitly described or not.

[0016] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0017] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a / an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including” specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0018] In some examples, values, programs, or devices are referred to as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “smallest,” “maximum,” etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made among many functional alternatives used, and that such a choice is not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or otherwise superior to other options.

[0019] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G-Advanced networks, or sixth generation (6G) communication protocols, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied in a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the content of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be considered limited to the aforementioned systems.

[0020] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktop computers, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablet computers, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Ultra-reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, devices on vehicles used for V2X communication (where X refers to pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks), devices used for Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), spacecraft or airborne vehicles in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) (including satellites and High Altitude Platforms (HAPs), encompassing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)), and extended reality (XR) devices (including different types of reality, such as augmented reality). Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (often referred to as drones, which are aircraft without any human pilots), devices on high-speed trains (HSTs), or image capture devices (such as digital cameras), sensors, gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, or internet devices that enable wireless or wired internet access and browsing, etc. A 'terminal device' can further have 'multicast / broadcast' characteristics to support public safety and mission-critical applications, V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast delivery, IPTV, smart TV, radio services, wireless software delivery, group communication, and IoT applications. It can also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), referred to as multi-SIM. The term "terminal device" is used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0021] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a device capable of providing or hosting a cell or coverage area in which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, satellites, unmanned aerial system (UAS) platforms, NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (or eNodeBs or eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (or gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), remote radio units (RRUs), radio heads (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), IAB nodes, low-power nodes (such as femtonodes and piconodes), reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), etc.

[0022] In one embodiment, the terminal device can be connected to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first and second network devices can be a master node, and the other a slave node. The first and second network devices can use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device can be a first RAT device, and the second network device can be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to different RATs can be transmitted from at least one of the first and second network devices to the terminal device. In one embodiment, first information can be transmitted from the first network device to the terminal device, and second information can be transmitted from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, information related to the configuration of the terminal device configured by the second network device can be transmitted from the second network device via the first network device. Information related to the reconfiguration of the terminal device configured by the second network device can be transmitted from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device.

[0023] The communications discussed herein can conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to New Radio Access (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), cdma2000, and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Furthermore, communications can be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.85G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols. The technologies described herein can be used in the aforementioned wireless networks and radio technologies, as well as other wireless networks and radio technologies. Embodiments of this disclosure can be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0024] Terminal devices or network devices can have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. This typically includes models trained on specific functions using large amounts of collected data, which can then be used to predict information.

[0025] Terminal or network devices can operate on several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz), bands greater than 100 GHz, and terahertz (THz). They can further operate on licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. In Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) applications, terminal devices can have more than one connection with network devices. Terminal or network devices can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, and cross-diversity duplex modes.

[0026] The embodiments of this disclosure can be executed in test equipment (e.g., signal generator, signal analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, test terminal equipment, test network equipment, channel simulator).

[0027] Embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented based on any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0028] As used herein, the term "circuit system" can refer to hardware circuitry and / or a combination of hardware circuitry and software. For example, a circuit system can be a combination of analog hardware circuitry and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware. As a further example, a circuit system can be any part of a hardware processor with software, including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a terminal device or network device) to perform various functions. In even further examples, a circuit system can be hardware circuitry and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof, that requires software / firmware to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate. As used herein, the term circuit system also covers implementations of only one hardware circuit or (multiple) processors or a portion thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0029] As used herein, the singular forms “a / an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “includes” and its variations should be interpreted as an open-ended term meaning “including, but not limited to”. The term “based on” should be interpreted as “at least partially based on”. The terms “one embodiment” and “an embodiment” should be interpreted as “at least one embodiment”. The term “another embodiment” should be interpreted as “at least one other embodiment”. The terms “first,” “second,” etc., can refer to different or the same objects. Further explicit and implicit definitions may be included below.

[0030] In some examples, values, programs, or devices are referred to as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “smallest,” “maximum,” etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made among many functional alternatives used, and that such a choice is not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or otherwise superior to other options.

[0031] As mentioned above, we will examine energy efficiency and capacity enhancements for XR services. XR traffic has some important characteristics that distinguish it from other services, such as: • Packet arrival time jitter: For downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) video streaming, there is a significant jitter effect in packet arrival time. This means that packets may arrive in a specific range around the theoretical average arrival time (e.g., CG PUSCH is advantageous for meeting strict latency budgets because SR and BSR reports are not required). However, larger and variable packet sizes should be considered when enhancing CG PUSCH.

[0032] A consensus has been reached that multiple CG PUSCH transmission opportunities can be supported within a single CG PUSCH configuration period. It is also agreed that dynamic indication of unused CG PUSCH opportunities based on uplink control information (UCI) should be supported. For example, the CG PUSCH physical channel can carry UCI providing information about the transmission opportunities of (multiple) unused CG PUSCHs. However, further research is needed on how to transmit the UCI.

[0033] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication solution. In this solution, a terminal device can receive CG PUSCH information from a network device indicating multiple configured CG PUSCH opportunities within a CG cycle. The terminal device can further determine the time offset from the end of a UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance where a CG PUSCH becomes available for reuse by another terminal device. The terminal device can further transmit a UCI to indicate whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity within the CG cycle is available for reuse. Thus, at least one unused CG PUSCH opportunity can be reused by another terminal device according to a scheduling DCI from the network device, and therefore resources can be used efficiently. Furthermore, the UCI does not need to indicate one or more CG PUSCH opportunities prior to the time offset, and therefore overhead can be reduced. The principles and implementation methods of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 An example communication system 100 is shown in which some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. The communication network 100 includes a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 can provide services to the terminal device 120.

[0035] In system 100, it is assumed that terminal device 120 is within the coverage area of ​​network device 110. In some examples, the link from network device 110 to terminal device 120 is referred to as a downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 120 to network device 110 is referred to as an uplink (UL). In the downlink, network device 110 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 120 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the uplink, terminal device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and network device 110 is an RX device (or receiver). In some embodiments, network device 110 and terminal device 120 may communicate using a direct link / channel. The DL may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). A UL may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). As used herein, the term “channel” may refer to a carrier or a portion of a carrier consisting of a continuous set of resource blocks (RBs) on which channel access procedures are performed in the shared spectrum.

[0036] For example, communication between network device 110 and terminal device 120 in system 100 may be implemented according to any appropriate communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) and fifth generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols (such as Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11), and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communication may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplexer (FDD), Time Division Duplexer (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), and / or any other technology currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0037] The embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to any suitable scenario. For example, the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in a lightweight NR device. Alternatively, the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in one of the following ways: NR multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), NR side link enhancement, NR systems at frequencies above 52.6 GHz, extended NR operation up to 71 GHz, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) / enhanced Machine Type Communication (eMTC) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN), NTN, UE power saving enhancement, NR coverage enhancement, NB-IoT and LTE-MTC, integrated access and backhaul (IAB), NR multicast and broadcast services, or enhancements to multiple radio dual connectivity.

[0038] It should be understood that Figure 1The number, connection relationships, and types of devices shown (i.e., network device 110 and terminal device 120) are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of devices appropriate for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, another terminal device 130 can be located within the coverage area of ​​network device 110.

[0039] Further reference Figure 2 This document illustrates a signaling diagram of a communication process 200 according to some example embodiments of this disclosure. Reference will be made to this document for discussion purposes only. Figure 1 Describe process 200. Process 200 may involve network device 110 and terminal device 120.

[0040] Network device 110 transmits CG PUSCH information 212 to terminal device 120. In some example embodiments, the CG PUSCH information 212 may indicate the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities in each CG cycle. In some examples, the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities may be represented as Ncg, which can be an integer greater than 0. For example, 1 ≤ Ncg ≤ 8. It should be understood that the value of Ncg can be any integer, and this disclosure does not limit this aspect. In other words, the CG PUSCH information 212 may indicate that there are Ncg configured CG PUSCH opportunities in each CG cycle.

[0041] In some example embodiments, CG PUSCH information 212 may indicate type 1 CG. In some examples, CG PUSCH information 212 may include CG PUSCH configuration, for example, CG PUSCH information 212 may be transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) messages / signaling.

[0042] In some example embodiments, the CG PUSCH information 212 may indicate type 2 CG. In some examples, the CG PUSCH information 212 may be transmitted via RRC messages / signaling or via downlink control information (DCI). In some examples, the DCI may be used to activate that number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities in the CG cycle (i.e., Ncg configured CG PUSCH opportunities).

[0043] In this disclosure, the configured CG PUSCH timing may also be referred to as the configured CG timing or CGPUSCH timing, for example, it may refer to the transmission timing of CG PUSCH. For example, the configured CG PUSCH timing may occupy multiple time units, where the time units may be symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, milliseconds, etc.

[0044] Therefore, network device 110 can indicate to terminal device 120, based on CG PUSCH information 212, that the CG cycle includes Ncg configured CG PUSCH opportunities. On the other side of the communication, terminal device 120 receives CG PUSCH information 214. Terminal device 120 can determine the Ncg configured CG PUSCH opportunities per CG cycle based on CG PUSCH information 212.

[0045] Terminal device 120 determines the timing of uplink control information (UCI) transmission within a 220 CG cycle. In some example embodiments, the UCI transmission timing may include at least one time unit, for example, it may include at least one OFDM symbol. In some example embodiments, the duration of the UCI transmission timing may be shorter than the duration of the configured CG PUSCH timing.

[0046] In some example embodiments, the transmission timing of UCI can be within the first configured CG PUSCH timing of a plurality of configured CG PUSCH timings (i.e., Ncg configured CG PUSCH timings) in a CG cycle. In some examples, UCI can be carried by a CG PUSCH transmitted in the first of the plurality of configured CG PUSCH timings. In some examples, the time resources for the transmission timing of UCI can be a portion of the resources of the first configured CG PUSCH timing. In some examples, the time resources for the transmission timing of UCI can be associated with a subset of the resources of the first configured CG PUSCH timing.

[0047] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 may determine a first CG PUSCH timing among a plurality of configured CG PUSCH timings, and then determine the UCI transmission timing based on the first CG PUSCH timing. For example, the start of the UCI transmission timing may be the same as the start of the first CG PUSCH timing. For example, the start of the UCI transmission timing may be determined based on the start and offset of the first CG PUSCH timing (e.g., an offset configured by network device 110).

[0048] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 may determine that a UCI is transmitted multiple times across multiple transmission opportunities, and the transmission opportunity of the UCI determined at 220 may be the first of the multiple transmission opportunities. In some examples, terminal device 120 may determine multiple configured CG PUSCH opportunities as multiple transmission opportunities, wherein the multiple configured CG PUSCH opportunities are used for multiple transmissions of the UCI, and then determine the first of the multiple configured CG PUSCH opportunities as the transmission opportunity of the UCI. For example, in the case of transmitting multiple UCIs, the transmission opportunity of the UCI determined at 220 may be the first of the multiple transmission opportunities.

[0049] Terminal device 120 determines the time offset from the end of the UCI transmission timing (or the end of the UCI) to a subsequent CGPUSCH timing that can be reused by another terminal device. In some examples, terminal device 120 may determine the time offset from the end of the UCI to an unused configured CG PUSCH timing that can be reused by another terminal device (e.g., Figure 1 The time offset of the time instance reused by the terminal device 130 in the UCI. Therefore, the time instance can be further determined based on the transmission timing and time offset of the UCI. For example, the end of the transmission timing of the UCI can be represented as Tu, the time offset can be represented as T0, and the time instance can be represented as Tu+T0.

[0050] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine the time offset based on one or more of the following: a first time length, a second time length, a third time length, or a fourth time length.

[0051] The first time length can represent the processing time of the UCI by network device 110 and the preparation time of the scheduled DCI. For example, the scheduled DCI from network device 110 can schedule another terminal device to use one or more unused configured CG PUSCH opportunities. For example, network device 110 may need processing time to decode the UCI. For example, network device 110 may need preparation time to generate and encode the scheduled DCI. In some examples, the first time length can be equal to the sum of the processing time of the UCI and the preparation time of the scheduled DCI to the other terminal device. In some other examples, the first time length can be a function of at least one of the processing time of the UCI and the preparation time of the scheduled DCI to the other terminal device.

[0052] In some examples, the first time length may be predefined in a specification, so terminal device 120 can determine the first time length based on the predefined specification. In other examples, the first time length may be preconfigured by network device 110. For example, network device 110 may transmit the first time length to terminal device 120, and terminal device 120 may receive the first time length. For example, the first time length may be included in CG PUSCH information 212. For example, the first time length may be included in a configuration or message different from the configuration or message carrying CG PUSCH information 212.

[0053] In some examples, the first time length is a small value; for example, the first time length is equal to multiple OFDM symbols. In some examples, the first time length can be ignored. In some examples, terminal device 120 can determine the first time length and, if the first time length is less than a threshold (such as one time slot or another value), decide to ignore the first time length. In some other examples, terminal device 120 does not consider the first time length; for example, terminal device 120 does not determine the first time length at all.

[0054] The second time length can represent the PUSCH preparation time of another terminal device. In some example embodiments, in response to receiving a scheduling DCI from network device 110, another terminal device may require PUSCH preparation time to generate the PUSCH to be transmitted. In some examples, the second time length can refer to the time length from the end of the scheduling DCI to the first time unit (e.g., the first OFDM symbol) of the PUSCH scheduled by the scheduling DCI.

[0055] In some examples, the second duration may depend on the capabilities of the other terminal device. For example, this capability may be defined in a specification. In some examples, multiple capabilities may be allowed, and it should be understood that the other terminal device scheduled by network device 110 may have any of the multiple capabilities that are unknown to terminal device 120. In this case, terminal device 120 may determine the second duration based on one of the multiple capabilities. In some examples, a set of values ​​may be predefined or pre-configured; for example, this set of values ​​may include multiple values ​​associated with multiple capabilities.

[0056] In some examples, terminal device 120 may determine the second time length from the group of values ​​based on an instruction from the network device or based on predefined rules. For example, network device 110 may transmit an instruction associated with the second time length to terminal device 120, and terminal device 120 may select the second time length based on the instruction. For example, the group of values ​​may be sorted in ascending or descending order, and the instruction may indicate the position of the second time length in that order. In another example, terminal device 120 may use predefined rules to select the second time length. For example, the predefined rules may indicate selecting the minimum or maximum value in the group of values.

[0057] The third time length can represent the duration from the end of the UCI transmission timing to the first downlink time unit used for transmission scheduling DCI. In some example embodiments, the third time length can be determined based on the frame structure. In some example embodiments, the third time length can be the duration from the end of the UCI to the first downlink time unit (e.g., the first DL time slot) that can be used by network device 110 for transmission scheduling DCI. In some examples, the first downlink time unit can be the first DL time slot after the first time length from the end of the UCI. For example, if the first time length is denoted as T1, and the end of the UCI transmission timing is denoted as Tu, then the first DL time slot can be the first DL time slot after Tu+T1. In some examples, the third time length is longer than the first time length.

[0058] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 120 may be configured with multiple cells. In some examples, the first DL timeslot may be a DL timeslot in a related cell (e.g., a cell configured with CG PUSCH information 212). For example, the related cell may be one of a plurality of configured cells. In some other examples, the first DL timeslot may be a DL timeslot in a cell different from the related cell.

[0059] In some examples, network device 110 may transmit a configuration including an indication of at least one reference cell. For example, the at least one reference cell may be part of a plurality of cells, or one of the at least one reference cell may not be included in the plurality of cells. In some examples, when cross-carrier scheduling is configured, the at least one reference cell may be the same as the scheduling cell(s) associated with the related cell. In some examples, the at least one reference cell may include the related cell, for example, the cell configured with CG PUSCH information 212. In some other examples, the at least one reference cell may not include the related cell. Terminal device 120 may receive a configuration including an indication of at least one reference cell, and terminal device 120 may determine the earliest DL timeslot in the at least one reference cell (e.g., the first DL timeslot after Tu+T1). Therefore, terminal device 120 may determine a third time length from the end of the UCI transmission timing to the beginning of the earliest DL timeslot.

[0060] In some other example embodiments, network device 110 may transmit a third time length value to terminal device 120; for example, CG PUSCH information 212 includes a third time length value. In some examples, terminal device 120 may have difficulty determining the third time length based on the frame structure because scheduling may occur in a cell not configured for the terminal device. In some cases, the value of the third time length may be configured by network device 110, and therefore terminal device 120 can directly use this value as the third time length regardless of the frame structure.

[0061] The fourth time length can represent the duration of the DCI transmission by network device 110. In some example embodiments, the fourth time length may include the duration of the PDCCH carrying the DCI. In some examples, the fourth time length may be predefined in a specification, so terminal device 120 can determine the fourth time length based on the predefined specification. In some examples, the fourth time length may be preconfigured by network device 110. For example, network device 110 may transmit the fourth time length to terminal device 120, and terminal device 120 may receive the fourth time length. For example, the fourth time length may be included in an RRC message.

[0062] As previously described, terminal device 120 may determine the time offset based on one or more of the following: a first time length, a second time length, a third time length, or a fourth time length. In some examples, the first time length may be ignored or omitted; for example, terminal device 120 may determine the time offset based on the second, third, and fourth time lengths. In some examples, the time offset may be equal to the sum of the second, third, and fourth time lengths. For example, if the time offset is represented as T0, the second time length as T2, the third time length as T3, and the fourth time length as T4, then terminal device 120 may determine that T0 = T2 + T3 + T4.

[0063] Alternatively or additionally, terminal device 120 may determine the UCI based on a time offset. For example, terminal device 120 may determine whether to transmit the UCI.

[0064] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 can determine a time instance in which an unused CG PUSCH opportunity can be reused by another terminal device. For example, if the end of the UCI transmission opportunity is denoted as Tu and the time offset is denoted as T0, then the time instance can be denoted as Tu+T0.

[0065] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 can determine a first set of configured CGPUSCH timings and a second set of configured CG PUSCH timings within a CG cycle, wherein the first set of configured CG PUSCH timings precedes the time instance and the second set of configured CG PUSCH timings follows the time instance. For example, if the end of a UCI transmission timing is denoted as Tu and the time offset is denoted as T0, then the first set of configured CG PUSCH timings begins or ends before Tu+T0, while the second set of configured CG PUSCH timings begins or ends after Tu+T0.

[0066] In some example embodiments, if the second set of configured CG PUSCH timings includes at least one CG PUSCH timing, i.e., there exists at least one CG PUSCH timing following the time instance, then the terminal device 120 can determine a transmission UCI, wherein the UCI can be used to indicate whether the at least one CG PUSCH timing following the time instance is available for reuse. In some examples, the second set of configured CG PUSCH timings may include one or more unused CG PUSCH timings. For example, if there exists at least one CG PUSCH timing starting after the time instance, then the terminal device 120 can determine a UCI indicating the at least one CG PUSCH timing following the time instance. In some examples, the UCI can indicate that at least one CG PUSCH timing following the time instance is available for reuse. For example, the at least one CG PUSCH timing following the time instance may refer to at least one unused CG PUSCH timing or at least one available CG PUSCH timing, which does not overlap with resources that cannot be used for PUSCH transmission, wherein resources that cannot be used for PUSCH transmission may include DL symbols, symbols for synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission, etc.

[0067] In some other example embodiments, if the second set of configured CG PUSCH timings does not include available CGPUSCH timings, the terminal device 120 may determine not to transmit UCI. For example, there are no configured CGPUSCH timings after this time instance. For example, although one or more configured CG PUSCH timings exist after this time instance, they are all unavailable, for example, they overlap with resources that cannot be used for PUSCH transmission.

[0068] As Figure 2 In a specific example, terminal device 120 transmits UCI 242 to network device 110, where UCI 242 indicates whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity following the time instance is available for reuse. In some examples, UCI 242 may be transmitted at the time of transmission of the UCI (e.g., the time of transmission of the UCI determined at 220). In some examples, terminal device 120 may generate at least one field of UCI 242, and the at least one field may carry information associated with at least one CG PUSCH opportunity following the time instance, such as information indicating that the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity is unused, so that network device 110 can know that the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity can be reused by different terminal devices.

[0069] Based on the above references Figure 2In some of the embodiments described, it should be understood that the configured CG PUSCH timings are the first set of configured CG PUSCH timings that cannot be used by other terminal devices. Therefore, it is not necessary to transmit any information about the unused CG PUSCH timings(s) in the first set of configured CG PUSCH timings, thus reducing signaling overhead.

[0070] Additionally or alternatively, the terminal device 120 may determine how to use, for example, a first set of configured CG PUSCH timings prior to Tu+T0. It is assumed that the first set of configured CG PUSCH timings includes a second number of configured CGPUSCH timings.

[0071] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 may determine a first number of required CG PUSCH opportunities based on at least one of the following: buffer size, resources allocated for each of the configured number of CG PUSCH opportunities, or a configured modulation coding scheme (MCS). In some examples, the allocated resources and the configured MCS may be configured by network device 110. For example, CG PUSCH information 212 may include the allocated resources and / or the configured MCS.

[0072] Terminal device 120 can compare a first quantity with a second quantity. In some example embodiments, if the first quantity is greater than the second quantity, then terminal device 120 can transmit a CG PUSCH within the first quantity of CG PUSCH opportunities. In some examples, the first quantity of CG PUSCH opportunities may be used CG PUSCH opportunities, and the remaining CG PUSCH opportunities in the CG cycle may be unused CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0073] In some other example embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine that the first number is less than the second number. In some examples, the second number of CG PUSCH moments (i.e., the first set of configured CG PUSCH moments) may include the first number of CG PUSCH moments (i.e., the required CG PUSCH moments) and one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH moments. The one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH moments may refer to the second number of CG PUSCH moments minus the first number of CG PUSCH moments.

[0074] In some example embodiments, if the first quantity is less than the second quantity, the terminal device 120 may execute one of option 1, option 2, or option 3. In some examples, option 1 may be referred to as the repeating option, option 2 may be referred to as the adjusted MCS option, and option 3 may be referred to as the unused option.

[0075] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 may determine which option to use. In some examples, terminal device 120 may determine the option based on configuration from network device 110. For example, if repetition is configured, terminal device 120 may determine to use option 1. For example, if MCS adjustment is configured, terminal device 120 may determine to use option 2. For example, if neither repetition nor MCS adjustment is configured, terminal device 120 may determine to use option 3. For example, if both repetition and MCS adjustment are configured, terminal device 120 may determine to use option 2 or option 3, for example, based on its implementation. In some examples, the UCI may include an indication of which option to use.

[0076] In some examples, the UCI may include a field indicating whether one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings were used. In other examples, the UCI may not include a field indicating whether one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings were used, in which case network device 110 may perform blind detection to determine whether one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings were used.

[0077] Option 1 may be referred to as the repeat option. Terminal device 120 may transmit multiple TBs in the first set of CG PUSCH times, and repeat the transmission of at least one TB among the multiple TBs. In some examples, at least one TB is transmitted at least twice, for example, during at least two CG PUSCH times in the first set of CG PUSCH times.

[0078] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 may first transmit multiple TBs in consecutive CG PUSCH moments, and then transmit at least one repeated TB in one or more optional CG PUSCH moments. In some examples, the repeated at least one TB may be in the same order as the initial multiple TBs. In some other examples, the repeated at least one TB may be in the reverse order of the initial multiple TBs. Considering a specific example, assuming N TBs are to be transmitted, terminal device 120 may first transmit N TBs in N consecutive CG PUSCH moments (i.e., the required CG PUSCH moments), and then transmit the Nth TB in a first optional CG PUSCH moment, the (N-1)th TB in a second optional CG PUSCH moment, and so on.

[0079] In some examples, a specific TB can be transmitted multiple times. For example, the maximum number of repetitions can be predefined or can be configured by network device 110. In some examples, if the number of one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH moments is greater than a first number (e.g., N), then terminal device 120 can transmit at least one TB after the Nth unnecessary CG PUSCH moment. For example, the (N+i)th unnecessary CG PUSCH moment can transmit the same TB as the ith unnecessary CG PUSCH moment.

[0080] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 may transmit an indication associated with the transmitted TB to indicate whether the transmitted TB is a duplicate TB. For example, this indication may be included in the UCI. For example, terminal device 120 may generate an information field that can be used to carry information indicating whether the CG PUSCH timing carries a duplicate TB or a new TB. In some examples, the information field may be a new field in the UCI or an existing field in the UCI. For example, a field indicating whether a CG PUSCH timing is used or not can be reused as an information field. For example, for a CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings, i.e., for a CG PUSCH timing before Tu+T0, if the field indicates that the CG PUSCH timing has been used, then the field may also indicate that the transmitted TB is a new TB; if the field indicates that the CG PUSCH timing has not been used, then the field may also indicate that the transmitted TB is a duplicate TB.

[0081] In some examples, one or more non-essential CG PUSCH opportunities may be used for at least one TB of repetitive transmissions. However, it should be understood that if a non-essential CG PUSCH opportunity is used for other purposes, it cannot be used for at least one TB of repetitive transmissions.

[0082] In this disclosure, the initial transmission of TB may refer to the first transmission of TB, and the repeated transmission of TB may refer to a retransmission of TB. In some examples, repeated transmissions do not include the first transmission of TB.

[0083] In some examples, terminal device 120 may receive a DCI from network device 110, and the DCI schedules the retransmission of one of a plurality of TBs. Terminal device 120 may then retransmit the TB based on the DCI, and therefore, terminal device 120 should skip the duplication of the TB at one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH times.

[0084] Option 2 may be referred to as the adjusted MCS option. Terminal device 120 may determine the adjusted MCS and further perform transmissions based on the adjusted MCS. In some examples, the adjusted MCS is lower than the configured MCS. In some examples, based on the adjusted MCS, more TB are needed to transmit data in the buffer. In some examples, terminal device 120 may determine the required number of CG PUSCH timing updates based on the adjusted MCS, wherein the required number of CG PUSCH timing updates may be greater than a first number of required CG PUSCH timings determined based on the configured MCS. In some examples, the required number of CG PUSCH timing updates may not exceed a second number.

[0085] In some examples, the adjusted MCS can be explicitly or implicitly indicated to network device 110. In some examples, the UCI may include a field carrying an indication of the adjusted MCS. In some examples, multiple MCS values ​​can be configured, and an MCS index can be transmitted from end device 120 to network device 110. For example, the UCI includes a field carrying an index of the adjusted MCS. In some other examples, the UCI may include a field carrying an indication of the difference between the configured MCS and the adjusted MCS. For example, the UCI includes a field carrying the difference, which may be a ΔMCS value. For example, the ΔMCS value can be indicated to network device 110, so that network device 110 can determine that the adjusted MCS is equal to the configured MCS plus the ΔMCS value.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS for each of the second number of CG PUSCH moments in the first group can be the same. In other words, the adjusted MCS is common to each of the second number of CG PUSCH moments in the first group. In this case, the indication associated with the adjusted MCS can be transmitted once, and thus overhead can be saved.

[0087] In some other example embodiments, the adjusted MCS for different CG PUSCH moments in the first group can be different. For example, the values ​​of the adjusted MCS for a second number of CG PUSCH moments in the first group can be different from each other. For example, there may be a first adjusted MCS for one of the second number of CG PUSCH moments, and a second adjusted MCS for another of the second number of CG PUSCH moments. In some examples, multiple UCIs may be transmitted using corresponding CG PUSCHs, where each UCI includes a field carrying information indicating the corresponding adjusted MCS.

[0088] Option 3 may be referred to as the unused option. In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 may keep one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH opportunities idle. For example, terminal device 120 transmits multiple TBs during a first number of required CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0089] According to the transmission mechanism in some embodiments of this disclosure, one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings can be used, for example, by using option 1 or option 2 to enhance transmission performance. In some other embodiments, one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings (i.e., option 3) can be omitted, thus saving power consumption at the terminal device 120.

[0090] Continue to refer to Figure 2 On the other side of the communication, network device 110 determines the transmission timing of UCI within 225 CG cycles. Network device 110 determines 235 the time offset from the end of the UCI transmission timing (or the end of UCI) to the time instance of the CG PUSCH timing that can be reused by another terminal device thereafter.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the operation of network device 110 at 225 and 235 is similar to the operation of terminal device 120 at 220 and 230. Thus, network device 110 and terminal device 120 can have the same understanding of time instances.

[0092] like Figure 2 As shown, UCI 242 can be transmitted to network device 110. UCI 242 can be a bitmap-based UCI or a non-bitmap-based UCI.

[0093] In some example embodiments, UCI 242 may be based on a bitmap. The bitmap may have a length of multiple bits, for example, M bits, where M is a positive integer. At least a portion of the bitmap may be used to indicate at least one CG PUSCH opportunity that is available for reuse. In other words, at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after a time instance is not used by the terminal device 120, and therefore may be referred to as at least one unused CG PUSCH opportunity after a time instance.

[0094] In some examples, each bit in the bitmap may be associated with a single CG PUSCH event. In some examples, each bit in the bitmap may be associated with a set of CG PUSCH events (e.g., more than one CG PUSCH event). In some examples, each bit in the bitmap may be associated with a duration, which may include one or more CG PUSCH events.

[0095] In some examples, multiple bits (M bits) in a bitmap may include a first group of bits and a second group of bits. The first group of bits may be associated with a first set of CG PUSCH moments preceding the time instance, and the second group of bits may be associated with a second set of CG PUSCH moments following the time instance. For example, the first group of bits may include K bits, where K is an integer less than M. For example, the K bits may be the first K bits out of the M bits, or the last K bits out of the M bits.

[0096] For the first set of bits, each bit can be associated with one or more CGPUSCH times in the first set of CG PUSCH times. In some examples, using Option 1, a bit in the first set equal to a first value can indicate that the corresponding CG PUSCH times(s) in the first set of CG PUSCH times carry the TB for the first transmission (i.e., the initial transmission). In some examples, a bit in the first set equal to a second value can indicate that the corresponding CG PUSCH times(s) in the first set of CGPUSCH times carry the TB for repeated transmissions. For example, the first value is 1, and the second value is 0. For example, the first value is 0, and the second value is 1. In some other examples, using Option 2, the first set of bits (K bits) can be used to indicate the adjusted MCS, such as the index of the adjusted MCS or the ΔMCS value, which can refer to Option 2 described above.

[0097] For the second set of bits, each bit can be associated with one or more CGPUSCH times in the second set of CG PUSCH times. In some examples, a bit in the second set of bits equaling a first value can indicate that the corresponding CG PUSCH times(s) are used CG PUSCH times. In some examples, a bit in the second set of bits equaling a second value can indicate that the corresponding CG PUSCH times(s) are unused CG PUSCH times.

[0098] In some other example embodiments, UCI 242 may be non-bitmap based. UCI 242 may include a first field and a second field. The first field may be associated with a first set of CG PUSCH moments preceding the time instance, and the second field may be associated with a second set of CG PUSCH moments following the time instance. In some examples, the total length of the first and second fields may be M bits, and the length of the first field may be K bits, K... <M。

[0099] When using Option 1, in some examples, the first field can be used to indicate whether the transmission in the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is an initial transmission or a repeating transmission. For example, the first field can be used to indicate the total number of CG PUSCH timings used for initial transmissions in the first set of CG PUSCH timings. In some examples, the first field can be based on a bitmap with K bits, and each bit in the bitmap can be used to indicate whether the corresponding CG PUSCH timing(s) is an initial transmission or a repeating transmission. When using Option 2, in some other examples, the first field can be used to indicate the adjusted MCS, such as the index of the adjusted MCS or the Δ MCS value.

[0100] The second field can be used to indicate at least one CG PUSCH opportunity that is available for reuse after a time instance. In some examples, the second field can be used to indicate the number of at least one CG PUSCH opportunities that are available for reuse. In some examples, the second field can be used to indicate the duration of at least one CG PUSCH opportunity that is available for reuse. In some examples, the second field can be used to indicate another time offset of the first CG PUSCH opportunity among the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity that is available for reuse relative to the time instance, for example, the other time offset starting from Tu+T0. In some other examples, the second field can be based on a bitmap with MK bits, and each bit in the bitmap can be used to indicate whether (multiple) corresponding CG PUSCH opportunities are available for reuse, for example, whether (multiple) corresponding CG PUSCH opportunities are used by the terminal device 120.

[0101] Network device 110 receives 244 UCI 242, and therefore, network device 110 can know whether there is at least one CG PUSCH opportunity available for reuse.

[0102] In some example embodiments, if UCI 242 indicates that at least one CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse, network device 110 may further transmit the scheduling DCI to another terminal device, such as... Figure 1 The terminal device 130 is shown. In some examples, the scheduling DCI can be used to schedule another terminal device (such as terminal device 130) to use one or more of at least one CG PUSCH timings after a time instance.

[0103] According to the above reference Figure 2 In some of the described embodiments, the UCI can be transmitted from the terminal device to the network device, and the UCI can indicate whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance is available for reuse. Therefore, another terminal device can reuse at least one CG PUSCH opportunity based on the scheduling DCI from the network device. Thus, resources can be utilized more efficiently.

[0104] Figure 3A A schematic diagram 310 illustrates a time offset within a CG cycle according to some embodiments of this disclosure. (As shown) Figure 3A As shown, assuming the frame structure is SUUDDDSUD…D, where S refers to a special time slot with both uplink and downlink symbols (multiple), U refers to the uplink time slot, and D refers to the downlink time slot. Figure 3A As shown, the UCI transmission timing 311 is determined by the terminal device 120. The terminal device 120 can further determine the first time length T1, the second time length T2, the third time length T3, and the fourth time length T4. If the first time length T1 is ignored, the terminal device 120 can determine the time offset 312 by T0 = T2 + T3 + T4.

[0105] Terminal device 120 can transmit UCI at transmission time 311. For example... Figure 3A As shown, transmission timing 311 is within a used CG timing 315. UCI can be used to indicate one or more unused CG timings after time offset 312. For example... Figure 3A As shown, the UCI can indicate unused CG timing 317. It should be noted that although there is another unused CG timing 316 before the time offset, the UCI does not need to indicate the unused CG timing 316 before the time offset, thus reducing overhead.

[0106] Figure 3BA schematic diagram 320 illustrates time offsets in two CG cycles according to some embodiments of this disclosure. (As shown...) Figure 3B As shown, assume the frame structure is DDDSUDSUU…, where S refers to a special time slot with both (multiple) uplink symbols and (multiple) downlink symbols, U refers to the uplink time slot, and D refers to the downlink time slot.

[0107] Figure 3B There are CG cycles 330 and 340. Terminal device 120 can determine the time offset of each of CG cycles 330 and 340. For example... Figure 3B As shown, assume the time offset in CG cycle 330 is determined to be time offset 321, and the time offset in CG cycle 340 is determined to be time offset 322. It can be seen that the time offsets in different CG cycles can be different. In some examples, the UCI at transmission timing 323 in CG cycle 330 can indicate unused CG timings 324 and 325, while the UCI at transmission timing 326 in CG cycle 340 can indicate unused CG timings 327 and 328.

[0108] Figure 4A A schematic diagram 410 illustrates TB transfers during a CG cycle according to some embodiments of this disclosure. It is assumed that in CG cycle 440, there are four configured CG PUSCH opportunities prior to time instance 442. It is also assumed that the first required CG PUSCH opportunity is 2, therefore the multiple TBs to be transferred include TB 1 and TB 2.

[0109] like Figure 4A As shown, the first two configured CG PUSCH timings are used for the first transmission of TB1 and TB2, respectively, i.e., the initial transmission of TB1 and TB2. The last two configured CG PUSCH timings are used for the reverse transmission of TB1 and TB2, i.e., the repeated transmission of TB1 and TB2; in other words, the third configured CG PUSCH timing is used for transmitting TB2, and the fourth configured CG PUSCH timing is used for transmitting TB1.

[0110] Figure 4B A schematic diagram 420 illustrates TB transfers during a CG cycle according to some embodiments of this disclosure. It is assumed that in CG cycle 450, there are four configured CG PUSCH opportunities prior to time instance 452. It is also assumed that the first time of the required CG PUSCH opportunity is 1, therefore the multiple TBs to be transferred include TB 1.

[0111] like Figure 4BAs shown, the first configured CG PUSCH timing is used for the first transmission of TB 1, that is, the initial transmission of TB 1. The last three configured CG PUSCH timings are used for repeated transmissions of TB 1, that is, repeated transmissions of TB 1.

[0112] In some other examples, if a maximum number of repetitions is defined, then the maximum number of repetitions can be applied. For example, if the maximum number of repetitions is equal to 2, that is, TB can be retransmitted up to two times, or TB can be retransmitted up to three times (including the initial transmission). In this case, due to the limitation of the maximum number of repetitions, Figure 4B TB 1 in the timeframe will not be transmitted in the last configured CG PUSCH timing prior to time instance 452.

[0113] It should be noted that Figures 4A to 4B The configured CG PUSCH timings shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not impose any limitations on the scope of protection. For example, CG PUSCH timings prior to a time instance may not be consecutive. For example, a repeating TB may be part of a total TB because there are not enough unnecessary CG PUSCH timings to perform repeated transmissions of the entire TB.

[0114] Figure 5 A schematic diagram 500 illustrates bitmap-based UCI according to some embodiments of this disclosure. For example... Figure 5 As shown, a bitmap-based UCI can include 8 bits represented as B0 to B7. The first 4 bits, B0 to B3, can be the first group of bits, and the last 4 bits, B4 to B7, can be the second group of bits.

[0115] According to the reference Figures 2 to 5 The described example embodiment can transmit a UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after a time instance is available for reuse, allowing another terminal device to reuse that at least one CG PUSCH opportunity based on a scheduling DCI from the network device, and thus utilize resources more efficiently. Furthermore, the UCI does not need to indicate multiple CG PUSCH opportunities prior to the time instance, and signaling overhead can be saved.

[0116] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example method 600 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Method 600 is described from the perspective of terminal device 120.

[0117] At block 610, terminal device 120 receives CG PUSCH information from network device 110, which indicates the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities within a CG cycle. At block 620, terminal device 120 determines the transmission opportunity of uplink control information (UCI) within a CG cycle. At block 630, terminal device 120 determines the time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance where a subsequent CGPUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device. At block 640, if at least one CG PUSCH opportunity following the time instance exists among the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities, terminal device 120 transmits the UCI to network device 110 at that transmission opportunity, the UCI indicating whether at least one subsequent CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse.

[0118] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 determines the time offset based on at least one of the following: a first time length including the processing time of UCI by network device 110 and the preparation time for scheduling downlink control information (DCI); a second time length including the PUSCH preparation time of another terminal device; a third time length including the duration from the end of the UCI transmission timing to the first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduling DCI; or a fourth time length including the duration for transmitting the scheduling DCI.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the first time length is pre-configured or predefined by network device 110.

[0120] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 further determines a second time length from a set of values ​​based on at least one of the following: an instruction from network device 110, or a predefined rule.

[0121] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 120 is configured with multiple cells, and the terminal device 120 determines the earliest downlink time unit in the relevant cell of the terminal device; and the third time length is determined to be from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to the start of the earliest downlink time unit.

[0122] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 is configured with at least one reference cell, and terminal device 120 determines the earliest downlink time unit in the at least one reference cell; and the third time length is determined to be from the end of the transmission timing of UCI to the start of the earliest downlink time unit.

[0123] In some example implementations, the CG PUSCH information includes a value for a third time length.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the third time length is longer than the first time length.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the fourth time length is pre-configured or predefined by network device 110.

[0126] In some example implementations, the time offset is equal to the sum of the second time length, the third time length, and the fourth time length.

[0127] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 determines a first CG PUSCH timing out of the configured number of CG PUSCH timings, and determines the UCI transmission timing based on the first CG PUSCH timing. In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 determines the first of a plurality of CG PUSCH timings as the UCI transmission timing, wherein the plurality of CG PUSCH timings are used for multiple transmissions of UCI.

[0128] In some example embodiments, if there is no CG PUSCH timing following the time instance in the number of configured CG PUSCH timings, the terminal device 120 determines not to transmit the UCI.

[0129] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 determines a first set of CG PUSCH timings prior to the time instance and a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance; determines a first number of required CG PUSCH timings based on at least one of the following: buffer size, resources allocated for each of the number of configured CG PUSCH timings, or the configured modulation and coding scheme (MCS); and determines that the first number is less than a second number of CG PUSCH timings in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0130] In some example embodiments, if the first quantity is less than the second quantity, the terminal device 120 repeatedly transmits at least one transport block (TB) during the second quantity of CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0131] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 transmits multiple TBs during multiple consecutive CG PUSCH moments; and transmits at least one of the multiple TBs after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH moments.

[0132] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 transmits multiple TBs in an initial transmission order during multiple consecutive CG PUSCH opportunities; and transmits at least one of the multiple TBs in reverse order of the initial transmission order after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0133] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 transmits information to network device 110 indicating whether the transmitted TB is a duplicate TB.

[0134] In some example embodiments, if the first quantity is less than the second quantity, the terminal device 120 determines an adjusted MCS based on the configured MCS; and transmits at least one TB in the second quantity of CG PUSCH timings based on the adjusted MCS.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the number of updates based on the required CG PUSCH timing for the adjusted MCS is no greater than the second number.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a field carrying at least one of the following: the index of the adjusted MCS, or the difference between the adjusted MCS and the configured MCS.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS is common to each of the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0138] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS includes a first MCS for one of the second number of CG PUSCH timings and a second MCS for different timings in the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0139] In some example embodiments, if the first quantity is less than the second quantity, the terminal device 120 keeps one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH times idle, wherein the one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH times are the second quantity of CG PUSCH times minus the first quantity of CG PUSCH times.

[0140] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 receives configuration information from network device 110 indicating when to not use one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH events.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first set of bits associated with a first set of CG PUSCH timings preceding the time instance and a second set of bits associated with a second set of CG PUSCH timings following the time instance.

[0142] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a bitmap with multiple bits, wherein the multiple bits include a first group of bits and a second group of bits.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first field and a second field, wherein the first field includes a first set of bits and the second field includes a second set of bits.

[0144] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the first set of bits is equal to a first value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CGPUSCH timings carries a TB for the first transmission, or when the bit in the first set of bits is equal to a second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for repeated transmissions.

[0145] In some example embodiments, the bits in the first set of bits indicate the adjusted MCS associated with the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0146] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the second set of bits is equal to the first value, it indicates that the corresponding CGPUSCH timing is a used CG PUSCH timing, or when the bit in the second set of bits is equal to the second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is an unused CG PUSCH timing.

[0147] In some example embodiments, the first set of bits indicates the number of CGPUSCH times used for the initial transmission in the first set of CG PUSCH times.

[0148] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates the number of unused CG PUSCH moments or the duration of unused CG PUSCH moments in the second set of CG PUSCH moments.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates a first unused CGPUSCH timing in the second set of CG PUSCH timings, with respect to another time offset relative to that time instance.

[0150] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example method 700 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Method 700 is described from the perspective of network device 110.

[0151] At block 710, network device 110 transmits CG PUSCH information to terminal device 120, indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities within a CG cycle. At block 720, network device 110 determines the transmission opportunity of a UCI within a CG cycle. At block 730, network device 110 determines the time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device. At block 740, network device 110 receives a UCI from terminal device 120 at that transmission opportunity, indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after that time instance is available for reuse among the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0152] In some example embodiments, network device 110 determines the time offset based on at least one of the following: a first time length including the processing time of UCI by network device 110 and the preparation time for scheduling downlink control information (DCI); a second time length including the PUSCH preparation time of another terminal device; a third time length including the duration from the end of the UCI transmission timing to the first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduling DCI; or a fourth time length including the duration for transmitting the scheduling DCI.

[0153] In some example embodiments, network device 110 transmits a first time length to terminal device 120.

[0154] In some example embodiments, network device 110 transmits an indication to terminal device 120, which terminal device 120 uses to determine a second time length from a set of values.

[0155] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 is configured with at least one reference cell, which is used by terminal device 120 to determine a third time length.

[0156] In some example implementations, the CG PUSCH information includes a value for a third time length.

[0157] In some example embodiments, the third time length is longer than the first time length.

[0158] In some example embodiments, network device 110 transmits a fourth time length to terminal device 120.

[0159] In some example implementations, the time offset is equal to the sum of the second time length, the third time length, and the fourth time length.

[0160] In some example embodiments, the number of configured CG PUSCH timings includes a first set of CG PUSCH timings before the time instance and a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance, and wherein the first number of desired CG PUSCH timings determined by the terminal device 120 is less than the second number of CG PUSCH timings in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0161] In some example embodiments, network device 110 receives from terminal device 120 at least one transport block (TB) repeated in a second number of CG PUSCH moments.

[0162] In some example embodiments, the initial transmission of multiple TBs is carried out in multiple consecutive CG PUSCH times, and the repeated transmission of at least one of the multiple TBs is carried out after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH times.

[0163] In some example embodiments, repeated transmission of at least one TB of the plurality of TBs includes at least one TB in reverse order of the initial transmission.

[0164] In some example embodiments, network device 110 receives information from terminal device 120 indicating whether the transmitted TB is a duplicate TB.

[0165] In some example embodiments, terminal device 120 determines a first number of desired CG PUSCH timings based on a configured modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and network device 110 receives at least one TB from terminal device 120 in a second number of CG PUSCH timings based on an adjusted MCS.

[0166] In some example embodiments, the number of updates based on the required CG PUSCH timing for the adjusted MCS is no greater than the second number.

[0167] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a field carrying at least one of the following: the index of the adjusted MCS, or the difference between the adjusted MCS and the configured MCS.

[0168] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS is common to each of the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0169] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS includes a first MCS for one of the second number of CG PUSCH timings and a second MCS for different timings in the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0170] In some example embodiments, network device 110 transmits configuration information to terminal device 120 indicating whether to use one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings, wherein the one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings are timings resulting from a second number of CG PUSCH timings minus a first number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0171] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first set of bits associated with a first set of CG PUSCH timings preceding the time instance and a second set of bits associated with a second set of CG PUSCH timings following the time instance.

[0172] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a bitmap with multiple bits, wherein the multiple bits include a first group of bits and a second group of bits.

[0173] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first field and a second field, wherein the first field includes a first set of bits and the second field includes a second set of bits.

[0174] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the first set of bits is equal to a first value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CGPUSCH timings carries a TB for the first transmission, or when the bit in the first set of bits is equal to a second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for repeated transmissions.

[0175] In some example embodiments, the bits in the first set of bits indicate the adjusted MCS associated with the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0176] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the second set of bits is equal to the first value, it indicates that the corresponding CGPUSCH timing is a used CG PUSCH timing, or when the bit in the second set of bits is equal to the second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is an unused CG PUSCH timing.

[0177] In some example embodiments, the first set of bits indicates the number of CGPUSCH times used for the initial transmission in the first set of CG PUSCH times.

[0178] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates the number of unused CG PUSCH moments or the duration of unused CG PUSCH moments in the second set of CG PUSCH moments.

[0179] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates a first unused CGPUSCH timing in the second set of CG PUSCH timings, with respect to another time offset relative to that time instance.

[0180] In some example embodiments, network device 110 transmits a scheduling DCI to another terminal device based on a UCI, wherein the scheduling DCI is used to instruct the other terminal device to reuse at least a portion of at least one CG PUSCH timing in a CG cycle.

[0181] Already referenced Figures 1 to 7 Details of some embodiments based on this disclosure have been described. Example implementations of terminal devices and network devices will now be discussed below.

[0182] In some example embodiments, a terminal device includes a circuitry configured to: receive Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information from a network device, the information indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities within a CG period; determine the transmission opportunity of Uplink Control Information (UCI) within the CG period; determine the time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device; and if at least one CGPUSCH opportunity after the time instance exists among the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities, transmit the UCI to the network device at that transmission opportunity, the UCI indicating whether the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance is available for reuse.

[0183] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuitry configured to determine the time offset based on at least one of the following: a first time length including the processing time of the UCI by the network device and the preparation time for the scheduled downlink control information (DCI); a second time length including the PUSCH preparation time of the other terminal device; a third time length including the duration from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to a first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduled DCI; or a fourth time length including the duration for transmitting the scheduled DCI.

[0184] In some example embodiments, the first time length is pre-configured or predefined by the network device.

[0185] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to determine the second time length from a set of values ​​based on at least one of the following: an instruction from the network device, or a predefined rule.

[0186] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is configured with multiple cells, and the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to determine the third time length by: determining the earliest downlink time unit in the relevant cell of the terminal device; and determining the third time length as from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to the beginning of the earliest downlink time unit.

[0187] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is configured with at least one reference cell, and the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to determine the third time length by: determining the earliest downlink time unit in the at least one reference cell; and determining the third time length as from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to the beginning of the earliest downlink time unit.

[0188] In some example implementations, the CG PUSCH information includes a value for a third time length.

[0189] In some example embodiments, the third time length is longer than the first time length.

[0190] In some example embodiments, the fourth time length is pre-configured or predefined by the network device.

[0191] In some example implementations, the time offset is equal to the sum of the second time length, the third time length, and the fourth time length.

[0192] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to determine the transmission timing of the UCI by: determining a first CG PUSCH timing among a number of configured CG PUSCH timings, and determining the transmission timing of the UCI based on the first CG PUSCH timing; or determining the first of a plurality of CG PUSCH timings as the transmission timing of the UCI, wherein the plurality of CG PUSCH timings are used to transmit the UCI multiple times.

[0193] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuitry configured to determine not to transmit the UCI if there is no subsequent CG PUSCH timing among the configured number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0194] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuitry configured to: determine a first set of CG PUSCH timings prior to the time instance and a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance; determine a first number of desired CG PUSCH timings based on at least one of the following: buffer size, resources allocated for each of the number of configured CG PUSCH timings, or a configured modulation and coding scheme (MCS); and determine a second number of CG PUSCH timings that is less than the first number of CG PUSCH timings in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0195] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to repeatedly transmit at least one transport block (TB) during the second number of CG PUSCH events if the first number is less than the second number.

[0196] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to repeatedly transmit the at least one TB by transmitting multiple TBs during multiple consecutive CG PUSCH events and transmitting at least one of the multiple TBs after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH events.

[0197] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to repeatedly transmit the at least one TB by: transmitting multiple TBs in an initial transmission order during multiple consecutive CG PUSCH opportunities; and transmitting at least one of the multiple TBs in reverse order of the initial transmission order after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0198] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to transmit information to the network device indicating whether the transmitted TB is a duplicate TB.

[0199] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to: determine an adjusted MCS based on the configured MCS if the first quantity is less than the second quantity; and transmit at least one TB in the second quantity of CG PUSCH timings based on the adjusted MCS.

[0200] In some example embodiments, the number of updates based on the required CG PUSCH timing for the adjusted MCS is no greater than the second number.

[0201] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a field carrying at least one of the following: the index of the adjusted MCS, or the difference between the adjusted MCS and the configured MCS.

[0202] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS is common to each of the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0203] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS includes a first MCS for one of the second number of CG PUSCH timings and a second MCS for different timings in the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0204] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to: if the first quantity is less than the second quantity, keep one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH opportunities idle, wherein the one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH opportunities are the second quantity of CG PUSCH opportunities minus the first quantity of CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0205] In some example embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit system configured to receive configuration information from the network device indicating when one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH times should not be used.

[0206] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first set of bits associated with a first set of CG PUSCH timings preceding the time instance and a second set of bits associated with a second set of CG PUSCH timings following the time instance.

[0207] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a bitmap with multiple bits, wherein the multiple bits include a first group of bits and a second group of bits.

[0208] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first field and a second field, wherein the first field includes a first set of bits and the second field includes a second set of bits.

[0209] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the first set of bits is equal to a first value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CGPUSCH timings carries a TB for the first transmission, or when the bit in the first set of bits is equal to a second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for repeated transmissions.

[0210] In some example embodiments, the bits in the first set of bits indicate the adjusted MCS associated with the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0211] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the second set of bits is equal to the first value, it indicates that the corresponding CGPUSCH timing is a used CG PUSCH timing, or when the bit in the second set of bits is equal to the second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is an unused CG PUSCH timing.

[0212] In some example embodiments, the first set of bits indicates the number of CGPUSCH times used for the initial transmission in the first set of CG PUSCH times.

[0213] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates the number of unused CG PUSCH moments or the duration of unused CG PUSCH moments in the second set of CG PUSCH moments.

[0214] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates a first unused CGPUSCH timing in the second set of CG PUSCH timings, with respect to another time offset relative to that time instance.

[0215] In some example embodiments, a network device includes a circuitry system configured to: transmit Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information to an end device, the information indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities within a CG period; determine the transmission opportunity of Uplink Control Information (UCI) within the CG period; determine the time offset from the end of the UCI transmission opportunity to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another end device; and receive the UCI from the end device at the transmission opportunity, the UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after that time instance is available for reuse among the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0216] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuitry configured to determine the time offset based on at least one of the following: a first time length including the processing time of the UCI by the network device and the preparation time for the scheduled downlink control information (DCI); a second time length including the PUSCH preparation time of the other terminal device; a third time length including the duration from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to a first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduled DCI; or a fourth time length including the duration for transmitting the scheduled DCI.

[0217] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuit system configured to transmit the first time length to the terminal device.

[0218] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuit system configured to transmit an indication to the terminal device, which uses the indication to determine the second time length from a set of values.

[0219] In some example embodiments, the terminal device is configured with at least one reference cell, which the terminal device uses to determine the third time length.

[0220] In some example implementations, the CG PUSCH information includes a value for a third time length.

[0221] In some example embodiments, the third time length is longer than the first time length.

[0222] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuit system configured to transmit the fourth time length to the terminal device.

[0223] In some example implementations, the time offset is equal to the sum of the second time length, the third time length, and the fourth time length.

[0224] In some example embodiments, the number of configured CG PUSCH timings includes a first set of CG PUSCH timings before the time instance and a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance, and wherein the first number of desired CG PUSCH timings determined by the terminal device is less than the second number of CG PUSCH timings in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0225] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuit system configured to receive from the terminal device at least one transport block (TB) repeated during the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0226] In some example embodiments, the initial transmission of multiple TBs is carried out in multiple consecutive CG PUSCH times, and the repeated transmission of at least one of the multiple TBs is carried out after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH times.

[0227] In some example embodiments, repeated transmission of at least one TB of the plurality of TBs includes at least one TB in reverse order of the initial transmission.

[0228] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuit system configured to receive information from the terminal device indicating whether a transmitted TB is a duplicate TB.

[0229] In some example embodiments, the terminal device determines the first number of desired CG PUSCH timings based on a configured modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and the network device includes a circuit system configured to receive at least one TB from the terminal device during the second number of CG PUSCH timings based on an adjusted MCS.

[0230] In some example embodiments, the number of updates based on the required CG PUSCH timing for the adjusted MCS is no greater than the second number.

[0231] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a field carrying at least one of the following: the index of the adjusted MCS, or the difference between the adjusted MCS and the configured MCS.

[0232] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS is common to each of the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0233] In some example embodiments, the adjusted MCS includes a first MCS for one of the second number of CG PUSCH timings and a second MCS for different timings in the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0234] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuit system configured to transmit configuration information to the terminal device indicating whether one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings are used, wherein the one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings are timings obtained by subtracting the first number of CG PUSCH timings from the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0235] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first set of bits associated with a first set of CG PUSCH timings preceding the time instance and a second set of bits associated with a second set of CG PUSCH timings following the time instance.

[0236] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a bitmap with multiple bits, wherein the multiple bits include a first group of bits and a second group of bits.

[0237] In some example embodiments, the UCI includes a first field and a second field, wherein the first field includes a first set of bits and the second field includes a second set of bits.

[0238] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the first set of bits is equal to a first value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CGPUSCH timings carries a TB for the first transmission, or when the bit in the first set of bits is equal to a second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for repeated transmissions.

[0239] In some example embodiments, the bits in the first set of bits indicate the adjusted MCS associated with the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0240] In some example embodiments, when a bit in the second set of bits is equal to the first value, it indicates that the corresponding CGPUSCH timing is a used CG PUSCH timing, or when the bit in the second set of bits is equal to the second value, it indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is an unused CG PUSCH timing.

[0241] In some example embodiments, the first set of bits indicates the number of CGPUSCH times used for the initial transmission in the first set of CG PUSCH times.

[0242] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates the number of unused CG PUSCH moments or the duration of unused CG PUSCH moments in the second set of CG PUSCH moments.

[0243] In some example embodiments, the second set of bits indicates a first unused CGPUSCH timing in the second set of CG PUSCH timings, with respect to another time offset relative to that time instance.

[0244] In some example embodiments, the network device includes a circuit system configured to transmit a scheduling DCI to another terminal device based on the UCI, wherein the scheduling DCI is used to instruct the other terminal device to reuse at least a portion of the at least one CG PUSCH timing in the CG cycle.

[0245] Figure 8 A simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Device 800 can be considered as another example implementation of a terminal device and a network device as described above. Therefore, device 800 can be implemented at a terminal device or network device, or be implemented as at least a part of a terminal device or network device.

[0246] As shown in the figure, device 800 includes a processor 810, a memory 820 coupled to the processor 810, a suitable transceiver 840 coupled to the processor 810, and a communication interface coupled to the transceiver 840. The memory 820 stores at least a portion of a program 830. The transceiver 840 can be used for bidirectional or unidirectional communication as needed. The transceiver 840 may include at least one of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and receiver may be functional modules or physical entities. The transceiver 840 has at least one antenna for facilitating communication; however, in practice, the access node mentioned in this application may have several antennas. A communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, the S1 / NG interface for communication between the Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Serving Gateway (SGW), and User Plane Function (UPF) and eNBs / gNBs, the Uu interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and relay nodes (RNs), or the Uu interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and terminal equipment.

[0247] Assume that program 830 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 810, enable device 800 to operate according to embodiments of this disclosure, as referenced herein. Figure 2 The embodiments discussed herein can be implemented by computer software executable by processor 810 of device 800, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Processor 810 can be configured to implement various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, the combination of processor 810 and memory 820 can form a processing apparatus 850 adapted to implement various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0248] Memory 820 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory, as non-limiting examples. Although only one memory 820 is shown in device 800, several physically different memory modules may exist in device 800. Processor 810 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of 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, as non-limiting examples. Device 800 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock that synchronizes with the main processor.

[0249] In summary, the embodiments of this disclosure can provide the following solutions.

[0250] This disclosure provides a terminal device including at least one processor configured to cause the terminal device to perform at least the following operations: receiving Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information from a network device, the information indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities in a CG period; determining the transmission opportunity of Uplink Control Information (UCI) within the CG period; determining the time offset from the end of the transmission opportunity of the UCI to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another terminal device; and transmitting the UCI to the network device at the transmission opportunity based on the existence of at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the determined number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities, the UCI indicating whether the at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance is available for reuse.

[0251] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, determines the time offset based on at least one of the following: a first time length including the processing time of the UCI by the network device and the preparation time for the scheduling downlink control information (DCI); a second time length including the PUSCH preparation time of the other terminal device; a third time length including the duration from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to the first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduling DCI; or a fourth time length including the duration for transmitting the scheduling DCI.

[0252] In one embodiment, as described above, the first time length of the terminal device is pre-configured or predefined by the network device.

[0253] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further enables the terminal device to determine the second time length from a set of values ​​based on at least one of the following: an instruction from the network device, or a predefined rule.

[0254] In one embodiment, the terminal device is configured with multiple cells as described above, and further wherein the terminal device determines the third time length by: determining the earliest downlink time unit in the relevant cell of the terminal device; and determining the third time length as from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to the beginning of the earliest downlink time unit.

[0255] In one embodiment, the terminal device is configured with at least one reference cell as described above, and further wherein the terminal device determines the third time length by: determining the earliest downlink time unit in the at least one reference cell; and determining the third time length as from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to the beginning of the earliest downlink time unit.

[0256] In one embodiment, as described above, the CG PUSCH information of the terminal device includes a value for the third time length.

[0257] In one embodiment, as described above, the third time length of the terminal device is longer than the first time length.

[0258] In one embodiment, as described above, the fourth time length of the terminal device is pre-configured or predefined by the network device.

[0259] In one embodiment, as described above, the time offset of the terminal device is equal to the sum of the second time length, the third time length, and the fourth time length.

[0260] In one embodiment, as described above, the terminal device determines the transmission timing of the UCI by: determining a first CG PUSCH timing among the number of configured CG PUSCH timings, and determining the transmission timing of the UCI based on the first CG PUSCH timing; or determining the first of a plurality of CG PUSCH timings as the transmission timing of the UCI, wherein the plurality of CG PUSCH timings are used to transmit the UCI multiple times.

[0261] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further enables the terminal device to: determine not to transmit the UCI based on the CG PUSCH timing after the number of configured CG PUSCH timings has been determined to be without the time instance.

[0262] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further enables the terminal device to: determine a first set of CG PUSCH timings prior to the time instance and a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance; determine a first number of required CG PUSCH timings based on at least one of the following: buffer size, resources allocated for each of the number of configured CG PUSCH timings, or the configured modulation and coding scheme (MCS); and determine a second number of CG PUSCH timings that is less than the first number of CG PUSCH timings in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0263] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further causes the terminal device to: repeatedly transmit at least one transport block (TB) during the second number of CG PUSCH timings, based on the determination that the first number is less than the second number.

[0264] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, causes the terminal device to repeatedly transmit the at least one TB by: transmitting multiple TBs during multiple consecutive CG PUSCH events; and transmitting at least one of the multiple TBs after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH events.

[0265] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, causes the terminal device to repeatedly transmit the at least one TB by: transmitting the multiple TBs in an initial transmission order during a plurality of consecutive CG PUSCH opportunities; and transmitting at least one of the multiple TBs in reverse order of the initial transmission order after the plurality of consecutive CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0266] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further enables the terminal device to transmit information to the network device indicating whether the transmitted TB is a duplicate TB.

[0267] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further enables the terminal device to: determine an adjusted MCS based on the configured MCS based on the determination that the first quantity is less than the second quantity; and transmit at least one TB in the second quantity of CG PUSCH timings based on the adjusted MCS.

[0268] In one embodiment, as described above, the number of updates required for the CG PUSCH timing based on the adjusted MCS of the terminal device is no greater than the second number.

[0269] In one embodiment, as described above, the UCI of the terminal device includes a field carrying at least one of the following: an index of the adjusted MCS, or a difference between the adjusted MCS and the configured MCS.

[0270] In one embodiment, as described above, the adjusted MCS of the terminal device is common to each of the second number of CGPUSCH moments.

[0271] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, includes a first MCS for one of the second number of CG PUSCH timings and a second MCS for different timings within the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0272] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further enables the terminal device to: keep one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH opportunities idle based on the determination that the first number is less than the second number, wherein the one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH opportunities are the second number of CG PUSCH opportunities minus the first number of CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0273] In one embodiment, the terminal device, as described above, further enables the terminal device to: receive configuration information from the network device indicating when to not use one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH events.

[0274] In one embodiment, as described above, the UCI of the terminal device includes a first set of bits associated with a first set of CG PUSCH timings prior to the time instance and a second set of bits associated with a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance.

[0275] In one embodiment, as described above, the terminal device includes a bitmap with multiple bits, wherein the multiple bits include the first set of bits and the second set of bits.

[0276] In one embodiment, as described above, the terminal device includes a first field and a second field in the UCI, wherein the first field includes the first set of bits and the second field includes the second set of bits.

[0277] In one embodiment, as described above, the terminal device indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first group of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for the first transmission when a certain bit in the first group of bits is equal to a first value, or indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first group of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for repeated transmissions when the bit in the first group of bits is equal to a second value.

[0278] In one embodiment, as described above, the bits in the first set of bits indicate the adjusted MCS associated with the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0279] In one embodiment, as described above, the terminal device indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is a used CG PUSCH timing when a certain bit in the second set of bits is equal to the first value, or indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is an unused CG PUSCH timing when the bit in the second set of bits is equal to the second value.

[0280] In one embodiment, as described above, the first set of bits indicates the number of CG PUSCH opportunities used for the initial transmission in the first set of CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0281] In one embodiment, as described above, the second set of bits indicates the number of unused CG PUSCH moments or the duration of the unused CG PUSCH moments in the second set of CG PUSCH moments.

[0282] In one embodiment, as described above, the second set of bits indicates a first unused CG PUSCH timing in the second set of CG PUSCH timings relative to another time offset of the time instance.

[0283] This disclosure provides a network device including at least one processor configured to cause the network device to perform at least the following operations: transmit Configuration Grant (CG) Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) information to an end device, the information indicating the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities in a CG period; determine the transmission opportunity of Uplink Control Information (UCI) within the CG period; determine the time offset from the end of the transmission opportunity of the UCI to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH opportunity is available for reuse by another end device; and receive the UCI from the end device at the transmission opportunity, the UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH opportunity after the time instance of the number of configured CG PUSCH opportunities is available for reuse.

[0284] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, determines the time offset based on at least one of the following: a first time length including the processing time of the UCI and the preparation time for the scheduling downlink control information (DCI) by the network device; a second time length including the PUSCH preparation time of the other terminal device; a third time length including the duration from the end of the transmission timing of the UCI to the first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduling DCI; or a fourth time length including the duration for transmitting the scheduling DCI.

[0285] In one embodiment, as described above, the network device further enables the network device to transmit the first time length to the terminal device.

[0286] In one embodiment, as described above, the network device further enables the network device to transmit an instruction to the terminal device, which uses the instruction to determine the second time length from a set of values.

[0287] In one embodiment, as described above, the network device has at least one reference cell configured, and the terminal device uses the at least one reference cell to determine the third time length.

[0288] In one embodiment, as described above, the CG PUSCH information of the network device includes a value for the third time length.

[0289] In one embodiment, as described above, the third time length of the network device is longer than the first time length.

[0290] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, further enables the network device to transmit the fourth time length to the terminal device.

[0291] In one embodiment, as described above, the time offset of the network device is equal to the sum of the second time length, the third time length, and the fourth time length.

[0292] In one embodiment, as described above, the number of configured CG PUSCH timings in the network device includes a first set of CG PUSCH timings before the time instance and a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance, and wherein the first number of required CG PUSCH timings determined by the terminal device is less than the second number of CG PUSCH timings in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0293] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, further enables the network device to receive from the terminal device at least one transport block (TB) repeated during the second number of CG PUSCH times.

[0294] In one embodiment, as described above, the network device performs initial transmissions of multiple TBs over multiple consecutive CGPUSCH times, and repeats transmissions of at least one of the multiple TBs occur after the multiple consecutive CG PUSCH times.

[0295] In one embodiment, as described above, the repeated transmission of at least one TB of the plurality of TBs includes at least one TB in reverse order of the initial transmission.

[0296] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, further enables the network device to receive information from the terminal device indicating whether the transmitted TB is a duplicate TB.

[0297] In one embodiment, as described above, the network device determines the first number of desired CG PUSCH timings based on a configured modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and further enables the network device to receive at least one TB from the terminal device during the second number of CG PUSCH timings based on the adjusted MCS.

[0298] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, updates the required CG PUSCH timing based on the adjusted MCS no more than the second number.

[0299] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, includes a field carrying at least one of the following: an index of the adjusted MCS, or a difference between the adjusted MCS and the configured MCS.

[0300] In one embodiment, as described above, the adjusted MCS of the network device is common to each of the second number of CGPUSCH moments.

[0301] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, includes a first MCS for one of the second number of CG PUSCH timings and a second MCS for different timings within the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0302] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, further enables the network device to transmit configuration information to the terminal device indicating whether to use one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings, wherein the one or more unnecessary CG PUSCH timings are timings obtained by subtracting the first number of CG PUSCH timings from the second number of CG PUSCH timings.

[0303] In one embodiment, as described above, the UCI of the network device includes a first set of bits associated with a first set of CG PUSCH timings prior to the time instance and a second set of bits associated with a second set of CG PUSCH timings after the time instance.

[0304] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, includes a bitmap with multiple bits, wherein the multiple bits include the first set of bits and the second set of bits.

[0305] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, includes a first field and a second field in the UCI, wherein the first field includes the first set of bits and the second field includes the second set of bits.

[0306] In one embodiment, as described above, the network device indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first group of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for the first transmission when a certain bit in the first group of bits is equal to a first value, or that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first group of CG PUSCH timings carries a TB for repeated transmissions when the bit in the first group of bits is equal to a second value.

[0307] In one embodiment, as described above, the bits in the first set of bits indicate the adjusted MCS associated with the corresponding CG PUSCH timing in the first set of CG PUSCH timings.

[0308] In one embodiment, as described above, the network device indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is a used CG PUSCH timing when a bit in the second set of bits is equal to the first value, or indicates that the corresponding CG PUSCH timing is an unused CG PUSCH timing when the bit in the second set of bits is equal to the second value.

[0309] In one embodiment, as described above, the first set of bits indicates the number of CG PUSCH opportunities used for the initial transmission within the first set of CG PUSCH opportunities.

[0310] In one embodiment, as described above, the second set of bits indicates the number of unused CG PUSCH moments or the duration of the unused CG PUSCH moments in the second set of CG PUSCH moments.

[0311] In one embodiment, as described above, the second set of bits indicates a first unused CG PUSCH timing in the second set of CG PUSCH timings relative to another time offset of the time instance.

[0312] In one embodiment, the network device, as described above, further enables the network device to transmit a scheduling DCI to another terminal device based on the UCI, wherein the scheduling DCI is used to instruct the other terminal device to reuse at least a portion of the at least one CG PUSCH timing in the CG cycle.

[0313] This disclosure provides a communication method that includes the operations discussed above performed at a terminal device.

[0314] This disclosure provides a communication method that includes the operations discussed above performed at a network device.

[0315] This disclosure provides a terminal device including: a processor; and a memory storing computer program code; the memory and the computer program code are configured to use the processor to cause the terminal device to perform the methods discussed above implemented at the terminal device.

[0316] This disclosure provides a network device including: a processor; and a memory storing computer program code; the memory and the computer program code being configured to use the processor to cause the network device to perform the methods discussed above implemented at the network device.

[0317] This disclosure provides a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform the methods discussed above for implementation at a terminal device or network device.

[0318] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. While various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented as non-limiting examples in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0319] This 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 program modules) that execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the functions described above. Figures 2 to 7 The process or method described herein. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0320] Program code used to perform the methods disclosed herein may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, performs the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0321] The above program code can be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0322] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or requiring the execution of all shown operations to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking in parallel can be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0323] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising at least one processor configured to cause the terminal device to perform at least the following: receive, from a network device, configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) information indicating a number of configured CG PUSCH occasions in a CG period; determine a transmission occasion of uplink control information (UCI) within the CG period; determine a time offset from an end of the transmission occasion of the UCI to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH occasion is available for reuse by another terminal device; and transmit, to the network device, the UCI at the transmission occasion, according to a determination that there is at least one CG PUSCH occasion after the time instance among the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions, the UCI indicating whether the at least one CG PUSCH occasion after the time instance is available for reuse.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, cause the terminal device to determine the time offset based on at least one of: a first time length comprising a processing time of the UCI by the network device and a preparation time of scheduling downlink control information (DCI), a second time length comprising a PUSCH preparation time of the another terminal device, a third time length comprising a duration from an end of the transmission occasion of the UCI to a first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduling DCI, or a fourth time length comprising a duration for transmitting the scheduling DCI.

3. The terminal device of claim 2, wherein, further cause the terminal device to determine the second time length from a set of values based on at least one of: an indication from the network device, or a predefined rule.

4. The terminal device of claim 2, wherein, the terminal device is configured with at least one reference cell, and wherein the terminal device is further caused to determine the third time length by: determining an earliest downlink time unit in the at least one reference cell; and determining the third time length as a duration from an end of the transmission occasion of the UCI to a beginning of the earliest downlink time unit.

5. The terminal device of claim 2, wherein, the third time length is longer than the first time length.

6. The terminal device of claim 2, wherein, the time offset is equal to a sum of the second time length, the third time length, and the fourth time length.

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, cause the terminal device to determine the transmission occasion of the UCI by: determining a first CG PUSCH occasion among the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions, and determining the transmission occasion of the UCI based on the first CG PUSCH occasion; or determining a first one of a plurality of CG PUSCH occasions as the transmission occasion of the UCI, wherein the plurality of CG PUSCH occasions are for transmitting the UCI multiple times.

8. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, further cause the terminal device to perform the following: determine not to transmit the UCI, according to a determination that there is no CG PUSCH occasion after the time instance among the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions.

9. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, further cause the terminal device to perform the following: determine a first set of CG PUSCH occasions before the time instance and a second set of CG PUSCH occasions after the time instance; determine the first number of required CG PUSCH occasions based on at least one of: a buffer size, resources allocated for each of the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions, or a configured modulation coding scheme (MCS); and determine that the first number is less than a second number of CG PUSCH occasions in the first set of CG PUSCH occasions.

10. The terminal device of claim 9, wherein, further cause the terminal device to perform operations comprising: in accordance with a determination that the first number is less than the second number, repeatedly transmit at least one transport block (TB) in the second number of CG PUSCH occasions.

11. The terminal device of claim 9, wherein, further cause the terminal device to perform operations comprising: in accordance with a determination that the first number is less than the second number, determine an adjusted MCS based on the configured MCS; and transmit at least one TB in the second number of CG PUSCH occasions based on the adjusted MCS.

12. The terminal device of claim 9, wherein, further cause the terminal device to perform operations comprising: in accordance with a determination that the first number is less than the second number, keep one or more non-essential CG PUSCH occasions idle, wherein the one or more non-essential CG PUSCH occasions are occasions in the second number of CG PUSCH occasions minus the first number of CG PUSCH occasions.

13. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, the UCI includes a first set of bits associated with a first set of CG PUSCH occasions before the time instance and a second set of bits associated with a second set of CG PUSCH occasions after the time instance.

14. The terminal device of claim 13, wherein, a bit in the first set of bits is equal to a first value to indicate that a corresponding CG PUSCH occasion in the first set of CG PUSCH occasions carries a TB for a first transmission, or the bit in the first set of bits is equal to a second value to indicate that the corresponding CG PUSCH occasion in the first set of CG PUSCH occasions carries a TB for a repeated transmission.

15. The terminal device of claim 13, wherein, a bit in the first set of bits indicates an adjusted MCS associated with a corresponding CG PUSCH occasion in the first set of CG PUSCH occasions.

16. A network device comprising at least one processor configured to cause the network device to perform at least the following operations: transmit, to a terminal device, configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) information indicating a number of configured CG PUSCH occasions in a CG period; determine a transmission occasion of uplink control information (UCI) within the CG period; determine a time offset from an end of the transmission occasion of the UCI to a time instance after which a CG PUSCH occasion is available for reuse by another terminal device; and receive, from the terminal device, the UCI at the transmission occasion, the UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH occasion of the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions after the time instance is available for reuse.

17. The network device of claim 16, wherein, cause the network device to determine the time offset based on at least one of: a first time length, the first time length comprising a processing time of the UCI and a preparation time of scheduling downlink control information (DCI) by the network device, a second time length, the second time length comprising a PUSCH preparation time of the other terminal device, a third time length, the third time length comprising a duration from an end of the transmission occasion of the UCI to a first downlink time unit for transmitting the scheduling DCI, or a fourth time length, the fourth time length comprising a duration for transmitting the scheduling DCI.

18. A communication method, comprising: receiving, at a terminal device from a network device, configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) information, the information indicating a number of configured CG PUSCH occasions in a CG period; determining a transmission occasion of uplink control information (UCI) within the CG period; determining a time offset from an end of the transmission occasion of the UCI to a time instance after which CG PUSCH occasions are available for reuse by another terminal device; and transmitting, to the network device at the transmission occasion, the UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH occasion after the time instance in the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions is available for reuse.

19. A communication method, comprising: transmitting, at a network device to a terminal device, configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) information, the information indicating a number of configured CG PUSCH occasions in a CG period; determining a transmission occasion of uplink control information (UCI) within the CG period; determining a time offset from an end of the transmission occasion of the UCI to a time instance after which CG PUSCH occasions are available for reuse by another terminal device; and receiving, from the terminal device at the transmission occasion, the UCI indicating whether at least one CG PUSCH occasion after the time instance in the number of configured CG PUSCH occasions is available for reuse.

20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 18 to 19.

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