Potential resource availability indication for multi-modal applications

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to receiving downlink control information (DCI), the DCI including an indication of potential uplink resource availability in a set of future uplink slots; and when uplink data for logical channels of a logical channel group (LCG) becomes available for a media access control (MAC) entity of the UE, performing buffer status reporting and scheduling request operations on the uplink data based on the DCI indication. The UE may use the potential uplink resource availability to enhance synchronization of multi-modal traffic.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional patent application No. 18 / 910,937, filed October 9, 2024, which further claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 63 / 589,527, filed October 11, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more specifically, to instructions for handling potential uplink resource availability. Background Technology

[0004] A wireless communication system may include one or more network communication devices, such as base stations, which may also be referred to as eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), or other suitable terms. For example, each network communication device of a base station may support wireless communication for one or more user communication devices, which may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), or other suitable terms. The wireless communication system may support wireless communication with one or more user communication devices by utilizing the resources of the wireless communication system (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, or the like) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)). Furthermore, the wireless communication system may support wireless communication across various radio access technologies, including third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and other suitable radio access technologies beyond 5G (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)).

[0005] Extended Reality (XR) is a collective term encompassing different types of reality, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). Virtual Reality (VR) is a rendered version of the delivered visual and audio scene. The rendering is designed to mimic the visual and auditory sensory stimuli of the real world as naturally as possible to the observer or user as they move within application-defined constraints. Virtual Reality typically, but does not necessarily, require the user to wear a head-mounted display (HMD) that completely replaces the user's field of vision with simulated visual components, and headphones to provide accompanying audio. Some form of head and motion tracking of the user is often also necessary in VR to allow updates to the simulated visual and audio components to ensure that items and sound sources remain consistent with the user's movement from their perspective. Additional methods for interacting with virtual reality simulations may be available, but these are not strictly required.

[0006] Augmented reality (AR) is when additional information or artificially generated items or content are presented to users overlaid on their current environment. Such additional information or content is typically visual and / or auditory, and their observation of their current environment can be direct, without intermediate sensing, processing, and rendering, or indirect, where their perception of their environment is relayed through sensors and can be augmented or processed.

[0007] Mixed Reality (MR) is an advanced form of AR in which some virtual elements are inserted into a physical scene with the intention of providing the illusion that these elements are part of the real scene.

[0008] Extended reality (XR) refers to all real-world and virtual environments and human-computer interactions generated through computer technology and wearable devices. It includes representative forms such as AR, MR, and VR, as well as areas interspersed in between. The level of virtuality ranges from partial sensory input to fully immersive VR. A key aspect of XR is the extension of human experience, particularly relevant to presence (represented through VR) and cognitive acquisition (represented through AR).

[0009] For XR applications, haptic data, sensor data, video, and audio data need to be delivered with minimal relative latency to ensure haptic-visual synchronization, which impacts the user experience quality. Furthermore, each component of the data stream in an XR application (video, sensors, etc.) should be delivered within its associated latency budget. While XR applications typically synchronize multimodal traffic streams to the extent possible, for example via timestamps, feature matching, sensor fusion, and machine learning algorithms, they are insufficient in ensuring synchronization within dynamic communication networks. Although XR applications themselves can handle the synchronization of multimodal traffic, they are unaware of network dynamics and are therefore susceptible to interruptions based on network activity. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This disclosure relates to methods, apparatus, and systems that support Potential Resource Availability Indication (PRAI) and handle Buffer Status Report (BSR) and Scheduling Request (SR) operations based on said indication. By taking PRAI into account in BSR and SR operations, the UE can improve the efficiency and synchronization of multimodal operations.

[0011] Some embodiments of the methods and apparatus described herein may further include: receiving downlink control information (DCI), the DCI containing an indication of potential uplink resource availability in a set of future uplink time slots; and performing buffer status reporting and scheduling request operations on the uplink data based on the DCI indication when uplink data for a logical channel group (LCG) becomes available to the UE's media access control (MAC) entity. The DCI may have a group common format, and the DCI may have format 2_0.

[0012] In some embodiments of the methods and apparatus described herein, performing the buffer status report operation includes triggering a buffer status report (BSR) and constructing a corresponding BSR MAC control element (MAC-CE), and determining whether to transmit the MAC-CE in the next available time slot or delay the transmission of the MAC-CE. The transmission of the MAC-CE may be delayed when the indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink time slots is greater than a threshold. The delay may have a maximum time limit, and the MAC-CE may be transmitted before or at the time the maximum time limit is reached. In an embodiment, the MAC-CE is transmitted when the indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink time slots is greater than a threshold, wherein the MAC-CE includes a field indicating how long resource allocation in response to the BSR can be delayed.

[0013] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the buffer status report and scheduling request operation includes triggering a BSR and determining whether to trigger a scheduling request when the UL-SCH resources available for new transmission do not satisfy the Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) mapping constraints for the logical channel configuration that triggered the BSR. When the indication indicates that the availability of potential uplink resources in the set of future uplink slots is greater than a threshold, the UE can determine that it will not trigger a scheduling request at least temporarily (e.g., for a configured time period).

[0014] In some implementations of the methods and devices described herein, the UE performs buffer status reporting and scheduling request operations on uplink data based on the DCI indication only when the time interval between receiving the indication and the next uplink slot available for BSR reporting is greater than a threshold amount. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This describes an example of a wireless communication system that supports the handling of potential resource availability indications in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2 and 3 An example of a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for handling potential resource availability indications in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for handling potential resource availability indications in support of aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5A , 5B Examples of slot groups that support potential resource availability indications according to aspects of this disclosure are described in sections 6A and 6B. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Many extended reality (XR) and configured authorized (CG) use cases are characterized by quasi-periodic services (with potential jitter) featuring high data rates in the downlink (DL) (i.e., video stream) combined with frequent uplink (UL) (e.g., attitude / control updates) and / or UL video streams. Both DL and UL services are also characterized by relatively tight packet delay budgets (PDB).

[0020] A range of anticipated XR and CG services are diverse, and the characteristics of data streams (e.g., video) can change "in real-time" when these services are running over the New Radio (NR) interface. Therefore, additional information about the services running from higher layers, such as QoS stream correlation, frame-level QoS, application data unit (ADU)-based QoS, and XR-specific QoS, can facilitate informed selection of radio parameters. UE and gNB awareness of XR applications can improve user experience, enhance the capacity of NR systems supporting XR services, and reduce UE power consumption.

[0021] An ADU is the smallest unit of data that can be processed independently by an application (e.g., for handling out-of-order traffic data). A video frame can be an I-frame, a P-frame, or can consist of I-slices and / or P-slices. I-frames / I-slices are more important and larger than P-frames / P-slices. An ADU can be one or more I-slices, P-slices, I-frames, P-frames, or combinations of those slices or frames.

[0022] Service-oriented design that takes into account the characteristics of XR services (e.g., (a) variable packet arrival rate: packets arrive at 30 to 120 frames per second with some jitter, (b) packets have variable and large packet sizes, (c) B / P frames depend on I frames, and (d) there are multiple service / data streams, such as attitude and video scenarios in the uplink or multimodal services with synchronization requirements) can achieve more efficient XR service delivery (e.g., in terms of meeting the XR service requirements of more UEs or in terms of UE power saving).

[0023] If the network can provide the UE with dynamic auxiliary information regarding the future potential availability of UL resources or some UL resource statistics (such as gNB resource utilization (how much available resource at the gNB has been allocated to the user over a period of time)), then the UE can benefit from this auxiliary information in terms of how and when to buffer different relevant flows. This disclosure provides a solution for this auxiliary information.

[0024] In this embodiment, the gNB indicates a Potential Resource Availability Indication (PRAI) to the UE for a given time window. For example, this indication may be in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) or Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE) message. Upon receiving the PRAI indication, the UE determines whether to send a Buffer Status Report (BSR) MAC-CE to the network. For example, the UE may determine whether the BSR is triggered, whether to delay triggering the BSR, delay transmitting a triggered BSR, cancel a triggered BSR, or assign a lower priority to the BSR.

[0025] Embodiments of this disclosure provide synchronous delivery of multimodal services via resource-aware buffering at the UE. These embodiments are particularly useful in time-division duplex (TDD) networks with sparse UL allocations, such as networks with a 'DDDSU' configuration where only one designated UL time slot is available in every five time slots. In addition to designated UL time slots, such networks may also assign UL resources to special time slots (“S” time slots). PRAI indications facilitate decisions by the UE regarding providing synchronization (including buffering, offloading processing to the cloud, etc.).

[0026] The aspects of this disclosure are described in the context of a wireless communication system. Reference is made to apparatus diagrams and flowcharts for further illustration and description of these aspects.

[0027] Figure 1 This description illustrates an example of a wireless communication system 100 that supports the handling of potential resource availability indications according to aspects of this disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more network entities 102, one or more UEs 104, a core network 106, and a packet data network 108. The wireless communication system 100 may support various radio access technologies. In some embodiments, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 4G network, such as an LTE network or an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network. In some other embodiments, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 5G network, such as an NR network. In other embodiments, the wireless communication system 100 may be a combination of 4G and 5G networks, or include other suitable radio access technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20. The wireless communication system 100 may support radio access technologies beyond 5G. In addition, the wireless communication system 100 can support technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

[0028] One or more network entities 102 may be distributed throughout a geographic area to form a wireless communication system 100. One or more of the network entities 102 described herein may be, include, or be referred to as a network node, base station, network element, radio access network (RAN), base transceiver station, access point, NodeB, eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), or other suitable terms. Network entities 102 and UE 104 may communicate via communication link 110, which may be a wireless or wired connection. For example, network entities 102 and UE 104 may perform wireless communication (e.g., receive signaling, transmit signaling) via a Uu interface.

[0029] Network entity 102 can provide a geographic coverage area 112, and network entity 102 can support services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.) for one or more UEs 104 within the geographic coverage area 112. For example, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support wireless communication of signals associated with the services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.) according to one or more radio access technologies. In some embodiments, network entity 102 can be mobile, for example, a satellite associated with a non-terrestrial network. In some embodiments, different geographic coverage areas 112 associated with the same or different radio access technologies can overlap, but different geographic coverage areas 112 can be associated with different network entities 102. The information and signals described herein can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0030] One or more UEs 104 may be distributed across a geographical area of ​​the wireless communication system 100. UE 104 may include or be referred to as a mobile device, wireless device, remote device, remote unit, handheld device, or subscriber device, or some other suitable term. In some embodiments, UE 104 may be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, and other instances thereof. Alternatively or additionally, UE 104 may be referred to as an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or a Machine-Type Communication (MTC) device, and other instances thereof. In some embodiments, UE 104 may be stationary within the wireless communication system 100. In some other embodiments, UE 104 may be mobile within the wireless communication system 100.

[0031] One or more UEs 104 may be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Figure 1This section describes some examples of UE 104. UE 104 can communicate with various types of devices, such as network entity 102, other UEs 104, or network equipment (e.g., core network 106, packet data network 108, relay devices, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, or another network device), such as... Figure 1 As shown in the diagram. Alternatively, UE 104 may support communication with other network entities 102 or UE 104, which may act as repeaters in the wireless communication system 100.

[0032] UE 104 may also support direct wireless communication with other UE 104 via communication link 114. For example, UE 104 may support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link. In some implementations, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) deployments, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployments, or cellular V2X deployments, communication link 114 may be referred to as a side link. For example, UE 104 may support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a PC5 interface.

[0033] Network entity 102 may support communication with core network 106 or with another network entity 102, or both. For example, network entity 102 may interface with core network 106 via one or more backhaul links 116 (e.g., via S1, N2, or another network interface). Network entities 102 may communicate with each other via backhaul links 116 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or another network interface). In some embodiments, network entities 102 may communicate directly with each other (e.g., between network entities 102). In some other embodiments, network entities 102 may communicate with each other or indirectly (e.g., via core network 106). In some embodiments, one or more network entities 102 may include sub-components, such as access network entities, which may be instances of access node controllers (ANCs). The ANC may communicate with one or more UEs 104 via one or more other access network transmitting entities, which may be referred to as radio headends, smart radio headends, or transmit-receive points (TRPs).

[0034] In some implementations, network entity 102 may be configured as a decomposed architecture, which may be configured to utilize protocol stacks physically or logically distributed across two or more network entities 102, such as an integrated access backhaul (IAB) network, an open RAN (O-RAN) (e.g., a network configuration sponsored by the O-RAN Alliance), or a virtualized RAN (vRAN) (e.g., a cloud RAN (C-RAN)). For example, network entity 102 may include one or more of a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a radio unit (RU), a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) (e.g., a near real-time RIC, a non-real-time RIC), a service management and orchestration (SMO) system, or any combination thereof.

[0035] An RU may also be referred to as a radio headend, intelligent radio headend, remote radio headend (RRH), remote radio unit (RRU), or transmit / receive point (TRP). One or more components of network entity 102 in the decomposed RAN architecture may be co-located, or one or more components of network entity 102 may be located in distributed locations (e.g., individual physical locations). In some implementations, one or more network entities 102 in the decomposed RAN architecture may be implemented as virtual units (e.g., virtual CU (VCU), virtual DU (VDU), virtual RU (VRU)).

[0036] The functional division between CU, DU, and RU can be flexible and can support different functionalities based on which functions (e.g., network layer functions, protocol layer functions, baseband functions, radio frequency functions, and any combination thereof) are performed at the CU, DU, or RU. For example, a protocol stack functional division can be used between the CU and DU, such that the CU can support one or more layers of the protocol stack, and the DU can support one or more different layers of the protocol stack. In some implementations, the CU can host upper-layer protocol layer (e.g., Layer 3 (L3), Layer 2 (L2)) functionality and signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP)). The CU can connect to one or more DUs or RUs, and one or more DUs or RUs can host lower-layer protocol layer, such as Layer 1 (L1) (e.g., Physical (PHY) layer) or L2 (e.g., Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer) functionality and signaling, and each can be at least partially controlled by the CU 160.

[0037] Alternatively, a functional partitioning of the protocol stack can be employed between the DU and RU, allowing the DU to support one or more layers of the protocol stack, and the RU to support one or more different layers of the protocol stack. The DU can support one or more different cells (e.g., via one or more RUs). In some implementations, the functional partitioning between the CU and DU, or between the DU and RU, can be within the protocol layer (e.g., some functions of the protocol layer can be performed by one of the CU, DU, or RU, while other functions of the protocol layer can be performed by a different one of the CU, DU, or RU).

[0038] The CU can be further functionally divided into CU control plane (CU-CP) and CU user plane (CU-UP) functions. The CU can be connected to one or more DUs via midhaul communication links (e.g., F1, F1-c, F1-u), and the DUs can be connected to one or more RUs via fronthaul communication links (e.g., open fronthaul (FH) interfaces). In some embodiments, the midhaul or fronthaul communication links can be implemented according to the interfaces (e.g., channels) between layers of the protocol stack supported by the respective network entity 102 communicating via such communication links.

[0039] Core network 106 may support user authentication, access authorization, tracking, connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Core network 106 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), and may include control plane entities that manage access and mobility (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), access and mobility management functions (AMF)) and user plane entities that route packets or interconnects to external networks (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)). In some embodiments, the control plane entities may manage one or more non-access plane (NAS) functions of UE 104 served by one or more network entities 102 associated with core network 106, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management (e.g., data bearers, signaling bearers, etc.).

[0040] Core network 106 can communicate with packet data network 108 via one or more backhaul links 116 (e.g., via S1, N2, or another network interface). Packet data network 108 may include application server 118. In some embodiments, one or more UEs 104 may communicate with application server 118. UE 104 may establish a session (e.g., Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session or similar) with core network 106 via network entity 102. Core network 106 may use the established session (e.g., established PDU session) to route traffic (e.g., control information, data, and similar) between UE 104 and application server 118. A PDU session may be an instance of a logical connection between UE 104 and core network 106 (e.g., one or more network functions of core network 106).

[0041] In the wireless communication system 100, network entity 102 and UE 104 can use the resources of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, or the like) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)) to perform various operations (e.g., wireless communication). In some embodiments, network entity 102 and UE 104 may support different resource structures. For example, network entity 102 and UE 104 may support different frame structures. In some embodiments, such as in 4G, network entity 102 and UE 104 may support a single frame structure. In some other embodiments, such as in 5G and in other suitable radio access technologies, network entity 102 and UE 104 may support various frame structures (i.e., multiple frame structures). Network entity 102 and UE 104 may support various frame structures based on one or more parameter sets.

[0042] The wireless communication system 100 may support one or more parameter sets, and the parameter sets may include subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefixes. A first parameter set (e.g., μ=0) may be associated with a first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix. In some embodiments, the first parameter set (e.g., μ=0) associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) may utilize one time slot per subframe. A second parameter set (e.g., μ=1) may be associated with a second subcarrier spacing (e.g., 30 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix. A third parameter set (e.g., μ=2) may be associated with a third subcarrier spacing (e.g., 60 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix or an extended cyclic prefix. A fourth parameter set (e.g., μ=3) may be associated with a fourth subcarrier spacing (e.g., 120 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix. A fifth parameter set (e.g., μ=4) may be associated with a fifth carrier spacing (e.g., 240 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix.

[0043] Time intervals for resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to frames (also called radio frames). Each frame may have a duration, such as 10 milliseconds (ms). In some embodiments, each frame may contain multiple subframes. For example, each frame may contain 10 subframes, and each subframe may have a duration, such as 1 ms. In some embodiments, each frame may have the same duration. In some embodiments, each subframe of a frame may have the same duration.

[0044] Alternatively, the time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to time slots. For example, a subframe may contain a certain number (e.g., quantity) of time slots. The number of time slots in each subframe may also depend on one or more parameter sets supported in the wireless communication system 100. For example, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth parameter sets (i.e., μ=0, μ=1, μ=2, μ=3, μ=4) associated with corresponding subcarrier intervals of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz may utilize one time slot per subframe, two time slots per subframe, four time slots per subframe, eight time slots per subframe, and 16 time slots per subframe, respectively. Each time slot may contain a certain number (e.g., quantity) of symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols). In some embodiments, the number (e.g., quantity) of time slots in a subframe may depend on the parameter set. For a conventional cyclic prefix, a time slot may contain 14 symbols. For an extended cyclic prefix (e.g., applicable to a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing), a time slot may contain 12 symbols. The relationship between the number of symbols per time slot for both the regular and extended cyclic prefixes, the number of time slots per subframe, and the number of time slots per frame may depend on the parameter set. It should be understood that references to the first parameter set (e.g., μ=0) associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) may be used interchangeably between subframes and time slots.

[0045] In the wireless communication system 100, the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum can be divided into various categories, frequency bands, frequency channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. For example, the wireless communication system 100 may support one or more operating frequency bands, such as frequency range names FR1 (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz), FR3 (7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz to 71 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz to 300 GHz). In some embodiments, network entity 102 and UE 104 may perform wireless communication on one or more of the operating frequency bands. In some embodiments, FR1 may be used by network entity 102 and UE 104, as well as other equipment or devices, for cellular communication services (e.g., control information, data). In some implementations, FR2 can be used by network entity 102 and UE 104, as well as other equipment or devices, for short-range, high-data-rate capabilities.

[0046] FR1 may be associated with one or more parameter sets (e.g., at least three parameter sets). For example, FR1 may be associated with a first parameter set containing a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=0); a second parameter set containing a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=1); and a third parameter set containing a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=2). FR2 may be associated with one or more parameter sets (e.g., at least two parameter sets). For example, FR2 may be associated with a third parameter set containing a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=2); and a fourth parameter set containing a 120 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=3).

[0047] Figure 2 A block diagram illustrating the apparatus 202 for supporting the disposal of potential resource availability indications according to aspects of this disclosure. Figure 2 Examples of such devices. Device 202 may be an example of network entity 102 or UE 104 as described herein. Device 202 may support wireless communication with one or more network entities 102, UE 104, or any combination thereof. Device 202 may include components for bidirectional communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, such as processor 204, memory 206, transceiver 208, and I / O controller 210. These components may communicate electronically or otherwise (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0048] Processor 204, memory 206, transceiver 208, or various combinations thereof, or various components thereof, may be instances of components for performing various aspects of the present disclosure as described herein. For example, processor 204, memory 206, transceiver 208, or various combinations thereof, or components thereof, may support methods for performing one or more of the operations described herein.

[0049] In some embodiments, processor 204, memory 206, transceiver 208, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in a communication management circuitry system). The hardware may include processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof configured to or otherwise support elements for performing the functions described herein. In some embodiments, processor 204 and memory 206 coupled to processor 204 may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., instructions stored in memory 206 are executed by processor 204).

[0050] For example, processor 204 may support wireless communication at device 202 according to the examples disclosed herein. Processor 204 may be configured or otherwise support components for disposing of potential resource availability indications.

[0051] Processor 204 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some embodiments, processor 204 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some other embodiments, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 204. Processor 204 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 206) to cause device 202 to perform various functions of this disclosure.

[0052] Memory 206 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Memory 206 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code containing instructions that, when executed by processor 204, cause device 202 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. In some embodiments, the code may not be directly executable by processor 204, but may instead cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein. In some embodiments, memory 206 may, in particular, include a basic I / O system (BIOS) that controls basic hardware or software operation, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0053] I / O controller 210 manages the input and output signals of device 202. I / O controller 210 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device 202. In some embodiments, I / O controller 210 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some embodiments, I / O controller 210 may utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-DOS®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, LINUX®, or another known operating system. In some embodiments, I / O controller 210 may be implemented as part of a processor (e.g., processor 204). In some embodiments, a user may interact with device 202 via I / O controller 210 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 210.

[0054] In some embodiments, device 202 may include a single antenna 212. However, in other embodiments, device 202 may have more than one antenna 212 (i.e., multiple antennas), including multiple antenna panels or antenna arrays, which may be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. Transceiver 208 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 212, wired or wireless links as described herein. For example, transceiver 208 may represent a wireless transceiver and be capable of bidirectional communication with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 208 may also include a modem to modulate packets, provide modulated packets to one or more antennas 212 for transmission, and demodulate packets received from one or more antennas 212.

[0055] Figure 3This description illustrates an example of a processor 300 that supports the handling of potential resource availability indications according to aspects of this disclosure. Processor 300 may be an example of a processor configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 300 may include a controller 302 configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 300 may optionally include at least one memory 304, such as an L1 / L2 / L3 cache. Additionally or alternatively, processor 300 may optionally include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs) 300. One or more of these components may be electronically communicated or otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0056] Processor 300 may be a processor chipset and includes a protocol stack (e.g., a software stack) executed by the processor chipset to perform various operations (e.g., receive, acquire, retrieve, transmit, output, forward, store, determine, identify, access, write, read) according to the examples described herein. The processor chipset may include one or more cores, one or more caches (e.g., memory native to the processor chipset (e.g., processor 300) or contained within the processor chipset (e.g., processor 300), or other memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase-change memory (PCM), etc.).

[0057] Controller 302 can be configured to manage and coordinate various operations of processor 300 (e.g., signaling, receiving, acquiring, retrieving, transmitting, outputting, forwarding, storing, determining, identifying, accessing, writing, and reading) to enable processor 300 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. For example, controller 302 can operate as a control unit of processor 300, generating control signals that manage the operation of various components of processor 300. These control signals include enabling or disabling functional units, selecting data paths, initiating memory accesses, and coordinating operation timings.

[0058] Controller 302 may be configured to fetch (e.g., obtain, retrieve, receive) instructions from memory 304 and determine subsequent instructions to be executed to enable processor 300 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Controller 302 may be configured to track the memory addresses of instructions associated with memory 304. Controller 302 may be configured to decode instructions to determine the operations to be performed and the operands involved. For example, controller 302 may be configured to interpret instructions and determine control signals to be output to other components of processor 300 to enable processor 300 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Alternatively or additionally, controller 302 may be configured to manage data flow within processor 300. Controller 302 may be configured to control data transfers between registers, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and other functional units of processor 300.

[0059] Memory 304 may include one or more caches (e.g., memory native to processor 300 or included in processor 300), or other memories such as RAM, ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, SRAM, MRAM, flash memory, etc. In some embodiments, memory 304 may reside within or on the processor chipset (e.g., native to processor 300). In some other embodiments, memory 304 may reside external to the processor chipset (e.g., remote from processor 300).

[0060] Memory 304 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code containing instructions that, when executed by processor 300, cause processor 300 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. Controller 302 and / or processor 300 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory 304 to cause processor 300 to perform various functions. For example, processor 300 and / or controller 302 may be coupled to or coupled to memory 304, and processor 300, controller 302, and memory 304 may be configured to perform the various functions described herein. In some instances, processor 300 may include multiple processors, and memory 304 may include multiple memories. One or more of the multiple processors may be coupled to one or more of the multiple memories, which may be configured individually or collectively to perform the various functions described herein.

[0061] One or more ALUs 300 may be configured to support various operations according to the examples described herein. In some embodiments, one or more ALUs 300 may reside within or on a processor chipset (e.g., processor 300). In some other embodiments, one or more ALUs 300 may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., processor 300). One or more ALUs 300 may perform one or more calculations on data, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, one or more ALUs 300 may receive input operands and operation codes that determine the operation to be performed. One or more ALUs 300 may be configured with various logic and arithmetic circuitry, including adders, subtractors, shifters, and logic gates, to process and manipulate data according to the operation. Alternatively, one or more ALU 300s may support logical operations such as AND, OR, XOR, NOR, and NAND, thereby enabling one or more ALU 300s to handle conditional operations, comparisons, and bitwise operations.

[0062] Processor 300 may support wireless communication according to examples disclosed herein. Processor 300 may be configured or operable to support components for transmitting or receiving downlink control information (DCI) containing an indication of the availability of potential uplink resources in a set of future uplink time slots.

[0063] XR awareness relies on QoS flows, PDU sets, data bursts, and service-related information. Optional PDU set QoS parameters are provided to the gNB by the Session Management Function (SMF) as part of the QoS profile for the QoS flows. These QoS parameters include the PDU set delay budget (PSDB), which is the upper limit of the duration between the reception time of the first PDU (received at the UPF for DL, and at the UE for UL) and the time it takes for all PDUs in the PDU set to be successfully received (received at the UE in DL, and at the UPF in UL). A QoS flow is associated with only one PSDB, and when available, it applies to both DL and UL and supersedes the QoS flow's PDB. Another QoS parameter is the PDU set error rate (PSER), which is the upper limit of the non-congestion-related PDU set loss rate between the RAN and the UE. A QoS flow is associated with only one PSER, and when available, it applies to both DL and UL and supersedes the QoS flow's PER. A PDU set is considered successfully delivered only when all PDUs in the set have been successfully delivered. Another QoS parameter is PDU Set Integration Disposal Information (PSIHI), which indicates whether the application layer requires all PDUs in the PDU set to be used. PDU set QoS parameters can be common to all PDU sets within a QoS flow.

[0064] Additionally, the UPF can identify PDUs belonging to a PDU set and determine the following PDU set information sent to the gNB in ​​the GTP-U header: PDU set sequence number; indication of the last PDU in the PDU set; PDU sequence numbers within the PDU set; PDU set size in bytes; and PDU set importance (PSI), which indicates the relative importance of the PDU set compared to other PDU sets within the same QoS flow. The 5GC can also provide service assistance information to the gNB via Time-Sensitive Communication Assistance Information (TSCAI), which includes: UL and / or DL ​​periodicity, and N6 jitter information associated with DL periodicity (i.e., between the UPF and the data network), and an indication of the end of the data burst in the GTP-U header of the last PDU in the downlink. In the uplink, the UE needs to be able to dynamically identify PDU sets and data bursts, including PSI. How this is accomplished depends on the UE implementation scheme.

[0065] To enhance the scheduling of uplink resources for XR, improvements to the 3GPP standard have been introduced. One improvement is an additional BS table to reduce quantization errors in BSR reports (e.g., for high bit rates). The code points in this table follow a linear distribution. The gNB configures the BS table that the LCG is eligible to use, and the UE selects the table when more than one exists. In another improvement, delay knowledge of buffered data, consisting of remaining time and distinguishing how much data is buffered for which delay, is available. This data can be reported along with the BSR in a single MAC CE or in a separate MAC CE. Additional improvements include additional BSR triggering conditions to allow for the timely availability of buffer status information that can be further investigated, and uplink auxiliary information (jitter range and burst arrival time) reported by the UE per QoS flow via UE auxiliary information.

[0066] When a PDU Set Integrated Disposal Indicator (PSIHI) is set for a QoS flow, once one PDU in the set is known to be lost, the remaining PDUs in that set can be considered no longer needed by the application and can be discarded at the transmitter to free up radio resources. However, it cannot always be assumed that the remaining PDUs are useless and can be safely discarded. Moreover, in the case of Forward Error Correction (FEC), it is not recommended to actively discard PDUs when it is assumed that a sufficiently large number of packets have been transmitted to allow FEC to recover without any remaining PDUs, as this may trigger an increase in FEC packets.

[0067] In the uplink, the UE can be configured with PDU-based drop operations for a specific data radio bearer (DRB). When configured, the UE drops all packets in a PDU set when a PDU belonging to that set is dropped, for example, based on a drop timer expiration. In congestion situations, the PDU session identifier (PSI) can be used for PDU set drop. In the uplink, dedicated signaling can be used to trigger the PSI-based drop mechanism. For Configured Grant (CG) transmissions, multiple CG Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmissions can be scheduled within a single CG PUSCH configuration period, and the transmissions can include dynamic indications from the UE based on a UCI (e.g., CG-UCI or a new UCI) regarding unused CG PUSCH timings.

[0068] DCI format 2_0 may include an availableRB-SetsPerCell indication. If availableRB-SetsPerCell is provided to the UE, then the UE does not need to monitor PDCCH candidates that overlap with any resource blocks (RBs) from RB sets indicated as unavailable for reception by the available RB set indicator field in DCI format 2_0, as described in Clause 11.1.1 of TS 38.213. If the UE does not obtain an available RB set indicator for a symbol, then the UE monitors PDCCH candidates on all RB sets in that symbol.

[0069] If the serving cell's intraCellGuardBandsDL-List indicates that no intra-cell guard band is configured, then availableRB-SetsPerCell is a bit-based field in DCI format 2_0 indicating the available RB set. For availableRB-SetsPerCell, a value of '1' indicates that the serving cell is available for reception, and a value of '0' indicates that the serving cell is not available for reception. The serving cell remains available or unavailable for reception until the end of the remaining channel occupancy duration. Alternatively, if the serving cell's intraCellGuardBandsDL-List indicates that an intra-cell guard band is configured, then the bitmap has a one-to-one mapping to the serving cell's RB set, wherein the bitmap contains N... RB,set,DL Units digit and N RB,set,DL It is the number of RB sets in the serving cell. For availableRB-SetsPerCell, a value of '1' indicates that an RB set is available for reception, and a value of '0' indicates that an RB set is not available for reception. The RB set remains available or unavailable for reception until the remaining channel occupancy duration ends.

[0070] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the Available RB Set Indicator field in DCI format 2_0 is repurposed. The original purpose of this field was to indicate to the UE which RB sets / serving cells are available for reception during the indicated remaining channel occupancy duration. However, embodiments of this disclosure may repurpose the field to indicate which RB sets are potentially available for uplink transmission rather than downlink reception in future time slots. Additionally, certain related UE actions and behaviors may be modified as discussed below.

[0071] In embodiments of this disclosure, the gNB indicates a Potential Resource Availability Indication (PRAI) applicable to a time window to the UE. The PRAI indication can be provided to the UE in a PDCCH or MAC-CE message. Specifically, the PRAI indication can be provided in the DCI. The UE can determine whether and how to trigger a BSR MAC-CE and transmit the BSR MAC-CE to the network.

[0072] This technique is particularly useful in TDD networks with sparse UL allocation (e.g., a 'DDDSU' configuration, which has one UL time slot out of every five time slots). PRAI can help the UE make decisions related to buffering, offloading processing to the cloud, and other related matters.

[0073] In some embodiments, the duration of the time window covered by the PRAI can be configured and may include UL-only or UL and DL time slots. For example, the PRAI can be configured to cover a specific number of UL time slots, or a certain number of time slots regardless of whether the time slots are assigned to UL or DL. For example, in Figure 5A In the PRAI, group 510 comprises 14 time slots that consider both DL and UL time slots, and in Figure 5B In the context of PRAI, when only UL time slots are considered, group 510 covers three UL time slots.

[0074] In embodiments, the gNB may determine potential resource availability based on the gNB implementation. For example, the gNB may construct the PRAI using load forecasting, for instance, via machine learning algorithms. Alternatively, the gNB may consider CG resources configured for active UEs, scheduling grants sent to UEs, etc. In some embodiments, the PRAI may apply to the next 'M' time slots rather than a time window. The PRAI is an indication to the UE of the likelihood of future resource availability, not a guarantee of allocated resources.

[0075] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method 400 for processing a potential resource availability indication in accordance with aspects of this disclosure is provided. Operation of method 400 may be implemented by the apparatus or components thereof described herein. For example, operation of method 400 may be performed by, as referenced... Figures 1 to 2The UE 104 described herein is used to perform this function. In some embodiments, the device may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the device to perform the described function. Alternatively, the UE 104 may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described function.

[0076] At 405, the method may include: receiving a DCI having an indication (e.g., a PRAI indication) of potential uplink resource availability in a set of future uplink time slots. The operation of 405 may be performed according to the examples described herein. In some embodiments, aspects of the operation of 405 may be as described in references... Figure 1 The described device is used to perform this action.

[0077] PRAI can be transmitted by the gNB in ​​a group common DCI. The DCI may include a predetermined number of fields for PRAI indication. In some embodiments, one or more fields in the PRAI indicate a sequence of UL resource availability indications. Resource availability indications may be in units of time-frequency resources, such as the number of resource block groups (RBGs) or the fraction of RBGs within a bandwidth portion (BWP) corresponding to a set of time slots 510 after a reference time. The time-frequency unit size may be configured, for example, as a time slot and multiple RBGs, or, in the case of multiple TRPs (M-TRP), as half a time slot and multiple RBGs.

[0078] The reference time can be the time slot in which the transmission indication is made, particularly for lower subcarrier intervals (e.g., less than 60 kHz), and can be a future time slot for higher subcarrier intervals (e.g., 480 kHz), to provide the UE with sufficient processing time. The reference time can be selected to provide the UE with sufficient time to decode the DCI and determine whether and how to construct the BSR / DSR and multiplex the BSR / DSR into the PUSCH transmission, as will be described in more detail below.

[0079] The number of time slots covered by PRAI can be configured via RRC signaling. In an embodiment, the number of time slots is determined based on the periodicity of the search space associated with DCI. For example, time slot group 510 covered by PRAI may cover time slots within one period of the search space.

[0080] In an embodiment, an MCS subfield associated with potential data transmissions in each time slot of group 510 may also be included in the field. This MCS subfield helps the UE determine how much of its data can be transmitted through potentially available resources.

[0081] Figure 5A and 5B This describes an example of a time slot for handling potential resource availability indications in accordance with aspects of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 5A and 5BThis describes time slots in a TDD system in the DDDSU format. Downlink time slots are specified by the letter D, uplink time slots by the letter U, and special time slots by the letter S. Special time slots S typically contain 14 symbols, can be designated as uplink or downlink, and can contain DL and UL symbols, with a guard interval between the DL and UL symbols.

[0082] exist Figure 5A In this example, the PRAI indication applies to group 510 of 14 time slots. In other embodiments, time slot group 510 can be a different number, such as 11, which spans all three uplink time slots U shown in FIG. 5, or 12, which spans the three uplink time slots U plus a special time slot S preceding the first uplink time slot U. The number of time slots in group 510 for PRAI can also vary depending on the time slot format.

[0083] The indication applies to the potential resource availability in uplink time slot U, and in some embodiments may also apply to specific time slot S. That is, in some embodiments, PRAI considers the potential resource availability of specific time slot S in addition to the resource availability of uplink time slot U. Figure 5A and 5B In this example, the unshaded area in uplink slot U indicates different potential availability within the uplink slot, with limited or approximately 1 / 3 potential availability in the first uplink slot, high availability in the second uplink slot, and very limited availability in the final uplink slot. This information can be conveyed to the UE in PRAI in several different ways, including as a specific resource as explained above, or as resource utilization.

[0084] In some embodiments, one or more fields in the PRAI indicate the uplink resource utilization calculated within a Resource Utilization Time Window (RUTW) corresponding to the slot group 510 covered by the PRAI. In this case, the PRAI may indicate the resource utilization for each slot within the RUTW or for all slots within the RUTW. In embodiments, the PRAI may individually indicate the resource utilization for each uplink slot within the RUTW, or indicate the resource utilization for each uplink slot and each specific slot. In another embodiment, the PRAI may indicate a single utilization value for the entire RUTW.

[0085] For example, the duration of the RUTW can be specified by RRC configuration or based on the periodicity of the DCI. In one embodiment, the duration of the RUTW is set based on the configured number of future uplink slots; for example, the duration can be a time amount or number of uplink slots. In other embodiments, the RUTW duration is based on the periodicity or average periodicity of the service of the application associated with the uplink service from the UE, such as the average FPS of a video stream, 20 ms for an audio stream, and 10 ms for a haptic stream. The RUTW duration may include both downlink and uplink slots or only uplink slots.

[0086] RUTW can end in the last time slot before DCI transmission. Figure 5B An example of this scenario is illustrated, where slot group 510 for the PRAI duration spans three uplink slots and terminates before the DCI transmission. In this example, resource utilization is calculated based on past resource utilization. In embodiments where resource utilization is based on future transmissions, for example... Figure 5A The document states that the RUTW may begin in the first time slot after the DCI, or in a number of time slots after the DCI. In an embodiment, the start and / or end of the RUTW may be indicated by the DCI.

[0087] The indicated resource utilization rate may only apply to the UE's current BWP. If the UE changes its BWP, any resource utilization rate value of the previous BWP will no longer be valid, and the UE may wait for the new resource utilization rate value of the new BWP before taking action regarding PRAI.

[0088] Resource utilization can be indicated based on the percentage of resources used for the applicable time slot. For example, PRAI can be a two-digit indicator, where each corresponding combination of bits represents a value for resource utilization below 25%, a value for utilization between 25% and 50%, a value for utilization between 50% and 75%, and a value for utilization above 75%. However, these values ​​are merely examples. In embodiments, specific values ​​can be configured by the network.

[0089] The PRAI may contain indications for multiple UEs. In embodiments, the UE is configured with a field location index that identifies which field in the PRAI applies to the UE. In the case of carrier aggregation, each carrier may be associated with a PRAI field. In various embodiments, the fields of the PRAI may be per UE, per carrier, or per LCG. For example, the UE may be configured with multiple field location indices that identify which fields in the PRAI apply to which carrier and / or which LCG.

[0090] The UE can trigger an event that causes the network to transmit the PRAI field in the DCI. For example, the UE can send a MAC-CE indicating how long the UE will receive this auxiliary information and at what frequency, as well as the type of auxiliary information to be received (e.g., a single RU value or a bitmap). The MAC-CE can be used to activate or deactivate PRAI reception. In embodiments, the UE can report to the network (e.g., via UE capability reporting) when the UE is able to process PRAI and operate BSR and SR procedures based on PRAI, and in response to the capability indicating the use of this feature, the network can configure the UE with RRC parameters (e.g., “gNB-assistance-Resource-Availability”) that enable the UE to receive PRAI indications.

[0091] The Available RB Sets Indicator field in DCI Format 2_0 can be repurposed for this report. If the UE is configured with RRC parameters (e.g., “gNB-assistance-Resource-Availability”), the UE can ignore another RRC parameter (e.g., intraCellGuardBandsDL-List) specified in 3GPP for interpreting the Available RB Sets Indicator field in DCI Format 2_0. In this embodiment, for availableRB-SetsPerCell, a value '1' in the Available RB Sets field indicates that the RB set is potentially available for transmission (still subject to authorization to receive allocation / acknowledgment / modification of such resources), and a value '0' indicates that the RB set is not available for transmission (still subject to no further stated UL authorization received), and the RB set remains either available or unavailable for transmission until the next time window. In another embodiment, the DCI indicates whether the Available RB Sets Indicator field in DCI Format 2_0 is used for an existing or designated purpose (indicating reception availability) or for a new purpose (e.g., PRAI indication). For example, fields in DCI format 2_0 can indicate whether the Available RB Set Indicator field corresponds to Receive Availability or Transmit Availability (PRAI). The configured or determined RB set can vary for different purposes (e.g., receive and transmit purposes).

[0092] If "gNB-assistance-Resource-Availability" is configured to indicate a time window, then the remaining channel occupancy indicated within DCI format 2_0 can be repurposed. The gNB can send a scheduling DCI with a new DCI format, where the DCI acknowledges or rejects a potentially available resource previously indicated by PRAI for at least one UL time slot (e.g., the first UL time slot after the scheduling DCI). gNB-assistance-Resource-Availability can apply to licensed frequency bands and / or unlicensed or shared spectrum.

[0093] If the UE does not receive a PDCCH for scheduling uplink resources within 'T' time units after receiving a DCI indicating potentially available resources (referred to as DCI1), the UE may assume that the DCI1 indication is no longer valid. Otherwise, the UE may assume that the indication is valid until it receives another DCI indicating potentially available uplink resources. This may be useful for BSR handling.

[0094] The gNB can indicate in the PRAI that information is unavailable (e.g., if the UE recently switched to a BWP). Alternatively, if the UE recently switched to a (UL) BWP, then it is not expected that the UE will monitor the DCI format indicating the PRAI for at least a predetermined number of time units or PDCCH monitoring periods.

[0095] At 410, the method may include performing buffer status reporting and scheduling request operations on uplink data based on DCI indications. The operation at 410 may be performed according to the examples described herein. In some embodiments, aspects of the operation at 410 may be as described in references... Figure 1 The UE 104 described is used for execution.

[0096] When uplink data on the logical channel of the LCG becomes available to the UE's MAC entity, the UE can perform buffer status reporting and scheduling request operations on the uplink data based on the PRAI. The UE can use the information in the PRAI to determine what actions to take to optimize synchronization. One advantage of embodiments of this disclosure is that if the UE is aware that sufficient resources are potentially available, as indicated by a positive PRAI, then the UE can buffer data. On the other hand, if the PRAI indicates limited potential resources, then the UE can immediately request resources to ensure synchronization.

[0097] In an embodiment, when the UE receives a PRAI indicating a resource availability greater than a configured or specified threshold or a resource utilization (RU) value less than a configured or specified threshold, the UE may take one of the following actions: trigger a BSR, delay the triggering of a BSR, delay the transmission of a triggered BSR, cancel a BSR, assign a lower priority to a triggered BSR, or change the priority of the BSR and / or its associated LCG.

[0098] In this example, when the RRC parameter "gNB-assistance-Resource-Availability" is set and the UE receives a PRAI indication indicating a potential resource availability greater than a threshold or a RU less than a threshold, the UE does not need to trigger a BSR in response to the arrival of new data. If the UE delays triggering a BSR, the delay can be a configured or predetermined amount of time, or until the UE receives another DCI, which can be a scheduled DCI or a DCI with a PRAI. When the PRAI indicates a high probability of resource availability that is sufficiently large (e.g., greater than a threshold), triggering a BSR can be delayed or canceled until the UE buffers more data.

[0099] When a UE assigns a lower priority to a triggered BSR, that priority can be used to select between the triggered BSR, transmitting the BSR in the UL channel, etc. An example of a UE changing the priority of a BSR and / or its associated LCG is when some video content is in a lower-priority LCH and audio content is in a separate LCH, but the video PDB is about to expire while the audio PDB is not. In this case, the video data priority can be upgraded based on the PRAI to be transmitted in the current or future time slot, thereby preempting the audio. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various UE actions described above can be implemented in many different scenarios to provide synchronization between multiple data streams.

[0100] In an embodiment, the UE transmits a triggered BSR indicating that this BSR should be postponed. This indication may be provided in a new field in the BSR MAC-CE, and the BSR may be postponed until further BSR notification, until a predetermined time, or until the indicated value in the postponed BSR MAC-CE. In an embodiment, the BSR is postponed for up to the predetermined time, such that if the event has not occurred before the predetermined time, the BSR is processed by the network. One benefit of notifying the gNB of the postponed BSR is that it lets the gNB know that the UE has some data to transmit, but the UE is waiting briefly to obtain other related services, and will send another BSR to request resources for transmission when said services become available.

[0101] The delayed BSR can also indicate the remaining delay budget associated with at least one LCG, and the Delay Status Report (DSR) framework can be used for this indication. If the BSR is to be triggered or has already been triggered, then the DSR can be triggered, and the gNB can delay the indicated delay in the DSR in response to BSR reception. Fields in the DSR can distinguish this type of DSR as a new DSR type from the DSR indicating the remaining delay budget as regular DSR data. In an embodiment, the gNB can quickly allocate resources for UL transmission in response to a regular DSR, while the gNB can delay resource allocation in response to this new DSR type.

[0102] In some embodiments, the PRAI may need to be received at least some time (determined by the PUSCH preparation time) before the PUSCH timing that carries the BSR or DSR (e.g., the PUSCH timing where the UE will transmit the BSR or DSR if the associated PRAI is not received). [The rest of the text is incomplete and likely refers to further details about the PUSCH preparation time.] Figure 6A and 6B Explain an example of this behavior.

[0103] exist Figure 6A and 6B In the diagram, uplink data arrives at the UE's buffer simultaneously during the downlink time slot in both diagrams. The arrival of data at the UE's buffer triggers a BSR (Browser Response Scheduler) as per conventional operation. The UE then receives a PRAI (Pressure Access Response) indicating potential resource availability greater than the threshold in time slot group 510 of the DCI shown in the diagram.

[0104] Figure 6A and Figure 6B The main difference is the size of the gap 605 between the DCI with PRAI and the first uplink time slot in the subsequent time slot group 510 associated with PRAI. If the gap 605 is too small, as in Figure 6A In this case, the UE can simply perform conventional BSR operations, and if the UE was previously scheduled to transmit in the first uplink time slot, then it will transmit BSR in that time slot because the gap 605 between the PRAI and the first UL time slot is shorter than a threshold gap. On the other hand, if the gap 605 is greater than the threshold, such as Figure 6B As shown in the example, the UE considers PRAI and cancels the triggered BSR, delays the transmission of the BSR, or indicates in the BSR that resource allocation in response to the BSR can be delayed. The threshold for gap 605 can be determined based on the PUSCH preparation time defined in TS 38.214.

[0105] In an embodiment, a delayed BSR can be overridden by a later BSR. Examples of overriding a BSR include canceling the BSR, expiring the BSR, or updating the BSR. A BSR can also be overridden when data from another related stream arrives (e.g., in multimodal communication where multiple streams need to be delivered within a specific relative time delay).

[0106] When a UE delays or postpones a BSR, the delay or postponement can last for a maximum time or a maximum number of time slots, such as four time slots, after which the UE can transmit the BSR. The maximum time can be configurable, set to a predetermined value, or determined by the UE. For example, the UE can determine the maximum time based on the delay budget of the LCG that triggers the BSR for it. In some embodiments, the UE can delay or postpone the triggering or transmission of the BSR when new uplink data is only associated with certain logical channels, such as LCGs associated with multimodal communication, such as those associated with a multimodal ID.

[0107] The UE may view a positive PRAI as an authorization for BSR action conditioned on meeting the QoS (e.g., latency) requirements of the associated service. Here, a positive PRAI is when the potential resource availability is greater than a threshold or the RU is less than a threshold. For example, if the UL shared channel resources available for new transmission after a BSR is triggered do not meet the LCP mapping constraints configured for the logical channel that triggered the BSR (e.g., as explained in Clause 5.4.3.1 of TS 38.321), then if the UE has not received a positive PRAI, then the UE triggers a scheduling request (SR), or if the UE has received a positive PRAI, then the UE triggers a scheduling request but delays the transmission of the SR.

[0108] If the UE has received the PRAI within a first time interval prior to the BSR triggering event, the UE may skip triggering the BSR. If the PRAI is received after the BSR has been triggered (e.g., no later than a second time interval after the BSR triggering event), the UE may cancel the transmission via the triggered or delayed BSR. If the PRAI is received for more than the second time interval but less than the third time interval, the UE may send a BSRMAC-CE to the network instructing the gNB to postpone resource allocation in response to the BSR MAC-CE. Therefore, in some embodiments, the UE may perform different actions depending on when the PRAI is received.

[0109] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more of the methods can be combined. For example, an embodiment of PRAI-based BSR processing can be applied to DSR processing with slight modifications.

[0110] The various illustrative blocks and components described in connection with this invention may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, CPU, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware component or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors incorporating a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0111] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and embodiments are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in various locations, including portions distributed such that the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0112] Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, wherein the communication media includes any media that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media can be any available media accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. As an example, and without limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, optical disc (CD) ROM or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory media that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor.

[0113] Any connection may be appropriately referred to as computer-readable media. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave), then the definition of computer-readable media includes coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave). As used herein, disks and optical discs include CDs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, wherein disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0114] As used herein (included in the claims), the word "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items beginning with phrases such as "at least one..." or "one or more..." or "one or two...") indicates an inclusive list, such that a list of at least one of, for example, A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an instance step described as "based on condition A" may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "at least partially based on". Additionally, as used herein, included in the claims, "group" may comprise one or more elements.

[0115] The terms “transmit,” “receive,” or “transmit” when referring to a network entity can refer to any part of a network entity (e.g., a base station, CU, DU, RU) of the RAN that communicates with another device (e.g., directly or via one or more other network entities).

[0116] The descriptions set forth herein, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrate exemplary configurations and do not represent all instances that may be implemented or that are within the scope of the claims. The term "example" as used herein means "serving as an example, illustration, or description" and not "preferred" or "superior to other examples." The detailed descriptions include specific details intended to provide an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concept of the described examples.

[0117] The description herein is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications to this disclosure are possible, and that the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: At least one memory; and At least one processor, coupled to and configured to enable the UE to: Receive downlink control information (DCI), which includes an indication of the availability of potential uplink resources in a set of future uplink time slots; and When uplink data for a logical channel in a logical channel group (LCG) becomes available to the UE's Media Access Control (MAC) entity, a buffer status report and scheduling request operation is performed on the uplink data based on the DCI indication.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured such that when the UE performs the buffer status reporting operation: Trigger the buffer status report (BSR) and construct the corresponding BSR MAC control element (MAC-CE); and Determine whether to transmit the MAC-CE in the next available time slot or delay the transmission of the MAC-CE.

3. The UE of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to delay the transmission of the MAC-CE when the indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink slots is greater than a threshold.

4. The UE of claim 3, wherein the delay of the transmission of the MAC-CE has a maximum time limit, and the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to transmit the MAC-CE before or when the maximum time limit is reached.

5. The UE of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to transmit the MAC-CE when the indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink slots is greater than a threshold, and the MAC-CE includes a field indicating how long resource allocation in response to the BSR can be delayed.

6. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the buffer status report and scheduling request operation includes: Trigger BSR; and When the uplink shared channel UL-SCH resources available for new transmission do not meet the logical channel priority LCP mapping constraints for the logical channel configuration that triggers the BSR, determine whether to trigger a scheduling request.

7. The UE of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to determine not to trigger a scheduling request when the DCI indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink slots is greater than a threshold.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein the DCI has a group common format.

9. The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured such that the UE performs a buffer status report and scheduling request operation on the uplink data based on the DCI indication only when the time interval between receiving the DCI indication and the next uplink slot available for BSR reporting is greater than a threshold amount.

10. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the DCI has format 2_0.

11. A processor for wireless communication, comprising: At least one memory; and At least one controller, coupled to and configured to cause the processor to: Receive downlink control information (DCI), the DCI containing an indication of the availability of potential uplink resources in a set of future uplink time slots; and When uplink data for a logical channel in a logical channel group (LCG) becomes available to the UE's Media Access Control (MAC) entity, a buffer status report and scheduling request operation is performed on the uplink data based on the DCI indication.

12. The processor of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured such that when the processor performs the buffer status reporting operation: Trigger the buffer status report (BSR) and construct the corresponding BSR MAC control element (MAC-CE); and Determine whether to transmit the MAC-CE in the next available time slot or delay the transmission of the MAC-CE.

13. The processor of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to delay the transmission of the MAC-CE when the indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink slots is greater than a threshold.

14. The processor of claim 13, wherein the delay of the transmission of the MAC-CE has a maximum time limit, and the at least one controller is further configured to cause the processor to transmit the MAC-CE before or at the time the maximum time limit is reached.

15. The processor of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause the processor to transmit the MAC-CE when the indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink slots is greater than a threshold, and the MAC-CE includes a field indicating how long resource allocation in response to the BSR can be delayed.

16. The processor of claim 11, wherein the buffer status report and scheduling request operation comprises: Trigger BSR; and When the uplink shared channel UL-SCH resources available for new transmission do not meet the logical channel priority LCP mapping constraints for the logical channel configuration that triggers the BSR, determine whether to trigger a scheduling request.

17. The processor of claim 16, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine not to trigger a scheduling request when the DCI indication indicates that the potential uplink resource availability in the set of future uplink slots is greater than a threshold.

18. The processor of claim 11, wherein the DCI has a group common format.

19. The processor of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured such that the processor performs a buffer status report and scheduling request operation on the uplink data based on the DCI indication only when the time interval between receiving the DCI indication and the next uplink slot available for BSR reporting is greater than a threshold amount.

20. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receive downlink control information (DCI), which includes an indication of the availability of potential uplink resources in a set of future uplink time slots; and When uplink data for a logical channel in a logical channel group (LCG) becomes available to the UE's Media Access Control (MAC) entity, a buffer status report and scheduling request operation is performed on the uplink data based on the DCI indication.

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