Optimization of contention-based uplink transmissions

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for optimization of contention-based uplink (UL) transmissions. A method includes transmitting a plurality of copies of a first message from a terminal device to a network device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to transmit a first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in other copies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to optimized terminal devices, network devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for contention-based uplink (UL) transmission. Background Technology

[0002] A communication network can be viewed as a facility that enables communication between two or more communication devices or provides access from communication devices to a data network. Mobile or wireless communication networks are an example of communication networks.

[0003] This type of communication network operates according to standards such as those published by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) or ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). Examples of such standards include the so-called 5G (fifth generation) standard or other standards published by 3GPP. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Overall, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide an optimized solution for contention-based uplink (UL) transmission.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: send multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: receive from the terminal device a plurality of copies of a first message using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in the other copies; and, in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, send to the terminal device a second message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: sending multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving multiple copies of a first message from a terminal device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies; and sending a second message to the terminal device in response to the multiple copies of the first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes components for transmitting multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to transmit the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for receiving multiple copies of a first message from a terminal device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies; and components for sending a second message to the terminal device in response to the multiple copies of the first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium including program instructions is provided. When executed by an apparatus, the program instructions cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: transmit multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to transmit the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium including program instructions is provided. When executed by an apparatus, the program instructions cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving, using resources determined by the terminal device, a plurality of copies of a first message from the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in the other copies; and, in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, sending a second message to the terminal device, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided that, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to at least: send multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided that, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to at least: receive from a terminal device a plurality of copies of a first message using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in the other copies; and, in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, send to the terminal device a second message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: a transmitting circuitry configured to transmit multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to transmit the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes: a receiving circuitry configured to receive, using resources determined by a terminal device, a plurality of copies of a first message from the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to transmit the first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in the other copies; and a transmitting circuitry configured to transmit a second message to the terminal device in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0017] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify 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

[0018] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 An example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown;

[0020] Figure 2 The Msg3 transmission and Msg4 monitoring in the diversity slot aloha (DSA) of the RNTI derived using Msg3 resources are shown;

[0021] Figure 3 Examples of process flows according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0022] Figure 4 Another example of a process flow according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 5 An example of a Media Access Control (MAC) subheader used to indicate RNTI information in Msg3 copy transmission is shown;

[0024] Figure 6 A flowchart is shown of an example method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 7 Another flowchart is shown, illustrating an example method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 8 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown; and

[0027] Figure 9 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0029] 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 disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0030] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0031] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes 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, whether explicitly described or not, it is considered that combining it with other embodiments to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0032] It should be understood that while 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 terms.

[0033] 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 also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “including,” and / or “containing” as used herein specify the presence of the 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. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0034] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuit systems only) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including digital signal processors), software, and memory (including multiple memory), which work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions, and (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors (such as microprocessors or a portion thereof) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may be absent when no software is required to operate.

[0035] This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors), or a portion of hardware circuitry or a processor, and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term "circuit system" also covers (e.g., and if applicable to a particular claim element) baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “network,” “communication network,” or “data network” refer to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Wi-Fi, etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices / components in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), 5.5G (also known as advanced 5G), the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communication, there are, of course, future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to implement this disclosure. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the systems described above.

[0037] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communications network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device can refer to a base station (BS), access point (AP), or transmit and receive point (TRP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), WiFi device, repeater, low-power nodes such as femtoseconds, picoseconds, etc. In the following description, the terms "network device," "AP device," "AP," and "access point" are used interchangeably.

[0038] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), site (STA), or site equipment, or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms “site”, “site equipment”, “STA”, “terminal equipment”, “communication equipment”, “terminal”, “user equipment” and “UE” are used interchangeably.

[0039] The term "transceiver" can refer to any device that can be coupled to one or more antennas or antenna ports to wirelessly transmit and / or receive communication signals. Antennas or antenna ports can be of the same or different types. Antennas or antenna ports can be located in different locations on the device. One or more transceivers allow the device to communicate with other devices, which can be wired and / or wireless. One or more transceivers can include circuitry such as processors, controllers, radios, receptacles, plugs, buffers, etc., to form one or more communication channels to one or more radio frequency units. One or more transceivers can be integrated into a device or system, such as a cellular communication device or system, a satellite communication device or system, a WLAN system, or a short-range system (e.g., a Bluetooth system).

[0040] For illustrative purposes, the following will refer to Figures 1 to 9 The principles and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described. However, it should be noted that these embodiments are given to enable those skilled in the art to understand the inventive concepts of this disclosure and to implement the solutions presented herein, and are not intended to limit the scope of this application in any way.

[0041] Figure 1 Examples of application scenarios 100 in which some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented are shown. Application scenario 100, as part of a communication network, includes terminal devices and network devices.

[0042] In the description of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, network environment 100 may also be referred to as communication system 100 (e.g., part of a communication network). Communication system 100 may be a non-terrestrial system or a terrestrial system.

[0043] For illustrative purposes only, various aspects of the example embodiments will be described in the context of one or more terminal devices and network devices communicating with each other. However, it should be understood that the description herein can be applied to other types of devices or other similar devices referred to using other terms.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 may include network device 110 (which may also be referred to as eNB, gNB, or BS). The communication network 100 may also include terminal device 120 (which may also be referred to as user equipment 120 or UE 120). Although in Figure 1 Only one network device 110 and one terminal device 120 are shown, but the number of network devices and terminal devices is not limited. In other words, there can be one or more network devices 110 and one or more terminal devices 120 in the network.

[0045] Network device 110 can provide services to terminal device 120, and network device 110 and terminal device 120 can transmit data and control information to each other. In some embodiments, network device 110 and terminal device 120 can communicate using a direct link / channel.

[0046] In communication system 100, the link from network device 110 to terminal device 120 is called the downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 120 to network device 110 is called the 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). It should be understood that network device 110 can provide one or more serving cells. Figure 1 As shown, network device 110 provides a serving cell 102, and terminal device 120 resides on serving cell 102. In some embodiments, network device 110 may provide multiple serving cells, and terminal device 120 may hand over from a source cell to a target cell between serving cells during its mobility. It should be understood that... Figure 1 The number of serving cells shown is for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation.

[0047] Communication in network environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), fifth-generation (5G), New Radio (NR), sixth-generation (6G), Wi-Fi, and Global Microwave. Access interoperability (WiMAX) standards and employ any appropriate communication technologies, including, for example, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), and new radio unlicensed (NR-U) technologies.

[0048] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices, their connections, and types shown are for illustrative purposes and do not imply any limitation. Communication system 100 may include any suitable number of devices appropriate for implementing embodiments of this disclosure.

[0049] Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) have already been deployed. Based on existing IoT-NTN deployments and deployment plans, it is evident that IoT-NTN, especially NB-IoT, requires significant capacity support. Therefore, multiplexing UEs using orthogonal coverage codes (OCCs) for the new Physical Uplink Shared Channel (NPUSCH) format 1 and the new Physical Random Access Channel (NPRACH) will be investigated and, if beneficial, specified.

[0050] In addition to the enhancements mentioned above, reducing the necessary uplink and downlink signaling to complete Early Data Transmission (EDT) transactions may be beneficial and should therefore be studied and, if beneficial, should be specified.

[0051] Therefore, the 3GPP Rel-19 work item (WI) regarding IoT-NTN enhancements for the purpose of supporting uplink capacity enhancements is stated as follows: - If advantageous, study and specify the following enhancements to reduce the need for completing Early Data Transfer (EDT) transactions. Required uplink and downlink signaling: msg3 transmission without msg1 / Random Access Response (RAR) Efficient delivery of msg4 / RRC Early Data Complete (with reduced overhead)

[0052] To this end, 3GPP has agreed to focus its research on contention-based Msg3 transmissions to accomplish EDT-like transactions. Furthermore, it has been agreed to introduce support for DSA (i.e., the possibility of sending more than one copy of a contention-based (CB)msg3 if configured by NW), and the Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) used for scheduling Msg4 transmissions is derived based on resources associated with the timing of the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) used for contention-based Msg3 EDT transmissions.

[0053] Figure 2 This illustrates Msg3 transmission and Msg4 monitoring in DSA using an RNTI derived from Msg3 resources. Due to the protocol supporting DSA in CBS-Msg3 transmissions and the RNTI derived from resources used for contention-based shared (CBS)-Msg3 transmissions, multiple Msg4 responses corresponding to different copies of the same Msg3 can be triggered by the network or base transceiver station (NW / BTS) and sent to UEs addressed by different RNTIs, such as... Figure 2 As shown.

[0054] There are several issues with the DSA identification of RNTIs derived using Msg3 resources. One issue is how to optimize Msg4 delivery to avoid duplicate or redundant Msg4s to different copies of Msg3, since different RNTIs can be derived for different copies of the same Msg3, and the NW / BTS cannot identify copies of the same UE solely based on RNTIs. Another issue is how to limit the number of RNTIs monitored by the UE for Msg4, since different RNTIs can be derived for different copies of the same Msg3, and the UE does not know which Msg3 copy the delivered Msg4 is responding to. In view of this, this disclosure provides an efficient method for indicating the RNTI information of one copy in the transmission of other copies of the same message to address some of the aforementioned problems.

[0055] Although Msg3 is used as an example of contention-based transmission during the Random Access Channel (RACH) process and Msg4 as an example of a response, it should be understood that the proposed solution can also be applied to different messages besides Msg3 and Msg4.

[0056] When a UE transmits different copies of the same message (e.g., Msg3), the RNTI corresponding to one copy is indicated in the other copy transmissions. In one embodiment, the RNTI to be indicated in other copy transmissions may be an RNTI derived from the first copy in the same Msg3 transmission. The RNTI information may also include which copy's RNTI is indicated, for example, if the indicated RNTI does not correspond to the first copy. To reduce the size of each Msg3 copy, an RNTI index identifying the RNTI can be used instead of transmitting the entire RNTI. RNTI information may optionally be omitted in the copy transmission corresponding to the RNTI.

[0057] In some embodiments, if the UE and NW have a common understanding of the replica pattern of the Msg3 transmission, or if the UE selects or determines resources for all replica transmissions from RNTIs derived from different replicas for the same Msg3 before the first replica transmission, the UE can choose to use an RNTI derived from one replica for Msg4 monitoring. In one embodiment, the RNTI used for Msg4 monitoring is the RNTI derived from the first replica in the transmission of the same Msg3. The RNTI selection rules can be predefined without any Uu interface signaling.

[0058] When the UE monitors Msg4 in response to a Msg3 copy transmission, the UE only needs to monitor Msg4 using the indicated or selected RNTI, requiring a single RNTI monitoring for Msg4. If a corresponding Msg4 addressed by the indicated RNTI is received and the contention is resolved successfully, the UE can stop the Msg3 copy transmission.

[0059] The proposed solution advantageously simplifies UE implementation by avoiding the need for monitoring multiple RNTIs in response, and advantageously simplifies NW implementation by avoiding duplicate / redundant responses by using indicated or selected RNTIs instead of storing and comparing all received copies of Service Data Unit (SDU) content. This, in turn, provides more efficient use of radio resources for delivering response messages such as Msg4.

[0060] Figure 3 An example of process flow 300 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, reference will be made to... Figure 1 The process flow is described in section 300. It should be understood that, although referenced... Figure 1 The communication network 100 describes the process flow 300, but the process flow 300 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios.

[0061] At 301, terminal device 120 (which may be interchangeably referred to as "UE") uses resources determined by terminal device 120 to send multiple copies of the first message to network device 110 (which may be interchangeably referred to as "NW"). Accordingly, at 302, network device 110 receives copies of the first message from terminal device 120. The first message may be, for example, Msg3 during the RACH procedure, which is sent directly to network device 110 without sending a random access preamble.

[0062] The RNTI corresponding to each replica can be derived from the resources used to send the replica. Network device 110 can derive the RNTI from the resources used to send the corresponding replica.

[0063] The transmitted copy of the first message may include a first copy 303 and multiple other copies 304. RNTI information derived from the resources used to transmit the first copy 303 may be indicated or included in each of the multiple other copies 304 besides the first copy. This allows the NW to associate a received copy with other copies of the same Msg3, and to determine which RNTI the UE uses to monitor Msg4. RNTI information regarding the first copy 303 may be omitted, as the NW can derive the corresponding RNTI from the resources used to transmit the first copy.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first copy 303 may be a copy sent over time via a first transmission of a plurality of copies of the first message. Alternatively, the first copy 303 may be a copy selected from the copies; for example, it may correspond to a second, third, or last transmission; any number of copies is possible. It is worth noting that the transmission command for the copy associated with the indicated RNTI information can be any copy transmission, even if it is in... Figure 3 The first transmission is shown in the middle.

[0065] In some embodiments, terminal device 120 may use resources determined for multiple copies of the first message to determine one or more RNTIs. Terminal device 120 may select one RNTI corresponding to the first copy 303, with RNTI information in other copies 304 referencing the first copy 303. Terminal device 120 may determine RNTI information associated with the first copy based on the selected RNTI. For example, terminal device 120 may include all RNTIs of the selected RNTI.

[0066] In some embodiments, the RNTI information may have a different format to reduce the size of replica 304. The RNTI information may include an RNTI index in an RNTI pool configured by the network device for the first message transmission. Alternatively, the RNTI information may include the difference between the resource-derived RNTI for each replica 304 and the RNTI corresponding to the first replica 303.

[0067] Upon receiving a copy, network device 110 can deduce the RNTI in response. If the received copy does not include RNTI information, network device 110 can determine the RNTI of the first copy 303 from the resources containing the received copy in response. If the received copy includes RNTI information, network device 110 can respond using the RNTI deduced from the indicated RNTI information. If the RNTI of the first copy 303 has not yet been obtained, network device 110 can deduce the RNTI of the first copy 303.

[0068] In some embodiments, if no response message using the same RNTI is delivered within a certain time window (e.g., a contention resolution window), then at 305, network device 110 may send a second message 306 as a response, which utilizes the RNTI of the first copy 303 scrambled. The second message 306 may, for example, be Msg4 in a RACH process. Accordingly, at 307, terminal device 120 receives the second message 306 sent using the indicated RNTI. Thus, terminal device 120 only needs to use the RNTI of the first transport copy or a selected RNTI of the copy to monitor the response.

[0069] Figure 4 Another example of process flow 400 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, reference will be made to... Figure 1 The process flow is described in section 400. It should be understood that, although referenced... Figure 1 The communication network 100 describes process flow 400, but process flow 400 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios. Process flow 400 can be regarded as an example implementation of process flow 300.

[0070] At step 0, network device 110 (e.g., a base station, eNB, or gNB) provides the UE with a configuration for contention-based Msg3 transmission, including DSA-related configuration. This configuration may include at least one of the following: a UL resource pool (e.g., PUSCH resources for Msg3 transmission), an RNTI pool for deriving RNTIs from Msg3 transmission resources, a DSA activation / enable indication or standard for activating DSAs for Msg3 transmission, and / or a standard for determining the number of Msg3 replicas within the configured maximum number of Msg3 replicas, the minimum and / or maximum time interval for transmission of Msg3 replicas, Msg3 replica resource patterns, etc.

[0071] At step 1, based on the NW / BTS configuration, terminal device 120 determines the number of DSAs to be used for Msg3 transmissions and Msg3 replicas. Then, the indication of RNTI information in the transmission of the same Msg3 replica can be executed.

[0072] In some embodiments, the RNTI of the first Msg3 replica transmission can be indicated in other Msg3 replica transmissions, such as... Figure 4 As shown.

[0073] Alternatively, if the NW 110 or terminal device 120, configured with the Msg3 copy resource pattern, selects resources for each Msg3 copy transmission at the beginning before the first Msg3 copy transmission, then all RNTIs derived from each Msg3 copy transmission are known before the UE transmits the first Msg3 copy. In some embodiments, terminal device 120 may select one of the RNTIs to indicate (e.g., it may select the RNTI indicating the second or last Msg3 copy, such that the first and other Msg3 copy transmissions will include the RNTI of the second or last Msg3 copy). It is worth noting that the copy transmission command associated with the indicated RNTI information can be any copy transmission, even if it is in Figure 4 The first transmission is shown in the middle.

[0074] In this embodiment, the number of replicas corresponding to the selected RNTI can also be indicated to NW 110. This embodiment has the following advantages: NW 110 can know the selected resources for future Msg3 replica transmissions, enabling NW 110 to avoid sending Msg4 responses in the same time slot as future Msg3 replicas, thereby reducing the impact of half-duplex issues from terminal device 120.

[0075] In some embodiments, to save the overhead of Msg3 replica transmission by indicating the RNTI of the first or selected Msg3 replica, an RNTI index can be indicated instead of all RNTIs. Each RNTI in the RNTI pool configured by the NW 110 for contention-based Msg3 transmission is indexed according to the number of RNTIs in the pool. Therefore, an index corresponding to each RNTI can be indicated.

[0076] In some embodiments, the increment or difference of the RNTI can be indicated instead of the full RNTI or the RNTI index. For example, terminal device 120 can select the minimum or lowest value of the RNTI. Then, in other Msg3 copy transmissions, the indicated RNTI is the difference between the resource-derived RNTI of the Msg3 copy and the selected RNTI.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first Msg3 copy or the Msg3 copy corresponding to the selected RNTI may omit the RNTI indication information, since the NW 110 can derive the RNTI from the Msg3 copy transfer resources.

[0078] To indicate RNTI information in the Msg3 copy transmission, a new Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) can be introduced. The MAC CE can be multiplexed as a Common Control Channel (CCCH) SDU with the corresponding Msg3 copy. In this embodiment, the Logical Channel ID (LCID) value of the MAC CE can be predefined, and an 8- or 16-bit RNTI information field can be introduced.

[0079] Alternatively, the MAC subheader for a MAC SDU containing a UL CCCH SDU can be extended to include RNTI information. Figure 5 An example of a MAC subheader used to indicate RNTI information in Msg3 copy transmission is shown. As illustrated, one bit (e.g., the second bit R in the MAC subheader) can be used to indicate the presence of RNTI information. Then, one or more of the following octets of the MAC subheader can be used to indicate the RNTI information.

[0080] In step 2, terminal device 120 uses the RNTI of the selected Msg3 to monitor Msg4.

[0081] If the Msg3 copy does not include RNTI information, NW 110 can derive the RNTI from the resource that received the Msg3 copy. At step 3, if Msg4 using the same RNTI has not been delivered within a time window, NW 110 can respond using Msg4 with the derived RNTI. If the Msg3 copy includes RNTI information, at step 3, NW 110 can respond using Msg4 with the indicated RNTI if Msg4 with the same RNTI has not yet been delivered within a time window.

[0082] To avoid the impact of RNTI conflicts (e.g., two or more UEs may select the same resource for a first Msg3 copy transmission, and the RNTI for the first copy transmission is indicated by those UEs in their other Msg3 copy transmissions), the NW may need to compare the received Msg3 copy with the stored Msg3 copy associated with the relevant RNTI. If the received Msg3 copy is the same as the copy of the delivered Msg4 response, the NW does not send an additional Msg4. Otherwise, assuming the Msg4 response is addressed to a different UE than the recipient of the previous Msg4, the NW may use the RNTI to send the Msg4 in response to the received Msg3 copy.

[0083] Thus, from the UE's perspective, the UE only needs to use the RNTI of the first Msg3 copy or the selected RNTI of the Msg3 copy used for Msg4 monitoring to monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0084] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example method 600 implemented at a terminal device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, reference will be made to... Figure 1 Method 600 is described from the perspective of terminal device 120.

[0085] At box 610, terminal device 120 uses resources determined by terminal device to send multiple copies of the first message to network device 110, wherein Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0086] In some embodiments, terminal device 120 may monitor a second message in response to multiple copies of a first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using an RNTI pair associated with a first copy of the first message.

[0087] In some embodiments, RNTI information is omitted in the first copy of the first message.

[0088] In some embodiments, a first copy of the first message is transmitted via a first transmission of multiple copies of the first message.

[0089] In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may also use resources determined for multiple copies of the first message to determine one or more RNTIs; and determine RNTI information based on a selected RNTI from one or more RNTIs, the selected RNTI corresponding to the first copy.

[0090] In some embodiments, the terminal device may also indicate to the network device the number of copies corresponding to the selected RNTI.

[0091] In some embodiments, the indicated RNTI information includes an RNTI index in the RNTI pool configured by the network device for the first message transmission.

[0092] In some embodiments, for the second replica among the other replicas, the indicated RNTI information includes the difference between the resource-derived RNTI of the second replica and the RNTI corresponding to the first replica.

[0093] In some embodiments, the indicated RNTI information is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) multiplexed with a corresponding copy of the first message.

[0094] In some embodiments, the indicated RNTI information is included in the MAC subheader of the MACSDU containing a copy of the first message, wherein a reserved bit in the MAC subheader is used to indicate the presence of the RNTI information.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first message includes Msg3 during the Random Access Channel Procedure (RACH) without sending a random access preamble.

[0096] Figure 7 Another flowchart of an example method 700 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, reference will be made to... Figure 1 Method 700 is described from the perspective of network device 110.

[0097] At box 710, network device 110 uses resources determined by terminal device 120 to receive multiple copies of the first message, wherein Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0098] At box 720, network device 110 responds to multiple copies of the first message by sending a second message to terminal device 120, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0099] In some embodiments, the network device may further determine whether the received copy includes RNTI information; and in response to determining that RNTI information is included, determine the RNTI of the first copy based on the RNTI information.

[0100] In some embodiments, RNTI information is omitted in the first copy of the first message.

[0101] In some embodiments, the network device may further determine whether RNTI information is included in a copy of the received first message; and in response to determining that no RNTI information is included, derive the RNTI of the first copy based on the resources used for the transmission of the received copy.

[0102] In some embodiments, in order to send a second message in response to multiple copies, the network device may compare a received copy of the first message with a stored copy, the stored copy being associated with an RNTI identical to the first copy of the first message; and based on the determination that a received copy of the first message is different from a stored copy, send a second message in response to a received copy of the first message.

[0103] In some embodiments, a first copy of the first message is sent from the terminal device via a first transmission of a plurality of copies of the first message.

[0104] In some embodiments, the network device may also receive from the terminal device an indication of the number of copies corresponding to the selected RNTI.

[0105] In some embodiments, the indicated RNTI information includes an RNTI index in the RNTI pool configured by the network device for the first message transmission.

[0106] In some embodiments, for the second replica among the other replicas, the indicated RNTI information includes the difference between the resource-derived RNTI of the second replica and the RNTI corresponding to the first replica.

[0107] In some embodiments, the indicated RNTI information is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) multiplexed with a corresponding copy of the first message.

[0108] In some embodiments, the indicated RNTI information is included in the MAC subheader of the MACSDU containing a copy of the first message, wherein a reserved bit in the MAC subheader is used to indicate the presence of the RNTI information.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first message includes Msg3 during the Random Access Channel Procedure (RACH) without sending a random access preamble.

[0110] In some embodiments, the apparatus capable of performing method 600 (e.g., terminal device 120) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes components for sending multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0112] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for monitoring a second message in response to multiple copies of a first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using an RNTI associated with a first copy of the first message.

[0113] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for determining one or more RNTIs using resources determined for multiple copies of a first message; and components for determining RNTI information based on a selected RNTI from one or more RNTIs, the selected RNTI corresponding to the first copy.

[0114] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for instructing the network device on the number of copies corresponding to the selected RNTI.

[0115] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 600. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to execute.

[0116] In some embodiments, the apparatus capable of performing method 700 (e.g., network device 110) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 700. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0117] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: components for receiving multiple copies of a first message from a terminal device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies; and components for sending a second message to the terminal device in response to the multiple copies of the first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0118] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for determining whether RNTI information is included in the received copy; and components for determining the RNTI of the first copy based on the RNTI information in response to determining that the RNTI information is included.

[0119] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for determining whether RNTI information is included in a copy of the received first message; and components for deriving the RNTI of the first copy based on the resources used for the transmission of the received copy in response to determining that no RNTI information is included.

[0120] In some embodiments, the components for sending a second message in response to multiple copies may include components for comparing a copy of the received first message with a stored copy in which the network device responds using the same RNTI as the first copy of the first message; and components for sending a second message in response to a copy of the received first message based on a determination that the copy of the received first message is different from the stored copy.

[0121] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for receiving an indication from a terminal device of the number of copies corresponding to the selected RNTI.

[0122] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 700. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to execute.

[0123] Figure 8 A simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The device 800 can be provided to implement a communication device, for example, such as... Figure 1 The network device 110 or terminal device 120 shown. As shown, device 800 includes one or more processors 810, one or more memories 820 coupled to processor 810, and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to processor 810.

[0124] Communication module 840 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 840 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0125] Processor 810 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 800 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock that synchronizes with the main processor.

[0126] Memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power-off periods.

[0127] Computer program 830 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 810. Program 830 may be stored in ROM 824. Processor 810 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 830 into RAM 822.

[0128] Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by means of program 830, enabling device 800 to perform as described in the reference. Figure 6 and Figure 7 Any process of the invention discussed herein. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0129] In some example embodiments, program 830 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 800 (such as in memory 820) or other storage device accessible by device 800. Device 800 may load program 830 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 822 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0130] Figure 9 A block diagram of an example of a computer-readable medium 900 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The computer-readable medium 900 has a program 830 stored thereon. Note that, although in Figure 8The computer-readable medium 900 is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but the computer-readable medium 900 may be any other form suitable for carrying or storing the program 830.

[0131] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software, which can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other illustrated representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0132] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transient computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced instructions. Figure 6 Alternatively, the method described in 7, 600, or 700. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions used in 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.

[0133] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure 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, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. 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.

[0134] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0135] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-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 fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. The term “non-transient” as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0136] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or that all the operations shown be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as a description 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.

[0137] 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.

[0138] Example 1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: send multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0139] Example 2. The terminal device according to Example 1, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: monitor a second message in response to multiple copies of a first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using an RNTI associated with a first copy of the first message.

[0140] Example 3. The terminal device according to Example 1 or 2, wherein the RNTI information is omitted in the first copy of the first message.

[0141] Example 4. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein a first copy of the first message is sent via a first transmission of a plurality of copies of the first message.

[0142] Example 5. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: determine one or more RNTIs using resources determined for multiple copies of the first message; and determine RNTI information based on an RNTI selected from the one or more RNTIs, the selected RNTI corresponding to the first copy.

[0143] Example 6. The terminal device according to Example 5, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: indicate to the network device the number of copies corresponding to the selected RNTI.

[0144] Example 7. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the indicated RNTI information includes: an RNTI index in an RNTI pool configured by the network device for the first message transmission.

[0145] Example 8. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein for the second copy among the other copies, the indicated RNTI information includes: the difference between the resource-derived RNTI of the second copy and the RNTI corresponding to the first copy.

[0146] Example 9. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the indicated RNTI information is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) multiplexed with a corresponding copy of the first message.

[0147] Example 10. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the indicated RNTI information is included in a MAC subheader for a MAC SDU containing a copy of the first message, wherein a reserved bit of the MAC subheader is used to indicate the presence of the RNTI information.

[0148] Example 11. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the first message includes Msg3 during the Random Access Channel Procedure (RACH) without sending a random access preamble.

[0149] Example 12. A network device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: receive from the terminal device a plurality of copies of a first message using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in the other copies; and, in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, send to the terminal device a second message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0150] Example 13. The network device according to Example 12, wherein the network device is further configured to: determine whether RNTI information is included in the received copy; and in response to determining that RNTI information is included, determine the RNTI of the first copy based on the RNTI information.

[0151] Example 14. A network device according to any one of Examples 12 or 13, wherein the RNTI information is omitted in the first copy of the first message.

[0152] Example 15. The network device according to Example 14, wherein the network device is further configured to: determine whether RNTI information is included in a copy of the received first message; and in response to determining that no RNTI information is included, derive the RNTI of the first copy based on the resources used for the transmission of the received copy.

[0153] Example 16. A network device according to any one of Examples 12 to 15, wherein, in order to send a second message in response to multiple copies, the network device is configured to: compare a copy of the received first message with a stored copy in which the network device responds using the same RNTI as the first copy of the first message; and, based on a determination that the copy of the received first message is different from the stored copy, send a second message in response to the copy of the received first message.

[0154] Example 17. A network device according to any one of Examples 12 to 16, wherein a first copy of a first message is sent from a terminal device via a first transmission of a plurality of copies of the first message.

[0155] Example 18. The network device according to Example 12, wherein the network device is further configured to: receive from the terminal device an indication of the number of copies corresponding to the selected RNTI.

[0156] Example 19. A network device according to any one of Examples 12 to 18, wherein the indicated RNTI information includes: an RNTI index in an RNTI pool configured by the network device for a first message transmission.

[0157] Example 20. The network device according to any one of Examples 12 to 18, wherein for the second replica among the other replicas, the indicated RNTI information includes: the difference between the resource-derived RNTI of the second replica and the RNTI corresponding to the first replica.

[0158] Example 21. A network device according to any one of Examples 12 to 18, wherein the indicated RNTI information is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) multiplexed with a corresponding copy of the first message.

[0159] Example 22. A network device according to any one of Examples 12 to 18, wherein the indicated RNTI information is included in a MAC subheader for a MAC SDU containing a copy of the first message, wherein a reserved bit of the MAC subheader is used to indicate the presence of the RNTI information.

[0160] Example 23. A network device according to any one of Examples 12 to 22, wherein the first message includes Msg3 during the Random Access Channel Procedure (RACH) without sending a random access preamble.

[0161] Example 24. A method comprising: sending multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0162] Example 25. A method comprising: receiving, using resources determined by a terminal device, a plurality of copies of a first message from a terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in the other copies; and, in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, sending a second message to the terminal device, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0163] Example 26. An apparatus comprising: components for transmitting multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to transmit the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0164] Example 27. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving multiple copies of a first message from a terminal device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies; and means for sending a second message to the terminal device in response to the multiple copies of the first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

[0165] Example 28. A computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: send multiple copies of a first message to a network device using resources determined by a terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

[0166] Example 29. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least: receive from a terminal device a plurality of copies of a first message using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the plurality of copies is indicated in the other copies; and, in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, send to the terminal device a second message, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Multiple copies of the first message are sent to the network device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the following: The terminal device is also configured to monitor a second message in response to the plurality of copies of the first message, wherein the second message is scrambled using an RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message; The RNTI information is omitted in the first copy of the first message; or The first copy of the first message is sent via the first transmission of the plurality of copies of the first message.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Using the resources determined for the plurality of replicas of the first message, one or more RNTIs are determined, and based on the RNTI selected from the one or more RNTIs, the RNTI information is determined, wherein the selected RNTI corresponds to the first replica; and Indicate the number of copies of the selected RNTI to the network device.

4. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indicated RNTI information includes: The RNTI index in the RNTI pool configured by the network device for the first message transmission; or For the second replica among the other replicas, the indicated RNTI information includes the difference between the resource-derived RNTI of the second replica and the RNTI corresponding to the first replica.

5. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indicated RNTI information is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) multiplexed with a corresponding copy of the first message; or The indicated RNTI information is included in the MAC subheader of the MAC SDU containing the copy of the first message, wherein a reserved bit in the MAC subheader is used to indicate the presence of the RNTI information.

6. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first message includes Msg3 during the Random Access Channel Procedure (RACH) without sending a random access preamble.

7. A network device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: Multiple copies of the first message are received from the terminal device using resources determined by the terminal device, wherein Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) information derived from the resources used to send the first copy of the multiple copies is indicated in the other copies. as well as In response to the plurality of copies of the first message, a second message is sent to the terminal device, wherein the second message is scrambled using the RNTI associated with the first copy of the first message.

8. The network device according to claim 7, wherein one or more of the following: The network device is further configured to: determine whether RNTI information is included in the received copy; and in response to determining that the RNTI information is included, determine the RNTI of the first copy based on the RNTI information. The RNTI information is omitted in the first copy of the first message, and the network device is further configured to: determine whether RNTI information is included in the received copy of the first message, and in response to determining that no RNTI information is included, deduce the RNTI of the first copy based on the resources used for the transmission of the received copy, or The first copy of the first message is sent from the terminal device via the first transmission of the plurality of copies of the first message.

9. The network device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, in response to the transmission of a second message by the plurality of copies, the network device is configured to: The received copy of the first message is compared with a stored copy of the message that the network device responds with using the same RNTI as the first copy of the first message; and Based on the determination that the received copy of the first message is different from the stored copy, in response to the received copy of the first message, the second message is sent.

10. The network device of claim 7, wherein the network device is further configured to: The terminal device receives an indication of the number of copies of the selected RNTI.

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