Method and apparatus for early indication of data transmission in mobile communications

Abstract

Various solutions for early indication of data transmission by a device in mobile communications are described. A device can receive downlink control information indicating one or more data scheduling information related to one or more carriers. The one or more data scheduling information can include at least one of a carrier status and a data volume. The device can receive data scheduled by subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing

[0002] This disclosure is part of a formal application claiming priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 595,783, filed November 3, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to mobile communications, and more specifically, to advance instructions regarding data transmission in a device during mobile communications. Background Technology

[0004] Unless otherwise stated, the methods described in this section are not prior art to the following claims and are not considered prior art because they are included in this section.

[0005] Energy-saving technologies have been developed in Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or New Radio (NR) mobile communications. In particular, various features have been introduced to enhance the energy efficiency of networks and user equipment (UEs) across multiple domains, including time, frequency, space, and power.

[0006] For example, the discontinuous reception (DRX) feature helps reduce UE power consumption by allowing the device to periodically enter sleep mode, avoiding continuous monitoring of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). More specifically, DRX has two modes: idle mode for paging message monitoring, and connected mode, in which the UE periodically wakes up to check downlink / uplink data. DRX also improves network efficiency by freeing up resources for other UEs during sleep by reducing unnecessary transmission of channel state information (CSI) and sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0007] However, in some scenarios, the UE may process scheduled data with a fixed UE capacity, regardless of the size of the scheduled data, which may lead to unnecessary power consumption.

[0008] Therefore, how to provide dynamic energy-saving processes has become an important issue in newly developed wireless communication networks. Thus, appropriate solutions are needed to achieve dynamic energy-saving processes. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The following abstract is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following abstract aims to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Some embodiments will be further described in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following abstract is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0010] One object of this disclosure is to provide a solution or approach to address the aforementioned problems concerning the early indication data transmission of devices in mobile communications.

[0011] In one aspect, a method may involve an apparatus receiving downlink control information (DCI) indicating one or more data scheduling messages associated with one or more carriers. Each of the one or more data scheduling messages may include at least one of a carrier state and a data amount. The method may also involve the apparatus receiving data scheduled by subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling messages.

[0012] In one aspect, a method may involve an apparatus transmitting downlink control information indicating one or more data scheduling messages associated with one or more carriers. Each of the one or more data scheduling messages may include at least one of a carrier state and a data amount. The method may also involve the apparatus transmitting data scheduled by subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling messages.

[0013] In one aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver that wirelessly communicates with a wireless network during operation. The apparatus may also include a processor communicatively connected to the transceiver. During operation, operations that the processor can perform include receiving downlink control information (DCI) via the transceiver, the DCI indicating one or more data scheduling messages associated with one or more carriers. Each of the one or more data scheduling messages may include at least one of a carrier state and a data amount. The processor may further perform operations that include receiving data scheduled by subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling messages via the transceiver.

[0014] It is worth noting that although the descriptions herein may be made in the context of certain wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, 5th Generation (5G), New Radio (NR), Internet-of-Things (IoT), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and 6th Generation (6G), the proposed concepts, schemes, and any variations / derivatives thereof can be implemented, used, and implemented by other types of wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings are intended to further understand this disclosure and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, in conjunction with the description, are used to explain the principles of the disclosure. It will be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual dimensions in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of the disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of the scheme according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of the scheme according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of the scheme according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of the scheme according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of the scheme according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a block diagram describing an example communication system according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7This is a flowchart describing an example process based on an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a flowchart describing an example process based on an implementation of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] This specification discloses detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matter, which can be implemented in various forms. This disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided to make the description of this disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0025] Overview

[0026] According to the implementation of this disclosure, various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions relate to advance indication of data transmission related to a device in mobile communications. According to this disclosure, multiple possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions are described separately below, two or more of them can be implemented in some combination.

[0027] With respect to this disclosure, a network node may send downlink control information (DCI) to user equipment (UE). This DCI may indicate one or more data scheduling information associated with one or more carriers. Each of these data scheduling information may include at least one of carrier state and data quantity.

[0028] Upon receiving the downlink control information, the UE can receive: (1) subsequent downlink control information; and (2) data scheduled by the subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information. More specifically, the one or more data scheduling information may include information about data that will be scheduled by the subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers. Therefore, based on the one or more data scheduling information that pre-indicates the upcoming data (i.e., data scheduled by the subsequent downlink control information), the UE can adjust its capabilities in advance before receiving the data scheduled by the subsequent downlink control information to achieve a flexible energy-saving objective. The subsequent downlink control information may be another downlink control information following / after the downlink control information indicating the one or more data scheduling information.

[0029] Figure 1 Example scenario 100 is illustrated under a scheme according to an implementation of this disclosure. Scenario 100 involves at least one network node and a UE, which may be part of a wireless communication network (e.g., an LTE network, a 5G / new radio (NR) network, an Internet of Things (IoT) network, or a 6G network). Scenario 100 illustrates a current network framework. The UE may be connected to the network side. The network side may include one or more network nodes.

[0030] In some embodiments, a network node may send downlink control information to the UE. This downlink control information may indicate data scheduling information associated with one or more carriers. Each of the one or more data scheduling information may include at least one of carrier state and data volume. More specifically, the data scheduling information may serve as an advance indication of data transmission, particularly for upcoming data.

[0031] Upon receiving the downlink control information, the UE can receive: (1) subsequent downlink control information (i.e., another downlink control information sent later than the current downlink control information); and (2) data scheduled by the subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information. More specifically, the one or more data scheduling information may include information about data that will be scheduled by the subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers. Therefore, based on the one or more data scheduling information that pre-indicates the upcoming data (i.e., data scheduled by the subsequent downlink control information), the UE can proactively determine and apply signal processing capabilities to receive the upcoming data in advance, aiming to achieve flexible energy saving.

[0032] In some implementations, the UE can determine signal processing capabilities based on the maximum bandwidth associated with the carrier state. Specifically, each of the one or more data scheduling information entries can include the carrier state of the corresponding carrier. In some cases, the carrier state can include the scheduled state (i.e., on or enabled state) of the corresponding carrier for the UE. In other cases, the carrier state can include the unscheduled state (i.e., off or disabled state) of the corresponding carrier for the UE. Therefore, based on the carrier state, the UE can determine the number of scheduled (i.e., active) carriers used for data transmission, and the UE can determine the maximum bandwidth (i.e., the total possible bandwidth) of carriers with a scheduled state.

[0033] The UE can then determine and apply signal processing capabilities based on this maximum bandwidth. In some cases, when the maximum bandwidth is high (i.e., the potential data throughput is high), the UE can increase and apply signal processing capabilities (e.g., CPU clock or voltage) to receive upcoming data. In other cases, when the maximum bandwidth is low (i.e., the potential data throughput is low), the UE can decrease and apply signal processing capabilities (e.g., CPU clock or voltage) to receive upcoming data.

[0034] In some implementations, the UE can determine signal processing capability based on the total data volume associated with the data volume. Specifically, each of one or more data scheduling information may include the data volume of the corresponding carrier. In some cases, the data volume may include the physical resource block (PRB) utilization level. In other cases, the data volume may include the number of PRBs. Therefore, based on the data volume, the UE can determine the PRB utilization level / number of data, and the UE can determine the total data volume that will be transmitted on the carrier.

[0035] The UE can then determine and apply signal processing capabilities based on this total data volume. In some cases, when the total data volume is large (i.e., the potential data throughput is high), the UE can increase and apply signal processing capabilities (e.g., CPU clock or voltage) to receive upcoming data. In other cases, when the total data volume is small (i.e., the potential data throughput is low), the UE can decrease and apply signal processing capabilities (e.g., CPU clock or voltage) to receive upcoming data.

[0036] In some implementations, the downlink control information in the first time slot may indicate one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and subsequent downlink control information may schedule the data in the second time slot. For example, the downlink control information in time slot N indicates one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and subsequent downlink control information schedules the data in time slot N+a, where a is a natural number.

[0037] In some implementations, the downlink control information may include scheduling downlink control information, which contains information used to schedule downlink or uplink data transmission. For example, scheduling downlink control information includes downlink control information in the format 1_0, 1_1, 1_2, 1_3, 0_0, or 0_1. In some implementations, the downlink control information may include non-scheduling downlink control information, which contains control information not used to schedule downlink or uplink data transmission. For example, non-scheduling downlink control information includes downlink control information in the format 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, or 2_3.

[0038] In some implementations, each of the downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information may include a single downlink control information or two-stage downlink control information. In some cases, the two-stage downlink control information may include a first-stage downlink control information and a second-stage downlink control information, wherein the first-stage downlink control information includes scheduling information regarding the second-stage downlink control information, and the second-stage downlink control information includes scheduling information for one or more physical downlink shared channels (PDSCH) and / or physical uplink shared channels (PUSCH) in the scheduled carriers / cells.

[0039] In some cases, where each downlink control message and subsequent downlink control message includes the two-stage downlink control information, the first-stage downlink control information in the first time slot may indicate one or more data scheduling information related to the one or more carriers, and the second-stage downlink control information in the second time slot may schedule the data. For example, the first stage of the downlink control information in time slot N indicates one or more data scheduling information related to the one or more carriers, and the second-stage downlink control information of the subsequent downlink control information schedules the data in time slot N+a, where a is a natural number.

[0040] Figure 2 Example scenario 200 is illustrated under a scheme according to an implementation of this disclosure. For example, a network node sends downlink control information #1 to the UE in time slot N. Downlink control information #1: (1) schedules data; and (2) indicates data scheduling information associated with carrier #1. More specifically, the data scheduling information includes a carrier state of "ON" and indicates that data will be transmitted via carrier #1 in a subsequent time slot (e.g., time slot N+1).

[0041] Upon receiving downlink control information #1, the user equipment (UE) may receive: (1) downlink control information #2 in time slot N+1; and (2) data scheduled on carrier #1 by downlink control information #2 based on data scheduling information. In this example, based on the data scheduling information pre-indicated for the upcoming data (i.e., the data scheduled by downlink control information #2), the UE proactively determines and applies signal processing capabilities (e.g., central processing unit (CPU) clock or voltage) in advance to achieve flexible energy-saving purposes before receiving the upcoming data.

[0042] In some scenarios, the user equipment determines the maximum bandwidth of carrier #1 in time slot N+1, which is "ON," and then determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this maximum bandwidth. In other scenarios, when the data scheduling information contains data related to carrier #1 in time slot N+1, the user equipment determines the total data volume of carrier #1 in time slot N+1 and then determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this total data volume.

[0043] Figure 3 An example scenario 300 is illustrated under the scheme according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, a network node sends downlink control information #1 to a user equipment in time slot N. Downlink control information #1: (1) scheduling data; and (2) data scheduling information indicating the data to be transmitted on carriers #1 to #3. More specifically, each data scheduling information includes a carrier state, which is "ON" or "OFF", and the data scheduling information is used to indicate whether upcoming data will be transmitted on carriers #1 to #3 in subsequent time slots (e.g., time slot N+1). The data scheduling information includes: (1) the carrier state of carrier #1 is "ON"; (2) the carrier state of carrier #2 is "ON"; and (3) the carrier state of carrier #3 is "OFF". In other words, the data scheduling information is used to indicate that upcoming data will be transmitted on carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1, but not on carrier #3.

[0044] Upon receiving downlink control information #1, the user equipment may receive: (1) downlink control information #2 in time slot N+1; and (2) data scheduled on carriers #1 and #2 by downlink control information #2 based on data scheduling information. In this example, based on the data scheduling information pre-indicated for the upcoming data (i.e., the data scheduled by downlink control information #2), the user equipment proactively determines and applies signal processing capabilities (e.g., central processing unit clock or voltage) in advance to achieve flexible energy-saving purposes before receiving the upcoming data.

[0045] In some scenarios, the user equipment determines the maximum bandwidth of carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1 that are "ON" and then determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this maximum bandwidth. In other scenarios, when the data scheduling information contains data related to carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1, the user equipment determines the total data volume of carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1 and determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this total data volume.

[0046] Figure 4 An example scenario 400 is illustrated under a scheme according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For example, a network node sends downlink control information #1 to a user equipment in time slot N. Downlink control information #1: (1) scheduling data; and (2) data scheduling information indicating the data to be transmitted on carriers #1 to #3. More specifically, each data scheduling information includes a carrier state, which is “ON” or “OFF”, and the data scheduling information is used to indicate whether upcoming data will be transmitted on carriers #1 to #3 in subsequent time slots (e.g., time slot N+2). The data scheduling information includes: (1) the carrier state of carrier #1 is “ON”; (2) the carrier state of carrier #2 is “OFF”; and (3) the carrier state of carrier #3 is “ON”. In other words, the data scheduling information is used to indicate that upcoming data will be transmitted on carriers #1 and #3 in time slot N+2, but not on carrier #2.

[0047] Upon receiving downlink control information #1, the user equipment may receive: (1) downlink control information #2 in time slot N+1; (2) data scheduled by downlink control information #2 on carriers #1 to #3; (3) downlink control information #3 in time slot N+2; and (4) data scheduled by downlink control information #3 on carriers #1 and #3 based on data scheduling information. In this example, based on the data scheduling information pre-indicated for the upcoming data (i.e., the data scheduled by downlink control information #3), the user equipment proactively determines and applies signal processing capabilities (e.g., central processing unit clock or voltage) in advance to achieve flexible energy-saving purposes before receiving the upcoming data.

[0048] In some scenarios, the user equipment determines the maximum bandwidth of carriers #1 and #3 in time slot N+2 that are "ON" and then determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this maximum bandwidth. In other scenarios, when the data scheduling information contains data related to carriers #1 and #3 in time slot N+2, the user equipment determines the total data volume of carriers #1 and #3 in time slot N+2 and determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this total data volume.

[0049] Figure 5 An example scenario 500 is illustrated under a scheme according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For example, a network node sends two-stage downlink control information #1 to a user equipment in time slot N. The first stage of downlink control information #1 indicates: (1) second stage downlink control information scheduling data; and (2) data scheduling information associated with carriers #1 to #3. More specifically, each data scheduling information includes a carrier state, which is "ON" or "OFF", and the data scheduling information is used to indicate whether upcoming data will be transmitted on carriers #1 to #3 in subsequent time slots (e.g., time slot N+1). The data scheduling information includes: (1) the carrier state of carrier #1 is "ON"; (2) the carrier state of carrier #2 is "ON"; and (3) the carrier state of carrier #3 is "OFF". In other words, the data scheduling information is used to indicate that upcoming data will be transmitted on carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1, but not on carrier #3.

[0050] Upon receiving downlink control information #1, the user equipment may receive: (1) two-stage downlink control information #2 in time slot N+1; and (2) data scheduled on carriers #1 and #2 by the second-stage downlink control information of downlink control information #2 based on data scheduling information. In this example, based on the data scheduling information pre-indicated for the upcoming data (i.e., the data scheduled by the second-stage downlink control information of downlink control information #2), the user equipment proactively determines and applies signal processing capabilities (e.g., central processing unit clock or voltage) in advance to achieve flexible energy-saving purposes before receiving the upcoming data.

[0051] In some scenarios, the user equipment determines the maximum bandwidth of carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1 that are "ON" and then determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this maximum bandwidth. In other scenarios, when the data scheduling information contains data related to carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1, the user equipment determines the total data volume of carriers #1 and #2 in time slot N+1 and determines and applies signal processing capabilities based on this total data volume.

[0052] Example Implementation

[0053] Figure 6An example communication system 600 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated, comprising an example communication device 610 and an example network device 620. Both the communication device 610 and the network device 620 can perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes, and methods described herein, relating to advance indication of data transmission for user equipment and network devices in mobile communications, including the scenarios / schemes described above and processes 700 and 800 described below.

[0054] The communication device 610 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a user equipment (UE), such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 610 may be implemented in a smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, digital camera, or computing device (such as a tablet, laptop, or mobile phone). The communication device 610 may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be an Internet of Things (IoT), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, such as a non-movable or fixed device, a home device, a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 610 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, the communication device 610 may be implemented as one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced-instruction-set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex-instruction-set computing (CISC) processors. The communication device 610 may include... Figure 6 The communication device 610 may include at least some of the components shown, such as processor 612. It may also include one or more other components unrelated to this disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), therefore, for the sake of brevity, these components of the communication device 610 are not listed in the above description. Figure 6 It is shown in the text and is not described in the following text.

[0055] Network device 620 may be part of a network device, which may be a network node, such as a satellite, base station, cell, router, or gateway. For example, network device 620 may be implemented in an eNodeB in an LTE network, a gNB in ​​a 5G / NewRadio (NR) network, an IoT, NB-IoT, or IIoT network, or a satellite or base station in a 6G network. Alternatively, network device 620 may be implemented as one or more IC chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more RISC or CISC processors. Network device 620 may include... Figure 6 The network device 620 may include at least some of the components shown, such as processor 622. It may also include one or more other components unrelated to this disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), therefore, for the sake of brevity, these components of the network device 620 are not listed in the above description. Figure 6 It is shown in the text and is not described in the following text.

[0056] In one aspect, each of processor 612 and processor 622 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, although the singular term "a processor" is used herein to refer to processor 612 and processor 622, each of processor 612 and processor 622 may include multiple processors in some implementations and a single processor in others, depending on the different implementations of this disclosure. In another aspect, each of processor 612 and processor 622 may be implemented in hardware (and optionally firmware) comprising, for example, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more transformers, these electronic components being configured and arranged to achieve the specific purposes of this disclosure. In other words, in at least some implementations, each of processor 612 and processor 622 is a dedicated machine specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform a specific task, including, according to various implementations of this disclosure, prior instruction of data transmission in devices (e.g., represented by communication device 610) and networks (e.g., represented by network device 620).

[0057] In some implementations, the communication device 610 may further include a transceiver 616 connected to the processor 612, capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In other words, the processor 612 can transmit and receive data, such as configurations, messages, signals, information, and instructions, through the transceiver 616. In some implementations, the communication device 610 may further include a memory 614 connected to the processor 612, accessible and stored by the processor 612. In some implementations, the network device 620 may further include a transceiver 626 connected to the processor 622, capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In other words, the processor 622 can transmit and receive data, such as configurations, messages, signals, information, and instructions, through the transceiver 626. In some implementations, the network device 620 may further include a memory 624 connected to the processor 622, accessible and stored by the processor 622. Therefore, the communication device 610 and the network device 620 can communicate wirelessly through transceivers 616 and 626, respectively. For ease of understanding, the following descriptions of the operation, functions and capabilities of the communication device 610 and the network device 620 are provided in the context of a mobile communication environment, wherein the communication device 610 is implemented as a communication device or user equipment, and the network device 620 is implemented as a network node of a communication network.

[0058] In some implementations, each of memory 614 and memory 624 may include a random-access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), and / or zero-capacitor RAM (Z-RAM). Alternatively, or additionally, each of memory 614 and memory 624 may include a read-only memory (ROM), such as a mask ROM, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and / or an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). Alternatively, or additionally, each of memory 614 and memory 624 may include a non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase-change memory.

[0059] Example Process

[0060] Figure 7 An example flow 700 implemented according to this disclosure is shown. Flow 700 may be an example implementation of the above-described scenario / scheme, whether partial or complete, providing advance instructions for data transmission in accordance with this disclosure. Flow 700 may represent one aspect of the functional implementation of communication device 610. Flow 700 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more modules 710 to 720 of flow 700. Although represented as discrete modules, the individual modules of flow 700 may be divided into more modules, merged into fewer modules, or omitted as required for implementation. Furthermore, the individual modules of flow 700 may be implemented according to… Figure 7 The process can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 700 can be implemented by communication device 610 or any suitable user equipment or machine type device. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 700 is described below in the context of communication device 610. Process 700 may begin with module 710.

[0061] In module 710, process 700 may involve the processor 612 of communication device 610 receiving downlink control information (DCI) indicating one or more data scheduling information associated with one or more carriers. Each of the one or more data scheduling information may include at least one of carrier state and data amount. Process 700 may continue from module 710 to module 720.

[0062] In module 720, process 700 may involve the processor 612 of communication device 610 receiving data scheduled by subsequent downlink control information on one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information.

[0063] In some implementations, process 700 involves the processor 612 of the communication device 610 determining a signal processing capability based on the maximum bandwidth associated with the carrier state. Process 700 involves the processor 612 of the communication device 610 applying this signal processing capability.

[0064] In some implementations, process 700 involves the processor 612 of the communication device 610 determining a signal processing capability based on the total data volume associated with the data volume. Process 700 involves the processor 612 of the communication device 610 applying this signal processing capability.

[0065] In some implementations, downlink control information in the first time slot may indicate one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and subsequent downlink control information may schedule the data in the second time slot.

[0066] In some implementations, downlink control information may include scheduled downlink control information or unscheduled downlink control information.

[0067] In some implementations, each of the downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information may include a single downlink control information or two-stage downlink control information.

[0068] In some implementations, where each downlink control information and each subsequent downlink control information includes the two-stage downlink control information, the first-stage downlink control information of the downlink control information in the first time slot may indicate one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and the second-stage downlink control information of the subsequent downlink control information in the second time slot may schedule the data.

[0069] In some implementations, the carrier state may include a scheduled state or an unscheduled state, and the data volume may include the physical resource block (PRB) utilization level.

[0070] Figure 8 An example flow 800 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. Flow 800 may be an example implementation of some or all of the above-described scenarios / solutions, serving as an advance indication of data transmission for the purposes of this disclosure. Flow 800 may represent one aspect of a functional implementation of network device 620. Flow 800 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions as shown in blocks 810 to 820. Although shown in discrete block form, the individual blocks of flow 800 may be divided into more blocks, merged into fewer blocks, or omitted depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of flow 800 may be arranged according to... Figure 8 The process can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 800 can be implemented by network device 620 or any suitable network device or machine type device. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 800 is described below in the context of network device 620. Process 800 may begin at block 810.

[0071] In block 810, process 800 may involve the processor 622 of network device 620 sending downlink control information (DCI) indicating one or more data scheduling information associated with one or more carriers. Each of the one or more data scheduling information may include at least one of carrier state and data amount. Process 800 may continue from block 810 to block 820.

[0072] In block 820, process 800 may involve the processor 622 of network device 620 transmitting data scheduled by subsequent downlink control information on one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information.

[0073] In some implementations, downlink control information in a first time slot may indicate one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and subsequent downlink control information may schedule the data in a second time slot.

[0074] In some implementations, downlink control information may include scheduled downlink control information or unscheduled downlink control information.

[0075] In some implementations, each of the downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information may include a single downlink control information or two-stage downlink control information.

[0076] In some implementations, where each downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information includes the two-stage downlink control information, the first-stage downlink control information of the downlink control information in the first time slot may indicate one or more data scheduling information related to the one or more carriers, and the second-stage downlink control information of the subsequent downlink control information in the second time slot may schedule the data.

[0077] In some implementations, the carrier state may include a scheduled state or an unscheduled state, and the data volume may include the physical resource block (PRB) utilization level.

[0078] Additional notes

[0079] The topics described in this specification sometimes show different components contained in or connected to other different components. It should be understood that such illustrated architectures are merely examples, and many other architectures can actually be implemented to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” to achieve the desired function. Therefore, any two components combined herein to achieve a particular function can be considered “associated with each other” to achieve the desired function, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two such associated components can also be considered “operationally connected” or “operationally coupled” to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be suchly associated can also be considered “operationally coupled” to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of operational coupling include, but are not limited to, physically matable and / or physically interactive components and / or wirelessly interactive and / or logically interactive components.

[0080] Furthermore, regarding the use of almost all plural and / or singular terms in this document, those skilled in the art can appropriately convert plural to singular and / or singular to plural depending on the context and / or application. Various singular / plural arrangements are explicitly listed herein for clarity.

[0081] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the terms commonly used herein, particularly in appended claims, such as the body portion of appended claims, are generally intended as “open” terms; for example, “comprising” should be interpreted as “comprising but not limited to,” “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” and “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” etc. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if the specific number of elements introduced in the claim is expressly stated in the claim, then that intention is expressly stated in the claim; if it is not expressed, then that intention does not exist. For example, for ease of understanding, the following appended claims may contain the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim elements. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as limiting any particular claim containing that element to containing only one of that element, even if the same claim contains the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a,” for example, “a” should be interpreted as “at least one” or “one or more”; the same applies to definite articles used to introduce claim elements. Furthermore, even when a specific number of elements in a claim is explicitly stated, those skilled in the art will recognize that the expression should be interpreted as at least the stated number. For example, expressing "two elements" without any other modifiers indicates at least two elements, or two or more elements. Additionally, when using conventions such as "at least one A, B, and C," this structure is generally intended to be interpreted in a manner understood by those skilled in the art. For example, "a system having at least one A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, systems with only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and systems with A, B, and C. Similarly, when using conventions such as "at least one A, B, or C," this structure is generally intended to be interpreted in a manner understood by those skilled in the art. For example, "a system having at least one A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, systems with only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and systems with A, B, and C. Those skilled in the art will further understand that almost all extractive terms and / or phrases presenting two or more alternative terms in the specification, claims, or drawings should be understood to include one, any, or both terms. For example, "A or B" should be understood as including the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0082] As can be seen from the foregoing, various embodiments of this disclosure have been described herein for illustrative purposes, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: A processor of a device receives downlink control information, which indicates one or more data scheduling information associated with one or more carriers, wherein each of the one or more data scheduling information includes at least one of a carrier state and a data quantity; as well as The processor receives data scheduled by a subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The processor determines a signal processing capability based on a maximum bandwidth associated with the carrier state; as well as The processor applies this signal processing capability.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The processor determines a signal processing capability based on a total data volume associated with that data volume; as well as The processor applies this signal processing capability.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the downlink control information in a first time slot indicates one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and the subsequent downlink control information schedules the data in a second time slot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the downlink control information includes a scheduled downlink control information or an unscheduled downlink control information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information comprises a single downlink control information or a two-stage downlink control information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein when each of the downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information includes the two-stage downlink control information, a first-stage downlink control information of the downlink control information in a first time slot indicates the one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and a second-stage downlink control information of the subsequent downlink control information schedules the data in a second time slot.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier state includes a scheduled state or an unscheduled state, and wherein the data volume includes a physical resource block utilization level.

9. A method comprising: A processor of a device sends downlink control information indicating one or more data scheduling information associated with one or more carriers, wherein each of the one or more data scheduling information includes at least one of a carrier state and a data quantity; as well as The processor transmits data scheduled by a subsequent downlink control information on the one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the downlink control information in a first time slot indicates one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and wherein the subsequent downlink control information schedules the data in a second time slot.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the downlink control information includes a scheduled downlink control information or an unscheduled downlink control information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the downlink control information includes a single downlink control information or a two-stage downlink control information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, in the case that each of the downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information includes the two-stage downlink control information, a first-stage downlink control information of the downlink control information in a first time slot indicates the one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and a second-stage downlink control information of the subsequent downlink control information schedules the data in a second time slot.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the carrier state includes a scheduled state or an unscheduled state, and wherein the data volume includes a physical resource block utilization level.

15. An apparatus comprising: A transceiver that communicates wirelessly with a wireless network during operation; as well as A processor, communicatively coupled to the transceiver, such that during operation, the processor performs the following operations: The transceiver receives downlink control information indicating one or more data scheduling information associated with one or more carriers, wherein each of the one or more data scheduling information includes at least one of a carrier state and a data quantity; and The transceiver receives data scheduled by a subsequent downlink control information on one or more carriers based on the one or more data scheduling information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein during operation, the processor further performs the following operations: A signal processing capability is determined based on a maximum bandwidth associated with the carrier state; as well as Apply this signal processing capability.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein during operation, the processor further performs the following operations: A signal processing capability is determined based on a total data volume associated with that data volume; as well as Apply this signal processing capability.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the downlink control information includes a scheduled downlink control information or an unscheduled downlink control information.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the downlink control information includes a single downlink control information or a two-stage downlink control information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein, when each of the downlink control information and the subsequent downlink control information includes the two-stage downlink control information, a first-stage downlink control information of the downlink control information in a first time slot indicates the one or more data scheduling information associated with the one or more carriers, and a second-stage downlink control information of the subsequent downlink control information schedules the data in a second time slot.

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