Configuration handling with two timing advance groups

Abstract

Example embodiments of this disclosure relate to processing a semi-persistent allocation (SPS) configuration with a timing advance (TA) framework. In one aspect, the device determines that a first time alignment timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state. The device also determines that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG and performs an operation on the SPS configuration. In this way, if the TAT expires for a serving cell, the configured downlink allocation or SPS configuration is cleared or deactivated, and for that serving cell, physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) feedback cannot be sent based on PUCCH resources or TAG associations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for processing semi-persistent allocation (SPS) configurations with a time advance (TA) framework. Background Technology

[0002] In communications technology, continuous evolution is underway to provide efficient and reliable solutions for utilizing wireless communication networks. Each new generation of technology presents its own technical challenges, addressing the different situations and processes required for handling connections and services to wireless networks. To meet the growing demand for wireless data services since the deployment of fourth-generation (4G) communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved fifth-generation (5G), pre-5G, 6G, and higher communication systems.

[0003] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) is a key technology in new radio systems. Identifying and specifying necessary enhancements for uplink MIMO is important, while necessary enhancements for downlink MIMO facilitate the use of large antenna arrays. Several enhancements are proposed to facilitate uplink (UL) multiple transmit and receive point (multiple TRP) deployments via two timing advances (TAs), and enhanced UL power control can provide additional UL performance improvements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Overall, the example embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for processing SPS configurations with a time advance (TA) framework.

[0005] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determine that a first time-aligned timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state; determine that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; and perform an operation on the SPS configuration.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: determining that a first time-aligned timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state; determining that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; and performing an operation on the SPS configuration.

[0007] In a third aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for determining at a device that a first time alignment timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state; components for determining that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; and components for performing operations on the SPS configuration.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to execute at least the method according to the second aspect.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to the second aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The terminal apparatus includes: a determining circuit system configured to determine that a first time-aligned timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state; a determining circuit system configured to determine that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; and an execution circuit system configured to perform an operation on the SPS configuration.

[0011] 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

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 The illustration shows an example of a network environment in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented;

[0014] Figure 2 The illustration shows flowcharts of methods according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 The illustration shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0018] 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, without imposing any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0019] 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.

[0020] References to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment needs to include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it should be understood that, whether explicitly described or not, its influence on such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments affects the knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

[0021] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” 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, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0022] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “include,” and / or “including” 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, wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, means at least one of the elements, or at least two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0023] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0024] (a) Purely hardware circuits (such as in analog and / or digital circuits) and

[0025] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

[0026] (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software (e.g., firmware); and

[0027] (ii) Any part of the (multiple) hardware processors (including (multiple) digital signal processors), the software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions.

[0028] (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required.

[0029] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also covers only the implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion thereof and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit system" also covers, for example 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.

[0030] As used herein, the term "cellular network" refers to a network operating according to any suitable radio access technology defined by standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a cellular network can be performed according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of cellular networks. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be communication technologies and systems that embody future types of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the systems described above.

[0031] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to any device in a cellular network through which terminal devices access the data network and receive services exposed by other network devices in the cellular network. In some examples, a network device may include or implement the network functions of a fifth-generation communication system (5GS) (e.g., the core network) of the cellular network. In some examples, a network device may be located at the RAN of the 5GS. A network device may be part of a satellite, base station (BS), or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio headend (RH), a remote radio headend (RRH), a repeater, a low-power node (such as a femto, pico), etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied. A gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DUs). Femto nodes and pico nodes are small base stations with small coverage areas.

[0032] The term "terminal device" refers to equipment in a cellular network communication system, such as a fifth-generation communication system (5GS), which can communicate wirelessly (e.g., radioly) with the 5GS's NR-RAN. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a wireless communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Examples of terminal devices 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 customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (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 "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0033] The action releases or clears any downlink allocations configured for a serving cell with two TAGs only for the relevant TAG and for the uplink; that is, the UL channel or configuration associated with the other TAG can remain intact. This means that the action can be written if one TAT of a serving cell's TAG remains active while the other TAT expires.

[0034] While any UL transmission can be associated with a TAG, for example, via a Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state or TAG association, clearing the configured downlink allocation (also known as "SPS") is not so straightforward. Downlink (DL) SPS configurations can be sent by the network via any TRP (Transmit Receive Point) or using either a first-indicator TCI state or a second-indicator TCI state. The first-indicator TCI state can be associated with a first TAG, and the second-indicator TCI state can be associated with a second TAG. The main challenge is how to clear only the necessary and configured DL SPS configurations when the TAT of one of the two TAGs associated with the serving cell expires.

[0035] In view of the above, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for processing SPS configurations with a timing advance (TA) framework, particularly for a two-timing advance (TA) framework. In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the device can determine that a first time alignment timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state; determine that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; and perform operations on the SPS configuration.

[0036] In the context of this disclosure, when a TAT expires for a first TAG associated with a serving cell and the TAT remains active for a second TAG associated with the same serving cell, the configured downlink allocation or SPS configuration can be cleared if the configured downlink allocation (e.g., SPS configuration) or the PUCCH resource used to indicate feedback on the configured downlink allocation is associated with the first TAG. In this way, the configured downlink allocation or SPS configuration is cleared or deactivated only when the TAT expires for a serving cell, for which Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) feedback cannot be sent based on PUCCH resources or TAG associations.

[0037] Figure 1An example of a network environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated. Environment 100 may be part of a communication network and includes multiple terminal devices and network devices, such as terminal device 110 and network device 120. As an example, terminal device 110 may be implemented as a user equipment (UE) or an access terminal (AT), and network device 120 may be implemented as an eNB or a base station (BS). Network device 120 may transmit various data to terminal device 110 via network environment 100.

[0038] To send data and / or control information, terminal device 110 may communicate with network device 120. The link from network device 120 to terminal device 110 is called a downlink (DL), while the link from terminal device 110 to network device 120 is called an uplink (UL).

[0039] Despite Figure 1 The communication environment 100 describes terminal device 110 and network device 120, but the embodiments of this disclosure can be equally applied to any other suitable communication devices communicating with each other. That is, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to... Figure 1 An exemplary scenario. In this regard, it should be noted that although in Figure 1 The terminal device 110 is schematically depicted as a mobile phone and the network device 120 is schematically depicted as a satellite; however, it should be understood that these depictions are exemplary in nature and do not impose any limitations. In other embodiments, the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 may be any other communication device, such as any other wireless communication device.

[0040] It should be understood that, such as Figure 1 The specific numbers of various communication devices and communication links shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of communication devices and any suitable number of communication links for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, it should be understood that various wireless and wired communications (if desired) may exist between all communication devices.

[0041] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, method 200 will be referred to. Figure 1 To describe. It should be understood that although method 200 has been referenced Figure 1 The method has been described, but this method 200 can be applied to other similar communication scenarios in the same way.

[0042] In method 200, at block 202, the device (which may be implemented as terminal device 110 or network device 120) may determine that a first time alignment timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state. The first state may indicate that the first TAT has expired, and the second state may indicate that the second TAT is running.

[0043] At block 204, the device can then determine that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG. In some embodiments, the device can determine that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources used for the SPS configuration are associated with the first TAG.

[0044] In some further embodiments, the device can determine that the PUCCH resource for SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the uplink Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state or combined TCI state followed by the PUCCH resource is associated with the first TAG. Alternatively or additionally, the device can determine that the PUCCH resource for SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the downlink control information (DCI) activating the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG. The DCI can be transmitted via the control resource set associated with the first TAG.

[0045] In another embodiment, the device can determine the association between the PUCCH resource used for SPS configuration and the first TAG by determining, based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. RRC signaling can associate the PUCCH resource with the SPS configuration.

[0046] In some embodiments, the device can determine that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the downlink state or Joint Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) used for SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG.

[0047] In some other embodiments, the device can determine that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the downlink state or joint transport configuration indicator (TCI) state of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that activates the SPS configuration is associated with the control resource set pool index. One or more uplink TCI states or joint TCI states may be activated or indicated for the control resource set pool index and associated with the first TAG.

[0048] At box 206, the device can perform operations on the SPS configuration. For example, the device can release the SPS configuration based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG. Alternatively or additionally, the device can suspend the SPS configuration based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG until the PUCCH resources used for the SPS are reconfigured to a TAG with a valid timing advance (TA).

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the device may suspend the SPS configuration based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAT until the first TAT is resumed. In some embodiments, the device may release the suspended SPS configuration based on determining that both the first TAT and the second TAT are in a first state. The device may deactivate the SPS configuration based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAT.

[0050] In some embodiments, the device may activate the SPS configuration based on an activation command. Alternatively or additionally, the device may release Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback based on the release of the SPS configuration.

[0051] In the context of this disclosure, when a device determines that a TAT has expired for a first TAG or one of a TAG associated with the serving cell and the TAT for a second TAG or other TAG associated with the same serving cell remains active, the device may clear the configured downlink allocation or SPS configuration if the PUCCH(s) resources used to indicate feedback on the configured downlink allocation or SPS configuration are associated with the first TAG.

[0052] In the context of this disclosure or in some embodiments, when the device determines that a TAT has expired for a first TAG or one of a TAGs associated with the serving cell, the device may consider the TATs for a second TAG or other TAGs associated with the same serving cell to have expired. In some examples, this is done if the first TAG is a secondary TAG of the device. In some other examples, if the first TAG is a primary TAG of the device, the device may consider all TATs for a second TAG or other TAGs associated with any serving cell to have expired. Therefore, the device may clear all configured downlink allocations or SPS configurations associated with the serving cell, since the PUCCH(s) resources used to indicate feedback on the configured downlink allocations or SPS configurations are also released.

[0053] In some embodiments, the device can determine PUCCH resources from downlink allocation in the active configuration or DCI (downlink control information) in the SPS configuration. The DCI can be associated with a first or second TAG via a control resource set (CORESET) used to provide the DCI, which is associated with a CORESET pool index. The CORESET pool index can be further associated with a TAG via TCI status associated with the TAG's identifier.

[0054] For example, in some embodiments, the device can determine that the downlink allocation or SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the DL TCI state or combined TCI state associated with the PDSCH(a) of the downlink allocation or SPS configuration is associated with the CORESET pool index, and that one or more ULTCI states or one or more combined TCI states activated or indicated for the CORESET pool index are associated with the first TAG (via RRC).

[0055] In some embodiments, the device can determine that the downlink allocation or SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the DL TCI state or combined TCI state associated with the PDCCH or DCI of the downlink that activates the SPS PDSCH allocation is associated with the CORESET pool index, and that one or more ULTCI states or one or more combined TCI states that are activated or indicated for the CORESET pool index are associated with the first TAG (via RRC).

[0056] In some embodiments, the device can determine the PUCCH resource from RRC signaling used to associate the PUCCH resource with a configured downlink allocation or SPS configuration. In some examples, the device can determine that the PUCCH resource associated with the downlink allocation or SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the UL TCI state or combined TCI state is associated with the PUCCH resource and that the UL TCI state or combined TCI state is associated with the first TAG.

[0057] In some other embodiments, the device can determine that the PUCCH resource associated with the downlink allocation or SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG by determining that the DLTCI state or joint TCI state associated with the downlink allocated PDCCH is associated with the CORESET pool index, and that one or more UL TCI states or one or more joint TCI states are associated with the first TAG for the control resource set pool index being activated or indicated.

[0058] Alternatively or additionally, the device may suspend the SPS configuration instead of releasing it until the network reconfigures the PUCCH resources used for the SPS to a TAG with a valid TA, or until the TA for the TAG used for the PUCCH is restored. The device may also deactivate the SPS configuration when the TAT expires for the first TAG of its associated PUCCH, and the SPS configuration can be activated by an explicit activation command from the network.

[0059] In some other embodiments, if the TATs of two TAGs expire (e.g., both the first TAT and the second TAT expire), the device can release the suspended SPS configuration. Note that the PUCCH-to-TAG association can be determined based on the UL TCI state or combined TCI state that the PUCCH resource is configured to follow (i.e., the TCI state following the first indication or the TCI state following the second indication) and the association of the TCI state to the TAG identifier.

[0060] The SPS configuration can include a PUCCH configuration for Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback, and the PUCCH configuration can indicate which TRP it is associated with. When the TAT for the TAG associated with the PUCCH configuration used for SPS expires, the corresponding SPS configuration can also be released because there will be no PUCCH resources to send HARQ feedback, as it is also released when the TAT expires. It should also be noted that the SPS configuration does not necessarily need to be associated with any TRP, and it can be activated / deactivated via any TRP. Retransmissions of the SPS configuration can also be scheduled via any TRP.

[0061] The following table illustrates example SPS configuration information elements. SPS configuration can be used to configure downlink semi-persistent transmission. Multiple downlink SPS configurations can be configured within a bandwidth portion (BWP) of the serving cell. The parameter PUCCH-ResourceId indicates the identifier of the resource. -- ASN1START -- TAG-SPS-CONFIG-START SPS-Config ::= SEQUENCE { periodicity ENUMERATED {ms10, ms20, ms32, ms40, ms64, ms80,ms128, ms160, ms320, ms640, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, spare1}, nrofHARQ-Processes INTEGER (1..8), n1PUCCH-AN PUCCH-ResourceId OPTIONAL, -- Need M mcs-Table ENUMERATED {qam64LowSE} OPTIONAL, -- Need S ..., [[ sps-ConfigIndex-r16 SPS-ConfigIndex-r16 OPTIONAL, -- Cond SPS-List harq-ProcID-Offset-r16 INTEGER (0..15) OPTIONAL, -- Need R periodicityExt-r16 INTEGER (1..5120) OPTIONAL, -- Need R harq-CodebookID-r16 INTEGER (1..2) OPTIONAL, -- Need R pdsch-AggregationFactor-r16 ENUMERATED {n1, n2, n4, n8} OPTIONAL-- Need S ]], [[ sps-HARQ-Deferral-r17 INTEGER (1..32) OPTIONAL, -- Need R n1PUCCH-AN-PUCCHsSCell-r17 PUCCH-ResourceId OPTIONAL, -- Need R periodicityExt-r17 INTEGER (1..40960) OPTIONAL, -- Need R nrofHARQ-Processes-v1710 INTEGER(9..32) OPTIONAL, -- Need R harq-ProcID-Offset-v1700 INTEGER (16..31) OPTIONAL -- Need R ]] }

[0062] In some embodiments, the apparatus capable of performing method 200 (e.g., terminal device 110 or network device 120) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 200. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0063] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for determining that a first time alignment timer (TAT) for a first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and a second TAT for a second TAG is in a second state; components for determining that a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; and components for performing an operation on the SPS configuration. The first state indicates that the first TAT has expired, and the second state indicates that the second TAT is running.

[0064] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for determining that a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resource for SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for determining that an Uplink Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state or a combined TCI state followed by the PUCCH resource is associated with the first TAG.

[0065] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for determining that downlink control information (DCI) for activating the SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG, wherein the DCI is transmitted via a control resource set associated with the first TAG. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for determining, based on radio resource control (RRC) signaling, that a PUCCH resource for the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG, wherein the RRC signaling associates the PUCCH resource with the SPS configuration.

[0066] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for determining that a downlink state or joint transport configuration indicator (TCI) state of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) for SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for determining that a downlink state or joint transport configuration indicator (TCI) state of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for activating SPS configuration is associated with a control resource set pool index, wherein one or more uplink TCI states or joint TCI states are activated or indicated for the control resource set pool index and are associated with the first TAG.

[0067] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for releasing an SPS configuration based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for pausing the SPS configuration based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG until the PUCCH resources for the SPS are reconfigured to a TAG with a valid timing advance (TA).

[0068] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for pausing an SPS configuration until a first TAT is resumed based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with a first TAG. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for releasing the paused SPS configuration based on determining that both the first TAT and the second TAT are in a first state. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for deactivating the SPS configuration based on determining that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG.

[0069] In some other embodiments, the apparatus includes components for activating an SPS configuration based on an activation command. In some other embodiments, the apparatus includes components for releasing a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback based on the release of the SPS configuration. In some other embodiments, the apparatus includes components for a terminal device or a network device.

[0070] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 200. 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 enable the execution of the apparatus.

[0071] Figure 3 A simplified block diagram of a device 300 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Device 300 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. As shown, device 300 includes one or more processors 310, one or more memories 320 coupled to processor 310, and one or more communication modules 340 coupled to processor 310.

[0072] The communication module 340 is used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 340 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0073] Processor 310 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and 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, as non-limiting examples. Device 300 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0074] Memory 320 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) 324, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 322 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0075] Computer program 330 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 310. Program 330 may be stored in ROM 324. Processor 310 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 330 into RAM 322.

[0076] Embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by means of program 330, enabling device 300 to execute reference... Figure 2 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0077] In some example embodiments, program 330 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium that may be included in device 300 (such as in memory 320) or in other storage devices accessible by device 300. Device 300 may load program 330 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 322 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0078] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium 400 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The computer-readable medium 400 has a program 330 stored thereon. Note that although the computer-readable medium 400... Figure 4 The program is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but the computer-readable medium 400 may be any other form suitable for carrying or holding the program 330.

[0079] In general, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0080] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform method 500 or method 600 as described above with reference to Figures 5 or 6. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of program modules can be combined or split among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules can be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules can reside in both local and remote storage media.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, 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 fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. As used herein, the term "non-transient" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0084] Furthermore, although the operations are depicted in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all shown operations 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 should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment 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.

[0085] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological behavior, it should be understood that this disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or behaviors described above. Rather, the specific features and behaviors described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus 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 device to at least: The first time alignment timer (TAT) for the first timing advance group (TAG) is determined to be in the first state, and the second TAT for the second TAG is determined to be in the second state; Determine that the semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; as well as Perform operations on the SPS configuration.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first state indicates that the first TAT has expired, and the second state indicates that the second TAT is in operation.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device is configured to determine that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG, comprising: The physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource used for the SPS configuration is determined to be associated with the first TAG.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein determining that the PUCCH resource for the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG includes causing: Determine the uplink transport configuration indicator (TCI) state or combined TCI state followed by the PUCCH resource and associate it with the first TAG.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein determining that the PUCCH resource for the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG includes causing: It is determined that the downlink control information (DCI) activating the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG, wherein the DCI is sent through the control resource set associated with the first TAG.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein determining that the PUCCH resource for the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG includes causing: The PUCCH resource for the SPS configuration is determined to be associated with the first TAG based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, wherein the RRC signaling associates the PUCCH resource with the SPS configuration.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein determining that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG includes being made to: The downlink state or Joint Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) used for the SPS configuration is determined to be associated with the first TAG.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein determining that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG includes being made to: The downlink state or joint transport configuration indicator (TCI) state of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that activates the SPS configuration is associated with the control resource set pool index, wherein one or more uplink TCI states or joint TCI states are activated or indicated for the control resource set pool index and are associated with the first TAG.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device is made to perform the operation on the SPS configuration by being made to: Based on the determination that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG, the SPS configuration is released.

10. The device according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the device is made to perform the operation on the SPS configuration by being made to: Based on the determination that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG, the SPS configuration is paused until the PUCCH resource used for the SPS is reconfigured to a TAG with effective timing advance (TA).

11. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device is made to perform the operation on the SPS configuration by being made to: Based on the determination that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAT, the SPS configuration is paused until the first TAT is restored.

12. The device of claim 10 or 11, wherein the device is made to perform the operation on the SPS configuration by being made to: Based on the determination that both the first TAT and the second TAT are in the first state, the suspended SPS configuration is released.

13. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device is made to perform the operation on the SPS configuration by being made to: Based on the determination that the SPS configuration is associated with the first TAG, the SPS configuration is deactivated.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein causing the device to perform the operation on the SPS configuration includes causing: The SPS configuration is activated based on the activation command.

15. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the device is further configured to: release Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback based on the SPS configuration.

16. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the device is a terminal device or a network device.

17. A method comprising: The first time alignment timer (TAT) for the first timing advance group (TAG) is determined to be in the first state, and the second TAT for the second TAG is determined to be in the second state; Determine that the semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration is associated with the first TAG; as well as Perform operations on the SPS configuration.

18. An apparatus comprising: Components for determining that the first time alignment timer (TAT) for the first timing advance group (TAG) is in a first state and the second TAT for the second TAG is in a second state; Components used to determine the semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration associated with the first TAG; as well as Components used to perform operations on the SPS configuration.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to claim 17.

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