Report trigger

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a reporting trigger. For at least one logical channel, the terminal device determines to trigger a report when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device. The terminal device triggers a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device. In this way, an efficient mechanism for triggering a report for each data burst can be defined. With such a reporting trigger mechanism, it becomes easier for the network device to make correct scheduling decisions even for services with large fluctuations in bit rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to report triggers.

Background Art

[0002] Transmissions scheduled based on a shared channel (SCH) are an essential function for an NR system. The function of allocating shared channel resources between different UEs or between different logical channels (LCHs) of the same UE is called scheduling. Scheduling belongs to the core function of the media access control (MAC) layer in order to satisfy the quality of service (QoS) of the corresponding UE on the one hand and improve the utilization efficiency of radio resources on the other hand. In uplink (UL) scheduling, the scheduler provides a scheduling grant indicating a set of resources in time, frequency, and space of the UL-SCH to be used and the corresponding transport format to each UE scheduled.

[0003] A UE can transmit UL data only when it receives a valid UL grant. In order to make correct scheduling decisions, the scheduler needs to consider detailed and accurate terminal state information such as the state of the terminal buffer and the available power device. Also, some details need to be considered regarding the trigger for reporting to provide the terminal state information to the network device.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In general, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for a report trigger.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, by the at least one processor, to cause the terminal device to determine to trigger a report when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, and to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device.

[0006] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, by the at least one processor, to cause the terminal device to determine to trigger a report after switching from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, and to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, by the at least one processor, to cause the network device to determine that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting determining to trigger a report when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for the at least one logical channel, to configure the terminal device to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device, and to transmit setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the at least one logical channel to the terminal device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the at least one processor to determine that reporting settings are applied to a mode switch of a terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, determine that reporting is triggered after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, configure the terminal device to trigger reporting after receiving an uplink grant from the network device, and transmit to the terminal device setting information indicating that the reporting settings are applied to the mode switch of the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a method implemented in a terminal device is provided. The method includes determining to trigger reporting when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, and triggering reporting after receiving an uplink grant from the network device.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a method implemented in a terminal device is provided. The method includes determining that reporting is triggered after the terminal device switches from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, and triggering reporting after receiving an uplink grant from the network device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a method implemented in a network device is provided. The method includes determining that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, where the reporting setting determines to trigger a report when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, and setting the terminal device to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; and transmitting, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a method implemented in a network device is provided. The method includes determining that a reporting setting is applied to a mode switch of a terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, where the reporting setting determines to trigger a report after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, and setting the terminal device to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; and transmitting, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes, in a terminal device, means for determining to trigger a report when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel; and means for triggering a report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes, in a terminal device, means for determining to trigger a report after the terminal device switches from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH; and means for triggering a report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device.

[0015] In the 11th aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus is means for determining, in a network device, that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting determining that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, and determining means for setting the terminal device to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; and means for transmitting, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel.

[0016] In the 12th aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus is means for determining that a reporting setting is applied to a mode switch of a terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, the reporting setting determining that a report is triggered after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, and determining means for setting the terminal device to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; and means for transmitting, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device.

[0017] In the 13th aspect, a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon is provided. When the instructions are executed on at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to execute a method according to any one of the 5th to 8th aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] It should be understood that this summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] Next, several exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Next, the principles of the present disclosure will be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for purposes of illustration and are helpful for those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various aspects other than those described below.

[0021] 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 belongs.

[0022] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not that every embodiment must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, such references do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments not explicitly described.

[0023] In this specification, terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various elements, but it should be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0024] The terms used in this embodiment are for explaining specific embodiments and do not 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. As used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes", and / or "including" identify the presence of the described features, elements, and / or components, etc., but it will be further understood that they do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0025] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more, or all, of the following. (a) Only hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation with only analog circuits and / or digital circuits) (b) Combination of hardware circuit and software (if applicable) (i) Combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware (ii) Part of a hardware processor that includes software (including digital signal processors), software, and memory (singular or plural), and that cooperates to perform various functions in devices such as mobile phones and servers (c) A hardware circuit or processor that requires software (such as firmware) for operation, such as a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor, but the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0026] This definition of a circuit applies to all uses of this term in this application, including any patent claims. As a further example, in the usage in this embodiment, the term "circuit" applies to simply a hardware circuit or a processor (or multiple processors) or a part of a hardware circuit or a processor, and the software and / or firmware implementations associated therewith (or thereof). Also, the term "circuit" applies to, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing device or network device, if applicable to the elements of a particular claim.

[0027] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA (registered trademark)), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Further, the communication between a terminal device and a network device in a communication network can be carried out according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to the 3rd generation (3G), 4th generation (4G), 4.5G, 5th generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G-Advanced network, or 6th generation (6G) communication protocol, and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Considering the rapid development of communication, of course, there will also be future communication technologies and systems in which the present disclosure can be embodied. The scope of the present disclosure should not be regarded as limited to only the aforementioned systems.

[0028] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node of a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. The network device may refer to, depending on the applicable terms and technologies, a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), e.g., Node B (NodeB, or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB, or eNB), NR NB (also referred to as gNB), remote radio unit (RRU), radio header (RH), remote radio head (RRH), relay, femto, pico, or other low-power nodes such as those.

[0029] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices include, but are not limited to, 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, game terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premise equipment (CPE)-only Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables such as watches, 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 the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), home appliances, devices operating in commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment", and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0030] As described above, a report including MAC CE report information can be triggered to provide terminal state information to a network device so that the network device can make a scheduling decision. For example, a buffer status report (BSR) can be triggered to notify the network device of the amount of data in the buffer of the terminal device to be transmitted. A power headroom report (PHR) may be triggered to notify the network device of the power headroom of each serving cell that is activated, which may be the difference between the maximum allowable transmission power of the terminal device and the currently evaluated uplink transmission power. Therefore, the network device can perform power control and resource scheduling of the terminal device based on the terminal state information of the BSR and / or PHR.

[0031] The report triggering condition of the MAC CE report information is important for the network device to make a correct scheduling decision. For example, in some scenarios, especially for services with large bitrate fluctuations, providing a report for each data burst can help the network device make a correct scheduling decision. For example, a periodic BSR may be triggered when the UL data of the logical channels belonging to a logical channel group (LCG) becomes available to the MAC entity, and this UL data belongs to a logical channel with a higher priority than the priority of the logical channels including the available UL data belonging to any LCG, or when none of the logical channels belonging to the LCG include available UL data. In the case of a periodic BSR, since all UL grants are accurately allocated and all delays in resource allocation cannot be compensated for the BSR delay unless it is aligned with the frame rate, it is impossible to provide a BSR for all data bursts. Therefore, currently, there is no efficient mechanism to provide a BSR for each defined data burst. Furthermore, a configured grant is not an attractive solution for services with large bitrate fluctuations such as XR services.

[0032] Furthermore, in some scenarios, for example, when the terminal device does not need to continuously monitor the control channel to save power in the power device, it is beneficial for the terminal device to report the terminal state information to the network device every time the terminal device "wakes up".

[0033] There is a need for a new solution to provide reports including the state information of the terminal for services with large fluctuations in bit rate. Furthermore, in scenarios where there is a need for energy conservation, it may be necessary to enhance the mechanism for providing reports to the network device so that the network device can make correct scheduling decisions.

[0034] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for solving the above and other potential problems. The principal and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the important concepts of the present disclosure are applicable in any communication system or scenario including similar problems.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary network environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. Environment 100, which is part of a communication network, includes a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. It should be understood that the number of devices in FIG. 1 is shown for the purpose of explanation without suggesting any limitation of the present disclosure. Communication network 100 can include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices that are compatible with the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0036] Communication in the network environment 100 can be either the third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and fifth generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G advanced network, or sixth generation (6G) communication protocol, and / or a wireless local area network communication protocol such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol known currently or developed in the future. Further, the communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth (R), ZIGBEE (R), machine type communication (MTC), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), new radio unlicensed (NR-U) technology, etc.

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a process 200 for communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of explanation, process 200 will be described with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, process 200 may include a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. Process 200 may further include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the network device 120 determines (202) that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for the terminal device 110. Based on the reporting setting, the terminal device 110 determines that for at least one logical channel, reporting is triggered when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device 110 or after arrival, and may be configured to trigger reporting after receiving an uplink grant from the network device 120. Based on the determination, the network device 120 transmits (204) setting information 206 indicating that the reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel to the terminal device 110. The terminal device 110 can receive (208) the setting information 206 from the network device 120. After determining (210) that uplink data has arrived at an empty buffer in the terminal device 110 for at least one logical channel, the terminal device 110 determines (212) that reporting is triggered. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 can determine whether reporting is triggered based on the reporting setting for at least one logical channel. The network device 120 can transmit (214) an uplink grant 216 to the terminal device 110. After receiving (218) the uplink grant 216 from the network device 120, the terminal device 110 triggers reporting (220). In this way, an efficient mechanism for triggering reporting for each data burst can be defined. With such a reporting trigger mechanism, even for services with large bitrate variations, it becomes easier for the network device to make correct scheduling decisions.

[0039] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 can transmit (222) a report 224 regarding the uplink resources scheduled by the received uplink grant 216 to the network device 120. The network device 120 receives (226) the report 224 and can make a scheduling decision for the terminal device based on the report 224. In this way, it can be made easier for the network device to make correct scheduling decisions.

[0040] In some embodiments, after transmitting (222) the report 224 to the network device 120, the terminal device 110 can determine (228) that the report is not triggered. In this way, it can be independent of the provision of the configured uplink grant. The report can be provided for each data burst, regardless of the periodicity of the burst and regardless of any periodic reporting timer setting.

[0041] In some embodiments, the report may include at least one of a PHR, a BSR, and any other MAC CE report. In this way, the terminal state information required by the network device can be provided for each data burst. Further, in embodiments where the report includes a BSR, there is no need to trigger a scheduling request when resources are not available.

[0042] In some embodiments, the network device 120 can determine that the reporting setting is applied to a set of logical channels. The set of logical channels includes one or more logical channels, and at least one logical channel belongs to the set of logical channels. The configuration information 206 may include a logical channel indicator for the set of logical channels.

[0043] In some alternative embodiments, the network device 120 can determine that the reporting setting is applied to one or more logical channels associated with a QoS flow indicator (QFI), a range of QFIs, or a set of QFIs. One or more QFIs may be mapped to one DRB / LCH. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine that the reporting setting is applied to one or more logical channels associated with a set of QFIs. At least one logical channel belongs to one or more logical channels associated with a set of QFIs. The configuration information 206 may be composed of a set of QFIs indicating that the reporting setting is applied to one or more logical channels associated with a set of QFIs. In this way, when the set QFI(s) is remapped from one LCH to another LCH via reflection mapping, a reporting trigger for all data bursts in the buffer of at least one logical channel remapped to the set QFI(s) can be guaranteed. In other words, since the reporting trigger condition follows the set QFI, no RRC reconfiguration is required.

[0044] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 can receive the configuration information 206 via a radio resource control (RRC) message. In this way, a reporting trigger for each data burst in the buffer for each logical channel within the set of logical channels can be guaranteed.

[0045] In some embodiments, when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device 110 for at least one logical channel, or after it arrives, the terminal device 110 can set a report indicator associated with the at least one logical channel to a first value. The report indicator having the first value indicates that a report is triggered. In some embodiments, the report indicator may be associated with a logical channel. In other words, the report indicator can be introduced for each logical channel within a set of logical channels to which a report triggering mechanism is applied. For example, when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, or after it arrives, the terminal device 110 can set the report indicator associated with the at least one logical channel to the first value.

[0046] In some alternative embodiments, when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device 110 for at least one logical channel, or after it arrives, the terminal device 110 can set a report indicator associated with a logical channel group (LCG) that constitutes the at least one logical channel to a first value. The report indicator having the first value indicates that a report is triggered. In some embodiments, the report indicator may be associated with an LCG. In other words, the logical channels within a set of logical channels to which a report triggering mechanism is applied may belong to different LCGs. A report indicator may be introduced for each LCG. When uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, or after it arrives, the terminal device 110 can set the report indicator associated with the LCG including the at least one logical channel to the first value. As used herein, logical channels may be used to classify different data radio bearers (DRBs) into QoS groups. In LTE, there are up to four logical channel groups. In NR, there are up to eight logical channel groups.

[0047] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 can set the reporting indicator to a second value indicating that the report is not triggered. The second value is different from the first value. For example, the first value may be 0 and the second value may be 1. Alternatively, conversely, the first value may be 1 and the second value may be 0. As used herein, the term "reporting indicator" may be an explicit or implicit indicator, such as an explicit flag or an implicit indicator.

[0048] In some embodiments, after the terminal device 110 transmits a triggered report to the network device, it can set the reporting indicator to the second value. For example, after transmitting a report to the network device on the uplink resource scheduled by the received uplink grant, the terminal device 110 can set the reporting indicator associated with at least one logical channel to the second value. Alternatively, after transmitting a report to the network device on the uplink resource scheduled by the received uplink grant, the terminal device 110 can set the reporting indicator associated with the LCG constituting at least one logical channel to the second value. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may set the initial value of the reporting indicator to the second value. In some embodiments, when the reporting indicator is set to the second value, the terminal device 110 may not trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device 120. In this way, the report triggering mechanism can be easily implemented.

[0049] For example, when there is fresh data waiting to be transmitted in the buffer of the LCH, the terminal device may trigger a BSR when receiving a UL grant. As used herein, the term "fresh data" refers to new data that has arrived at an empty buffer previously. If new data arrives at a buffer that already contains data waiting to be transmitted, the new data is not considered fresh data. The flag "BurstBSR" of the logical channel may initially be set to 0. When data arrives at the empty buffer of at least one logical channel, or after it arrives, the flag "BurstBSR" of at least one logical channel may be set to 1. When a UL grant is received, the terminal device can trigger a normal BSR based on BurstBSR = 1, and set BurstBSR to 0 after transmitting the BSR to the network device. It should be understood that the reporting indicator is not limited to a flag, and may be any explicit or implicit indicator. In this way, the BSR can be provided for all data bursts regardless of the burst period and regardless of the periodic BSR timer setting. Thus, the proposed reporting trigger mechanism is independent of whether other logical channels are buffering data and the priorities of other logical channels that are buffering data.

[0050] In some other exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 can directly trigger a BSR when there is fresh data waiting to be transmitted in the buffer of the LCH. The SR mask can be set for LCHs that do not depend on the availability of the configured grant, and if such a mask is valid, it prevents the triggering of an SR when there is a triggered BSR. When the terminal device 110 receives a UL grant, a triggered BSR is included.

[0051] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may not need to continuously monitor the control channel to save power. In other words, the terminal device can wake up periodically to monitor the PDCCH during the active time and stop monitoring the PDCCH during the inactive time. For example, the terminal device can operate in DRX configuration or PDCCH skip mode. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine that reporting settings are further applied to the mode switch of the terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the PDCCH to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH. The network device 120 can send the terminal device setting information indicating that the reporting settings are applied to the mode switch of the terminal device. When the reporting settings are applied to the mode switch of the terminal device, after switching from the first mode to the second mode, the terminal device 110 can determine that a report is triggered. In this way, when a UL grant is available, it can be ensured that a report is triggered as early as possible every time the terminal device wakes up.

[0052] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another process 300 for communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of explanation, process 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, process 300 may include a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. To show steps or components shown in FIG. 3 that have the same operations as the steps or components shown in FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are used and their detailed descriptions are omitted. It should be understood that process 300 may further include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 3, the network device 120 determines (302) that for the mode switch of the terminal device 110, a report from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the PDCCH to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH is applicable. Based on this determination, the network device 120 transmits (304) to the terminal device 110 setting information 306 indicating that report settings are applicable to the mode switch of the terminal device 110. The terminal device 110 receives the setting information 306 from the network device 130 (308). After switching from the first mode to the second mode (310), the terminal device 110 determines (212) that a report is to be triggered. In this way, it is possible to ensure that a report is triggered as early as possible for each wake-up of the terminal device when a UL grant is available.

[0054] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may not need to continuously monitor the control channel to save power. In other words, the terminal device can periodically wake up to monitor the PDCCH during active time and stop monitoring the PDCCH during inactive time. For example, the terminal device can operate in a DRX setting or a PDCCH skip mode.

[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 can determine that a report is to be triggered if, when the terminal device 110 switches from the first mode to the second mode, the buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel is not empty. In this way, a report may be triggered when there is status information to be reported at the terminal device when the terminal device wakes up. In this way, the resource overhead can be reduced.

[0056] It should be understood that the above-described embodiments described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 can be implemented separately or in any suitable combination. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods of communication implemented in terminal devices and network devices. These methods will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4-7.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary method 400 of communication implemented in a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 400 may be executed in a terminal device 110 as shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 400 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. Method 400 may include additional blocks not shown and / or may omit some blocks as shown, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. By method 400 of FIG. 4, an efficient mechanism for triggering a report for each data burst can be defined.

[0058] In block 420, the terminal device 110 determines that a report is to be triggered when, or after, uplink data arrives in an empty buffer within the terminal device for at least one logical channel. In block 440, the terminal device 110 triggers a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device. In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 can transmit the report to the network device on the uplink resources scheduled by the received uplink grant.

[0059] In some exemplary embodiments, when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer for at least one logical channel, or after it arrives, the terminal device 110 can set a report indicator associated with the at least one logical channel to a first value, and the report indicator set to the first value indicates that a report is triggered. In some exemplary embodiments, when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer for at least one logical channel, the terminal device 110 can set a report indicator associated with a logical channel group constituting the at least one logical channel to a first value, and the report indicator set to the first value indicates that a report is triggered.

[0060] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 can set the report indicator to a second value different from the first value indicating that a report is not triggered. In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 may set the report indicator to the second value after transmitting a triggered report to the network device. In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 can set an initial value of the report indicator to the second value. In some embodiments, when the report indicator is set to the second value, the terminal device 110 can refrain from triggering a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device 120. In some exemplary embodiments, the first value may be 0 and the second value may be 1. In some alternative embodiments, the first value may be 1 and the second value may be 0.

[0061] In some exemplary embodiments, determining may be based on the reporting settings of at least one logical channel. In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive, from the network device, configuration information indicating that the reporting settings are applied to a set of logical channels and that at least one logical channel belongs to the set of logical channels. In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may be capable of setting a logical channel indicator for the set of logical channels. In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may include at least one QoS flow indicator indicating that the reporting settings are applied to a set of logical channels associated with at least one quality of service (QoS) flow indicator.

[0062] In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may be received via a radio resource control (RRC) message. In some exemplary embodiments, the reporting may include at least one of a PHR and a BSR. In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may determine that the reporting is triggered after switching from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH.

[0063] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the terminal device 110) capable of executing the method 400 may include means for executing each step of the method 400. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0064] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining, in the terminal device, that reporting is triggered when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, and means for triggering reporting after receiving an uplink grant from the network device.

[0065] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary method 500 of communication implemented in a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 500 may be executed in a terminal device 110 as shown in FIG. 1. For the sake of explanation, method 500 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. Method 500 may include additional blocks not shown and / or may omit some blocks as shown, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. In the method of FIG. 5, when a UL grant is available, it can be guaranteed that a report is triggered as soon as possible for each wake-up of the terminal device.

[0066] In block 520, the terminal device 110 determines that a report is triggered after switching from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH. In block 540, the terminal device 110 triggers a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device.

[0067] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device 110 can determine that a report is triggered if the buffer in the terminal device of at least one logical channel is not empty when the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode.

[0068] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., terminal device 110) capable of executing method 500 can include means for executing each step of method 500. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0069] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining, in a terminal device, that a report is triggered after the terminal device switches from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, and means for triggering a report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device.

[0070] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary method 600 of communication implemented in a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 600 may be executed in network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. For the sake of explanation, method 600 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. Method 600 may include additional blocks not shown and / or may omit some blocks as shown, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0071] In block 620, network device 120 determines that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for terminal device 110. Based on the reporting setting, terminal device 110 may be configured to trigger a report when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer within the terminal device or after arrival for at least one logical channel, and to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device. In block 640, network device 120 transmits setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel to the terminal device. In the method of FIG. 6, an efficient mechanism for triggering a report for each data burst can be defined.

[0072] In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may include a logical channel indicator for at least one logical channel. In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may include at least one QoS flow indicator indicating that a reporting indicator is applied to at least one logical channel associated with at least one quality of service (QoS) flow. In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may be transmitted via a radio resource control (RRC) message. In some exemplary embodiments, the network device 120 may transmit an uplink grant to the terminal device and receive, from the terminal device, a report regarding the uplink resources scheduled by the received uplink grant. In some exemplary embodiments, the report may include at least one of a PHR and a BSR.

[0073] In some exemplary embodiments, the network device 120 may determine that the reporting configuration is further applied to a mode switch of the terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH. The network device 120 may transmit to the terminal device configuration information indicating that the reporting configuration is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device.

[0074] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 120) capable of executing method 600 may comprise means for executing each step of method 600. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0075] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus is means for determining, in a network device, that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting determining that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, or thereafter, and setting the terminal device to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device, means for determining; and means for transmitting, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel.

[0076] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary method 700 of communication implemented in a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 700 may be executed in network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. For the sake of explanation, method 700 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. Method 700 may include additional blocks not shown and / or may omit some blocks as shown, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. In the method of FIG. 7, when a UL grant is available, a reporting trigger mechanism is defined that can trigger a report at the earliest time for each wake-up of the terminal device.

[0077] In block 720, network device 120 determines that a reporting setting is applied to a mode switch of the terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH. Based on the reporting setting, the terminal device determines to trigger a report after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode and is configured to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device. In block 740, network device 120 transmits to terminal device 110 setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device.

[0078] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 120) capable of executing method 700 can comprise means for executing each step of method 700. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0079] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus is means for determining that reporting settings are applied to a mode switch of a terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, the reporting settings determining that a report is triggered after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, means for setting the terminal device to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device, and means for transmitting setting information indicating that the reporting settings are applied to the mode switch of the terminal device to the terminal device.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus 800 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 800 can be provided for implementing communication devices such as a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 as shown, for example, in FIG. 1. As shown, the apparatus 800 comprises one or more processors 810 and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to the processor 810. The apparatus 800 may further comprise one or more memories 820 coupled to the processor 810.

[0081] The communication module 840 may be for bidirectional communication. The communication module 840 has at least one antenna for facilitating communication. The communication interface may mean any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0082] The processor 810 may be of any type suitable for a local technical network, and by way of non-limiting example, may comprise one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The apparatus 800 may have multiple processors such as an application specific integrated circuit chip that is time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0083] The memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically erasable ROM (EPROM), flash (registered trademark) memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic storage devices and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power-down times.

[0084] The computer program 830 includes computer-executable instructions to be executed by the associated processor 810. The program 830 can be stored in the ROM 824. The processor 810 can execute any suitable operations and processes by loading the program 830 into the RAM 822.

[0085] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by the program 830 such that the apparatus 800 can execute any process of the present disclosure, as described with reference to FIGS. 4-7. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0086] In some embodiments, program 830 may be included to interface with a computer-readable medium that may be included in device 800 (such as within memory 820) or other storage devices accessible by device 800. The computing device 800 can load and execute program 830 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 822. The computer-readable medium can include any type of tangible non-volatile storage device such as ROM, EPROM, flash (registered trademark) memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. FIG. 9 shows an example of a computer-readable medium 900 in the form of a CD or DVD. Program 830 is stored on this computer-readable medium.

[0087] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other several graphical representations, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein are, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0088] The present 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, and is executed on a device on a target physical processor or virtual processor to perform any of methods 400, 500, 600, and 700 as described above with reference to FIGS. 4-7. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functions of program modules can be combined or divided among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of program modules can be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules can be arranged on both local and remote storage media.

[0089] The program code for implementing the methods of the present disclosure can be described in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing devices, and when the program code is executed by the processor or controller, specific functions / operations are performed as shown in the flowchart and / or block diagram. The program code may be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0090] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or related data can be carried by any suitable carrier in order to enable an apparatus, computing device, or processor to execute various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, and the like.

[0091] The computer-readable media can be either a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable media includes, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable ROM (EPROM, or flash (registered trademark) memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0092] Furthermore, although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown, or sequentially, or that all of the illustrated operations be performed, in order to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be preferable. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above description, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Specific features described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented separately, or in any suitable sub-combination, in multiple embodiments.

[0093] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as illustrative forms for carrying out the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the terminal device to for at least one logical channel, determine that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device; after receiving an uplink grant from a network device, trigger the report. A terminal device configured as such.

2. The terminal device further sends the report to the network device using the uplink resources scheduled by the received uplink grant. The terminal device according to claim 1, configured as such.

3. The terminal device sets a report indicator associated with the at least one logical channel to a first value when the uplink data arrives at the empty buffer of the at least one logical channel; wherein the report indicator set to the first value indicates that the report is triggered. The terminal device according to claim 1.

4. The terminal device sets a report indicator associated with a logical channel group including the at least one logical channel to a first value when the uplink data arrives at the empty buffer of the at least one logical channel; wherein the report indicator set to the first value indicates that the report is triggered. The terminal device according to claim 1.

5. The terminal device further sets the report indicator to a second value different from the first value indicating that the report is not triggered. The terminal device according to claim 3 or 4, configured as such.

6. The terminal device further sets the report indicator to the second value after sending the triggered report to the network device. The terminal device according to claim 5, configured as such.

7. The terminal device further sets an initial value of the report indicator to the second value. The terminal device according to claim 5, configured as such.

8. The terminal device further When the reporting indicator is set to the second value, the report is not triggered after receiving the uplink grant from the network device. The terminal device according to claim 5, which is configured as such. **Claim 9** The first value is 0, and the second value is 1, or The first value is 1, and the second value is 0. The terminal device according to any one of claims 5 to 8. **Claim 10** The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the determination is made based on the reporting setting of the at least one logical channel. **Claim 11** The terminal device further receives, from the network device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to a set of logical channels. and is configured as such, wherein the at least one logical channel belongs to the set of logical channels. The terminal device according to claim 10. **Claim 12** The setting information includes a logical channel indicator of the set of logical channels. The terminal device according to claim 11. **Claim 13** The setting information includes at least one QoS flow indicator indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the set of logical channels related to at least one quality of service (QoS) flow indicator. The terminal device according to claim 11. **Claim 14** The terminal device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the setting information is received via a radio resource control (RRC) message. **Claim 15** The report includes at least one of a power headroom report (PHR) and a buffer status report (BSR). The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 14. **Claim 16** The terminal device further determines that the report is triggered after the terminal device switches from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, which is configured as such. **Claim 17** A terminal device, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the terminal device, by the at least one processor, After the terminal device switches from a first mode in which it does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, it is determined that a report is triggered. After receiving an uplink grant from a network device, trigger the report. A terminal device configured to perform the above. **Claim 18** When the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, if the buffer of at least one logical channel in the terminal device is not empty, the terminal device determines that the report is triggered. The terminal device according to claim 17, which is configured as described above. **Claim 19** A network device, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the at least one processor to cause the network device to determine that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting determining to trigger a report when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal device for the at least one logical channel, and setting the terminal device to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; send setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the at least one logical channel to the terminal device; A network device configured to perform the above. **Claim 20** The network device according to claim 19, wherein the setting information includes a logical channel indicator of the at least one logical channel. **Claim 21** The network device according to claim 19, wherein the setting information includes at least one QoS flow indicator indicating that a reporting indicator is applied to the at least one logical channel related to at least one quality of service (QoS) flow. **Claim 22** The network device according to claim 19, wherein the setting information is transmitted via a radio resource control (RRC) message. **Claim 23** The network device further sends an uplink grant to the terminal device. Receiving, from the terminal device, the report on the uplink resource scheduled by the uplink grant The network device according to claim 19, which is configured as such **Claim 24** The report includes a power headroom report (PHR), a buffer status report (BSR), The network device according to any one of claims 19 to 23, including at least one of the above **Claim 25** The network device further determines that the reporting setting is further applied to a mode switch of the terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, transmits, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device The network device according to any one of claims 19 to 24, which is configured as such **Claim 26** A network device comprising at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; and is configured to The at least one memory and the computer program code cause the network device, by the at least one processor, to determine that a reporting setting is applied to a mode switch of the terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, wherein the reporting setting determines that a report is triggered after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, and configure the terminal device to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; transmit, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device A network device configured to perform the above **Claim 27** A method implemented in a terminal device, comprising determining that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives at an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel; triggering the report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device The method including the above **Claim 28** A method implemented in a terminal device, comprising After the terminal device switches from a first mode in which it does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, it is determined that a report is triggered. After receiving an uplink grant from a network device, trigger the report. A method including the above. Claim 29 A method implemented by a network device, comprising: Determining that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting determining that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal device for the at least one logical channel, and after receiving an uplink grant from the network device, determining to configure the terminal device to trigger the report. Sending configuration information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the at least one logical channel to the terminal device. A method including the above. Claim 30 A method implemented by a network device, comprising: Determining that a reporting setting is applied to a mode switch of the terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, the reporting setting determining that a report is triggered after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, and after receiving an uplink grant from the network device, determining to configure the terminal device to trigger the report. Sending configuration information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device to the terminal device. A method including the above. Claim 31 In a terminal device, means for determining that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel. Means for triggering the report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device. An apparatus comprising the above. Claim 32 Means for determining that a report is triggered after the terminal device switches from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH; Means for triggering the report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device; An apparatus comprising the above.

33. In a network device, means for determining that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting determining that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal device for the at least one logical channel, and determining to configure the terminal device to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; Means for transmitting, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the at least one logical channel; An apparatus comprising the above.

34. Means for determining that a reporting setting is applied to a mode switch of the terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH, the reporting setting determining that a report is triggered after the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, and determining to configure the terminal device to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device; Means for transmitting, to the terminal device, setting information indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device; An apparatus comprising the above.

35. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 27 to 30.

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