Initiating small data transmissions based on one or more device-type specific conditions

Abstract

A method is disclosed that includes obtaining one or more first conditions for small data transmission, where the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for small data transmission, the one or more second conditions being associated with a second device type different from the first device type, and initiating a small data transmission procedure while in an inactive or idle state of radio resource control if the one or more first conditions are satisfied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following exemplary embodiments relate to wireless communication.

Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication systems are constantly being developed. For example, a device can transmit or receive a small amount of data in a non-active state in order to reduce signaling overhead from connection establishment and to minimize power consumption.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The scope of protection required for various exemplary embodiments is defined by the independent claims. Exemplary embodiments and features described herein that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims should be construed as examples, if any, that are useful for understanding the various exemplary embodiments.

[0004] According to one aspect, a device comprises 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 to cause the device, using the at least one processor, to obtain one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type and differ when compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, the one or more second conditions being associated with a second device type different from the first device type, and to start a small-scale data transmission procedure while in a non-active or idle state of radio resource control when the one or more first conditions are met.

[0005] According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus including means for obtaining one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, where the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions are different when compared with one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type; and means for starting a small-scale data transmission procedure while in an inactive state or an idle state of radio resource control when the one or more first conditions are satisfied.

[0006] According to another aspect, there is provided a method including obtaining one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, where the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions are different when compared with one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type; and starting a small-scale data transmission procedure while in an inactive state or an idle state of radio resource control when the one or more first conditions are satisfied.

[0007] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program including instructions for causing a device to at least obtain one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, where the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions are different when compared with one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type; and start a small-scale data transmission procedure while in an inactive state or an idle state of radio resource control when the one or more first conditions are satisfied.

[0008] According to another aspect, when executed on a computing device, the computing device is caused to obtain at least the following one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type; and when the one or more first conditions are satisfied, start a small-scale data transmission procedure while in an inactive state or an idle state of radio resource control. A computer program product including program instructions for causing the above is provided.

[0009] According to another aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided that includes program instructions for causing a device to obtain at least the following one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type; and when the one or more first conditions are satisfied, start a small-scale data transmission procedure while in an inactive state or an idle state of radio resource control.

[0010] According to another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided that includes program instructions for causing a device to obtain at least the following one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type; and when the one or more first conditions are satisfied, start a small-scale data transmission procedure while in an inactive state or an idle state of radio resource control.

[0011] According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus 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 are configured to cause the apparatus, using the at least one processor, to send an indication to one or more first terminal devices of at least a first device type, the indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different as compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type.

[0012] According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus including means for sending an indication to one or more first terminal devices of at least a first device type, the indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different as compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type.

[0013] According to another aspect, there is provided a method including sending an indication to one or more first terminal devices of at least a first device type, the indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different as compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type.

[0014] According to another aspect, there is a step of transmitting an indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission to at least one or more first terminal devices of at least a first device type, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type. A computer program is provided that includes instructions for causing the apparatus to perform the transmission.

[0015] According to another aspect, when executed on a computing device, there is a step of causing the computing device to transmit an indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission to at least one or more first terminal devices of at least a first device type, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type. A computer program product is provided that includes program instructions for performing the transmission.

[0016] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing an apparatus to transmit an indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission to at least one or more first terminal devices of at least a first device type, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type.

[0017] According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform sending an indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission to at least one or more first terminal devices of at least a first device type, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different as compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type.

[0018] According to another aspect, there is provided a system including at least a terminal device of a first device type and a network element of a wireless communication network. The network element is configured to perform sending an indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission to at least the terminal device of the first device type, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different as compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type. The terminal device of the first device type is configured to receive the indication from the network element and, when the one or more first conditions are satisfied, initiate a small-scale data transmission procedure while in a non-active state or an idle state of radio resource control.

[0019] According to another aspect, a system is provided that includes at least a terminal device of a first device type and a network element of a wireless communication network. The network element is means for transmitting an indication to at least the terminal device of the first device type, the indication indicating one or more first conditions for small-scale data transmission, wherein the first indication is specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions are different as compared to one or more second conditions for small-scale data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type. The terminal device of the first device type includes means for receiving the indication from the network element and, when the one or more first conditions are satisfied, starting a small-scale data transmission procedure while in a non-active state or an idle state of radio resource control.

[0020] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

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[0022] The following embodiments are exemplary. This specification may refer to "an", "one", or "some" embodiments (plural) at several places in the text, but this does not necessarily mean that each reference refers to the same embodiment (plural), or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment. It is also possible to combine single features of different embodiments to provide other embodiments.

[0023] In the following, as an example of an access architecture to which exemplary embodiments may be applied, different exemplary embodiments are described using a radio access architecture based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G), but the exemplary embodiments are not limited to such an architecture. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by suitably adjusting the parameters and procedures, the exemplary embodiments may also be applied to other types of communication networks having appropriate means. Some examples of other options of a suitable system may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, substantially the same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Bluetooth®, Personal Communication Service (PCS), ZigBee®, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), a system using Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, a sensor network, a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows an example of a simplified system architecture showing several elements and functional entities, all of which are logical units and their implementation may be different from that shown. The connections shown in FIG. 1 are logical connections and the actual physical connections may be different. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this system may also have functions and structures different from those shown in FIG. 1.

[0025] However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, and those skilled in the art can apply this solution to other communication systems with the necessary characteristics.

[0026] The example of FIG. 1 shows a part of an exemplary radio access network.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows user devices 100 and 102 configured to wirelessly connect on one or more communication channels in a cell, which cell is provided by an access node (e.g., (e / g)NodeB) 104. The physical link from the user device to the (e / g)NodeB can be referred to as an uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the user device can be referred to as a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB or its functions may be implemented by using an entity such as any node, host, server or access point suitable for such use.

[0028] A communication system can include two or more (e / g)NodeBs. In this case, the (e / g)NodeBs may also be configured to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless link designed for that purpose. These links may be utilized for signaling purposes. The (e / g)NodeB can be a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. The (e / g)NodeB can be regarded as any other type of interface device including a base station, an access point, or a relay station operable in a wireless environment. The (e / g)NodeB may include a transceiver or may be coupled to a transceiver. A connection may be provided from the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB to an antenna unit that establishes a bi-directional radio link to a user device. The antenna unit can include a plurality of antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB can further be connected to a core network 110 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side can be a serving gateway (S-GW, for routing and forwarding user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW) that provides connectivity of a user device (UE) to an external packet data network, or a mobility management entity (MME), etc.

[0029] A user device (also referred to as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) represents one type of device that can allocate and assign resources on an air interface. Thus, any feature described herein using a user device can be implemented using a corresponding device such as a relay node. An example of such a relay node can be a layer 3 relay (self-backhauling relay) towards a base station. The self-backhauling relay node can also be referred to as an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node. The IAB node can have two logical parts, namely, a Mobile Termination (MT) part that manages the backhaul link(s) (i.e., the link(s) between the IAB node and the donor node, which is also known as the parent node), and a Distributed Unit (DU) part that manages the access link(s), i.e., the child link(s) (multi-hop scenario) between the IAB node and the UE(s) and / or between the IAB node and other IAB nodes).

[0030] The user device may refer to a portable computing device including a wireless mobile communication device that operates regardless of the presence or absence of a subscriber identification module (SIM), and this includes devices of the following types, namely, mobile stations (cellular phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handsets, devices using wireless modems (such as alarm or measurement devices), laptop computers and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices, but is not limited thereto. The user device may be a device that is substantially uplink-only, and an example thereof may be a camera or video camera that loads an image or video clip into a network. The user device may also be a device having the performance to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario where an object can be provided with the function of transferring data via a network without the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. The user device may also utilize the cloud. In some applications, the user device can include a small portable device with a wireless part (such as a watch, earphone or glasses), and the calculation can be executed in the cloud. The user device (or in some exemplary embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) can be configured to execute one or more of the user equipment functions. The user device may, by way of a few examples, also be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, terminal device, or user equipment (UE), but is merely an enumeration of some names or devices.

[0031] The various techniques described in this specification can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS), which are systems of collaborative computing elements that control physical entities. CPS can enable the implementation and utilization of a large number of interconnected ICT devices (such as sensors, actuators, processor microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at various locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems where the physical system of interest can have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robotics and mobile electronics carried by humans or animals.

[0032] Furthermore, although the device is shown as a single entity, different units, processors, and / or memory units (not all of which are shown in FIG. 1) may be implemented.

[0033] In 5G, it is possible to use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, more base stations or nodes than LTE (so-called small cell concept), which includes macro sites that operate in cooperation with smaller-scale base stations and employ various radio technologies according to service needs, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications can support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, various data sharing methods, and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communication (mMTC) including vehicle safety, various sensors, and real-time control). 5G has multiple radio interfaces, namely below 6 GHz, centimeter wave (cmWave), and millimeter wave (mmWave), and can be expected to be integrated with existing legacy radio access technologies such as LTE. The integration with LTE can be implemented, at least in the initial stage, as a system where macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access can be brought from small cells by aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G can support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (between radio interfaces such as below 6 GHz (cmWave), below 6 GHz (cmWave to mmWave), etc.). One of the concepts considered to be used in 5G networks may be network slicing, where multiple independent dedicated virtual sub-networks (network instances) can be created within substantially the same infrastructure to execute services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0034] The current architecture in the LTE network can be completely distributed in the radio and completely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G need to bring the content closer to the radio, which can lead to local breakout and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G can enable analysis and knowledge generation at the data source. In this approach, it may be necessary to utilize resources such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors that cannot be continuously connected to the network. MEC can provide a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. MEC can also be equipped with the function of storing and processing content near the cellular subscriber to shorten the response time. Edge computing can also be classified as cooperative distributed peer-to-peer ad-hoc networking and processing, dual computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlet, distributed data storage and retrieval, self-organizing self-healing network, remote cloud service, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (large-scale connectivity and / or latency-critical), critical communication (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications), etc., covering a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data acquisition, mobile signature analysis, local cloud / fog computing, and grid / mesh computing.

[0035] The communication system can also communicate with other networks such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112, or utilize the services provided by them. The communication network can also support the use of cloud services. For example, at least a part of the core network operation may be executed as a cloud service (this is shown in FIG. 1 by the "cloud" 114). The communication system also has a central control entity, or something similar, and can provide facilities for different operators' networks to cooperate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0036] The edge cloud can be incorporated into the radio access network (RAN) by utilizing network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN). The use of the edge cloud can mean that at least partially, the access node operation is executed at a remote radio head (RRH) or radio unit (RU), or a server, host, or node operatively coupled to a base station equipped with a radio section. It is also possible for the node operation to be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. Executing the real-time functions of the RAN on the RAN side (distributed unit, DU104) and the non-real-time functions of the RAN in a centralized manner (centralized unit, CU108) can be made possible, for example, by applying the cloudRAN architecture.

[0037] Also, it should be understood that the work distribution between the core network operation and the base station operation can be different from that in the case of LTE, or may not even exist. Some other technological advancements that can be used may be big data and all-IP, which may change the way the network is constructed and managed. The 5G (or New Radio, NR) network may be designed to support multiple layers, and an MEC server can be placed between the core and the base station or NodeB (gNB). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to the 4G network.

[0038] 5G can also utilize satellite communication to extend or complement the coverage of 5G services, for example, by providing backhauling. Possible use cases can be to provide service continuity to machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices, or to passengers in a vehicle, or to ensure service availability for critical communications and future railway / sea / air communications. Satellite communication can utilize a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite system, but can also utilize a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite system, especially a mega-constellation (a system in which hundreds of (nano) satellites are deployed). At least one satellite 106 within the mega-constellation can cover some satellite-compatible network entities that create a terrestrial cell. The terrestrial cell can be created via a terrestrial relay node 104 or by a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite.

[0039] The illustrated system is only an example of a part of a radio access system. In reality, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that this system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, user devices can access multiple radio cells, and this system can also include other devices such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs can be a Home (e / g)NodeB.

[0040] Furthermore, the (e / g)NodeB or base station can also be split into a radio unit (RU) including a radio transceiver (TRX), i.e., a transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX), one or more distributed units (DUs) that can be used for so-called layer 1 (L1) processing and real-time L2 (L2) processing, and a centralized unit (CU) or central unit that can be used for non-real-time L2 and L3 (L3) processing. The CU may be connected to one or more DUs, for example, using the F1 interface. Such splitting can enable the centralization of the CU with respect to the cell site and the DUs, while the DUs can be more distributed and may even stay at the cell site. Together, the CU and the DU can also be referred to as a baseband or baseband unit (BBU). The CU and the DU may also be included in a radio access point (RAP).

[0041] The CU can be defined as a logical node that hosts upper layer protocols such as radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and / or packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of the (e / g)NodeB or base station. The DU can be defined as a logical node that hosts the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and / or physical (PHY) layer of the (e / g)NodeB or base station. The operation of the DU may be at least partially controlled by the CU. The CU can include a control plane (CU-CP), which can be defined as a logical node that hosts the RRC and the control plane part of the PDCP protocol of the CU for the (e / g)NodeB or base station. The CU can further include a user plane (CU-UP), which can be defined as a logical node that hosts the user plane part of the PDCP protocol and the SDAP protocol of the CU for the (e / g)NodeB or base station.

[0042] To execute the CU and / or DU, a cloud computing platform can also be used. The CU can be executed in a cloud computing platform, sometimes referred to as a virtualized CU (vCU). In addition to the vCU, there may also be a virtualized DU (vDU) that is executed in the cloud computing platform. Furthermore, there may be a combination where the DU can use so-called bare metal solutions, such as a system-on-chip (SoC) solution that is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a customer-specific standard product (CSSP). It should also be understood that the work distribution between the above base station units, or between different core network operations and base station operations, may be different.

[0043] Furthermore, within the geographical area of a wireless communication system, not only a plurality of radio cells but also a plurality of different types of radio cells can be provided. The radio cell may be a macro cell (or umbrella cell) that may have a diameter of up to several tens of km, or may be a smaller cell such as a micro cell, a femto cell or a pico cell. Any of these types of cells can be provided by the (e / g) NodeB in Fig. 1. The cellular radio system may be implemented as a multi-layer network including a plurality of types of cells. In a multi-layer network, one access node can provide one type of one cell or a plurality of cells, and thus, a plurality of (e / g) NodeBs may be required to provide such a network structure.

[0044] To meet the need to improve the deployment and performance of a communication system, the concept of a "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB can be introduced. Networks that can use the "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB can include, in addition to a Home (e / g) NodeB (H(e / g)NodeB), a Home NodeB gateway, or HNB-GW (not shown in FIG. 1). The HNB gateway (HNB-GW) can be installed within the operator's network and can aggregate traffic returned from a number of HNBs to the core network.

[0045] A large number of devices that generate (transmit) small amounts of data frequently or rarely are expected to increase exponentially, such as sensors, actuators, and similar devices for machine type communication, or smartphones equipped with chat apps. (It should be understood that the above list is a non-exhaustive list of examples of devices that can transmit small amounts of data.) In order to reduce signaling overhead from connection establishment and minimize power consumption, in 5G and later, a process called small data transmission (SDT) procedure (small data transfer procedure) can be used to enable devices to transmit small amounts of data in an inactive state. An inactive state device can start a small data transmission procedure when certain criteria are met, for example, when the data amount of the uplink data to be transmitted is smaller than a data amount threshold. The data amount can also be referred to as the data volume or data quantity. In other words, using 5G terminology, SDT is a procedure that enables data transmission while in the RRC_INACTIVE state (i.e., without transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state). Therefore, the SDT procedure can avoid signaling overhead and delay associated with the transition from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state. SDT can be enabled for each radio bearer, can be initiated by the UE, and when the uplink (UL) data waiting to be transmitted over the radio bearer for which SDT is enabled is less than a set amount, and the measured reference signal received power (RSRP) in the cell exceeds a set threshold and effective resources for SDT transmission are available.

[0046] RRC_INACTIVE is a state in which the UE remains in the CM-CONNECTED state and can move within the area set by the RAN without notifying the RAN. CM is an acronym for connection management. In the RRC_INACTIVE state, the last serving gNB maintains the UE context and the UE-related connections with the serving access and mobility management function (AMF) as well as the user plane function (UPF). By using the RRC_INACTIVE state to reduce the control plane (CP) procedures required in RRC state changes and related latencies, the power consumption of the UE can be reduced. When the UE is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, the radio connection is stopped while maintaining the core network connectivity actively (i.e., the UE remains in the CM-CONNECTED state). To quickly resume the stopped connection, the UE access stratum (AS) context (referred to as the UE inactive AS context), which includes the latest radio bearer configuration used for data / signaling transmission, as well as the security keys and algorithms for integrity protection and encryption in the radio interface, is stored both on the UE side and the RAN side. Based on this retained information, the UE can resume the radio connection with significantly less latency and associated signaling overhead compared to a UE in the RRC_IDLE state that needs to establish a new connection to both the radio network and the core network.

[0047] The SDT procedure can be performed on a random access channel (RACH) resource or a type 1 configured grant (CG) resource. For the CG, the SDT resource can be set either on the initial bandwidth part (BWP) or on a dedicated BWP. For the RACH, the network can also set whether the two-step and four-step random access types can be used. If two random access types can be used, the UE can select one of the two random access types.

[0048] Once started, the SDT procedure can continue unless the UE is explicitly directed (via RCR release) towards the RRC_IDLE state or the RRC_INACTIVE state, or (via RCR resume) towards the RRC_CONNECTED state. After the initial SDT transmission, subsequent transmissions may be processed differently depending on the type of resources configured. When using CG resources, the network can schedule subsequent UL transmissions using a dynamic grant, or perform them at the next CG resource opportunity. When using RACH resources, the network can schedule subsequent UL and downlink (DL) transmissions using a dynamic grant and an allocation, respectively, after the completion of the random access procedure.

[0049] The UE is capable of performing a random access procedure to access the network. The purpose of performing the random access procedure may be, for example, initial access, handover, scheduling request, or timing synchronization. The random access procedure may be a contention-based random access procedure (CBRA) or a contention-free random access procedure (CFRA). CFRA may also be referred to as non-contention-based random access. In CFRA, a given UE has a dedicated (i.e., UE-specific) random access preamble allocated by the network, whereas in CBRA, the UE can randomly select a preamble from a pool of preambles shared with other UEs in the cell. CFRA is currently not supported for SDT over RACH. In CBRA, a collision (or collision) may occur if two or more UEs attempt a random access procedure by using the same random access procedure on the same resource.

[0050] To avoid contention in CBRA, the RACH preamble can be divided into two groups, namely Group A and Group B. Once the UE selects the group to be used, the UE can select the preamble to be transmitted to the network from the selected group. Group A can be used to request normal UL resources when the amount of uplink data to be transmitted is small and / or when the UE is in insufficient coverage (e.g., low RSRP). Group B can be used to request larger resources when the amount of uplink data to be transmitted in Msg3 is large and the UE is in good coverage (e.g., high RSRP).

[0051] 5G is designed to support a wide range of use cases such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC) with different requirements in terms of data rate, latency, reliability, coverage, energy efficiency, and connection density. mMTC can cover cellular low-power wide area (LPWA) technologies such as narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and long-term evolution for machine type communication (LTE-MTC). Yet another use case of 5G is time-sensitive communication (TSC). However, there are also some other mid-range use cases such as industrial wireless sensor networks, video surveillance, and wearables (e.g., smartwatches, rings, eHealth-related devices, personal protection devices, medical monitoring devices, etc.). In other words, the requirements of these mid-range use cases may be higher than those of LPWA but lower than those of eMBB and URLLC. To efficiently provide these mid-range use cases, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has introduced reduced capability (RedCap) devices in NR Release 17 (Rel-17). RedCap devices can also be referred to as RedCap UE devices, NR-Lite devices, or NR-Light devices.

[0052] RedCap devices have low complexity (e.g., reduced bandwidth and number of antennas), longer battery life, and may have a smaller form factor than high-end NR UEs such as eMBB devices and URLLC devices. For example, RedCap devices can have one receive branch and one transmit branch (1Rx / 1Tx), or two receive branches and one transmit branch (2Rx / 1Tx) in both frequency range 1 (FR1) and frequency range 2 (FR2). RedCap devices can support all FR1 and FR2 bands for frequency division duplexing (FDD) and time division duplexing (TDD).

[0053] Industrial wireless sensors and actuators are an example of RedCap devices. For the purpose of improving flexibility, productivity and efficiency, and operational safety, it may be desirable to connect these sensors and actuators to 5G wireless access and core networks. Industrial wireless sensors can include, for example, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, thermometers, motion sensors, and / or accelerometers. Use cases for industrial wireless sensor networks include not only URLLC services with very high requirements, but also relatively low-end services with requirements for small device form factors and / or fully wireless services with several years of battery life. These low-end services can be provided by RedCap devices. Also, industrial wireless sensors related to low-end services may have the following use case-specific requirements. That is, the availability of the communication service can be 99.99%, the end-to-end latency can be less than 100 ms, and the reference bit rate can be less than 2 Mbps for all use cases (asymmetric, e.g., the possibility of UL heavy traffic), and the device is in a steady state. For safety-related sensors, the latency requirement is lower, e.g., 5 - 10 ms.

[0054] The video surveillance camera is another example of a RedCap device. The deployment of surveillance cameras can be beneficial for use cases such as smart cities, as well as factories and industries, to more efficiently monitor and control urban / factory resources. Similar to the connected industry, 5G connectivity can function as a catalyst for the next wave of smart city innovation. The following requirements can be applied to the use case of video surveillance. That is, the reference economic video bitrate can be 2 - 4 Mbps, the latency is less than 500 ms, and the reliability is 99% - 99.9%. High-end videos (e.g., for agriculture) may require a video bitrate of 7.5 - 25 Mbps. Note that the traffic pattern may be dominated by UL transmissions.

[0055] Wearables such as smartwatches, rings, eHealth-related devices, personal protection devices, and / or medical monitoring devices are also another example of RedCap devices. One feature of this use case is the small size of the device. The following requirements can be applied to wearables. That is, the reference bitrate for smart wearable applications can be 5 - 50 Mbs for DL and 2 - 5 Mbs for UL, and the peak bitrate of the device can be high, up to 150 Mbs for the downlink and up to 50 Mbs for the uplink. In addition, the battery of the wearable device should last for several days (e.g., up to 1 - 2 weeks).

[0056] The maximum bandwidth of FR1 RedCap devices during and after initial access can be 20 MHz. The maximum bandwidth of FR2 RedCap devices during and after initial access can be 100 MHz.

[0057] In frequency bands where legacy NR UEs (except for 2-Rx vehicle UEs) need to be equipped with at least 4 Rx antenna ports, the minimum number of Rx branches supported for RedCap devices may be 1. This specification also supports 2 Rx branches for RedCap devices in these bands. Rx is the acronym for receiver.

[0058] In frequency bands where legacy NR UEs (excluding 2-Rx vehicle UEs) need to be equipped with at least 2 Rx antenna ports, the minimum number of Rx branches supported for RedCap devices may be 1. This specification also may support 2 Rx branches for RedCap devices in these bands.

[0059] For RedCap devices with 1 Rx branch, 1 DL MIMO layer may be supported. For RedCap devices with 2 Rx branches, 2 DL MIMO layers may be supported. The gNB can determine the number of Rx branches of the UE. Support for 256QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) in the DL may be optional (not mandatory) for FR1 RedCap devices.

[0060] RedCap devices can prevent the use of features such as carrier aggregation, dual connectivity, and wider bandwidths.

[0061] During the random access procedure, the RedCap device may be explicitly identifiable to the network through an early indication of Message 1 (Msg1, i.e., RACH preamble) and / or Message 3 (Msg3), and may be explicitly identifiable to the network through an early indication of Message A (MsgA), including the ability to be set by the network for the early indication if supported. Msg1 and Msg3 can be used in a 4-step random access procedure, while MsgA can be used in a 2-step random access procedure. In a 2-step random access procedure, Msg1 and Msg3 can be combined into a single message (i.e., MsgA).

[0062] System information indication can be used to indicate whether the RedCap device can camp on a cell / frequency. This indication may be specific to the number of Rx branches of the RedCap device.

[0063] The RedCap device can support extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) for RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE states with an eDRX cycle up to 10.24 seconds without using the paging time window (PTW) and paging hyperframe (PH). There may be one common design (e.g., a common set of eDRX values) between RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE. Some RedCap devices can support eDRX with an eDRX cycle up to 10485.76 seconds for RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE states. SDT can be used with an eDRX cycle of at least 10.24 seconds or less.

[0064] For RRC_INACTIVE / RRC_IDLE and / or RRC_CONNECTED, radio resource management (RRM) relaxation may exist in the neighboring cells of the RedCap device. The enabling and disabling of RRM relaxation are under the control of the network and can be signaled by broadcast or dedicated signaling.

[0065] Note that it should be noted that the RedCap device can coexist with non-RedCap UEs (i.e., both RedCap devices and non-RedCap UEs can exist in a given cell).

[0066] However, since the limited capabilities of RedCap devices (such as reduced number of antennas, reduced bandwidth support, etc.) are not currently considered in the SDT procedure, the SDT procedure is not currently optimal for RedCap devices. For example, a RedCap device with a reduced number of antennas may not be able to transmit and / or receive at the power required for the SDT session to succeed, which may cause certain obstacles and interference to other devices performing SDT. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the SDT procedure for RedCap devices.

[0067] In some exemplary embodiments, it is possible to enhance SDT resource selection and / or SDT allowance determination for devices such as RedCap devices. In some exemplary embodiments, the criteria for SDT allowance determination and resource selection for RedCap devices can be adjusted by considering the limited capabilities of RedCap devices.

[0068] Figure 2 shows a signaling diagram according to an exemplary embodiment, in which the network explicitly indicates how a RedCap device should adjust one or more conditions for SDT. Referring to Figure 2, a network element of a wireless communication network transmits an indication (201) to one or more UEs for adjusting one or more conditions for SDT. This indication is specific to the RedCap device (i.e., a non-RedCap UE can ignore this indication). One or more UEs can include at least one RedCap device. The network element can be a base station such as a gNB.

[0069] Indication 201 can include at least one threshold and / or a rule for adjusting one or more conditions. The rule and at least one threshold can be specific to the RedCap device (i.e., a non-RedCap UE may not need to use them). Alternatively or additionally, Indication 201 can include at least an offset value for adjusting at least one of the one or more conditions.

[0070] The at least one threshold can include at least one of an uplink data volume threshold for adjusting an uplink data volume condition for the SDT allowance, an RSRP threshold for adjusting an RSRP condition for the SDT allowance, and / or a data volume threshold for a RACH preamble group (A or B) for resource selection. These thresholds can be specific to the RedCap device.

[0071] Indication 201 can be transmitted to at least one RedCap device by using dedicated signaling (i.e., by transmitting a device-specific indication to at least one RedCap device).

[0072] As an alternative form, the indication 201 can also be broadcast to a plurality of UEs (e.g., all UEs within a cell) including at least one RedCap device and at least one non-RedCap UE, for example, via system information block (SIB) signaling. The broadcast can cause a subset of the plurality of UEs to adjust one or more conditions for the SDT. For example, the subset of the plurality of UEs can include at least one RedCap device, but UEs other than RedCap may not be included in the subset. In other words, this indication (e.g., including at least one threshold) can be broadcast to both RedCap devices and non-RedCap UEs, but only RedCap devices can use the indication to adjust one or more conditions. Therefore, only a specific type of device (e.g., a RedCap device) may be able to perform the adjustment of the SDT condition(s).

[0073] At least one RedCap device adjusts (202) one or more conditions based at least in part on rules, at least one threshold, and / or offset values in the indication received from the network element.

[0074] When at least one RedCap device determines that one or more adjusted conditions are met (203), the at least one RedCap device starts an SDT procedure (204) and transmits small-scale data transmission to the network element.

[0075] The one or more adjusted conditions may also be referred to as one or more first conditions, and the original (unadjusted) one or more conditions may also be referred to as one or more second conditions. In other words, the one or more first conditions may be obtained by adjusting the one or more second conditions.

[0076] Note that some exemplary embodiments are not limited to RedCap devices, and one or more conditions for SDT may also be adjusted by other types of devices / UEs.

[0077] FIG. 3 shows a signaling diagram according to another exemplary embodiment. In FIG. 3, the network signals different sets of conditions for SDT to different types of UEs. Referring to FIG. 3, a network element of a wireless communication network transmits (301) a first indication indicating one or more first conditions for SDT to one or more first UEs (denoted as UE1). The network element transmits (302) a second indication indicating one or more second conditions for SDT to one or more second UEs (denoted as UE2).

[0078] The one or more first conditions are specific to a first device type including the one or more first UEs. The one or more second conditions are associated with or specific to a second device type including the one or more second UEs. The one or more first conditions and the one or more second conditions are at least partially different. For example, the one or more first conditions may include a first uplink data volume threshold and / or a first RSRP threshold for the SDT allowance, and the one or more second conditions may include a second uplink data volume threshold and / or a second RSRP threshold for the SDT allowance. The value of the second uplink data volume threshold and / or the value of the second RSRP threshold may each be different from the value of the first uplink data volume threshold and / or the value of the first RSRP threshold.

[0079] The first device type is different compared to the second device type. For example, the first device type can include or refer to a RedCap device, in which case one or more of the first UEs can be RedCap device(s). The second device type can include or refer to a non-RedCap UE, in which case one or more of the second UEs can be non-RedCap UE(s). The network element can be a base station such as a gNB.

[0080] As another example, the first device type may refer to a 1Rx RedCap device, in which case one or more of the first UEs can be 1Rx RedCap device(s). In this case, the second device type can include or refer to 2Rx RedCap devices and / or non-RedCap UEs, in which case one or more of the second UEs can include 2Rx RedCap device(s) and / or non-RedCap UEs. A 1Rx RedCap device refers to a RedCap device that includes a single receiver. A 2Rx RedCap device refers to a RedCap device that includes two receivers.

[0081] When one or more first conditions are satisfied by one or more of the first UEs, one or more of the first UEs initiate (303) the SDT procedure and transmit the first small data transmission to the network element. When one or more second conditions are satisfied by one or more of the second UEs, one or more of the second UEs initiate (304) the SDT procedure and transmit the second small data transmission to the network element.

[0082] Note that some exemplary embodiments are not limited to RedCap devices, and the first device type can be any other device type other than RedCap devices.

[0083] Figure 4 shows a flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment. The functions shown in Figure 4 may be performed by a device such as a network element such as a base station, or may be included in such a network element. Referring to Figure 4, an indication indicating one or more first conditions for SDT is transmitted (401) to one or more first UEs of at least a first device type, where the first indication is specific to the first device type. The one or more first conditions are different as compared to one or more second conditions for small data transmission, and the one or more second conditions are associated with a second device type different from the first device type.

[0084] The first device type may be related to, for example, a RedCap device, and the one or more first UEs may include one or more RedCap devices. The second device type may be related to, for example, a non-RedCap UE.

[0085] As another example, the first device type may refer to a 1Rx RedCap device, in which case the one or more first UEs may be 1Rx RedCap device(s). In this case, the second device type may include or refer to 2Rx RedCap devices and / or non-RedCap UEs, and in this case, the one or more second UEs may include 2Rx RedCap device(s) and / or non-RedCap UEs.

[0086] Indication 401 may include at least one threshold specific to the first device type. The at least one threshold may include at least one of an uplink data volume threshold, an RSRP threshold, and / or a RACH preamble group data volume threshold. Alternatively or additionally, indication 401 may include at least an offset value for adjusting at least one of the one or more second conditions.

[0087] This indication 401 is broadcastable to a plurality of UEs including at least one or more first UEs and one or more second UEs of a second device type. The broadcast can cause one or more first UEs to obtain one or more first conditions by adjusting one or more second conditions based on the indication, for example, by applying at least one indicated threshold value and / or offset value to the one or more second conditions. Alternatively, the indication 401 may be sent to one or more first UEs by using dedicated signaling.

[0088] Figure 5 shows a flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment for determining the SDT allowance. The functions shown in Figure 5 can be performed by a device such as a terminal device (UE) (e.g., a RedCap device), or can be included in such a terminal device (UE). Referring to Figure 5, one or more first conditions for the SDT are obtained (step 501). The one or more first conditions above are specific to the first device type. The one or more first conditions are different compared to one or more second conditions for the SDT, and the one or more second conditions above are associated with a second device type different from the first device type. For example, the one or more first conditions may include conditions for uplink data volume and / or conditions for RSRP.

[0089] The first device type may be related to, for example, a RedCap device, and one or more first UEs may include one or more RedCap devices. The second device type may be related to, for example, a non-RedCap UE.

[0090] As another example, the first device type may refer to a 1Rx RedCap device, in which case one or more first UEs may be 1Rx RedCap device(s). In this case, the second device type may include or refer to 2Rx RedCap devices and / or non-RedCap UEs, in which case one or more second UEs may include 2Rx RedCap device(s) and / or non-RedCap UEs.

[0091] One or more first conditions can be obtained at least partially based on at least one of the bandwidth available in the device (the bandwidth supported by the device), the number of antennas included in the device, the number of receivers included in the device, and / or the battery life of the device, whereby the limitations of the first device type (e.g., RedCap device) compared to the second device type (e.g., non-RedCap device) are taken into account.

[0092] One or more first conditions and / or one or more second conditions can be obtained, for example, from pre-defined 3GPP specifications. In other words, one or more first conditions and / or one or more second conditions may be pre-defined.

[0093] Alternatively, one or more first conditions and / or one or more second conditions can be obtained by receiving one or more first conditions and / or one or more second conditions from the network (e.g., via broadcast or dedicated signaling from the network).

[0094] Alternatively, the one or more first conditions may be obtained by adjusting, for example, by dividing, multiplying, adding, or subtracting the currently configured value of the one or more second conditions. In this case, the one or more second conditions may refer to a default condition(s) or an existing condition(s) that is / are set for all UEs in the cell, for example, by a predefined 3GPP specification or by broadcasting from the network. Thus, the adjustment makes the one or more first conditions different compared to the one or more second conditions. The rules for adjusting the one or more second conditions may be predefined (for example, statically specified in the 3GPP specification) or may be indicated from the network.

[0095] The condition on the uplink data volume (included in the one or more first conditions) may be associated with an uplink data volume threshold for allowing the initiation of the SDT procedure. The condition for the uplink data amount (of one or more first conditions) may be obtained by adjusting the uplink data amount threshold associated with one or more second conditions. For example, the uplink data amount threshold may be adjusted by decreasing the uplink data amount threshold. In other words, the uplink data amount threshold may be scaled down such that the data allowed for the first device type (e.g., RedCap device) is less than the data allowed for the second device type (e.g., non-RedCap UE) due to limitations (e.g., antenna and bandwidth limitations) of the RedCap device compared to the non-RedCap UE. The rules and / or values ​​used to adjust the uplink data amount threshold may be predefined (e.g., statically specified in a 3GPP specification) or may be indicated by the network.

[0096] (Included in one or more first conditions), the condition for RSRP may be associated with an RSRP threshold for enabling the start of the SDT procedure. The condition for RSRP (in one or more first conditions) may be obtained by adjusting the RSRP threshold associated with one or more second conditions. For example, the RSRP threshold may be adjusted by increasing the RSRP threshold such that the RSRP threshold for a first device type (e.g., RedCap device) is higher than the RSRP threshold for a second device type (e.g., non-RedCap UE) that can start the SDT procedure. The rules and / or values used to adjust the RSRP threshold may be predefined (e.g., statically specified in 3GPP specifications), or they may be indicated from the network.

[0097] When one or more first conditions are satisfied, a small data transmission procedure is started (502) while in the radio resource control inactive state (RRC_INACTIVE) or the radio resource control idle state (RRC_IDLE).

[0098] If the uplink data volume value of the small data transmission procedure (i.e., the data volume to be transmitted by SDT) is below the adjusted uplink data volume threshold, the condition for the uplink data volume (included in one or more first conditions) may be satisfied. On the other hand, if the uplink data volume value exceeds the (adjusted) uplink data volume threshold, SDT may not be permitted in the RedCap device.

[0099] If the value of the RSRP measured by the device is greater than or equal to the adjusted RSRP threshold, the condition for RSRP (included in one or more first conditions) may be satisfied. On the other hand, if the measured RSRP value is less than the adjusted RSRP threshold, SDT may not be permitted in the RedCap device. The RSRP value may be measured based on a reference signal received from the network (e.g., base station) before starting the SDT procedure.

[0100] In some exemplary embodiments, different adjustments can be made by a 1Rx RedCap device and a 2Rx RedCap device. For example, only the 1Rx RedCap device can perform adjustments to one or more conditions for SDT, and the 2Rx RedCap device can utilize settings for non-RedCap devices. For example, when the network measures settings applicable to the 2Rx RedCap device, in this case, the 1Rx RedCap device may need to adjust one or more conditions for SDT. Therefore, when setting and determining the condition(s) for SDT, the characteristics of different devices (such as the number of receivers) can be utilized. In other words, the condition(s) for SDT may be different for different device types. As described above, one approach to obtaining the SDT condition(s) for a specific device type is to adjust the SDT conditions for different device types. To give some examples, the adjustment can be performed according to one or more predetermined criteria or according to settings received from the network.

[0101] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart according to another exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 shows rules for adjusting one or more conditions for the SDT tolerance and starting the SDT procedure based on the adjusted one or more conditions. The functions shown in FIG. 6 can be executable by a device such as a terminal device of a first device type (e.g., a RedCap device) or can be included in such a terminal device.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 6, when at least one offset value for adjusting at least one condition for the SDT allowable capacity is received from a network element (e.g., a base station) of a wireless communication network (601: Yes), the condition for at least one SDT allowable capacity is adjusted (602) by applying (e.g., adding or subtracting) at least one offset value to at least one condition. The at least one condition may include, for example, a condition for uplink data volume and / or a condition for RSRP. The offset value can be a positive or negative numerical value. As a non-limiting example, in order to increase the RSRP threshold, a +3 dB offset value can be added to the RSRP threshold of the condition for RSRP.

[0103] On the other hand, if no offset value for adjusting at least one condition for SDT is received (601: No), SDT is not permitted (605). In other words, if the network does not set adjustment value(s) and / or offset value(s) for a device (e.g., a RedCap device) via dedicated or broadcast signaling, SDT is not permitted for the device. In one example, this limitation may only apply to 1Rx RedCap devices and may not apply to 2Rx RedCap devices.

[0104] When the adjusted at least one condition is met (603: Yes), the SDT procedure is started (604). For example, when the uplink data volume to be transmitted is less than or equal to the adjusted uplink data volume threshold of the adjusted condition for the uplink data volume, and / or when the measured RSRP value is greater than or equal to the adjusted RSRP threshold of the adjusted condition for RSRP, the adjusted at least one condition may be met.

[0105] On the other hand, if the adjusted at least one condition is not met (603: No), SDT is not permitted (605).

[0106] Figure 7 shows a flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment for SDT resource determination. The functions shown in Figure 7 can be executed by a device such as a terminal device of a first device type (e.g., a RedCap device), or can be included in such a terminal device.

[0107] Referring to Figure 7, one or more thresholds for selection between RACH preamble groups are adjusted (701). For example, a device (e.g., a RedCap device) can increase or decrease the data volume threshold and / or the RSRP threshold of the RACH preamble group so that the probability of selecting RACH preamble group B is lower (after increasing the threshold) or higher (after decreasing the threshold) compared to a second device type (e.g., a non-RedCap UE).

[0108] The RACH preamble group is selected based at least in part on the one or more adjusted thresholds (702). The selected RACH preamble group can be, for example, group A or group B. For example, when the uplink data volume to be transmitted is small, i.e., below the adjusted RACH preamble group data volume threshold, and / or when the coverage of the device is poor (e.g., when the measured RSRP value is less than the adjusted RSRP threshold), group A can be selected. When the uplink data volume to be transmitted is larger, i.e., exceeding the adjusted RACH preamble group data volume threshold, and / or when the coverage of the device is good (e.g., when the measured RSRP value is greater than or equal to the adjusted RSRP threshold), group B can be selected.

[0109] Alternatively, the device may not be permitted to select a RACH preamble from group B.

[0110] A random access preamble from a selected RACH preamble group is sent (703) to a network element of a wireless communication network that requests uplink resources for SDT. The uplink resources may include time resources and / or frequency resources.

[0111] An indication indicating uplink resources for SDT, such as an uplink grant included in a random access response (i.e., Msg2), is received (704) from the network element.

[0112] The SDT procedure is initiated (705) by using the indicated uplink resources. In other words, small data transmissions can be sent by using the indicated uplink resources.

[0113] The functions and / or blocks described above with reference to FIGS. 2-7 are not in an absolute chronological order, and some of these functions and / or blocks may be executed simultaneously or in an order different from that described above. Other functions and / or blocks may be executed between or within them.

[0114] Technical advantages provided by some exemplary embodiments are that they can provide improved SDT procedures considering the limitations of devices (e.g., RedCap devices). According to some exemplary embodiments, the SDT procedure can improve UL and DL SDT transmissions for devices such as RedCap devices so that it is not attempted when the radio condition is poor and / or when there is too much data to be transmitted.

[0115] FIG. 8 shows an apparatus 800 according to an exemplary embodiment. The apparatus 800 may be an apparatus such as a terminal device of a first device type, or may be an apparatus included in a terminal device of a first device type. The terminal device may also be referred to herein as a UE, a user equipment, or a RedCap device. The apparatus 800 includes a processor 810. The processor 810 interprets computer program instructions and processes data. The processor 810 may include one or more programmable processors. The processor 810 may include programmable hardware having embedded firmware, and alternatively or additionally, may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0116] The processor 810 is coupled to a memory 820. The processor 810 is configured to read from and write to the memory 820. The memory 820 may include one or more memory units. The memory units may be volatile or non-volatile. Note that in some exemplary embodiments, there may be one or more non-volatile memory units and one or more volatile memory units, or there may be one or more non-volatile memory units, or there may be one or more volatile memory units. Volatile memory may be, for example, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). Non-volatile memory may be, for example, read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, optical storage devices, or magnetic storage devices. Generally, the memory may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory 820 stores computer-readable instructions to be executed by the processor 810. For example, non-volatile memory stores computer-readable instructions, and the processor 810 uses volatile memory for temporary storage of data and / or instructions to execute the instructions.

[0117] The computer-readable instructions may be pre-stored in the memory 820, or alternatively or additionally, may be received by the apparatus via an electromagnetic carrier wave signal and / or may be copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. By executing the computer-readable instructions, the apparatus 800 performs one or more of the above-described functions.

[0118] In the context of this document, "memory" or "one computer-readable medium" or "plural computer-readable media" can be any non-transitory one medium or plural media or means that can accommodate, store, communicate, propagate, or transfer instructions used by or related to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device such as a computer.

[0119] The apparatus 800 may further include, or be connected to, an input unit 830. The input unit 830 may include one or more interfaces for receiving inputs. The one or more interfaces may have, for example, one or more temperature sensors, motion sensors and / or orientation sensors, one or more cameras, one or more accelerometers, one or more microphones, one or more buttons and / or one or more touch detection units. Further, the input unit 830 may include an interface to which an external device can be connected.

[0120] The apparatus 800 may also have an output unit 840. The output unit may include, or be connectable to, one or more displays capable of rendering visual content, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and / or a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) display. The output unit 840 may further include one or more audio outputs. The one or more audio outputs may be, for example, speakers.

[0121] Device 800 further includes a connectivity unit 850. The connectivity unit 850 enables wireless connectivity to one or more external devices. The connectivity unit 850 includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver that may be incorporated in device 800 or to which device 800 may be connected. The at least one transmitter includes at least one transmit antenna, and the at least one receiver includes at least one receive antenna. The connectivity unit 850 may include an integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits that provides a wireless communication function to device 800. Alternatively, the wireless connectivity may be a hardwired application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The connectivity unit 850 may include one or more components such as a power amplifier, a digital front end (DFE), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a frequency converter, a modulator (demodulator), and / or an encoder / decoder circuit that are controlled by a corresponding control unit.

[0122] Note that device 800 may further have various components not shown in FIG. 8. The various components may be hardware components and / or software components.

[0123] The apparatus 900 in FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus such as a base station, or an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus included in a base station. The base station may be referred to, for example, as a network element, a RAN node, a NodeB, a Long Term Evolution evolved NodeB (eNB), a gNB, a New Radio base station, a 5G base station, an access node, an access point (AP), a distributed unit (DU), a central unit (CU), a baseband unit (BBU), a radio unit (RU), a radio head, a remote radio head (RRH), or a transmit / receive point (TRP). The apparatus may have, for example, a circuit or chipset applicable to a base station to implement some of the exemplary embodiments described. The apparatus 900 may be an electronic device including one or more electronic circuits. The apparatus 900 may include a communication control circuit 910 such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 920 including computer program code (software) 922, and the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) 922 are configured to cause the apparatus 900 to execute, using the at least one processor, a part of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0124] The processor is coupled to memory 920. The processor is configured to read from memory 920 and write to memory 820. Memory 920 may include one or more memory units. The memory units may be volatile or non-volatile. Note that in some exemplary embodiments, there may be one or more non-volatile memory units and one or more volatile memory units, or there may be one or more non-volatile memory units, or there may be one or more volatile memory units. Volatile memory may be, for example, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). Non-volatile memory may be, for example, read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, optical storage, or magnetic storage. Generally, memory may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Memory 920 stores computer-readable instructions to be executed by the processor. For example, non-volatile memory stores the computer-readable instructions, and the processor uses volatile memory for temporary storage of data and / or instructions to execute the instructions.

[0125] The computer-readable instructions may be pre-stored in memory 920, or alternatively or additionally, may be received by the device via an electromagnetic carrier wave signal and / or may be copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. Execution of the computer-readable instructions causes device 900 to perform one or more of the functions described above.

[0126] Memory 920 can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. The memory can have a configuration database for storing configuration data. For example, the configuration database can store the current adjacent cell list and, in some exemplary embodiments, the structure of the frames used in the detected adjacent cells.

[0127] Apparatus 900 may further include a communication interface 930 that includes hardware and / or software for realizing communication connectivity according to one or more communication protocols. The communication interface 930 may include at least one transmitter (TX) and at least one receiver (RX) that may be incorporated in the apparatus 900 or to which the apparatus 900 may be connected. The communication interface 930 provides the apparatus with wireless communication capabilities for communicating in a cellular communication system. The communication interface can, for example, provide a wireless interface to a terminal device. Apparatus 900 may further have another interface directed to a core network, such as a network coordinator device, and / or another interface to an access node of a cellular communication system. Apparatus 900 may further include a scheduler 940 configured to allocate resources.

[0128] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more, or all, of the following, namely: a) a circuit implementation of only hardware (such as implementation with only analog and / or digital circuits), b) a combination of a hardware circuit and software, for example (where applicable), i) a combination of an analog and / or digital hardware circuit(s) and software / firmware, and ii) a combination of any part of a hardware processor(s) and software (including a digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(s) that cooperate to cause a device such as a mobile phone to perform various functions), and c) a hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) such as a microprocessor(s) or a part of a microprocessor(s) that require software (such as firmware) to operate, but may not have software present if not required for operation.

[0129] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of this term in this application, including all claims. As a further example, the term "circuit" as used in this application includes an embodiment of a mere hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or a part of a hardware circuit or processor, and the software and / or firmware associated therewith (or therewith). The term "circuit" also includes, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit within a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device, if applicable to the components of a particular claim.

[0130] The techniques and methods described in this specification can be implemented by various means. For example, these techniques can be implemented as hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or combinations thereof. In the case of a hardware implementation, the device(s) of the exemplary embodiment may be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described in this specification, or combinations thereof. For firmware or software, implementation can be performed by at least one chipset module (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that executes the functions described herein. The software code may be stored in a memory unit and executed by a processor. The memory unit may be implemented within the processor or externally to the processor. In the latter case, the memory unit can be coupled to be communicable with the processor via various means, as is well known in the art. Further, the components of the system described in this specification may be rearranged and / or supplemented by additional components to facilitate the achievement of various aspects described therein, and they are not limited to the exact configuration shown in a given drawing, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0131] As technology advances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the concepts of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. The embodiments are not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above and can be varied within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A terminal device of a first device type, the terminal device of the first device type comprising 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 to transmit, using the at least one processor, to the terminal device: obtaining one or more first conditions for small data transmission, the one or more first conditions being specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions being different compared to one or more second conditions for small data transmission, the one or more second conditions being associated with a second device type different from the first device type; obtaining the one or more second conditions by receiving the one or more second conditions from a network, the one or more first conditions being obtained by adjusting currently configured values ​​of the one or more second conditions for the small data transmission according to a predetermined rule; initiating a small data transmission procedure while in a radio resource control inactive or idle state if the one or more first conditions are met; The terminal device is configured to cause

2. the one or more first conditions include at least a condition on an amount of uplink data; The terminal device further comprises: and adjusting an uplink data amount threshold for small data transmission of the one or more second conditions to obtain a condition for the uplink data amount of the one or more first conditions. The following was carried out: The terminal device of claim 1, wherein a condition for the uplink data amount of the one or more first conditions is met when an uplink data amount value of the small data transmission procedure is less than or equal to the adjusted uplink data amount threshold for the small data transmission of the one or more second conditions.

3. A terminal device as described in claim 2, wherein the uplink data volume threshold of the one or more second conditions is adjusted by reducing it.

4. The one or more first conditions include at least a condition on a reference signal received power; The terminal device further comprises: and adjusting a reference signal reception power threshold for small-scale data transmission of the one or more second conditions to obtain a condition for the reference signal reception power of the one or more first conditions. The following was carried out: The terminal device of claim 1, wherein a condition for the reference signal received power of the one or more first conditions is met when a measured reference signal received power value is greater than or equal to the adjusted reference signal received power threshold of the one or more second conditions.

5. A terminal device as described in claim 4, wherein the reference signal received power threshold for the one or more second conditions is adjusted by increasing it.

6. The terminal device further comprises: Adjusting a random access channel preamble group data volume threshold; selecting a random access channel preamble group based at least in part on the adjusted random access channel preamble group data amount threshold; transmitting a random access preamble from the selected random access channel preamble group to request uplink resources for the small data transmission procedure; receiving an indication indicating the uplink resources for the small data transmission procedure; The following was carried out: The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the small data transmission procedure is initiated by using the indicated uplink resource.

7. The terminal device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first conditions are obtained by dividing, multiplying, adding, or subtracting the currently configured value of at least one condition of the one or more second conditions.

8. The terminal device further comprises: receiving at least one offset value to adjust at least one condition of the one or more second conditions; applying the at least one offset value to the at least one condition of the one or more second conditions to obtain the one or more first conditions; The following was carried out: The terminal device of claim 1 , wherein the small data transmission procedure is initiated when the at least one offset value is received and the one or more first conditions are met.

9. The terminal device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first conditions are obtained based at least in part on at least one of a bandwidth, a number of antennas, a number of receivers, and a battery life of the terminal device.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first device type refers to a 1Rx reduced function device, and the terminal device is a 1Rx reduced function device.

11. A method implemented on a terminal device of a first device type, the method comprising: obtaining one or more first conditions for small data transmission, the one or more first conditions being specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions being different compared to one or more second conditions for small data transmission, the one or more second conditions being associated with a second device type different from the first device type; obtaining the one or more second conditions by receiving the one or more second conditions from a network, the one or more first conditions being obtained by adjusting currently configured values ​​of the one or more second conditions for the small data transmission according to a predetermined rule; initiating a small data transmission procedure while in a radio resource control inactive or idle state if the one or more first conditions are met; The method comprising:

12. A computer program comprising: At least the following: obtaining one or more first conditions for small data transmission, the one or more first conditions being specific to a first device type, the one or more first conditions being different compared to one or more second conditions for small data transmission, the one or more second conditions being associated with a second device type different from the first device type; obtaining the one or more second conditions by receiving the one or more second conditions from a network, the one or more first conditions being obtained by adjusting currently configured values ​​of the one or more second conditions for the small data transmission according to a predetermined rule; initiating a small data transmission procedure while in a radio resource control inactive or idle state if the one or more first conditions are met; the computer program comprising instructions for causing a terminal device of a first device type to:

13. A system including at least a terminal device of a first device type and a network element of a wireless communication network, The terminal device is configured to obtain one or more first conditions for small data transmission, the one or more first conditions being specific to the first device type, the one or more first conditions being different compared to one or more second conditions for small data transmission, the one or more second conditions being associated with a second device type different from the first device type; The network element, transmitting an indication indicating the one or more second conditions for small data transmission; The device is configured to: The terminal device, receiving the indication from the network element and obtaining the one or more first conditions by adjusting currently configured values ​​of the one or more second conditions for the small data transmission according to a predetermined rule; initiating a small data transmission procedure while in a radio resource control inactive or idle state if the one or more first conditions are met; The system is configured to:

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