System, apparatus, and method for semi-persistent scheduling in a communication network

Abstract

A method for communication between a communication device and a base station in a private 5G network, the communication device and the base station having a basic period of transmission defined as a minimum scheduling period therebetween, the method including transmitting location data of the communication device in a last subframe of a current communication period of the communication device. The method further includes receiving resource allocation data including a transmission period extension factor for one or more subsequent communication periods of the communication device, and calculating a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) period as a subsequent communication period of the one or more subsequent communication periods based on the transmission period extension factor and the basic period of transmission. Uplink communication is performed in the one or more subsequent periods based on the resource allocation data and the SPS period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for semi-persistent scheduling in communication networks, and more particularly to semi-persistent scheduling schemes for low latency and high reliability transmission in private and local fifth generation (5G) networks.

Background Art

[0002] In almost all communication systems compliant with multiple devices, resource availability is limited with respect to supporting full-duplex communication. Some communication systems utilize multiplexing techniques to serve multiple users with fewer available resources for processing. An important aspect of currently available multiplexing techniques is to schedule devices for communication. In conventional scheduling schemes, resources are allocated according to the data requirements and channel conditions of users. This involves performing a series of complex steps before a device is allocated resources for communication, and such steps introduce a significant delay throughout the communication process. Thus, such communication systems are not only unsuitable but also act as an obstacle to the development of applications that rely on time-dependent communication. Therefore, there is a need for a robust scheduling scheme suitable for time-dependent and related mission-critical applications.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure are based on the recognition that if a device has data for transmission, the device must first receive measurement settings from a base station (BS) so that it can transmit a reference signal to the BS for uplink channel measurement. On the other hand, the device needs to send a scheduling request indicator (SRI) to the BS to request radio resources for uplink transmission. Based on the measured uplink channel state and user requirements, the BS schedules all users and notifies the users of the scheduling results via scheduling signal transmissions sent on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). Some embodiments are based on the recognition that scheduling should be performed and updated very frequently to adapt to changes in the wireless environment. Some embodiments are based on the recognition that conventional scheduling methods that rely on a series of the aforementioned complex system procedures may not be applicable in time-dependent network applications such as private and local fifth-generation (5G) communications due to some special characteristics of time-dependent networks.

[0004] Some embodiments are based on the recognition that the network can be part of an industrial setup where short but frequent communications occur between devices connected by the network. Some embodiments are based on the recognition that the data to be transmitted frequently is often short messages such as machine control instructions, sensor information, and health management data that need to be transmitted periodically and frequently but consist of only a small amount of data. Some embodiments are based on the recognition that some messages can be delay-sensitive, have a predefined lifetime, and become obsolete when their lifetime expires.

[0005] Some embodiments are based on the recognition that a large number of users can coexist in a private network. For example, in an industrial environment, a large number of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices may need to be supported by a private 5G network. Some embodiments are based on the recognition that, with respect to industrial automation, for example, motion control, low latency, high reliability, and determinism are important quality of service (QoS) requirements.

[0006] The above recognition leads to the conclusion that conventional scheduling methods cannot support private and local 5G networks that have two main technical problems. First, when conventional scheduling that relies on complex system procedures is applied, a large number of users with a large amount of frequent short messages will impose a large burden and overhead on the system. Second, a large number of users and a large amount of messages will extend the signal processing and calculation time in conventional scheduling, cause long delays, and messages sensitive to delays may expire. Obviously, since radio resources cannot be allocated according to the accurate and instantaneous channel state, the conventional methods for SPS do not provide reliability.

[0007] Some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to redesign the scheduling process for private and local 5G networks with an authorized frequency band. For this purpose, some embodiments provide a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) method for low-latency and high-reliability uplink transmission to enable "grant-free" and immediate uplink access for private 5G users. To truly support time-dependent communication, some embodiments of the present disclosure enhance the clarity regarding the improvement of the reliability of SPS. Some embodiments are directed to the technical detailed design of the redesigned SPS method and the scheduling algorithm aimed at improving reliability.

[0008] According to some embodiments, instead of rescheduling the SPS channel in each subframe, a minimum scheduling time unit consisting of a plurality of subframes, called the SPS period, may be defined. The user equipment (UE) performs uplink transmission within the SPS period using the same allocated and reserved radio resources. In this way, when a private 5G device, which is also a UE, has a message that needs to be transmitted, it can immediately access its allocated SPS channel and transmit data without waiting for scheduling by the base station (BS). Thereby, the latency of uplink transmission is reduced. Further, since the system processes of both the private 5G BS and the user do not require complex system procedures to support frequent and instantaneous resource allocation, the operation complexity is low and it becomes more efficient.

[0009] Therefore, in order to enhance the reliability of the proposed SPS over the variation of the radio environment, embodiments of the present invention utilize the following two steps based on the distance distribution of private 5G users within the SPS period.

[0010] Some embodiments utilize stochastic geometry for deriving the distance distribution of private 5G users. First, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) is appropriately selected considering not only the current channel state but also the potential channel state and risks during the SPS period. Second, using the selected MCS and the data expected value on the SPS channel, an SPS optimization process is executed for the purpose of improving reliability, guaranteeing fairness, and maximizing the data rate.

[0011] Some embodiments provide a certain SPS scheme for uplink transmission of local and private 5G networks, enabling "grant-free" and immediate uplink access for private 5G devices. According to some exemplary embodiments, instead of rescheduling the SPS channel in each subframe (e.g., 1 ms), the minimum time unit of SPS channel scheduling can be selected as an SPS period consisting of a plurality of subframes. For example, the SPS period can include 1000 subframes each of 1 ms, thereby making the SPS period 1 s. Thus, within the SPS period, a user can perform uplink transmission using the same radio resources. In this way, when the UE has a message that needs to be transmitted, the UE can directly access its assigned / reserved SPS channel and transmit data without waiting for scheduling by the base station. Therefore, some exemplary embodiments reduce the latency of uplink transmission. Some exemplary embodiments also lead to the system processes of both private 5G base stations and users becoming more efficient with lower operational complexity because complex system procedures such as periodic and frequency channel measurements, resource allocation, and instantaneous resource allocation for signal transmission exchange are no longer required.

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments consider the movement range and the expected values of their data rates of private 5G users (similarly UEs) to improve reliability. Considering the movement range, the scheduling system (e.g., BS) takes into account not only the current channel state but also the possible channel states in the next SPS period. As a result, sufficient SPS channel resources will cover all possible channel state situations in the next SPS period and will be scheduled to each user to guarantee transmission reliability.

[0013] Some exemplary embodiments provide a method for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS)-based resource allocation in a private 5G network. The method includes receiving location data of a plurality of user equipment (UEs) within a UE private 5G network in a last subframe of each UE's current communication period. The method further includes determining, based on the location data of each UE, a distance distribution of the UEs in a subsequent communication period of candidate UEs among the plurality of UEs. An expected signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value for the UEs for a subsequent communication period is also determined, at least in part, based on the distance distribution of the UEs. The SNR expected value defines an amount of data to be carried by one or more SPS channels in a subsequent communication period. The method for SPS-based resource allocation further includes solving an optimization problem of optimizing an expected value of data to be carried by each of one or more SPS channels in a subsequent communication period to obtain a scheduling result for each of the one or more SPS channels. The method further includes generating resource allocation data for candidate UEs based on the scheduling result and transmitting the resource allocation data to the candidate UEs for uplink communication.

[0014] Some exemplary embodiments provide a communication device for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS)-based resource allocation in a private 5G network, the communication device comprising circuitry configured to receive location data of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) in the private 5G network in a last subframe of each respective current communication period of the UEs. The circuitry is further configured to determine, based on the location data of each of the UEs, a distance distribution of the UEs in a subsequent communication period of candidate UEs among the plurality of UEs. The circuitry is further configured to obtain an expected signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value of the UEs for a subsequent communication period, at least partially based on the distance distribution of the UEs, the SNR expected value further defining an amount of data to be carried by one or more SPS channels in the subsequent communication period. The circuitry is further configured to solve an optimization problem of optimizing an expected value of data to be carried by each of one or more SPS channels in a subsequent communication period to obtain a scheduling result for each of the one or more SPS channels, generate resource allocation data for candidate UEs based on the scheduling result, and transmit the resource allocation data to the candidate UEs for uplink communication.

[0015] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying a computer-executable program for performing a method for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS)-based resource allocation in a private 5G network. The method includes receiving location data of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) in a private 5G network in a last subframe of each current communication period of the UEs. The method further includes determining, based on the location data of each of the UEs, a distance distribution of the UEs in a subsequent communication period of candidate UEs among the plurality of UEs. An expected signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value for the subsequent communication period of the UEs is also determined based at least in part on the distance distribution of the UEs. The SNR expected value further defines an amount of data to be carried by one or more SPS channels in the subsequent communication period. The method for SPS-based resource allocation further includes solving an optimization problem of optimizing an expected value of data to be carried by each of the one or more SPS channels in the subsequent communication period to obtain a scheduling result for each of the one or more SPS channels. The method further includes generating resource allocation data for candidate UEs based on the scheduling result and transmitting the resource allocation data to the candidate UEs for uplink communication.

[0016] Some exemplary embodiments also provide a method for communication between a communication device and a base station in a private 5G network. The communication device and the base station have a basic transmission period defined therebetween as a minimum scheduling period. The method includes transmitting the location data of the communication device in the last subframe of the current communication period of the communication device, and receiving resource allocation data including a transmission period expansion factor for one or more subsequent communication periods of the communication device, the transmission period expansion factor defining an expansion of the basic transmission period, and the method further includes calculating a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) period as a subsequent communication period based on the transmission period expansion factor and the basic transmission period. The method further includes performing uplink communication based on the resource allocation data and the SPS period.

[0017] Some exemplary embodiments also provide a communication device for communicating with a base station in a private 5G network. The communication device and the base station have a basic transmission period defined therebetween as a minimum scheduling period. The communication device includes circuitry configured to transmit the location data of the communication device in the last subframe of the current communication period of the communication device and to receive resource allocation data including a transmission period expansion factor, the transmission period expansion factor defining an expansion of the basic transmission period, and the circuitry is further configured to calculate a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) period as a subsequent communication period based on the transmission period expansion factor and the basic transmission period. The circuitry is further configured to perform uplink communication based on the resource allocation data and the SPS period.

[0018] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium embodying a program executable by a computer to perform a method for communication between a communication device and a base station in a private 5G network. The communication device and the base station have a basic transmission period defined between them as a minimum scheduling period. The method includes transmitting the position data of the communication device in the last sub - frame of the current communication period of the communication device and receiving resource allocation data including a transmission period extension factor, where the transmission period extension factor defines an extension of the basic transmission period. The method further includes calculating a semi - persistent scheduling (SPS) period as a subsequent communication period based on the transmission period extension factor and the basic transmission period. The method further includes performing uplink communication based on the resource allocation data and the SPS period.

[0019] Some exemplary embodiments provide means and opportunities for realizing an application using a true time - sensitive network (TSN). For example, in the context of an industrial setting, the exemplary embodiments help schedule communication for a number of interdependent and interconnected devices in a way that is not harmful to the underlying industrial process. By considering mobility area reports corresponding to the respective positions of users within the network, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure help achieve seamless connectivity between users.

[0020] As described above, the exemplary embodiments provide a TSN network that supports applications that cannot be supported by conventional networks where re - scheduling of transmissions is required for each SPS period. Some advantages and benefits of these features result in being able to increase network capacity and address the increasing current demand for faster networking speeds.

[0021] For example, VOIP solutions and video chat apps, along with mainstream hobby online multiplayer games, are part of today's business and our personal lives. To enable these applications, vast amounts of data are being exchanged online at an ever-increasing rate. Latency in data transmission, i.e., delay, can have a significant impact on the user experience. The methods and systems of the present disclosure can provide the capacity necessary to meet the stringent network capacity requirements of today's business and consumer demands.

[0022] Accordingly, communication devices, systems, and networks implemented using an exemplary scheduling scheme can exhibit significant improvements over the prior art. User equipment that performs communication according to an exemplary scheduling scheme can perform data communication with reduced latency and thus support new applications that would otherwise have required a wired or other dedicated connection means. A base station that implements an exemplary scheduling scheme does not need to reschedule devices repeatedly and frequently, thus reducing the computational load and at the same time increasing the capacity to handle more devices.

[0023] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings shown are not necessarily to scale, and generally, emphasis is placed on explaining the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

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[0025] The following description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the following description of the exemplary embodiments provides those skilled in the art with a feasible description for implementing one or more exemplary embodiments. Various changes may be contemplated in the functions and arrangements of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter disclosed as set forth in the appended claims.

[0026] In the following description, specific details are given for a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. For example, systems, processes, and other elements in the disclosed subject matter may be shown as components in block diagram form so as not to obscure the embodiments with unnecessary details. In other instances, well-known processes, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments. Further, like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

[0027] Also, individual embodiments may be described as a process shown as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. A flowchart can describe operations as a sequential process, but many of the operations can be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In addition, the order of the operations may be rearranged. The process may end when its operations are completed, but may have additional steps not discussed or included in the figure. Further, not all operations in any particular process described occur in all embodiments. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, the end of the function can correspond to a return to the calling function or the main function of that function.

[0028] Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for semi-persistent scheduling in a communication network. In mobile users, some services are characterized by periodic transmissions of relatively small payloads. For most of these services, it is essential that the payload reaches the destination within a specified period to meet an acceptable quality of service level. For this purpose, several attempts have been made to reduce the delay between the availability of the data to be transmitted and the actual transmission of that data at the node. Since there can be several participants in a communication system, there is no specific order or pattern in which data communication can occur from the participants. Therefore, it is a challenge to meet the communication requirements of all users.

[0029] Multiple access (MA) is a phenomenon that addresses the problem of how to ensure the most productive use of a communication channel (i.e., maximize the overall or "aggregate" throughput) when users need to transmit sporadically and cannot coordinate their needs and actions among themselves. It is important to provide a robust way to implement multiple access for a large number of users and to provide seamless connection options. Scheduling is one such way in which the system allocates radio resources according to the user's data requirements and channel conditions. In most scenarios, when a device has data to transmit, the device must first receive measurement settings from the base station (BS) so that the device can send a reference signal to the BS for uplink channel measurement. On the other hand, the device needs to send a scheduling request indicator (SRI) to the BS to request radio resources for uplink transmission. Based on the measured uplink channel state and the user's request, the BS schedules all users and notifies the users of the scheduling results via scheduling signal transmissions sent on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0030] In most scenarios, the set of bidirectional communication steps enumerated above must be executed whenever the device has data to transmit. Since each instance of communication with the BS is susceptible to delay, these steps introduce a significant amount of delay. Furthermore, throughout the communication process in which the user is moving, there can be frequent changes in the wireless environment. To adapt to changes in the wireless environment, scheduling is updated very frequently, which can be done every subframe (1 ms). Therefore, conventional scheduling relies on a series of complex system procedures and can cause significant latency and overhead.

[0031] As connectivity applications grow exponentially across industries and domains, industrial networks are becoming more important and diverse. It is common to deploy multiple technologies, such as low-power WANs (LPWANs) for sensors, location / positioning beacon meshes, Wi-Fi, industrial Ethernet (registered trademark) programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and enterprise wide area networks (WANs) for branch / supply chain connections, at a single site. Companies deploying private cellular networks to address specific needs not served by telecom operators are well aware that industrial networks are complex, fragmented, and costly.

[0032] 5G communication technology aims to simplify the configuration and management of private and semi-private network architectures. This aims to bring about a high degree of interoperability with network slicing technology, which can open up new ways of cooperation between legacy technologies and industrial players and the telecom ecosystem.

[0033] The most advanced manufacturing sites, distribution centers, and numerous other campus environments can benefit from the deployment of private 5G infrastructure that supports either 4G or 5G wireless access networks. Private 5G networks offer numerous advantages to modern enterprises, from algorithm updates to manufacturing processes, predictive maintenance of machinery, and real-time interaction with autonomous delivery vehicles. The 5G service-based architecture (SBA) provides the ability to establish separate network slices, including fully independent control and user plane functions. This enables mobile network operators to partition their public networks and create a virtually unlimited number of private LTE or 5G instances to support their enterprise customers.

[0034] A private network is a promising new connectivity model for businesses and individuals. The owner of a private network can optimize services in their own facilities by planning and installing their own network and establishing reliable communication within a specific area using only the available resources. For example, for factors such as safety, security, privacy, reliability, latency, device density, and throughput, some industries such as transportation, mining, container ports, healthcare, and manufacturing, as well as private use cases, intend to operate relying on their own private networks rather than public commercial networks. Such private networks require a high level of flexibility and customization to meet their requirements. Since the owner of a private network has complete control over all aspects of the network, they can determine how resources are utilized, how traffic is prioritized, how specific security standards are deployed, etc. The deployment of a private network can be realized in shared spectrum or unlicensed spectrum. The main motivation behind private 5G is to support the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) where enterprises have the ability to operate their own networks (e.g., in factories, processing plants, airports, mining facilities, etc.).

[0035] However, private 5G networks retain special characteristics and come with their own set of challenges. Multiple users can coexist on a private 5G network. For example, in an industrial environment, a large number of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices may need to be supported by a private 5G network. Second, the data transmitted may be short messages such as machine control instructions, sensor information, and health management, consisting of only a small amount of data, but need to be transmitted periodically and frequently. Some of the messages are delay-sensitive, have a predefined lifespan, and become obsolete when their lifespan expires. Furthermore, for industrial automation, for example, motion control, integration of extensive sensing technologies, and operator safety, ultra-low latency, reliability, and determinism are important requirements. Different from traditional 5G networks mainly for outdoor coverage, private 5G networks and local 5G networks are developed for specific areas where the channel state is much more unstable and hostile, which poses challenges to scheduling. In the case of public 5G networks, users can have high mobility. However, in local and private 5G networks, user mobility can be relatively low or local. Some embodiments utilize this fact in scheduling to improve reliability.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a corporate private network 100 according to some exemplary embodiments. A corporation may generally provide a corporate private network 100 for communication at one or more business locations of the corporation. The corporate private network 504 can include one or more corporate servers 106 (e.g., application servers, authentication servers, etc.). In this example, the corporation's private 5G network 10 may be provided to the corporation's factory or plant. Data communication may occur between one or more user devices and one or more other devices within the corporate facility. For example, the user equipment (UE) 102A may be a handheld device carried by personnel within the corporate facility, such as within a factory. The UE 102A can communicate with other UEs within the factory, with a control system associated with the factory, or with some other communicatively coupled device that may be present within or outside the factory. Such communication can occur via the private 5G network 10. Similarly, the user equipment 102B may be a vehicle enabled with wireless communication capabilities and may perform data communication with another device via the private 5G private network. In some exemplary embodiments, the private 5G network 10 may also provide a communication link between a user equipment 102C, which may be a robotic manipulator, and other devices within the corporation.

[0037] In some exemplary embodiments, the private 5G network 10 can provide communication links to user equipment (102A, 102B, or 102C) via one or more base stations such as a gNodeB (gNB). The base station 104 can support a plurality of UEs and can implement scheduling to provide multiple access to all or a subset of the plurality of UEs according to some exemplary embodiments. The base station 104 may perform control signal transmission with the UEs to communicate individual scheduling results to each of the plurality of UEs. The base station 104 may allocate a period (SPS period) for uplink communication to each of the UEs after considering the current channel state of the UEs. The SPS period can be calculated separately or jointly by the base station 104 for each of the user equipment. According to some exemplary embodiments, the base station 104 can take into account not only the current channel state but also the possible channel states in the next SPS period, so that all possible channel state situations in the next SPS period are covered, and sufficient SPS channel resources are scheduled to each UE to ensure transmission reliability. In this way, the base station 104 ensures that each of the UEs is allocated resources by the time the data becomes available for transmission at each of the devices.

[0038] In some exemplary embodiments, the base station 104 repeats scheduling after the expiration of one SPS period. However, to reduce the latency associated with rescheduling, the base station 104 may provide different ways for scheduling in which the exchange of information between the base station 104 and a specific device (i.e., UE) is reduced. For this purpose, exemplary embodiments utilize a basic period of communication between the base station 104 and the user equipment. In some exemplary embodiments, the base station 104 and the user equipment (102A, 102B, or 102C) may have a basic period of transmission defined therebetween. The basic period of transmission may be determined when the user equipment first connects to the base station in a communication session. For example, as part of the initial handshake and control signal transmission exchange, the base station and the user equipment can set the minimum scheduling period as the basic period of communication.

[0039] The minimum scheduling period can be determined based on factors such as the computing power of the user equipment and the available bandwidth of the frequency spectrum at the base station. For example, the Japanese government has allocated 200 MHz of bandwidth to service providers, enabling them to build private 5G networks in the 28.2 GHz - 28.3 GHz frequency band. Similarly, the German government has reserved 100 MHz of bandwidth at 3.7 - 3.8 GHz for private networks for industrial use. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has enabled the use of 3.5 GHz Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) for private networks.

[0040] In some exemplary embodiments, to reduce the payload associated with downlink communication of the scheduling result, base station 104 can transmit an expansion factor for the calculation of the duration of the SPS period at the user equipment, thus further reducing the overhead and latency associated with scheduling. Since any user equipment has some computing power, it may be easier for the UE to calculate the SPS period using the basic period and expansion factor of transmission.

[0041] The SPS period can consist of multiple subframes. In the developed scheduling method, the user equipment can perform uplink transmission within the SPS period using the same allocated and reserved radio resources. In this way, when a private 5G device such as user equipment 102A, 102B, or 102C has a message that needs to be transmitted, it can immediately access its allocated SPS channel and transmit data without waiting for scheduling by BS104. As a result, the latency of uplink transmission is reduced. In addition, the system processes of both the private 5G BS and the user equipment do not require complex system procedures to support frequent and instantaneous resource allocation, so they are more efficient with low operational complexity.

[0042] Figure 2 shows a system model of a private and local 5G network 20 according to some exemplary embodiments. The private and local 5G network includes a base station 204 similar to the base station 104 of FIG. 1, and a plurality of user devices 202A, 202B, and 202C wirelessly coupled to the base station 204. In some exemplary embodiments, one or more of the user devices (202A, 202B, or 202C) may be coupled to the base station 204 via its own access point. The user devices 202A, 202B, and 202C may be of the same or different types. The "type" of a user device may correspond to a class or category of devices to which the user device may belong. For example, virtual reality (VR) / augmented reality (AR), sensors, actuators, cameras, etc. Such classifications may be relevant to an enterprise.

[0043] The private and local 5G network may be implemented as part of an enterprise network or may be an access-controlled slice of a stand-alone or public 5G network. In some exemplary embodiments, the movement of each of the user devices 202A, 202B, and 202C may be localized within an area with a premise, such as within an enterprise campus. Each of the user devices may have different types of mobility, such as a human user, a vehicle, and a robot.

[0044] The user devices (202A, 202B, and 202C) connect to the private 5G BS204 and perform uplink data transmission, and the BS204 executes semi-persistent scheduling and periodically schedules each user device (or simply a user) via a downlink control channel. The private and local 5G network may have an authorized frequency band. Assuming there are M SPS channels and U users, and letting U be the set of all users,

Number

[0045] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, the private 5G network 20 can be applied to an environment where radio signals can be blocked and scattered by obstacles such as buildings, other devices, and / or other apparatuses. Therefore, some example embodiments employ Rayleigh fading to characterize small-scale fading. Therefore, the small-scale fading of user i is represented by h i . In an authorized frequency band, the private 5G network can access those radio channels exclusively without interference from other systems. To ensure reliability and avoid interference, BS204 may allocate one SPS channel to only one user device. Therefore, in some exemplary embodiments, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be used to characterize the channel state, which is given by the following formula, [Number] Also, B and N0 represent the bandwidth and noise spectral density of the SPS channel, respectively.

[0046] In some exemplary embodiments, a user's mobility may be localized or restricted to an area within a facility over a period of time. Accordingly, resource allocation and scheduling should also take into account the possible locations where a user equipment (referred to interchangeably as "user") will be during subsequent periods in order to guarantee reliability. For this purpose, BS204 receives the location information from each user and generates a mobility area report for that user. The mobility area report for a user may indicate data corresponding to the user's location. The user's location may be expressed with reference to a universal reference system, such as in a GPS-based system, or relative to another element within a network, such as an access point. The user's location information may be transmitted in a mobility area report subframe of the user's SPS period. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3A.

[0047] Figure 3A is a timing diagram showing a frame structure for semi-persistent scheduling according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram showing some steps of a semi-persistent scheduling method according to some exemplary embodiments. Details of some exemplary embodiments regarding the semi-persistent scheduling method and algorithm are described with reference to both Figure 3A and Figure 3B. The time domain can be divided into SPS periods having the same or unequal time lengths. Each SPS period can consist of a plurality of sub-frames, such as a data sub-frame for data transmission, an SPS scheduling signal transmission sub-frame for communicating SPS scheduling results, and a mobile area reporting sub-frame. At time instance t0, the user may note the availability of data transmitted via the private 5G network. For example, in a scenario similar to the scenario shown in Figure 2, user 202A, which is a robot manipulator in the factory settings, can acquire image data of an object. The robot manipulator 202A is programmed to transmit this image data of the object to a central server for further processing. Thus, the robot manipulator 202A may communicate the availability of the image data to its interface, which can trigger the communication process described in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, the controller of the user (robot manipulator 202A in the reference example of Figure 2) can transmit a radio resource allocation request 301 to the BS. The BS can perform scheduling for the user for the current period P C and the user receives a scheduling signal transmission 303 from the BS at time instance t1. The time delay ΔT1 that occurs between the instance when the data is available at the user for transmission and its actual transmission is defined as follows.

Equation

[0048] Upon receiving the scheduling signal transmission, the user may transmit data 305 on the assigned channel during its current SPS period P. C However, in the last subframe of the current SPS period P, the user's location information 307 may be transmitted to the base station. For this purpose, the user equipment may include a suitable position sensor for determining the geolocation of the user equipment. For example, the user equipment may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor. In some exemplary embodiments, the user's geolocation information may be determined from signals provided by access points to which the user may be connected. For example, any suitable positioning technique such as triangulation may be utilized. In some exemplary embodiments, the user equipment may be localized to move within an area around an access point. In such a scenario, if the area is restricted within a threshold distance from the user equipment, the geolocation information of the access point may be considered as the geolocation information of the user equipment. C The BS can utilize the user's geolocation information to evaluate its movement area in the next SPS period P. Details of the evaluation of the user's movement area will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. The BS can then perform scheduling for the next SPS period P and transmit the scheduling result 309 (304, 310) near the time instance t2 marking the end of the current SPS period P. Thus, immediately thereafter, at the time instance t3, the user may start or continue data transmission 306 in the next SPS period P. Again, in the last subframe of the next SPS period P, the user can transmit its location information (302, 308) and the process can continue. The reallocation of the scheduling result and the time delay ΔT2 incurred during the actual transmission of the data corresponding to the next SPS period P are defined as follows.

[0049] BS can utilize the user's geolocation information to evaluate its movement area in the next SPS period P. N For details on the evaluation of the user's movement area, see FIG. 4 below. The BS can then perform scheduling for the next SPS period P and transmit the scheduling result 309 (304, 310) near the time instance t2 marking the end of the current SPS period P. N Thus, immediately thereafter, at the time instance t3, the user may start or continue data transmission 306 in the next SPS period P. C Again, in the last subframe of the next SPS period P, the user can transmit its location information (302, 308) and the process can continue. N The reallocation of the scheduling result and the time delay ΔT2 incurred during the actual transmission of the data corresponding to the next SPS period P are defined as follows. N Again, in the last subframe of the next SPS period P, the user can transmit its location information (302, 308) and the process can continue. N The reallocation of the scheduling result and the time delay ΔT2 incurred during the actual transmission of the data corresponding to the next SPS period P are defined as follows.

Equation

[0050] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a model for obtaining the distance between a base station and a user equipment according to some exemplary embodiments. The coordinates (x0, y0) correspond to the position of the user and are provided by the reported geolocation information. Then, the maximum speed v of the user and the time length of the SPS period T can be obtained. For example, the maximum speed v of the user can be obtained from the analysis of geolocation information over a certain period. In some exemplary embodiments, since the user operates within a pre-set premise, there may be a constraint imposed on the maximum limit of the speed. Therefore, the upper limit of the allowable speed of the user can be considered as the value of the maximum speed v. In some exemplary embodiments, the user may operate at a pre-defined speed, and in such a case, the value of the maximum speed may be regarded as the pre-defined speed.

[0051] Since the movement of the user may be unpredictable within the SPS period, the movement area of the user may be defined using localization techniques. For example, the user can be assumed, without loss of generality, to be localized within an area defined as a circle centered at the coordinates (x0, y0) with a radius of v×T. Obviously, the movement area encompasses all possible positions of the user in the next SPS period. In some exemplary embodiments, apart from the location information, the user can also report and update their data rate requirements through a movement area reporting subframe when their data communication requirements change. For freshness, the movement area reporting subframe is located in the last subframe of each SPS period to provide the latest location information. That is, since the movement area subframe is located in the last subframe of the SPS period, it means the most recent position of the user. Therefore, the estimation of the movement area using the most recent position of the user is likely to be accurate, and thus, the scheduling performed using the accurate movement area reporting is suitable and reliable.

[0052] In some exemplary embodiments, the position of the user equipment may be provided by a positioning module within the user equipment. As described above, the user equipment may be equipped with a GPS sensor, a GLONASS sensor, an IRNSS sensor, or the like to provide the most recent position of the user. In some exemplary embodiments, in addition to, or as an alternative to, the user equipment may be equipped with other on-board / device-mounted facilities such as an accelerometer, a compass, and computer vision. In some exemplary embodiments, when GPS signals are not available, alternative methods using on-device techniques may be used to improve or fully provide the required positioning accuracy. For this purpose, suitable techniques available in the art may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Such scenarios can be found in local areas where the channel state is much more unstable and hostile, causing challenges for scheduling.

[0053] In some exemplary embodiments, the user equipment may be a "thing" in an industrial IoT setup. The "thing" may operate or move only within a specific area and perform specific operations and tasks. Some non-limiting examples of the "thing" may include robots, vehicles, machines, and sensors. Thus, a non-limiting but feasible way to collect location information without GPS may be to deploy access points (APs) / sensors in each predefined movement area. In some exemplary embodiments, the AP or sensor may be used to detect the user's signal strength. If the user's signal is detected as the strongest at a certain AP / sensor, the corresponding movement area of that AP / sensor may be regarded as the user's movement area. In some exemplary embodiments, in the case of a user who moves unpredictably and does not have a specific movement area, such as a wireless device held by a person, the user's movement area may be assumed to be very large, which is equal to the entire area covered by the base station.

[0054] After obtaining the user's location information, the BS performs signal processing and computational processing to obtain the SPS channel scheduling result for the user in the network. One example is to construct a virtual environment of the thing to build interactive monitoring and control in a dynamic wireless environment by AR and IoT devices. The base station notifies all users of the SPS channel scheduling result through the SPS scheduling signal transmission subframe, which is the first subframe of each SPS period, as described with reference to 303 in FIG. 3A and 304 in FIG. 3B. According to the SPS channel scheduling result, the users of the private network perform uplink transmission on their assigned SPS channels in the rest of the SPS period, including all data subframes and movement area reporting subframes. Thus, different from the conventional SPS, the proposed SPS takes into account user mobility prediction. In addition, the SPS scheduling of the present invention is formulated as an optimization problem and thus provides optimal scheduling.

[0055] To calculate the corresponding coverage probability, reference may be made back to FIG. 4, where the base station can be assumed to be located at the origin (0, 0) of height l, and the center of the user's movement area and any position within the SPS period can be specified via coordinates (x0, y0) and (x1, y1), respectively. The coordinates (x0, y0) may be fixed and known, for example, provided by the reported user position information. In some exemplary embodiments, (x1, y1) is unknown and can be randomly selected. X0 = (x0, y0), X1 = (x1 - x0, y1 - y0), and Y = (x1, y1) shall represent the vector from the BS to the center of the movement area, the vector from the center of the movement area to the user, and the vector from the BS to the user, respectively. The distance between the BS and the user is

Number

Number

[0056] For example, referring to FIG. 4, the base station can determine the user's movement area based on the position information obtained for the user. The centroid of the movement area may correspond to the user's position, and the distance d i between the user "i" and the base station can be defined in a suitable manner. This distance d i for each user can reflect the representation of the distance distribution of the users in the network. Since the users can be dynamic, the distance distribution can also be dynamic. In other words, the distance d iFor the mobility of the user, it can be a random variable. Using the knowledge of probability geometry, the distance distribution of the user can be obtained at 502. An example of such use of probability geometry is provided in the paper “M. Afshang, H. S. Dhillon, and P. H. Joo Chong, “Modeling and performance analysis of clustered device-to-device networks,” IEEE Trans. on Wireless Commun., vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 4957-4972, July 2016”, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing some steps of a method for semi-persistent scheduling in a wireless network according to some exemplary embodiments. After the base station obtains the user's location information as a mobile area report, according to the reported mobile area, the distance distribution represented by f between the base station and the user is calculated (502). Such a distance distribution may be calculated in a manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 and described in more detail herein with reference thereto, using probability geometry. D(d) The distance distribution may be calculated using probability geometry in a manner, for example, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 and described in more detail herein with reference thereto.

[0058]

Number

[0059] The expected value of the SNR is used to determine (i) the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to be used in the next SPS period and (ii) the corresponding coverage probability. For this purpose, any suitable method or technique known in the art may be utilized by the base station. For example, to determine the MCS, the LTE specification defines that there are 168 symbols in the SPS channel, and the SPS channel is a physical resource block (PRB) with a 180 kHz bandwidth. FIG. 6 shows an SNR-to-MCS mapping table 600 used to determine the MCS according to some exemplary embodiments. The base station can determine the MCS by referring to the SNR-MCS mapping table 600. The expected value of the SNR based on the distance distribution obtained at 504 in FIG. 5 can be compared with the SNR levels defined in table 600. Since many signals can have a very wide dynamic range, the SNR can be represented using a logarithmic decibel scale as shown at 602. In some exemplary embodiments, the SNR can simply be represented as a ratio as shown at 604. Any suitable technique known in the art may be utilized to associate the expected value of the SNR obtained at 504 with the corresponding entry of the SNR (either 602 or 604 in some cases). For example, the distance between the expected value of the SNR obtained at 504 and the SNR value provided at 602 or 604 can be determined, and the value with the minimum distance can be selected as the best match. Thus, and corresponding to the selected SNR value within table 600, the modulation scheme 606 and the coding rate 608 can be obtained from table 600. The data 610 in the symbol defined in bits can also be selected from table 600. In this way, the MCS can be determined according to the expected value of the SNR obtained at 504 (506). The SNR-to-MCS mapping table 600 can be stored in the memory within the base station or in a device accessible to the base station. In some exemplary embodiments, the SNR-to-MCS mapping table 600 may be predefined or, in some scenarios, may be updated manually or automatically dynamically according to the requirements of the network.

[0060]

Number

[0061] The coverage probability can be defined as the probability that the SNR of the received signal exceeds the threshold Γ for successful demodulation and decoding. The value of Γ determined by the SINR ratio can be predefined, for example, according to the table shown in FIG. 6. Given the distance distribution, the coverage probability can be obtained as follows,

Number

[0062]

Number

[0063] Given the selected MCS of user i, the SNR threshold Γi for successful demodulation and decoding can be obtained. Furthermore, the amount of data R i carried by the SPS channel is fixed and is dominated by the MCS of user i. Therefore, the optimization problem aimed at improving reliability and guaranteeing fairness can be formulated and solved as follows (508),

Number

[0064] The use of the expected value of the transmitted data is worthy of note in terms of reliability assurance because the user may continue to use the resources pre-allocated for data transmission within the SPS period and cannot instantaneously adjust the resource allocation according to changes in the radio environment. Scheduling not only depends on the instantaneous channel state at a certain moment, but it is better to consider the potential channel state during the SPS period.

[0065] The objective function of the optimization problem (7) is to maximize the sum of the expected values of the transmitted data of all users, which is the expected value of the data transmitted on the SPS channel

Number

Number

[0066]

Number

[0067] In the optimization problem (7), the private 5G system intends to allocate the SPS channel to users with a high expected value of transmitted data for two reasons. First, allocating the SPS channel to users with a high data expectation is beneficial for global maximization. Second, for users with a higher data expectation, under the same data requirements, fewer channels allocated to this user can meet the requirements. Therefore, more channel resources can be saved to handle other users, and more users can be handled with SPS. Obviously, through the optimization problem (7), a good trade-off is achieved among data rate, reliability, and fairness.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the elements of a base station BS (e.g., base station 204 in FIG. 2). As shown, base station 700 may include a transceiver 701 configured to provide wireless communication with a plurality of wireless terminals, a network interface 705 configured to provide communication with other base stations in the RAN, a processor 703 coupled to the transceiver and the network interface, and a memory 707 coupled to the processor. Memory 707 may include computer-readable program code that, when executed by processor 703, causes the processor to perform operations according to the embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, processor 703 may be defined to include a memory such that the memory is not provided separately. Base station 700 can at least perform the steps described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0069] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing some steps of a method for communicating between a user equipment and another device via a base station according to semi-persistent scheduling in a wireless network according to some exemplary embodiments. A user equipment, such as UE202A, may have a communication capability to perform data communication with one or more other devices within the network. A communication session occurring at the current time instance may be referred to as the current session of the user equipment, and the corresponding current session may have an associated current communication period. As described above, all communication periods may comprise one or more subframes. The user equipment and the base station may have a basic period of transmission defined therebetween as a minimum scheduling period. Such a minimum scheduling period may be established as part of an initial handshake process or during a first communication session in which the user equipment first establishes a communication session with the base station. This basic period of transmission may be stored in an accessible memory within the user equipment and / or the base station for further use.

[0070] The user equipment may transmit a request for radio resource allocation at the current period, for example, at the start of the current period (802). In some exemplary embodiments, the user equipment may also transmit location data in the last subframe of the current period to assist the base station in performing semi-persistent scheduling. The request for radio resource allocation may be triggered when the user equipment anticipates or notices the availability of data for transmission at any of its communication interfaces. Thereafter, the user equipment may utilize a suitable positioning technique to determine its location data and add it to the last subframe of the current period to reflect the most recent location of the user equipment.

[0071] Base stations such as base station 204 in FIG. 2 can receive requests for radio resource allocation and, subsequently, location data of user equipment. The base station can perform semi-persistent scheduling in the same manner as the method described above with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, and can provide the scheduling result to each user equipment together with resource allocation data. The user equipment can receive, among other things, resource allocation data including a transmission period expansion factor for one or more subsequent communication periods of the user equipment (804). The transmission period expansion factor defines an expansion of the basic period of transmission. For example, the base station can determine the MCS, channel frequency, and transmission period expansion factor for the user equipment and transmit it to the user equipment.

[0072] The user equipment can execute data transmission by using the MCS and channel frequency during a certain SPS period. However, to do so, the user equipment first needs to calculate the SPS period. For this purpose, the user equipment can calculate the SPS period as a subsequent communication period among one or more subsequent communication periods based on the transmission period expansion factor and the basic period of transmission (806). For example, since the basic period of transmission is predefined and agreed upon between the user equipment and the base station, the user equipment can fetch the basic period of transmission from the memory, multiply it by the transmission period expansion factor, and determine the SPS period as the subsequent communication period. The user equipment has access to the channel frequency provided in the resource allocation data during a time period equivalent to the calculated SPS period. After the elapse of the calculated SPS period, the user equipment can release the control of the channel frequency if the transmission of the control signal for the next period indicates so. In some exemplary embodiments, if it is shown that the user equipment should continue to access the channel frequency based on the expected value of data transmission in the subsequent period, the base station can calculate a wider expansion factor for the user equipment. For the "n" subsequent communication periods, the base station can provide an unchanged indicator to the user equipment if there is no requirement to release the channel frequency and the user equipment still has data to transmit. Finally, the user equipment executes uplink communication on the channel frequency assigned by the base station and based on the calculated SPS period (808).

[0073] In some exemplary embodiments, some user equipment may not be able to calculate the SPS period due to operational limitations such as lack of sufficient computing power or delay intolerance in time-dependent communication. In such scenarios, the base station can identify the type of device and choose to perform the calculation of the SPS period at the base station itself. That is, in some exemplary embodiments, the base station can identify whether to transmit the SPS period in the radio resource allocation data or only transmit the transmission period expansion factor together with the radio resource allocation data based on the type of device. Such hybrid capabilities can be particularly useful in scenarios where there may be a mix of different types of devices within the network. FIG. 9 shows a hybrid method for implementing semi-persistent scheduling in a wireless network according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0074] User equipment 901A and 901B can be communicatively coupled to an industrial setup control system 905 via a base station 903. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the control system 905 can receive sensor data from the user equipment 901A and 901B and execute control processing to issue control commands to the user equipment 901A and 901B. Due to one or more reasons such as operational limitations or process requirements, it may not be possible for the user equipment 901A to perform high-speed calculations. For example, the user equipment 901A can be a mobile assembly device having electromechanical components that generate high heat harmful to the performance of computing devices such as a CPU. Thus, the user equipment 901A is not equipped with any special computing capabilities and must provide most of the signal transmission to function properly. The user equipment 901A can be connected to the base station 903 via an access point (not shown), and thus the location of the user equipment 901A can be confirmed to be the location reported by the access point.

[0075] On the other hand, the user equipment 901B may be a robotic vehicle equipped with sufficient computing power. In this regard, the user equipment 901B can be regarded as including, among other things, a position sensor, a memory, and a CPU. In 902A and 902B, the user equipment 901A and 902B can each transmit a scheduling request indicator (SRI) to the base station in the current period and request radio resources for uplink transmission. For example, the SRI can be transmitted in response to the availability of sensor data at the egress interface.

[0076] Following the transmission of the SRI, the user equipment 901A and 901B can each transmit position data in the last subframe of the current period (904A, 904B). As described above, the position data is transmitted in the last subframe of the current period to provide the latest position to the base station 903. In some exemplary embodiments, each of the user equipment 901A, 901B may also transmit the type of the device to the base station 903.

[0077] The base station 903 receives the SRI and position data of a plurality of UEs (including the user equipment 901A, 901B) in the last subframe of each UE's current communication period (906). The base station 903 may also receive the type identifier of each UE. In response, the base station 903 may perform a scheduling process. For this purpose, the base station 903 can calculate the distance distribution between the BS903 and the UEs (901A, 901B, and any other UEs capable of communicating with the BS903) in a subsequent communication period based on the position data of the UEs (908). The calculation of the distance distribution can be performed by the method discussed above with reference to FIG. 4.

[0078] Next, the base station 903 calculates (910) the SNR expected values for all UEs in the subsequent communication period in the manner discussed above with reference to FIG. 5, determines the MCS (912), and can calculate the coverage probability. The base station 903 can then optimize (914) the data to be carried by the SPS channel in the subsequent communication period and obtain the scheduling results for each of the UEs. In this regard, the base station 903 can perform the optimization to obtain the scheduling results according to the type of user equipment. For example, in the case of the user equipment 901A, the base station 903 can define the SPS period as part of the scheduling result, and in the case of the user equipment 901B, the base station 903 can define the transmission period extension factor as part of the scheduling result. The base station can transmit (916) each scheduling result to the corresponding UE via the downlink control channel.

[0079] The user equipment 901A without computing capabilities receives (918) the scheduling data including the length of the SPS period and performs (920) uplink transmission according to the scheduling data. On the other hand, the user equipment 901B receives (922) the resource allocation data including the transmission period extension factor in a manner similar to the method described with reference to FIG. 8. Thereafter, the user equipment 901B calculates (924) the SPS period as the subsequent communication period based on the transmission period extension factor and the basic period of transmission, and performs (926) uplink transmission accordingly.

[0080] Thus, the exemplary embodiment provides a significant improvement in the overall scheduling process by performing the scheduling process according to the type of user equipment to be served. This helps to delegate some of the processing load to the user equipment, thereby ensuring that the base station can respond to time-dependent scenarios. Further, the user equipment can receive the resource allocation data almost by the time the data becomes available for transmission. This significantly improves the performance of the user equipment in time-dependent scenarios.

[0081] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example implementation of a user device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user device 1000 can execute the steps described with reference to FIG. 8 and at least some of the steps shown in FIG. 9. The user device 1000 may include a controller 1011 including a processor 1040, a computer-readable memory 1012, a storage 1058, and a user interface 1049 having a display 1052 and a keyboard 1051, which are connected via a bus 1056. For example, the user interface 1049 that communicates with the processor 1040 and the computer-readable memory 1012 acquires data and stores it in the computer-readable memory 1012 when receiving an input from the surface of the user interface 1057 or the keyboard surface by the user.

[0082] The memory 1012 is contemplated to be able to store instructions executable by the processor, historical data, and any data that can be utilized by the methods and systems of the present disclosure. The processor 1040 can be a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, a computing cluster, or any number of other configurations. The processor 1040 can be connected to one or more input and output devices via the bus 1056. The memory 1012 can include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, or any other suitable memory system.

[0083] Referring further to FIG. 10, the storage device 1058 can be adapted to store supplementary data and / or software modules used by the processor. For example, the storage device 1058 can store historical data and other related data as described above with respect to the present disclosure. Additionally, or alternatively, the storage device 1058 can store historical data similar to the data as mentioned above with respect to the present disclosure. The storage device 1058 can include a hard drive, an optical drive, a thumb drive, an array of drives, or any combination thereof.

[0084] The system can be linked via bus 1056, optionally, to a display interface (not shown) adapted to connect the system to a display device (not shown), which can include, among other things, a computer monitor, a camera, a television, a projector, or a mobile device.

[0085] Controller 1011 can include a power supply 1054, which, depending on the application, can optionally be located external to controller 1011. Linkable through bus 1056 can be a user input interface 1057 adapted to connect to a display device 1048, which can include, among other things, a computer monitor, a camera, a television, a projector, or a mobile device. A printer interface 1059 can also be connected through bus 1056 and can be adapted to connect to a printing device 1032, which can include, among other things, an inkjet printer, a solid ink printer, a large-scale commercial printer, a thermal printer, a UV printer, or a sublimation dye printer. A network interface controller (NIC) 1054 is adapted to connect to network 1036 through bus 1056, and data or other data can be rendered, among other things, on a third-party display device, a third-party imaging device, and / or a third-party printing device outside of controller 1011. Further, bus 1056 can be connected to a global positioning system (GPS) device 1001 or a similar related type of device.

[0086] Referring further to FIG. 10, data or other data can be transmitted, inter alia, via the communication channels of network 1036 and / or stored within storage system 1058 for storage and / or further processing. Further, data or other data may be received wirelessly or wired from receiver 1046 (or external receiver 1038), or transmitted wirelessly or wired via transmitter 1047 (or external transmitter 1039), and both receiver 1046 and transmitter 1047 are connected via bus 1056. Controller 1011 may be connected to external routing hardware device 1044 and external input / output device 1041 via input interface 1008. Controller 1042 may be connected to external control system 1072 and routing hardware device 1044. Routing hardware device 1044 can have incoming data from router 1073 and network communication device 1044. Here, routing hardware device 1044 can have outgoing data to router 1074 and network communication device 1075. Also, external memory device 1006 can be connected to external sensor 1004 and machine 1002, and the memory device can be connected to bus 1056. Output interface 1009 can be used to output processed data from processor 1040 via bus 1056.

[0087] The foregoing embodiments of the present invention can be realized in any of a number of ways. For example, the embodiments can be realized using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. When realized in software, the software code can be executed on any suitable processor or set of processors, whether provided on a single computer or distributed among multiple computers. Such processors can be realized as an integrated circuit with one or more processors in an integrated circuit component. However, the processor may be realized using any suitable form of circuitry.

[0088] Moreover, the various methods or processes outlined herein may be encoded as software executable on one or more processors using any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of several suitable programming languages and / or programming or scripting tools, and may also be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code to be executed on a framework or virtual machine. Typically, the functionality of program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

[0089] Also, embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a method for which examples are provided. The acts performed as part of the method can be ordered in any suitable manner. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which some acts shown as consecutive acts in the exemplary embodiments are performed simultaneously, including embodiments in which acts are performed in a different order than that shown by way of example.

[0090] Although the present invention has been described by way of examples of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that various other adaptations and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the purpose of the appended claims is to cover all such variations and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for communication between a communication device and a base station in a private 5G network, wherein the communication device and the base station have a basic transmission period defined as a minimum scheduling period therebetween, the method comprising: transmitting location data of the communication device in a last subframe of a current communication period of the communication device; receiving resource allocation data including a transmission period expansion factor for one or more subsequent communication periods of the communication device, the transmission period expansion factor defining an expansion of the basic transmission period, the method further comprising: calculating a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) period as a subsequent communication period among the one or more subsequent communication periods based on the transmission period expansion factor and the basic transmission period; performing uplink communication in the one or more subsequent periods based on the resource allocation data and the SPS period.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a request for radio resource allocation in the current communication period.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising delaying an update of the request for resource allocation until the SPS period has elapsed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resource allocation data further includes a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the communication device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission period expansion factor is obtained by solving an optimization problem that optimizes an expected value of data to be carried by one or more SPS channels in the subsequent communication period of the communication device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a device identifier of the communication device, wherein the device identifier is used to determine resource allocation data for the communication device. **Claim 7** The subsequent communication period is defined by a frame structure including control signal transmission in one or more first subframes and subsequent data frames and position data in the last subframe, and the transmission period expansion factor is received as part of the control signal transmission. The method according to claim 5. **Claim 8** The resource allocation data is received by the communication device through a first subframe of the subsequent communication period of the communication device, and the uplink communication is performed in all subframes of the subsequent communication period of the communication device except the last subframe of the remaining subframes. The method according to claim 7. **Claim 9** The communication device is for an industrial Internet-based setup. The method according to claim 1. **Claim 10** A communication device for communicating with a base station within a private 5G network, wherein the communication device and the base station have a basic transmission period defined as a minimum scheduling period between them, and the communication device includes a circuit, and the circuit transmits position data of the communication device in the last subframe of the current communication period of the communication device, is configured to receive resource allocation data including a transmission period expansion factor for one or more subsequent communication periods of the communication device, the transmission period expansion factor defining an expansion of the basic transmission period, and the circuit further calculates a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) period as a subsequent communication period among the one or more subsequent communication periods based on the transmission period expansion factor and the basic transmission period. A communication device configured to perform uplink communication in the one or more subsequent periods based on the resource allocation data and the SPS period.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the circuit is further configured to transmit a request for radio resource allocation in the current communication period.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the circuit is further configured to delay updating the request for resource allocation until the SPS period has elapsed.

13. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the resource allocation data further includes a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the communication device.

14. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the transmission period expansion factor is obtained by solving an optimization problem that optimizes an expected value of data to be carried by one or more SPS channels in the subsequent communication period of the communication device.

15. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the circuit is further configured to transmit a device identifier of the communication device, and the device identifier is used to determine resource allocation data for the communication device.

16. The subsequent communication period is defined by a frame structure including control signal transmission in one or more first subframes and subsequent data frames and position data in the last subframe, and the transmission period expansion factor is received as part of the control signal transmission. The communication device according to claim 14.

17. The circuit is configured to receive the resource allocation data through a first subframe of the subsequent communication period of the communication device, and the uplink communication is performed in all of the remaining subframes of the subframes of the subsequent communication period of the communication device except for the last subframe, the communication device according to claim 16.

18. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the communication device is in an industrial Internet-based setup.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a communication device, cause the communication device to execute a method for communicating with a base station within a private 5G network, wherein the communication device and the base station have a basic transmission period defined as a minimum scheduling period therebetween, the method comprising: Transmitting location data of the communication device in a last subframe of the current communication period of the communication device; Receiving resource allocation data including a transmission period extension factor for one or more subsequent communication periods of the communication device, the transmission period extension factor defining an extension of the basic transmission period, and the method further comprising: Calculating a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) period as a subsequent communication period among the one or more subsequent communication periods based on the transmission period extension factor and the basic transmission period; Performing uplink communication in the one or more subsequent periods based on the resource allocation data and the SPS period.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the method further comprises transmitting a request for radio resource allocation in the current communication period.

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