Terminal device, network device, and communication method

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for communication. A terminal device receives a first configuration for a set of UL resources from a network device, and determines a time window for the set of UL resources. The time window is associated with a DRX cycle. UL resources of the set of UL resources within the time window are used for UL transmission, and UL resources of the set of UL resources outside the time window are disabled for transmission. The uplink transmission includes at least one of a scheduling request, a buffer status report, or a configured allowed uplink transmission. In this way, the UL resource may be determined based on the time window associated with the DRX cycle, and UL triggered DRX can be realized. This can facilitate alignment between DL transmission and UL transmission and improve power saving.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to communication methods, apparatus, and computer storage media for alignment between downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions. [Background technology]

[0002] For services with periodic packets, especially for extended reality (XR) services such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and cloud gaming, power saving is an important topic. For DL ​​transmission, discontinuous reception (DRX) operation is adopted to save power. The terminal device is active only during the on-time interval of the DRX cycle. For UL transmission, scheduling request (SR) and buffer status reporting (BSR) are the key procedures to initiate UL transmission. Compared with misalignment between DL and UL, alignment between DL and UL is more beneficial in shortening the UE's awake time and correspondingly reducing the terminal device's power consumption.

[0003] Typically, packets for services such as XR services arrive at the radio access network (RAN) every 1 frames per second (FPS). Due to various factors, arrivals tend to occur within a jitter range. The impact of jitter has been identified as an important aspect for such services. However, the alignment between DL and UL transmissions, taking into account the impact of jitter, is still incomplete and awaits further research. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for alignment between DL and UL transmissions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first aspect, there is provided a method of communication, the method comprising: receiving, in a terminal device, from a network device, a first configuration for a set of uplink resources; and determining a time window associated with the set of uplink resources, the time window being associated with a DRX cycle, uplink resources of the set of uplink resources within the time window being used for uplink transmissions and uplink resources of the set of uplink resources outside the time window being disabled for transmissions, the uplink transmissions comprising at least one of an SR, a BSR, or a configured allowed UL transmission.

[0006] In a second aspect, there is provided a method of communication, the method including: in a network device, transmitting to a terminal device a first configuration for a set of uplink resources; and determining a time window associated with the set of uplink resources, the time window being associated with a DRX cycle, uplink resources of the set of uplink resources within the time window being used for uplink transmission and uplink resources of the set of uplink resources outside the time window being disabled for transmission, the uplink transmission including at least one of an SR, a BSR, or a configured allowed UL transmission.

[0007] In a third aspect, there is provided a communications apparatus, the apparatus comprising a processor configured to perform a method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, there is provided an apparatus for communications, said apparatus comprising a processor configured to perform a method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided having stored thereon instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0011] Other features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings.

[0013] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication network in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0014] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary operations within a DRX cycle.

[0015] [Figure 1C] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example operation of an on-time interval within a DRX cycle with WUS detection.

[0016] [Figure 2A]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of misalignment between DL and UL transmissions.

[0017] [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of alignment between DL and UL transmissions.

[0018] [Figure 2C] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of UL resources taking into account the effects of jitter;

[0019] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary determination of a time window, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary determination of a time window, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example start of an on-interval timer, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of yet another communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary start of an on-interval timer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of yet another communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication method implemented in a terminal device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] [Figure 11] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary communication method implemented in a network device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] In the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways different from those described below.

[0032] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0033] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, vehicle-mounted devices for V2X communications where X stands for pedestrian, vehicle, or infrastructure / network, devices for integrated access and integrated access and backhaul (IAB), satellite- or airborne vehicles in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) including High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) which encompass satellites and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), extended reality (XR) devices including different types of reality such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are aircraft without a human pilot and are commonly referred to as drones. This includes, but is not limited to, devices onboard vehicles, high-speed trains (HSTs), image capture devices such as digital cameras, sensor gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, or internet appliances that enable wireless or wired internet access and browsing. A "terminal device" may also have "multicast / broadcast" capabilities to support public safety and mission-critical V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast distribution, IPTV, smart TV, wireless services, over-the-air software distribution, group communication, and IoT applications. It may also incorporate one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), known as multi-SIMs.The term "terminal equipment" may be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0034] The term "network device" refers to a device that can provide or host a cell or coverage area within which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, a Node B (Node B or NB), an evolved Node B (eNode B or eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), a transmit / receive point (TRP), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), an IAB node, a femto node, a pico node, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), and other low-power nodes.

[0035] The terminal device or network device may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities, which generally include a model trained from a large amount of data collected for a specific function and can be used to predict some information.

[0036] The terminal device or network device may operate over several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz), frequency bands greater than 100 GHz, and Terahertz (THz). It can also operate over licensed, unlicensed, and shared spectrum. The terminal device may have two or more connections with the network device under a Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) application scenario. The terminal device or network device can operate in full duplex, flexible duplex, and cross-division duplex modes.

[0037] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in test equipment, such as, for example, a signal generator, a signal analyzer, a spectrum analyzer, a network analyzer, a test terminal device, a test network device, a channel emulator, and the like.

[0038] In one embodiment, a terminal device can connect to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first network device and the second network device may be a master node and the other a secondary node. The first network device and the second network device may use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device, and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to the different RATs may be transmitted to the terminal device from at least one of the first network device and the second network device. In one embodiment, the first information may be transmitted from the first network device to the terminal device, and the second information may be transmitted from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, information related to the terminal device configuration configured by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device via the first network device. The information regarding the reconfiguration of the terminal device configured by the second network device may be transmitted to the terminal device directly from the second network device or via the first network device.

[0039] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "said" include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "comprises" and variations thereof should be understood as open-ended terms meaning "including, but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on." The terms "one embodiment" and "embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment." The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment." Terms such as "first," "second," etc. may refer to different or the same object. The following may include other explicit and implicit definitions.

[0040] In some instances, values, procedures, or devices are referred to as "best," "lowest," "highest," "minimum," "maximum," etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to illustrate that choices may be made from among many functional alternatives used, and that such choices are not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or otherwise more preferred than other choices.

[0041] In the context of this application, the term "symbol" refers to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol or a discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol. The term "slot" includes multiple consecutive symbols, for example, 14 symbols or 12 symbols. The term "minislot" includes one or more consecutive symbols and has fewer symbols than a slot, for example, 1, 2, 4, or 7 symbols. In the context of this application, the term "DRX cycle" may refer to a long DRX cycle, a short DRX cycle, or both.

[0042] As mentioned above, the impact of jitter is identified as an important aspect for services such as XR services. Due to the impact of jitter in the UL and the strict packet delay budget (PDB) requirements, dense uplink resources in the time domain are beneficial to provide transmission opportunities as soon as possible after a packet arrives. However, for power saving purposes, sparse uplink resources and alignment with DL transmissions are required to avoid frequent wake-ups for UL transmissions such as SR or BSR. It is clear that the two requirements on the density of uplink resources are contradictory and should be resolved.

[0043] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution to solve the above and other potential problems. In this solution, a time window is defined for UL resource determination. The configured UL resources within the time window are used for UL transmission, and the configured UL resources outside the time window are invalid for transmission. In other words, dense UL resources are configured within the time window, and valid UL resources are not configured outside the time window. The uplink transmission includes at least one of a scheduling request, a buffer status report, or a configured granted uplink transmission. Furthermore, the time window is associated with a DRX cycle. In some embodiments, the time window may be repeated periodically, with each time window occurring before or after the UL traffic packet arrival time, and the length of the time window may be equal to or similar to the jitter range. In some embodiments, the time window may overlap or partially overlap with the on-time interval of the DRX cycle to further save power consumption.

[0044] According to the solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, dense UL resources may be configured around the UL packet arrival time, so that the UL packet can be transmitted as soon as possible. Furthermore, since there are no available UL resources outside the time window, the terminal device may continue to sleep, which is beneficial for power saving. Additionally, since the UL transmission may be aligned with the on-time interval of the DRX cycle (i.e., the DRX active time), the terminal device may only be woken up once for both DL and UL transmissions, which is beneficial for power saving.

[0045] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to any suitable scenario. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented for XR. Alternatively, embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented within one of reduced capability NR devices, NR multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), NR sidelink enhancements, NR systems at frequencies higher than 52.6 GHz, enhanced NR operation up to 71 GHz, Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IOT) / enhanced Machine Type Communications (eMTC) over Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), NTN, UE power saving enhancements, NR coverage enhancements, NB-IOT and LTE-MTC, integrated access and backhaul (IAB), NR multicast and broadcast services, or multi-radio dual connectivity enhancements.

[0046] The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Communication Network Example

[0047] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary communication network 100A in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. As shown in FIG. 1A, communication network 100A may include terminal device 110 and network device 120. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may be served by network device 120. It should be understood that the number of terminal devices and network devices in FIG. 1 is provided for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitations on the present disclosure. Communication network 100A may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] 1A, terminal device 110 may communicate with network device 120 via a channel, such as a wireless communication channel. Communications in communication network 100A may conform to any suitable standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in accordance with any generation of communication protocols now known or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced networks, or sixth generation (6G) networks.

[0049] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may transmit a DRX cycle configuration to the terminal device 110. In this case, the terminal device 110 may perform downlink channel monitoring based on the DRX cycle configuration. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram 100B illustrating exemplary operations within a DRX cycle. As shown in FIG. 1B, the DRX cycle 130 includes an active time 131 (i.e., an on-time interval) and an inactive time 132 (i.e., an opportunity for DRX). The terminal device 110 performs downlink channel monitoring, e.g., physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring, only during the active time 131. The inactive time may refer to a time other than the active time.

[0050] The DRX timeline may depend mainly on the following parameters: - drx-onDurationTimer: Time interval at the start of a DRX cycle, - drx-SlotOffset: delay before starting drx-onDurationTimer, - drx-InactivityTimer: the time interval after a PDCCH opportunity in which the PDCCH indicates a new uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) transmission for the Medium Access Control (MAC) entity; drx-LongCycleStartOffset: drx-StartOffset defining the subframe in which the long DRX cycle and the short DRX cycle start, - drx-ShortCycle(optional): Short DRX cycle, - drx-ShortCycleTimer (optional): the time interval during which the terminal device should follow the short DRX cycle, - ps-Wakeup (optional): Setting to start the associated drx-onDurationTimer if a DCP is monitored but not detected. DCP refers to a DCI with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a power saving-radio network temporary identifier (PS-RNTI).

[0051] In some scenarios, the network device may transmit a wake-up signal (WUS) detection configuration to the terminal device. As an example, the WUS is a DCP. In some embodiments, the WUS detection configuration may include an offset (e.g., ps-Offset) from the start time of the on time interval and a time interval for WUS detection. Thus, a WUS window is configured. One or more WUS opportunities may be configured within the WUS window, and each WUS opportunity may occupy one or more OFDM symbols. Then, the terminal device may perform WUS detection within each WUS opportunity based on the WUS detection configuration and start the on time interval of the DRX cycle when a WUS is detected. FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram 100C illustrating an example operation of an on time interval within a DRX cycle with WUS detection.

[0052] 1C , based on the DRX cycle configuration, the terminal device may determine the start time of on time interval 141, and based on the WUS detection configuration, the terminal device may start WUS detection at a time that is earlier than the start time of on time interval 141 by offset 151. If WUS 131 is detected and WUS 131 indicates to start on time interval 141 (i.e., WUS 131 is a positive WUS), the terminal device may start on time interval 141 (e.g., start drx-onDurationTimer) at the start time of on time interval 141.

[0053] Similarly, based on the DRX cycle configuration, the terminal device may determine the start time of on time interval 142, and based on the WUS detection configuration, the terminal device may start WUS detection at a time earlier than the start time of on time interval 142 by offset 152. If WUS 132 is detected and WUS 132 indicates not to start on time interval 142 (e.g., not to start drx-onDurationTimer), the terminal device may continue to sleep.

[0054] In some scenarios, a BSR may be triggered when UL data becomes available for a logical channel, in other words, when an UL packet arrives in the terminal device's buffer. The BSR may be transmitted on a dynamically scheduled physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or a configured grant PUSCH. The SR may be triggered by the BSR and is used to request UL scheduling for the transmission of the BSR and pending data. The SR may be transmitted on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). The configured grant may be configured to transmit a BSR for XR, which is beneficial for reducing delay since the SR procedure is skipped.

[0055] In some scenarios, UL transmissions may be misaligned with the active time of the terminal device, i.e., UL transmissions may be misaligned with the on-time interval of the DRX cycle. Figure 2A is a schematic diagram 200A illustrating an example scenario of misalignment between DL and UL transmissions. As shown in Figure 2A, the on-time interval 201 of the DRX cycle is not aligned in the time domain with the UL transmission on the UL resource 202. In this case, the terminal device must wake up twice: once for DL ​​reception (e.g., PDCCH monitoring or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) reception) and once for UL transmission, which may result in increased power consumption.

[0056] 2B is a schematic diagram 200B illustrating an exemplary scenario of alignment between DL and UL transmissions. As shown in FIG. 2B, the on-time interval 201 of a DRX cycle is aligned in the time domain with UL transmissions on UL resources 202. In this case, the terminal device needs to wake up only once for DL ​​channel monitoring and UL transmission, which may lead to reduced power consumption. Therefore, alignment between DL and UL transmissions is expected. For power saving purposes, alignment with sparse uplink resources and DL transmissions is required to avoid frequent wake-ups for UL transmissions.

[0057] FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram 200C illustrating an example configuration of UL resources taking into account the effects of jitter. Assume that the period between arrival times is 16.67 ms on average. It should be understood that this period may take any other suitable value. As shown in FIG. 2C, packet 211 may arrive at the end of jitter range 231, and packet 212 may arrive at the beginning of jitter range 232. Due to the effects of jitter in the UL and strict PDB requirements, it may be expected that dense UL resources in the time domain will be configured, which may be beneficial to provide transmission opportunities as soon as possible after the packets arrive. In this case, packet 211 may be transmitted on UL resource 221 within a short time after packet 211 arrives, and packet 212 may be transmitted on UL resource 222 within a short time after packet 212 arrives.

[0058] It can be seen that the requirement for dense uplink resources due to jitter effects and strict PDB requirements conflicts with the requirement for sparse uplink resources due to power saving and alignment with DL transmissions.

[0059] In view of the above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for alignment between DL and UL transmissions to overcome these and other potential problems. This solution achieves alignment between DL and UL transmissions while transmitting UL packets as soon as possible after the UL packets arrive. This solution is described below with reference to Figures 3-9. UL resource determination implementation example

[0060] In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for UL resource determination, some example embodiments of UL resource determination are described with reference to FIG.

[0061] 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication process 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the process 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 300 may involve a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0062] 3, network device 120 transmits (310) to terminal device 110 a configuration for a set of UL resources (for convenience, also referred to herein as a first configuration). The set of UL resources refers to at least one UL resource. In some embodiments, the first configuration may include at least one of a periodicity or an offset for the set of UL resources. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the first configuration.

[0063] In some embodiments, the set of UL resources may be configured for SR transmission. In some embodiments, the set of UL resources may be configured for configured grant transmission. In some embodiments, the set of UL resources may be configured for BSR transmission. It should be understood that the set of UL resources may also be configured for any other UL transmission.

[0064] The terminal device 110 determines a time window for the set of UL resources (320). This time window is associated with a DRX cycle. UL resources within the time window of the set of UL resources are used for UL transmission, and UL resources outside the time window of the set of UL resources are disabled for transmission. In this way, alignment between DL transmission and UL transmission can be achieved with reduced power consumption. For illustrative purposes, several exemplary embodiments for determining the time window will be described in connection with embodiments 1 and 2. Embodiment 1

[0065] In this embodiment, the time window is set by the network device 120 .

[0066] 3, network device 120 may send 321 a configuration (also referred to herein as a second configuration for convenience) indicating this time window to terminal device 110. In some embodiments, this second configuration may include at least one of a time interval, a period, or an offset for this time window.

[0067] In some embodiments, the period of this time window may be the same as the period of the DRX cycle. In some embodiments, both the period of this time window and the period of the DRX cycle may be related to the period of the traffic. For example, both the period of the time window and the period of the DRX cycle may be related to the FPS (frames per second) of the video stream. For example, for 60 FPS video stream traffic, both the period of the DRX cycle and the period of the time window may be equal to 1 / 60 seconds, or approximately 16.67 milliseconds.

[0068] In some embodiments, the time duration of the time window may be expressed in milliseconds, or in number of slots or subframes. In some embodiments, the period of the time window may be expressed in integer or non-integer number of milliseconds, slots, or subframes. In some embodiments, the offset of the time window may be expressed in integer number of milliseconds, slots, subframes, or OFDM symbols.

[0069] Upon receiving the second configuration, terminal device 110 may determine the time window based on the second configuration (322). In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine a time instance (also referred to herein as a first time instance for convenience) based on the reference time, the period, and the time window index. In some embodiments, the reference time may be preconfigured for terminal device 110 by network device 120. For example, the reference time may be a system frame number (SFN), a subframe number, or a slot number. In some embodiments, the reference time may be predefined. For example, the reference time may be predefined to be 0.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first time instance may be determined based on the following equation (1): D = T0 + n*T1 (1) where D represents the first time instance, T0 represents the reference time, T1 represents the period of the time window, n represents the index of the time window, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first time instance may be determined based on equation (2) below: D = T0 + ceil (n*T1) (2) where D represents the first time instance, T0 represents the reference time, T1 represents the period of the time window, n represents the index of the time window, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first time instance may be determined based on equation (3) below: D = T0 + floor (n*T1) (3) where D represents the first time instance, T0 represents the reference time, T1 represents the period of the time window, n represents the index of the time window, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first time instance may be determined based on equation (4) or (5) below. D = (T0 + n*T1) mod 1024 (4) D = (T0 + n*T1) mod 10240 (5) where D represents the first time instance, T0 represents the reference time, T1 represents the period of the time window, n represents the index of the time window, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first time instance may be determined based on equation (6) or (7) below. D = [T0 + ceil (n*T1)] mod 1024 (6) D = [T0 + ceil (n*T1)] mod 10240 (7) where D represents the first time instance, T0 represents the reference time, T1 represents the period of the time window, n represents the index of the time window, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first time instance may be determined based on equation (8) or (9) below. D = [T0 + floor (n*T1)] mod 1024 (8) D = [T0 + floor (n*T1)] mod 10240 (9) where D represents the first time instance, T0 represents the reference time, T1 represents the period of the time window, n represents the index of the time window, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0076] It should be understood that equations (1)-(9) are only examples and that any other suitable method for determining the first time instance is also possible.

[0077] Once the first time instance is determined, terminal device 110 may determine another time instance (also referred to herein as a second time instance for convenience) based on the first time instance. In some embodiments, the second time instance may be equal to the first time instance. In some embodiments, the second time instance may be a starting slot or symbol (i.e., the first slot or symbol) after the first time instance. In some embodiments, the second time instance may be a starting slot or symbol (i.e., the first slot or symbol) after the first time instance that includes a UL resource from the set of UL resources.

[0078] Once the second time instance is determined, terminal device 110 may determine a start time of the time window based on the second time instance and the offset of the time window. For example, the time window may start after the offset from the second time instance. It should be understood that this is just one example and that the start time of the time window may be determined in any other suitable manner.

[0079] In some embodiments, the time window offset may be adaptively modified by Layer 1 (L1) instructions. In some embodiments, the time window offset may be modified based on the SFN. For example, if the SFN changes from 1023 to 0, the time window offset may be adjusted by adding an adjustment value to the time window offset. The adjustment value may be designed to maintain periodicity when the SFN period ends. In some embodiments, the adjustment value may be set by the network device 120. In some embodiments, the adjustment value may be calculated by the terminal device 110.

[0080] Terminal device 110 may then determine the time window based on the start time and time interval of the time window. Figure 4A is a schematic diagram 400A illustrating an example determination of the time window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Assume that the period between arrival times is 16.67 ms on average. It should be understood that this period may take any other suitable value.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 4A , packet 401 may arrive at the end of jitter range 431, and packet 402 may arrive at the beginning of jitter range 432. Based on the time window configuration from network device 120, terminal device 110 may determine periodically repeating time windows 411 and 412. UL resources within time windows 411 and 412 are valid for UL transmission, and UL resources outside time windows 411 and 412 are invalid for UL transmission. Time windows 411 and 412 are associated with a DRX cycle. In this case, packet 401 may be transmitted on UL resource 421 within time window 411 within a short time after packet 401 arrives, and packet 402 may be transmitted on UL resource 222 within time window 412 within a short time after packet 402 arrives. It should be understood that FIG. 4A is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0082] In this way, UL resources may be determined based on a configured time window associated with a DRX cycle, which can facilitate alignment between DL and UL transmissions and improve power savings. Embodiment 2

[0083] In this embodiment, the time window is determined by the terminal device 110 .

[0084] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, terminal device 110 may determine the start time of a time window based on the configuration of the DRX cycle (323). In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine the start time of the time window based on the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle and an offset value (also referred to herein as a first offset value for convenience) configured for terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the first offset value may be a positive value. In this case, terminal device 110 may consider the UL resource to be valid after a timing of the first offset value that is earlier than the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle. In some embodiments, the first offset value may be a negative value. In this case, terminal device 110 may consider the UL resource to be valid after a timing of the absolute value of the first offset value that is later than the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle.

[0085] Terminal device 110 may then determine the end time of this time window (324). In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine the end time of the time window based on the time interval of the time window configured for terminal device 110. In other words, network device 120 may directly configure the time interval of the time window for terminal device 110.

[0086] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine the end time of the time window based on another offset value (for convenience, also referred to herein as a second offset value) configured for terminal device 110 and the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle. For example, the time window may end at the timing of the second offset value before the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle. As another example, the time window may end at the timing of the second offset value after the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle.

[0087] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine the end time of the time window based on a second offset value configured for terminal device 110 and the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle. For example, the time window may end at the timing of the second offset value before the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle. As another example, the time window may end at the timing of the second offset value after the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle.

[0088] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the end time of the time window based on the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle. For example, the time window may end when the on time interval timer expires. As another example, the time window may end when the on time interval timer is stopped.

[0089] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine the end time of the time window based on the time when terminal device 110 enters the inactive time. For example, the time window may end when both the on-time interval timer and the inactivity timer expire. As another example, the time window may end when both the on-time interval timer and the inactivity timer are stopped.

[0090] Terminal device 110 may then determine the time window based on the start and end times of the time window. Figure 4B is a diagram 400B illustrating an example determination of the time window, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Assume that the period between arrival times is 16.67 ms on average. It should be understood that this period may take any other suitable value.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 4B , packet 441 may arrive at the end of jitter range 481, and packet 442 may arrive at the start of jitter range 482. Based on the start time of on time interval 461 of the DRX cycle and offset value T3 (i.e., the first offset value), terminal device 110 may determine the start time of time window 451. Assume that the second offset value is set by network device 120. In this example, terminal device 110 may determine the end time of time window 451 at the timing of the second offset value that is later than the start time of on time interval 461. Based on the start time of on time interval 462 of another DRX cycle and offset value T3 (i.e., the first offset value), terminal device 110 may determine the start time of time window 452. In this example, terminal device 110 may determine the end time of time window 452 at the timing of the second offset value that is later than the start time of on time interval 462.

[0092] As shown in Figure 4B, UL resources within time windows 451 and 452 are valid for UL transmission, and UL resources outside time windows 451 and 452 are invalid for UL transmission. Time windows 451 and 452 are associated with DRX cycles. In this case, packet 441 may be transmitted on UL resources 471 within time window 451 within a short time after packet 441 arrives, and packet 442 may be transmitted on UL resources 472 within time window 452 within a short time after packet 442 arrives. It should be understood that Figure 4B is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0093] In this embodiment, for DRX configuration, a set of UL resources may be associated with each DRX cycle. The set of UL resources may occur within a time window, which occurs before and after the UL traffic packet arrival time, and the length of the time window may be equal to or similar to the jitter range. Dense UL resources may be configured within the time window, and no UL resources are available outside the time window. For better DL and UL alignment, the time window may start before the start time of the ON time interval and end before the end time of the ON time interval.

[0094] In this way, it is possible to determine UL resources based on a time window determined from the start and end of the DRX cycle, which can facilitate alignment between DL and UL transmissions and also improve power savings.

[0095] So far, the determination 320 of the time window by the terminal device 110 has been described in relation to embodiments 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 3, the network device 120 may also determine the time window (325). The procedure for determination 325 is similar to the procedure for determination 320, and therefore will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity. Example of realization of ON time interval operation

[0096] In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for on-time interval operation. In the context of the present disclosure, on-time interval operation may include starting an on-time interval timer and monitoring DL transmissions. In other words, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wake-up mechanism based on UL transmissions (also referred to herein as UL-triggered DRX).

[0097] In this solution, a set of UL resources may be configured to be associated with a DRX cycle (also referred to herein as an associated DRX cycle). Therefore, whether to start an on time interval timer may be determined based on whether UL transmission has been performed for an UL resource in the set of UL resources. Furthermore, a method for performing DL monitoring may be determined based on the UL transmission and WUS detection. Some exemplary embodiments of the on time interval operation will be described in relation to embodiment 3 and embodiment 5. Embodiment 3

[0098] In this embodiment, the on-time interval operation is triggered only by UL transmissions, as will be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

[0099] 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating another communication process 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the process 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 500 may involve the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0100] 5, terminal device 110 may perform UL transmission to network device 120 (510). For example, terminal device 110 may transmit an SR or a BSR to network device 120 on UL resources within a time window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] In response to performing the UL transmission, the terminal device 110 may start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (511). In some embodiments in which the UL resources are determined as described in embodiment 1, all UL resources within the time window are associated with the next DRX cycle for the time window. In this case, the associated DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle for the time window. In some embodiments in which the UL resources are determined as described in embodiment 2, all UL resources within the time window are set based on the timing of a particular DRX cycle (i.e., the current DRX cycle for the time window). In this case, the associated DRX cycle is the current DRX cycle for the time window.

[0102] In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 does not perform an UL transmission on an UL resource within a time window, terminal device 110 may not start 512 on-interval timer 512 for the associated DRX cycle.

[0103] Continuing with reference to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine whether an UL transmission was performed on an UL resource within the time window at a time interval that is less than a threshold time interval before the start time of an on time interval of a DRX cycle (513). In other words, terminal device 110 may determine whether an UL transmission was performed after or before a threshold time interval before the start time of an on time interval. In some embodiments, the threshold time interval may be preset. In some embodiments, the threshold time interval may be predefined. For example, the threshold time interval may be 4 milliseconds. It should be understood that the threshold time interval may take any other suitable value.

[0104] In some embodiments, if a UL transmission is performed before a threshold time interval before the start time of the on time interval, the terminal device 110 may start the on time interval timer. In some embodiments, if a UL transmission is performed after a threshold time interval before the start time of the on time interval, the terminal device 110 may not start the on time interval timer (514). In some embodiments, if a UL transmission is performed after a threshold time interval before the start time of the on time interval, the terminal device 110 may start the on time interval timer based on a time offset configured for the terminal device 110 and the end of the UL transmission (515). For example, the terminal device 110 may start the on time interval timer after a time offset from the end of the UL transmission. In other words, the terminal device 110 may start the on time interval timer at a time instance later than the original start time of the on time interval. In this case, the start time of the on time interval depends on the UL transmission.

[0105] 6 is a schematic diagram 600 illustrating an example start of an on-time interval timer, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Assume that the period of arrival times is 16.67 ms on average. It should be understood that this period may take any other suitable value.

[0106] As shown in Figure 6, packet 601 may reach the end of jitter range 631. In this example, packet 601 may transmit UL transmissions within the time window on resource 621. In response to transmitting packet 601, terminal device 110 may start an on-interval timer for on-interval 611 of the DRX cycle. Similar operations apply to the next jitter range 632 and the next on-interval 612. It should be understood that Figure 6 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0107] 5, upon receiving the UL transmission, network device 120 performs operations (516) similar to those described in connection with 511-515, the details of which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0108] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may also set a WUS monitoring window for the terminal device 110. As shown in FIG. 5, the network device 120 may transmit a WUS to the terminal device 110 (520). Thus, the terminal device 110 may monitor for a WUS (i.e., WUS detection). In some embodiments, if an UL transmission is performed, the terminal device 110 may start an on-time interval timer and stop monitoring for a WUS (521). In other words, an UL transmission has a higher priority than a WUS priority. If an UL transmission is performed, the terminal device 110 may ignore whether a WUS is detected and what part of the WUS is detected.

[0109] In some embodiments, the UL transmission may be associated with a search space set group (SSSG) (also referred to herein as a first SSSG for convenience), and the WUS may be associated with another SSSG (also referred to herein as a second SSSG for convenience). In some embodiments in which the on time interval timer is triggered only by the UL transmission, the network device 120 may perform a DL transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on the first SSSG (522). Thus, the terminal device 110 may perform DL monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on the first SSSG (523).

[0110] In some embodiments, the first SSSG may not include a downlink control information (DCI) format for DL ​​scheduling (e.g., DCI format 1-0, 1-1, or 1-2). In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling, the terminal device 110 may not perform DL monitoring on the DCI format for DL ​​scheduling in the first SSSG.

[0111] Thus, an on time interval operation triggered by UL transmissions only has been described. Embodiment 4

[0112] In this embodiment, the on-time interval operation is jointly triggered by the UL transmission and the WUS, as will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 7 and 8.

[0113] 7 is a schematic diagram of yet another communication process 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the process 700 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 700 may involve the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0114] 7, terminal device 110 may perform UL transmission to network device 120 (710). For example, terminal device 110 may transmit an SR or a BSR to network device 120 on UL resources within a time window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] In some embodiments, network device 120 may transmit a WUS to terminal device 110 (710′). In some embodiments, the WUS may indicate to start an on time interval of a DRX cycle, i.e., to start an on time interval timer. In this case, the WUS is a positive WUS and has a first value. A positive WUS may also be interpreted as a positive acknowledgment for the UL transmission performed by terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the WUS may indicate not to start an on time interval of a DRX cycle, i.e., not to start an on time interval timer. In this case, the WUS is a negative WUS and has a second value different from the first value. A negative WUS may also be interpreted as a negative acknowledgment for the UL transmission performed by terminal device 110. Of course, network device 120 may also not transmit a WUS to terminal device 110.

[0116] In response to performing the UL transmission, terminal device 110 may determine whether the WUS was received by terminal device 110 (711). 1. WUS not received

[0117] In some embodiments, if a WUS is not received, terminal device 110 may not start an on-interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (712) (also referred to herein as a first operation for convenience). In some alternative embodiments, if a WUS is not received, terminal device 110 may start an on-interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (712') (also referred to herein as a second operation for convenience).

[0118] In some embodiments, network device 120 may send 713 to terminal device 110 an indication indicating the first operation or the second operation. For example, this indication may be received from RRC signaling from network device 120. Of course, any other suitable method is also possible. Based on this indication, terminal device 110 may perform the first operation or the second operation accordingly, i.e., may or may not start the on-time interval timer.

[0119] Similar to what is described in embodiment 3, the associated DRX cycle may be the next DRX cycle for the time window when the UL resource for the UL transmission is determined as described in embodiment 1, or may be the current DRX cycle for the time window when the UL resource for the UL transmission is determined as described in embodiment 2. Other detailed descriptions of the associated DRX cycle will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0120] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram 800 illustrating another example start of an on time interval timer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Assume that the period of arrival times is 16.67 ms on average. It should be understood that this period may take any other suitable value. As shown in FIG. 8, packet 801 may arrive at the end of jitter range 841. In this example, packet 801 may transmit a UL transmission within the time window on resource 821. If terminal device 110 does not receive a WUS at WUS opportunity 831 in response to transmitting packet 801, terminal device 110 may not start the on time interval timer for on time interval 811 of the DRX cycle. It should be understood that FIG. 8 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0121] 7, upon receiving the UL transmission, network device 120 may perform operations 714 similar to those described in connection with 711, 712, and 712′, the details of which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0122] Similar to the content described in embodiment 3, the UL transmission may be associated with a first SSSG, and the WUS may be associated with a second SSSG. In some embodiments in which the on time interval timer is triggered by the UL transmission without receiving a WUS, the network device 120 may perform a DL transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on the first SSSG (720). Thus, the terminal device 110 may perform DL monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on the first SSSG (721).

[0123] In some embodiments, the first SSSG may not include a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling (e.g., DCI format 1-0, 1-1, or 1-2). In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling, the terminal device 110 may not perform DL monitoring on the DCI format for DL ​​scheduling in the first SSSG. 2. WUS is received

[0124] In some embodiments, if a positive WUS is received, terminal device 110 may start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (730). Accordingly, if a positive WUS is transmitted, network device 120 may start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (731).

[0125] In some embodiments, if a negative WUS is received, terminal device 110 may not start an on-interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (730'). Thus, when a negative WUS is transmitted, network device 120 may also not start an on-interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (731').

[0126] 8, if terminal device 110 receives a positive WUS at WUS opportunity 831 in response to transmitting packet 801, then terminal device 110 may start an on time interval timer for on time interval 811 of the DRX cycle. If terminal device 110 receives a negative WUS at WUS opportunity 831, then terminal device 110 may not start an on time interval timer for on time interval 811 of the DRX cycle. It should be understood that FIG. 8 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0127] In some embodiments, in which the on time interval timer is jointly triggered by an UL transmission and a positive WUS, the network device 120 may perform a DL transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on both the first SSSG and the second SSSG (740). In some embodiments, the first SSSG may not include a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling (e.g., DCI format 1-0, 1-1, or 1-2). In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling, the network device 120 may not perform a DL transmission on a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling in the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the second SSSG may not include a DCI format for UL scheduling (e.g., DCI format 0-0, 0-1, or 0-2). In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for UL scheduling, the network device 120 may not perform a DL transmission on a DCI format for UL scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0128] In some alternative embodiments, the terminal device 120 may perform DL transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a predetermined SSSG, for example, a default SSSG (740'). In some embodiments, the predetermined SSSG may be the union of the first SSSG and the second SSSG. Of course, the predetermined SSSG may be different from the first SSSG and the second SSSG.

[0129] Thus, in some embodiments in which the on time interval timer is jointly triggered by an UL transmission and a positive WUS, terminal device 110 may perform DL monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on both the first SSSG and the second SSSG (741). In some embodiments, the first SSSG may not include a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling (e.g., DCI format 1-0, 1-1, or 1-2). In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for DL ​​scheduling, terminal device 110 may not perform DL monitoring on the DCI format for DL ​​scheduling in the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the second SSSG may not include a DCI format for UL scheduling (e.g., DCI format 0-0, 0-1, or 0-2). In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for UL scheduling, terminal device 110 may not perform DL monitoring on the DCI format for UL scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0130] In some alternative embodiments, the terminal device 110 may perform DL monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on the predetermined SSSG (741').

[0131] Thus, an on time interval operation triggered by both UL transmission and WUS has been described. Embodiment 5

[0132] In this embodiment, the on-time interval operation is triggered only by the WUS, as will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0133] 9 is a schematic diagram of yet another communication process 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the process 900 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 900 may involve the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 9 , network device 120 may transmit a WUS to terminal device 110 (910). In some embodiments, the WUS may indicate to start an on time interval of a DRX cycle, i.e., to start an on time interval timer. In this case, the WUS is a positive WUS and has a first value. A positive WUS may also be interpreted as a positive acknowledgment for the UL transmission performed by terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the WUS may indicate not to start an on time interval of a DRX cycle, i.e., not to start an on time interval timer. In this case, the WUS is a negative WUS and has a second value different from the first value. A negative WUS may also be interpreted as a negative acknowledgment for the UL transmission performed by terminal device 110.

[0135] Terminal device 110 may determine whether no UL transmission occurs on the UL resource within the time window and a positive WUS is received 911. If no UL transmission occurs on the UL resource within the time window and a positive WUS is received, terminal device 110 may start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle 912. In some embodiments, if no UL transmission occurs on the UL resource within the time window and a negative WUS is received, terminal device 110 may not start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle.

[0136] Accordingly, network device 120 may determine whether no UL transmission was received on the UL resource within the time window and a positive WUS was transmitted (913). If no UL transmission was received on the UL resource within the time window and a positive WUS was transmitted, network device 120 may start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle (914). In some embodiments, if no UL transmission was received on the UL resource within the time window and a negative WUS was transmitted, network device 120 may not start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle.

[0137] Continuing to refer to FIG. 8 , because no packets arrive within jitter range 842, no UL transmissions are performed on any UL resources within the time window. In this case, if terminal device 110 receives a positive WUS at WUS opportunity 832, terminal device 110 may start an on time interval timer for on time interval 812 of the DRX cycle. If terminal device 110 receives a negative WUS at WUS opportunity 832, terminal device 110 may not start an on time interval timer for on time interval 812 of the DRX cycle. It should be understood that FIG. 8 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0138] In some embodiments, in which the on time interval timer is triggered only by the WUS, the network device 120 may perform DL transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a second SSSG associated with the WUS (920). In some embodiments, the second SSSG may not include a DCI format for UL scheduling (e.g., DCI format 0-0, 0-1, or 0-2). In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for UL scheduling, the network device 120 may not perform DL transmission on the DCI format for UL scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0139] Thus, in some embodiments in which the on time interval timer is triggered only by the WUS, terminal device 110 may perform DL monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on the second SSSG (921). In some embodiments, the second SSSG may not include a DCI format for UL scheduling (e.g., DCI format 0-0, 0-1, or 0-2). In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for UL scheduling, terminal device 110 may not perform DL monitoring on the DCI format for UL scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0140] Thus, an ON time interval operation triggered by WUS only has been described.

[0141] It can be seen that, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, UL-triggered DRX can be realized. For some applications, DL transmission may be triggered by UL transmission. For example, for some VR applications, after pause or control information is transmitted in the UL, the application server may transmit video frames in the DL based on the pause or control information. Therefore, UL-triggered DRX may be beneficial for this type of application. Furthermore, for traffic with strict requirements on the UL PDB and large UL packet sizes, UL-triggered DRX may be beneficial to satisfy the PDB requirements. Additionally, if DL traffic and UL traffic are well aligned, for example, by an application function (AF), DL WUS may be skipped, so UL-triggered DRX may be beneficial for power saving and overhead or complexity reduction. Example of the method

[0142] Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure provide communication methods implemented in a terminal device and a network device, which are described below with reference to Figures 10-11.

[0143] 10 illustrates an exemplary communication method 1000 implemented in a terminal device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1000 may be performed in terminal device 110 as shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 1000 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 1000 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0144] At block 1010 , terminal device 110 receives from network device 120 a first configuration for a set of uplink resources.

[0145] In block 1020, the terminal device 110 determines a time window associated with the set of uplink resources, the time window being associated with a DRX cycle, uplink resources of the set of uplink resources within the time window being used for uplink transmission, and uplink resources of the set of uplink resources outside the time window being disabled for transmission. In some embodiments, the uplink transmission may include at least one of an SR, a BSR, or a configured allowed UL transmission.

[0146] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive a second configuration from network device 120 indicating the time window and determine the time window based on the second configuration. In some embodiments, the second configuration may include at least one of a time interval, a period, or an offset of the time window. In some embodiments, the period of the time window may be the same as the period of the DRX cycle.

[0147] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a first time instance based on a reference time, the period, and an index of the time window, determine a second time instance based on the first time instance, determine a start time of the time window based on the second time instance and the offset, and determine the time window based on the start time and the time interval.

[0148] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the start time of the time window based on the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle and a first offset value set for the terminal device, and may determine the end time of the time window based on at least one of the time interval of the time window set for the terminal device, a second offset value set for the terminal device and the start time or end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, or the time when the terminal device enters an inactive time.

[0149] In some embodiments, if an uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window, the terminal device 110 may start an on-time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may stop monitoring for a wake-up signal.

[0150] In some embodiments, if the UL transmission is performed on the UL resources within the time window at a time interval that is earlier than the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle by a time interval that is shorter than a threshold time interval, the terminal device 110 may not start an on time interval timer for the DRX cycle, or may start an on time interval timer based on the end of the uplink transmission and a time offset configured for the terminal device.

[0151] In these embodiments, the terminal device 110 may perform monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first SSSG associated with the uplink transmission. In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling, the terminal device 110 may not perform monitoring on the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG.

[0152] In some embodiments, if the uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal is not received, the terminal device 110 may perform one of a first operation of not starting an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle or a second operation of starting an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive an indication from the network device 120 indicating the first operation or the second operation.

[0153] In these embodiments, the terminal device 110 may perform monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first SSSG associated with the uplink transmission. In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling, the terminal device 110 may not perform monitoring on the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG.

[0154] In some embodiments, if an uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a first value is received, terminal device 110 may start an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, if an uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a second value is received, terminal device 110 may not start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, the first value indicates starting the on time interval timer or acknowledging the uplink transmission, and the second value indicates not starting the on time interval timer or not acknowledging the uplink transmission.

[0155] In these embodiments, terminal device 110 may perform monitoring within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first search space set group associated with the uplink transmission and a second search space set group associated with the wake-up signal, or may perform monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a predetermined search space set group. In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling, terminal device 110 may not perform monitoring on the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling, terminal device 110 may not perform monitoring on the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0156] In some embodiments, if no uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resources within the time window and a wake-up signal indicating starting an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle is received, terminal device 110 may start the on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle. In these embodiments, terminal device 110 may perform monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a second search space set group associated with the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling, terminal device 110 may not perform monitoring on the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0157] In some embodiments, the associated DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle or the current DRX cycle for that time window.

[0158] The method of Figure 10 may determine UL resources based on a time window associated with a DRX cycle, enabling UL-triggered DRX, which may facilitate alignment between DL and UL transmissions and improve power savings.

[0159] 11 illustrates an exemplary communication method 1100 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1100 may be performed in network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 1100 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 1100 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks that are shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0160] At block 1110, network device 120 sends to terminal device 110 a first configuration for a set of uplink resources.

[0161] In block 1120, the network device 120 determines a time window associated with the set of uplink resources, the time window being associated with a DRX cycle, wherein uplink resources of the set of uplink resources within the time window are used for uplink transmission and uplink resources of the set of uplink resources outside the time window are disabled for transmission. In some embodiments, the uplink transmission may include at least one of an SR, a BSR, or a configured allowed UL transmission.

[0162] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may transmit a second configuration indicating the time window to the terminal device 110, and determine the time window based on the second configuration. In some embodiments, the second configuration may include at least one of a time interval, a period, or an offset of the time window. In some embodiments, the period of the time window may be the same as the period of the DRX cycle.

[0163] In some embodiments, network device 120 may determine a first time instance based on a reference time, the period, and an index of the time window, determine a second time instance based on the first time instance, determine a start time of the time window based on the second time instance and the offset, and determine the time window based on the start time and the time interval.

[0164] In some embodiments, network device 120 may determine the start time of the time window based on the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle and a first offset value set for the terminal device, and may determine the end time of the time window based on at least one of the time interval of the time window set for the terminal device, a second offset value set for the terminal device and the start time or end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, or the time when the terminal device enters an inactive time.

[0165] In some embodiments, if an uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window, the network device 120 may start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle.

[0166] In some embodiments, if the UL transmission is performed on the UL resources within the time window at a time interval that is earlier than the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle by a time interval that is shorter than a threshold time interval, the network device 120 may not start an on time interval timer for the DRX cycle, or may start an on time interval timer based on the end of the uplink transmission and a time offset configured for the terminal device.

[0167] In some embodiments, if the uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resources within the time window and a wake-up signal is not received by the terminal device, network device 120 may perform one of a first operation of not starting an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle or a second operation of starting an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, network device 120 may send an indication to terminal device 110 indicating the first operation or the second operation.

[0168] In these embodiments, network device 120 may perform downlink transmission within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first SSSG associated with the uplink transmission. In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling, network device 120 may not perform transmission of the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG.

[0169] In some embodiments, if an uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a first value is sent, network device 120 may start an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, if an uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a second value is sent, network device 120 may not start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, the first value indicates starting the on time interval timer or an acknowledgment of the uplink transmission, and the second value indicates not starting the on time interval timer or a negative acknowledgment of the uplink transmission.

[0170] In these embodiments, network device 120 may perform a downlink transmission within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first search space set group associated with the uplink transmission and a second search space set group associated with the wake-up signal. In some alternative embodiments, network device 120 may perform a downlink transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a predetermined search space set group.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a downlink control information (DCI) format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling, transmission of the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG is not performed. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling, transmission of the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG is not performed.

[0172] In some embodiments, if no uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal indicating starting an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle is sent, network device 120 may start the on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle.

[0173] In these embodiments, network device 120 may perform downlink transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a second SSSG associated with the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, if the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling, network device 120 does not perform transmission of the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0174] In some embodiments, the associated DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle or the current DRX cycle for that time window.

[0175] The method of Figure 11 may determine UL resources based on a time window associated with a DRX cycle, enabling UL-triggered DRX, which may facilitate alignment between DL and UL transmissions and improve power savings. Device and equipment implementation examples

[0176] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 1200 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus 1200 may be considered another exemplary implementation of the terminal device 110 or the network device 120 shown in Figure 1. Accordingly, the apparatus 1200 may be implemented in, or as at least a part of, the terminal device 110 or the network device 120.

[0177] As shown, the apparatus 1200 comprises a processor 1210, a memory 1220 coupled to the processor 1210, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 1240 coupled to the processor 1210, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 1240. The memory 1210 stores at least a portion of a program 1230. The TX / RX 1240 is used for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 1240 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although the access nodes referred to herein may in practice have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, an S1 / NG interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and an eNB / gNB, an Un interface for communication between an eNB / gNB and a relay node (RN), or a Uu interface for communication between an eNB / gNB and a terminal device.

[0178] The program 1230 is assumed to include program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 1210, enable the device 1200 to operate according to embodiments of the present disclosure, as described herein with reference to Figures 1-11. The embodiments herein may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 1210 of the device 1200, by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The processor 1210 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the combination of the processor 1210 and the memory 1220 may form a processing means 1250 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0179] Memory 1220 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, including, by way of non-limiting example, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. While only one memory 1220 is shown in device 1200, several physically distinct memory modules may be present within device 1200. Processor 1210 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 1200 may have multiple processors, for example, application-specific integrated circuit chips time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0180] In some embodiments, a terminal device comprises circuitry configured to receive from a network device a first configuration for a set of uplink resources; and determine a time window associated with the set of uplink resources, the time window being associated with a DRX cycle, uplink resources of the set of uplink resources within the time window being used for uplink transmissions, uplink resources of the set of uplink resources outside the time window being disabled for transmissions, the uplink transmissions including at least one of an SR, a BSR, or a configured allowed UL transmission.

[0181] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the time window by receiving a second setting from the network device indicating the time window, and determining the time window based on the second setting. In some embodiments, the second setting includes at least one of a time interval, a period, or an offset of the time window. In some embodiments, the period of the time window is the same as a period of a DRX cycle.

[0182] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the time window by determining a first time instance based on a reference time, the period, and an index of the time window; determining a second time instance based on the first time instance; determining a start time of the time window based on the second time instance and the offset; and determining the time window based on the start time and the time interval.

[0183] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a start time of the time window based on a start time of an on time interval of the DRX cycle and a first offset value set for the terminal device, and determining an end time of the time window based on at least one of the time interval of the time window set for the terminal device, a second offset value set for the terminal device and the start time or end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, or the time when the terminal device enters an inactive time.

[0184] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to: start an on-time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle according to determining that an uplink transmission has been performed on the uplink resource within the time window. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to stop monitoring for a wake-up signal.

[0185] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to either not start an on time interval timer for the DRX cycle in accordance with a determination that the UL transmission was performed on the UL resource within the time window at a time interval that is earlier than the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle by a time interval that is shorter than a threshold time interval, or to start an on time interval timer based on the end of the uplink transmission and a time offset configured for the terminal device.

[0186] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform one of a first operation of not starting an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle or a second operation of starting an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle in accordance with a determination that the uplink transmission was performed on the uplink resource within the time window and that a wake-up signal was not received. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to receive an indication from the network device indicating the first operation or the second operation.

[0187] In these embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform monitoring within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first SSSG associated with the uplink transmission. In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to perform the monitoring pursuant to a determination that the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling by not performing monitoring on the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG.

[0188] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to start an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle in accordance with determining that the uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a first value is received, or to not start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle in accordance with determining that the uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a second value is received. In some embodiments, the first value indicates starting the on time interval timer or an acknowledgment of the uplink transmission, and the second value indicates not starting the on time interval timer or a negative acknowledgment of the uplink transmission.

[0189] In these embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform monitoring within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first SSSG associated with the uplink transmission and a second SSSG associated with the wake-up signal, or may be configured to perform the monitoring within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a predetermined search space set group.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to perform the monitoring pursuant to a determination that the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling by not performing monitoring on the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to perform the monitoring pursuant to a determination that the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling by not performing monitoring on the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0191] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to, in accordance with a determination that no uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resources within the time window and a wake-up signal indicating starting an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle is received, start the on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform monitoring within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a second search space set group (SSSG) associated with the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured, in accordance with a determination that the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling, to perform the monitoring by not performing monitoring on the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG.

[0192] In some embodiments, the associated DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle or the current DRX cycle for that time window.

[0193] In some embodiments, the network device comprises circuitry configured to send to a terminal device a first configuration for a set of uplink resources and to determine a time window associated with the set of uplink resources, the time window being associated with a DRX cycle, uplink resources of the set of uplink resources within the time window being used for uplink transmissions and uplink resources of the set of uplink resources outside the time window being disabled for transmissions, the uplink transmissions including at least one of an SR, a BSR, or a configured allowed UL transmission.

[0194] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the time window by transmitting a second configuration to the terminal device indicating the time window, and determining the time window based on the second configuration. In some embodiments, the second configuration includes at least one of a time interval, a period, or an offset of the time window. In some embodiments, the period of the time window may be the same as a period of a DRX cycle.

[0195] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the time window by determining a first time instance based on a reference time, the period, and an index of the time window; determining a second time instance based on the first time instance; determining a start time of the time window based on the second time instance and the offset; and determining the time window based on the start time and the time interval.

[0196] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a start time of the time window based on a start time of an on time interval of the DRX cycle and a first offset value set for the terminal device, and determining an end time of the time window based on at least one of the time interval of the time window set for the terminal device, a second offset value set for the terminal device and the start time or end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, the end time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle, or the time when the terminal device enters an inactive time.

[0197] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to, upon determining that an uplink transmission has been performed on the uplink resource within the time window, start an on-time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle.

[0198] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to either not start an on time interval timer for the DRX cycle in accordance with a determination that the UL transmission was performed on the UL resource within the time window at a time interval that is earlier than the start time of the on time interval of the DRX cycle by a time interval that is shorter than a threshold time interval, or to start an on time interval timer based on the end of the uplink transmission and a time offset configured for the terminal device.

[0199] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform one of a first operation of not starting an on-time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle or a second operation of starting an on-time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle according to a determination that the uplink transmission was performed on the uplink resource within the time window and that a wake-up signal was not received by the terminal device. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to send an indication to the terminal device indicating the first operation or the second operation.

[0200] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform a downlink transmission within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first SSSG associated with the uplink transmission. In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform the downlink transmission by not performing transmission of the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG in accordance with determining that the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling.

[0201] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to start an on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle in accordance with determining that an uplink transmission has been performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a first value has been sent, or to not start an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle in accordance with determining that an uplink transmission has been performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal having a second value. In some embodiments, the first value indicates starting the on time interval timer or an acknowledgment of the uplink transmission, and the second value indicates not starting the on time interval timer or a negative acknowledgment of the uplink transmission.

[0202] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform a downlink transmission within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a first search space set group associated with the uplink transmission and a second search space set group associated with the wake-up signal, or to perform a downlink transmission within the on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a predetermined search space set group.

[0203] In some embodiments, the first SSSG does not include a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to perform the downlink transmission by not performing transmission of the DCI format for downlink scheduling in the first SSSG in accordance with a determination that the first SSSG includes a DCI format for downlink scheduling. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to perform the downlink transmission by not performing transmission of the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG in accordance with a determination that the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling.

[0204] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to start the on time interval timer for an associated DRX cycle according to a determination that no uplink transmission is performed on the uplink resource within the time window and a wake-up signal indicating starting an on time interval timer for the associated DRX cycle has been transmitted.

[0205] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to perform a downlink transmission within an on time interval of the DRX cycle based on a second SSSG associated with the wake-up signal. In some embodiments, the second SSSG does not include a DCI format for uplink scheduling. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to perform the downlink transmission by not performing transmission of the DCI format for uplink scheduling in the second SSSG in accordance with determining that the second SSSG includes a DCI format for uplink scheduling.

[0206] In some embodiments, the associated DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle or the current DRX cycle for that time window.

[0207] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a hardware circuit and / or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. For example, a circuit may be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware. As yet another example, a circuit may be any portion of a hardware processor with software, including a digital signal processor, software, and one or more memories, that cooperate to cause a device, such as a terminal device or a network device, to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit may be a hardware circuit and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or portion thereof, that requires software / firmware for operation, although the software may not be present if not necessary for operation. As used herein, the term "circuitry" also includes an implementation of a hardware circuit or one or more processors only, or a hardware circuit or portion of one or more processors and its / their accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0208] Overall, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. While various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other pictorial representations, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented, by way of non-limiting example, in hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or any combination thereof.

[0209] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules, that execute within a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the processes or methods described above with reference to FIGS. 1-11. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed within local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0210] Program code for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, and when executed by the processor or controller, cause the program code to implement the functions / acts specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a separate software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0211] The above-described program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program used by or associated with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the aforementioned media. More specific examples of a machine-readable storage medium may include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0212] It should be noted that, although operations have been described in a particular order, it should not be understood that performing such operations in the particular order shown, or in any sequential order, or performing all of the operations described, is required to achieve desirable results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Some features that are described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0213] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure, as defined in the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A method for receiving, from a network device, first configuration information indicating a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle and second configuration information for a duration, the duration including a period during which an on-duration timer is active, and the on-duration of the DRX cycle and the duration overlap at least in part; means for transmitting an uplink transmission within said time duration, said uplink transmission comprising at least one of a scheduling request and a configured grant transmission. Terminal device.

2. The on-duration timer is set by higher layer signaling. The terminal device according to claim 1 .

3. the second setting information indicating at least one of a period and an offset of the duration; 3. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Further comprising means for controlling not to transmit the uplink transmission outside the duration. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A means for transmitting first setting information indicating a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle and second setting information for a duration to a terminal device, the duration including a period during which an on-duration timer is running, and the on-duration of the DRX cycle and the duration overlap at least in part; means for receiving, within said time duration, an uplink transmission comprising at least one of a scheduling request and a configured grant transmission; Network equipment.

6. The on-duration timer is set by higher layer signaling. The network device according to claim 5 .

7. the second setting information indicating at least one of a period and an offset of the duration; 7. The network device according to claim 5 or 6.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the uplink transmission is controlled not to be transmitted outside the duration. The network device according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. A communication method executed by a terminal device, comprising: receiving, from a network device, first configuration information indicating a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle and second configuration information for a duration, the duration including a period during which an on-duration timer is running, and the on-duration of the DRX cycle and the duration overlap at least in part; transmitting an uplink transmission within the duration, the uplink transmission including at least one of a scheduling request and a configured grant transmission. method.

10. The on-duration timer is set by higher layer signaling.

10. The method of claim 9.

11. the second setting information indicating at least one of a period and an offset of the duration; 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10.

12. Further comprising controlling not to transmit the uplink transmission outside the duration.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11.

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