Report trigger

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

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

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

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for reporting triggers.

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

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

[0007] In a third embodiment, a network device is provided. The network device comprises at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code. The at least one memory and computer program code are configured such that at least one processor determines that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for terminal equipment, the reporting setting determines that reporting is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal equipment for at least one logical channel, configures the terminal equipment to trigger reporting after receiving an uplink grant from the network device, and sends configuration information to the terminal equipment indicating that the reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel.

[0008] In a fourth embodiment, a network device is provided. The network device comprises at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code. The at least one memory and computer program code are configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the network device to determine that a reporting setting is applied to a mode switch of a terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors a PDCCH; the reporting setting determines that a report is triggered after the terminal device has switched from the first mode to the second mode; configures the terminal device to trigger a report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device; and transmits configuration information to the terminal device indicating that the reporting setting is applied to the mode switch of the terminal device.

[0009] A fifth aspect provides a method to be implemented in a terminal device. This method includes determining to trigger a report when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, and triggering a report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device.

[0010] A sixth aspect provides a method to be implemented in a terminal device. This method includes determining that a report should be triggered after the terminal device switches from a first mode in which it does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which it monitors the PDCCH, and triggering a report after receiving an uplink grant from a network device.

[0011] A seventh aspect provides a method implemented in a network device. This method includes the steps of determining that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting being determined to trigger reporting when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel, and configuring the terminal device to trigger reporting after receiving an uplink grant from a network device, and sending configuration information to the terminal device indicating that the reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel.

[0012] An eighth aspect provides a method implemented by a network device. This method comprises the steps of: determining that a reporting setting should be applied to a mode switch of a terminal device from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors a PDCCH; determining that the reporting setting should trigger reporting after the terminal device has switched from the first mode to the second mode, and configuring the terminal device to trigger reporting after receiving an uplink grant from a network device; and sending configuration information to the terminal device indicating that the reporting setting should be applied to the mode switch of the terminal device.

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

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

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

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

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon is provided. When the instructions are executed on at least one processor, they cause at least one processor to perform a method according to any of the fifth to eighth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] Please understand that this abstract is not intended to identify any significant or essential features of the embodiments of the Disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the Disclosure. Other features of the Disclosure will be readily apparent through the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] Next, some exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary network environment in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another process for communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an example of a communication method implemented by a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another exemplary communication method implemented by a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows an example of a communication method implemented by a network device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows another exemplary communication method implemented by a network device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a block diagram of an exemplary computer-readable medium in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

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

[0021] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

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

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

[0024] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "including" identify the presence of the described features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0025] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more, or all of the following: (a) Hardware-only circuit implementation (such as implementation of analog and / or digital circuits only) (b) Combination of hardware circuitry and software (if applicable) (i) combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware. (ii) A part of a hardware processor comprising software (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory (one or more), which works together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or a server to perform various functions. (c) Hardware circuits and processors that require software (such as firmware) to operate, such as microprocessors or parts of microprocessors, but may not have software when it is not needed for operation.

[0026] This definition of circuit applies to all use of the term in this application, including in all claims. As a further example, in the use of this embodiment, the term circuit also includes not only a hardware circuit or processor (or more processors) or a part of a hardware circuit or processor and the accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term circuit also includes, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a portable device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network equipment, or other computing or network equipment, where applicable to the elements of a particular claim.

[0027] As used herein, the term “communication network” refers to a network conforming to any appropriate communication standard, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA®), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communication between terminal equipment and network equipment in a communication network may be performed according to any appropriate generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G Advanced Network, or sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will of course be future communication technologies and systems to which this disclosure can be embodied. The scope of this disclosure should not be considered to be limited to the aforementioned systems only.

[0028] As used herein, the term “network equipment” refers to a node in a communications network from which terminal devices access and receive services. Network equipment may also refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (NodeB, or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB, or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), remote radio units (RRU), radio headers (RH), remote radio heads (RRH), relays, femto, pico, and other low-power nodes, depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0029] As used herein, the term “terminal equipment” refers to any terminal equipment capable of wireless communication. For the purposes of this specification, terminal equipment may also be referred to as communication equipment, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture devices such as digital cameras, game consoles, and music storage and playback devices, as well as in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables such as watches, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices, and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, and devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks. In the following description, the terms “terminal devices,” “communication devices,” “terminals,” “user devices,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0030] As described above, reports, including MAC CE reporting information, can be triggered to provide network equipment with terminal status information to help network equipment make scheduling decisions. For example, a Buffer Status Report (BSR) can be triggered to inform network equipment of the amount of data in the buffer of a terminal device that should be transmitted. A Power Headroom Report (PHR) may be triggered to inform network equipment of the power headroom of each activated serving cell, which may be the difference between the terminal device's maximum allowable transmit power and the currently evaluated uplink transmit power. Thus, network equipment can perform power control and resource scheduling of terminal devices based on the terminal status information from BSRs and / or PHRs.

[0031] The reporting trigger conditions for MAC CE reporting information are crucial for enabling network devices to make correct scheduling decisions. For example, in some scenarios, especially for services with large bitrate fluctuations, providing reports for each data burst helps network devices make correct scheduling decisions. For instance, a periodic BSR may be triggered when UL data for a logical channel belonging to a Logical Channel Group (LCG) becomes available to a MAC entity, and this UL data belongs to a logical channel with a higher priority than any logical channel containing available UL data belonging to any LCG, or when none of the logical channels belonging to an LCG contain available UL data. In the case of periodic BSRs, it is impossible to provide a BSR for every data burst because, unless all UL grants are precisely allocated and aligned with the frame rate, all delays in resource granting are converted into uncompensable BSR delays. Therefore, there is currently no efficient mechanism to provide a BSR for each defined data burst. Furthermore, configuration grants are not an attractive solution for services with large bitrate fluctuations, such as XR services.

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

[0033] For services with large bitrate fluctuations, a new solution is needed to provide reports that include terminal status information. Furthermore, in scenarios where energy conservation is necessary, it may be necessary to enhance the mechanism for providing reports to network equipment so that network equipment can make correct scheduling decisions.

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

[0035] Figure 1 shows an exemplary network environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Environment 100, which is part of a communication network, includes terminal equipment 110 and network equipment 120. It should be understood that the number of devices in Figure 1 is shown for illustrative purposes only and without implying any limitations of the present disclosure. The communication network 100 may include any appropriate number of network equipment and / or terminal equipment that is suitable for an implementation of the present disclosure.

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

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

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

[0039] In some embodiments, terminal equipment 110 can transmit (222) a report 224 regarding uplink resources scheduled by the received uplink grant 216 to network equipment 120. Network equipment 120 can receive (226) the report 224 and make a scheduling decision for terminal equipment based on the report 224. In this way, it is possible to facilitate the network equipment making the correct scheduling decision.

[0040] In some embodiments, after sending report 224 to network device 120 (222), terminal device 110 may decide not to trigger the report (228). This may be independent of the provision of configured uplink grants. Reports may be provided for each data burst, regardless of the burst periodicity and regardless of any periodic reporting timer settings.

[0041] In some embodiments, the report may include at least one of PHR, BSR, and other arbitrary MAC CE reports. In this way, terminal status information requested by network devices can be provided for each data burst. Furthermore, in embodiments where the report includes a BSR, it is not necessary to trigger a scheduling request when a resource is unavailable.

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

[0043] In some alternative embodiments, the network device 120 may determine that the reporting setting applies to one or more logical channels associated with a QoS flow indicator (QFI), a range of QFIs, or a set of QFIs. One or more QFIs may be mapped to a single DRB / LCH. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine that the reporting setting applies to one or more logical channels associated with a set of QFIs. At least one logical channel belongs to one or more logical channels associated with the set of QFIs. The configuration information 206 may consist of a set of QFIs indicating that the reporting setting applies to one or more logical channels associated with the set of QFIs. In this way, when the configured QFI(s) are remapped from one LCH to another via reflection mapping, reporting triggers can be guaranteed for all data bursts in the buffer of at least one logical channel remapped to the configured QFI(s). In other words, since the reporting trigger conditions follow the configured QFIs, RRC reconfiguration is not required.

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

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

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

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

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

[0049] For example, if there is fresh data awaiting transmission in the LCH buffer, terminal equipment may trigger a BSR upon receiving a UL grant. As used herein, the term “fresh data” refers to new data that has previously arrived in an empty buffer. If new data arrives in a buffer that already contains data awaiting transmission, the new data is not considered fresh data. The logical channel flag “BurstBSR” may initially be set to 0. When data arrives in an empty buffer of at least one logical channel, or after such arrival, the flag “BurstBSR” of at least one logical channel may be set to 1. Upon receiving a UL grant, terminal equipment may trigger a normal BSR based on BurstBSR=1 and then set BurstBSR to 0 after sending the BSR to the network equipment. It should be understood that reporting indicators are not limited to flags and may be any explicit or implicit indicators. In this way, a BSR can be provided for all data bursts, regardless of the burst period and regardless of the periodic BSR timer setting. Thus, the proposed reporting trigger mechanism is independent of whether other logical channels are buffering data and the priority of other logical channels that are buffering data.

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

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

[0052] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating another process 300 for communication according to embodiments of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, process 300 will be described with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, process 300 may include terminal equipment 110 and network equipment 120. The same reference numerals are used to indicate steps or components shown in Figure 3 that have the same operation as steps or components shown in Figure 2, and their detailed description is omitted. Process 300 may further include additional blocks not shown, and / or some illustrated blocks may be omitted, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0053] As shown in Figure 3, the network device 120 determines that the reporting setting for switching the terminal device 110's mode from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the PDCCH to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH will be applied (302). Based on this determination, the network device 120 sends configuration information 306 to the terminal device 110 indicating that the reporting setting will be applied to the terminal device 110's mode switching (304). The terminal device 110 receives the configuration information 306 from the network device 130 (308). After switching from the first mode to the second mode (310), the terminal device 110 determines that reporting will be triggered (212). In this way, it is possible to ensure that reporting is triggered as soon as possible each time the terminal device wakes up, provided that UL grants are available.

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

[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine that a report is triggered when terminal device 110 switches from a first mode to a second mode, provided that there is no buffer in the terminal device for at least one logical channel. In this way, a report may be triggered if there is state information in the terminal device that should be reported when the terminal device wakes up. In this way, resource overhead can be reduced.

[0056] It should be understood that the embodiments described above in relation to Figures 2 and 3 can be implemented separately or in any suitable combination. Accordingly, embodiments of this disclosure provide methods of communication implemented in terminal equipment and network equipment. These methods are described below with reference to Figures 4 to 7.

[0057] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary method 400 of communication implemented in a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 400 may be implemented in a terminal device 110 as shown in Figure 1. For illustrative purposes, method 400 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Method 400 may include additional blocks not shown, and / or some blocks as shown may be omitted, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Method 400 in Figure 4 can define an efficient mechanism for triggering reporting for each data burst.

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

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

[0060] In some exemplary embodiments, terminal device 110 may set the report indicator to a second value, which is different from a first value, which indicates that no report is triggered. In some exemplary embodiments, terminal device 110 may set the report indicator to the second value after sending a triggered report to a network device. In some exemplary embodiments, terminal device 110 may set the initial value of the report indicator to the second value. In some embodiments, if the report indicator is set to the second value, terminal device 110 may refrain from triggering a report after receiving an uplink grant from network device 120. In some exemplary embodiments, the first value may be 0 and the second value may be 1. In some alternative embodiments, the first value may be 1 and the second value may be 0.

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

[0062] In some exemplary embodiments, configuration information may be received via Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages. In some exemplary embodiments, the report may include at least one of PHR and BSR. In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal equipment may decide that the report is triggered after the terminal equipment switches from a first mode in which it does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which it monitors the PDCCH.

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

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

[0065] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary method 500 of communication performed on a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 500 may be performed on a terminal device 110 as shown in Figure 1. For illustrative purposes, method 500 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Method 500 may include additional blocks not shown, and / or some blocks as shown may be omitted, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. The method in Figure 5 can ensure that reporting is triggered as soon as possible each time the terminal device wakes up, provided that a UL grant is available.

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

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

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

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

[0070] Figure 6 shows exemplary methods 600 of communication performed on terminal equipment in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 600 may be performed on network equipment 120 as shown in Figure 1. For illustrative purposes, method 600 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Method 600 may include additional blocks not shown, and / or some blocks as shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0071] In block 620, the network device 120 determines that reporting settings are applied to at least one logical channel for the terminal device 110. Based on the reporting settings, the terminal device 110 may be configured to trigger reporting for at least one logical channel when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer within the terminal device, or after it arrives, and to trigger reporting after receiving an uplink grant from the network device. In block 640, the network device 120 sends configuration information to the terminal device indicating that reporting settings are applied to at least one logical channel. The method in Figure 6 allows for the definition of an efficient mechanism to trigger reporting for each data burst.

[0072] In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may include a logical channel indicator for at least one logical channel. In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may include at least one QoS flow indicator indicating that a reporting indicator applies to at least one logical channel associated with at least one Quality of Service (QoS) flow indicator. In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may be transmitted via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. In some exemplary embodiments, the network device 120 can send an uplink grant to a terminal device and receive a report from the terminal device regarding the uplink resource scheduled by the received uplink grant. In some exemplary embodiments, the report may include at least one of a PHR and a BSR.

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

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

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

[0076] Figure 7 shows an exemplary method 700 of communication performed on a terminal device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 700 may be performed on a network device 120 as shown in Figure 1. For illustrative purposes, method 700 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Method 700 may include additional blocks not shown, and / or some blocks may be omitted as shown, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. In the method of Figure 7, a reporting trigger mechanism is defined that can trigger reporting at the earliest possible time for each wake-up of the terminal device, provided that a UL grant is available.

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

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

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

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

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

[0082] The processor 810 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, in non-limiting examples, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 800 may have multiple processors, such as special-purpose integrated circuit chips, which are time-slewn to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0083] Memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically erasable ROM (EPROM), flash® memory, hard disks, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random-access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power-down time.

[0084] The computer program 830 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 810. The program 830 can be stored in the ROM 824. The processor 810 can perform any appropriate operation and processing by loading the program 830 into the RAM 822.

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

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

[0087] In general, various embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other processing unit. Various embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or some other graphic representations, but it should be understood that any blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other processing units, or any combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0088] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored in a non-transient computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those contained in a program module, and is executed on a device on a target real or virtual processor, performing one of the methods 400, 500, 600, and 700 described above with reference to Figures 4-7. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The functionality of a program module can be combined or divided among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of a program module can be executed in a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside in both local and remote storage media.

[0089] Program code for carrying out the methods of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, so that when the program code is executed by the processor or controller, specific functions / operations are performed on flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a standalone software package, partially on the machine, partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0090] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, arithmetic unit, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, and the like.

[0091] Computer-readable media may be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable ROM (EPROM, or Flash® memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

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

[0093] While this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the attached claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for carrying out the claims.

Claims

1. Terminal device, At least one processor, At least one memory containing computer program code, Equipped with, The at least one memory and the computer program code are, by the at least one processor, transmitted to the terminal device. It is determined that for at least one logical channel, a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer within the terminal device. After receiving an uplink grant from a network device, the aforementioned report is triggered. It is configured to make the thing happen, The aforementioned terminal device is When the uplink data arrives in the empty buffer of the at least one logical channel, set the reporting indicator associated with the at least one logical channel to a first value. It was made so that, The report indicator set to the first value indicates that the report has been triggered. The aforementioned terminal device further, The reporting indicator is set to a second value different from the first value, which indicates that the report is not triggered. After transmitting the triggered report to the network device, set the report indicator to the second value. Terminal devices that are designed to be used in this way.

2. The aforementioned terminal device further, The uplink resource scheduled by the received uplink grant transmits the report to the network equipment. The terminal device according to claim 1, which is configured to do so.

3. A terminal device, At least one processor, At least one memory containing computer program code, Equipped with, The at least one memory and the computer program code are, by the at least one processor, transmitted to the terminal device. It is determined that for at least one logical channel, a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer within the terminal device. After receiving an uplink grant from a network device, the aforementioned report is triggered. It is configured to make the thing happen, The aforementioned terminal device is When the uplink data arrives in the empty buffer of the at least one logical channel, the reporting indicator associated with the logical channel group including the at least one logical channel is set to a first value. It was made so that, The report indicator set to the first value indicates that the report has been triggered. The aforementioned terminal device further, The reporting indicator is set to a second value different from the first value, which indicates that the report is not triggered. After transmitting the triggered report to the network device, set the report indicator to the second value. Terminal devices that are designed to be used in this way.

4. The aforementioned terminal device further, The initial value of the reporting indicator is set to the second value. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 3, which is configured to do so.

5. The aforementioned terminal device further, If the reporting indicator is set to the second value, the report will not be triggered after receiving the uplink grant from the network device. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 3, which is configured to do so.

6. The first value is 0, and the second value is 1, or The first value is 1, and the second value is 0. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 3.

7. A terminal device, At least one processor, At least one memory containing computer program code, Equipped with, The at least one memory and the computer program code are, by the at least one processor, transmitted to the terminal device. It is determined that for at least one logical channel, a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer within the terminal device. After receiving an uplink grant from a network device, the aforementioned report is triggered. It is configured to make the thing happen, The above decision is made based on the reporting settings of the at least one logical channel. The aforementioned terminal device further, The network device receives configuration information indicating that the reporting settings are applied to a set of logical channels. It was made so that, The at least one logical channel belongs to the set of logical channels, The configuration information includes the logical channel indicator for the set of logical channels. Terminal equipment.

8. A terminal device, At least one processor, At least one memory containing computer program code, Equipped with, The at least one memory and the computer program code are, by the at least one processor, transmitted to the terminal device. It is determined that for at least one logical channel, a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer within the terminal device. After receiving an uplink grant from a network device, the aforementioned report is triggered. It is configured to make the thing happen, The above decision is made based on the reporting settings of the at least one logical channel. The aforementioned terminal device further, The network device receives configuration information indicating that the reporting settings are applied to a set of logical channels. It was made so that, The at least one logical channel belongs to the set of logical channels, The configuration information includes the at least one QoS flow indicator indicating that the reporting configuration is applied to the set of logical channels associated with at least one quality of service (QoS) flow indicator. Terminal equipment.

9. The terminal device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the configuration information is received via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

10. The aforementioned report states, Power Headroom Report (PHR), Buffer Status Report (BSR), A terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising at least one of the following.

11. The aforementioned terminal device further, It is determined that the report is triggered after the terminal device switches from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH. A terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device is configured to be such as.

12. Network equipment, At least one processor, A device comprising at least one memory containing computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are transmitted to the network device by the at least one processor. To determine that a reporting setting is applied to at least one logical channel for a terminal device, the reporting setting determines that a report is triggered when uplink data arrives in an empty buffer in the terminal device for the at least one logical channel, and to determine that the terminal device is configured to trigger the report after receiving an uplink grant from the network device. The terminal device is sent configuration information indicating that the reporting setting has been applied to at least one logical channel. It is configured to execute, The configuration information includes the at least one QoS flow indicator indicating that a reporting indicator is applied to the at least one logical channel associated with at least one quality of service (QoS) flow indicator. Network equipment.

13. The network device according to claim 12, wherein the configuration information includes a logical channel indicator for at least one logical channel.

14. The network device according to claim 12, wherein the configuration information is transmitted via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

15. The aforementioned network equipment further includes: The terminal device receives an uplink grant, The terminal device receives the report regarding the uplink resources scheduled by the uplink grant. The network device according to claim 12, wherein the network device is configured to be such as.

16. The aforementioned report states, Power Headroom Report (PHR), Buffer Status Report (BSR), A network device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, comprising at least one of the following.

17. The aforementioned network equipment further includes: It is determined that the reporting settings are further applied when the terminal device switches modes from a first mode in which the terminal device does not monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a second mode in which the terminal device monitors the PDCCH. The terminal device is sent configuration information indicating that the reporting settings are applied to the mode switching of the terminal device. A network device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the network device is configured to do so.

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