Communication device, wireless communication system, control method, and program

Abstract

A communication device that operates as a terminal conforming to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard comprises: a priority change means for changing the priority of a logical channel included in a logical channel group; and a transmission means for transmitting information relating to the changed priority to a communication device that operates as a base station.

Description

Communication device, wireless communication system, control method and program

[0001] This disclosure relates to communication devices, wireless communication systems, control methods, and programs.

[0002] Cellular communication standards are being developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®). Within the 3GPP cellular communication standards (hereinafter referred to as "3GPP standards"), the standardization of XR (extended reality), representing virtual reality technology, is underway. Furthermore, Technical Report (TR) 26.928 describes various use cases related to XR.

[0003] In a 5G network, base stations (hereinafter also referred to as gNBs (gNodeBs)) are responsible for scheduling uplink (UL) traffic (hereinafter referred to as UL scheduling). In UL scheduling, the gNB allocates radio resources to each user terminal or simply terminal (hereinafter also referred to as UEs (User Equipment)) based on one of the following mechanisms A to C. In this specification, UL scheduling and UL resource allocation may be read interchangeably. A: Dynamic scheduling in which each UE issues a request (SR (Scheduling Request)); that is, the UE dynamically issues requests for radio resources. B: Quasi-static scheduling by gNB (Configured Scheduling (CS) using CG (Configured Grant)); i.e., the gNB issues periodic resource allocations to at least one UE. C: Scheduling based on Buffer Status Reports (BSRs) from UEs; i.e., the gNB allocates radio resources based on BSRs indicating the amount of data available for UL transmission from the UE.

[0004] The buffer status reporting mechanism operates based on a logical channel group (LCG: Logical Channel Group). Here, when there are multiple logical channels (LCH: Logical Channel) in the same LCG, the buffer status is reported from the UE to the gNB in units of LCG. An LCG can be mapped to multiple MAC (Medium Access Control) logical channels (LCH). TS (Technical Specification) 38.321 defines BSR trigger conditions and BSR formats.

[0005] The gNB can receive a BSR from the UE and perform resource scheduling using the information contained in the BSR. For example, the gNB determines to prioritize the LCG with the most available data while preventing resource depletion in the low-throughput LCG.

[0006] In the 3GPP Release 18 specification, it is stipulated that the UE uses a DSR (Delay Status Report) to notify the gNB of UL delay-critical data. Here, UL delay-critical data is UL data for which the remaining time until the PDCP SDU buffered for each LCG on the UE side is discarded is below the threshold set by the gNB.

[0007] PDCP is an abbreviation for Packet Data Convergence Protocol, and SDU is an abbreviation for Service Data Unit. The remaining time is indicated by the PDCP Discard Timer, and the threshold is indicated by the Remaining Time Threshold. The UE uses the DSR to notify the gNB of the remaining time and the buffer residence amount (also referred to as buffer capacity, buffer size, etc.) (TS38.321 and TS38.300). In this specification, PDCP SDU and UL data may be read interchangeably, and the remaining time until the PDCP SDU is discarded, the remaining time of an LCG with a PDCP SDU, the remaining time of the buffer of the LCG, etc. are used in the same meaning.

[0008] According to the Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) described in TS38.321, the gNB allocates transmission resources to higher-priority data first. For example, if there is low-priority delayed-critical data in an LCG or LCH notified by the DSR and normal data in a high-priority LCG or LCH, the gNB allocates transmission resources to the high-priority normal data first. Here, normal data is data that is not delayed-critical. As a result, a situation may arise where delayed-critical data is discarded upon the expiration of the PDCP Discover Timer.

[0009] To address this issue, 3GPP Release 19 is considering the specification of high-capacity UL scheduling that meets latency requirements. Non-patent document 1 proposes prioritizing the allocation of resources to latency-critical data by giving it a higher priority than normal data.

[0010] “Delay-aware scheduling enhancements”, R2-2403143, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #125bis, April 2024

[0011] However, the current Release 18 specification does not include a procedure for the UE to notify the gNB of the LCG or LCH priority. While the specification states that the gNB will notify the UE of the LCG or LCH priority setting via broadcast information when the RRC is initially connected, the specification does not specify the means for controlling the change of priority or notifying the gNB of the changed priority. RRC is an abbreviation for Radio Resource Control. Therefore, in UL scheduling, delay-critical data is not necessarily given priority for UL transmission over normal data, which may result in a decrease in throughput and / or an increase in delay time due to the discarding of delay-critical data. Thus, under the current specification, there is a possibility that proper communication may not occur due to UL scheduling.

[0012] One aspect of this disclosure, in view of the above, aims to provide a mechanism for appropriately performing UL scheduling based on priority.

[0013] A communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a communication device operating as a terminal, comprising: determination means for determining the priority of a logical channel group; and transmission means for transmitting information relating to the determined priority to a communication device operating as a base station.

[0014] According to one aspect of this disclosure, UL scheduling can be appropriately performed based on priority.

[0015] This figure shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. This block diagram shows an example hardware configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. This block diagram shows an example hardware configuration of a base station according to an embodiment. This is a sequence diagram showing an example operation of a terminal and a base station according to an embodiment. This is a flowchart showing an example operation of a terminal related to priority change according to an embodiment. This is a flowchart showing an example operation of a base station related to UL resource allocation according to an embodiment. This figure shows an example of a BSR format according to an embodiment. This figure shows an example of a DSR format according to an embodiment. This is a sequence diagram showing an example operation of a terminal and a base station related to UL scheduling using DSR according to a conventional method.

[0016] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numeral, and redundant descriptions may be omitted.

[0017] (Embodiments) <Wireless Communication System> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 shown in Figure 1 supports XR. Although embodiments will be described below with respect to a 5G system, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to a 5G system. For example, the present disclosure may be applied to next-generation mobile communication systems such as 6G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), and combinations thereof. It should be understood that the present disclosure is applicable to any wireless communication system that supports XR or similar services.

[0018] The wireless communication system 100 includes user terminals or simply terminals (hereinafter also referred to as UEs) 101 and 151, base stations (hereinafter also referred to as gNBs) 110 and 111, a 5G core network (CN) 102, and an XR application server 103. It goes without saying that the number of UEs, gNBs, CNs, and / or XR application servers present in the wireless communication system 100 is not limited to the numbers shown in Figure 1.

[0019] UE101 and 151 may be augmented reality wearables, such as virtual reality helmets or goggles. A UE may generally be a device capable of wirelessly communicating with one or more CNs (including CN102) via one or more radio access networks (RANs). Such a device may be any wireless device, such as a wireless communication device or terminal, an IoT device, a machine-type communication (MTC) device, a device-to-device (D2D) terminal, or a user device. IoT is an abbreviation for Internet of Things. A user device may be, for example, a smartphone, a desktop computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, a camera, a game console, or a wearable device.

[0020] UE101 and 151 communicate wirelessly with gNB111. UE101 and 151 receive downlink (DL) signals transmitted from gNB111. UE101 and 151 transmit UL signals to gNB111. UL signals include, for example, UL data (signals) and control information (e.g., uplink control information (UCI) including scheduling requests (SRs)). UL signals may also include, for example, information regarding the processing capabilities of UE101 and 151 (capability information; e.g., UE capability), reference signals, etc. For example, UE101 and 151 may report capability information to gNB111 indicating whether or not they can change the priority of the LCG or LCH.

[0021] The channels used to transmit UL signals include, for example, a data channel and a control channel. For example, the data channel includes PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), and the control channel includes PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel). For example, UE101 and 151 may transmit control information to gNB111 using PUCCH and data signals using PUSCH.

[0022] gNBs 110 and 111 are network nodes that provide access points to the CN, including CN 102, of the UEs, including UEs 101 and 151. gNBs 110 and 111 are part of a RAN composed of gNBs 110 and 111. Hereafter, the terms RAN node, base station, and gNB are used interchangeably. gNBs 110 and 111 are interconnected by Xn interfaces (e.g., as defined in TS38.423) implemented on wired or wireless link 130. gNBs 110 and 111 are connected to CN 102 by NG interfaces (e.g., as defined in TS38.413) implemented on wired or wireless links 140 and 141, respectively.

[0023] Each gNB controls one or more cells. For example, gNB 110 controls cell 120, and gNB 111 controls cell 121. A cell is a geographical area of ​​a radio network defined by the frequency used to transmit data, and can be uniquely identified by a terminal from an identifier (identification information, ID) broadcast across the geographical area. Each gNB can service several UEs. The base station to which a terminal is connected by establishing an RRC connection with the base station is called the terminal's serving base station. A cell controlled by a serving base station and containing terminals is called a serving cell. The interface between the base station and the terminal is the Uu interface. The Uu interface uses SDAP, PDCP, RLC, MAC, PHY, etc., as the protocol sublayer of the user plane (U-plane). SDAP is an abbreviation for Service Data Adaptation Protocol, PDCP is an abbreviation for Package Data Convergence Protocol, RLC is an abbreviation for Radio Link Control, MAC is an abbreviation for Medium Access Control, and PHY is an abbreviation for Physical. Furthermore, the Uu interface uses RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY as protocol sublayers of the control plane (C-Plane).

[0024] gNB111 communicates wirelessly with UE101 and 151. gNB111 receives UL signals transmitted from UE101 and 151. gNB111 transmits DL signals to UE101 and 151. The DL signals include, for example, DL data (signals) and control information. The DL control information includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI) which includes information indicating the scheduling of signal transmission by UE101 and 151 (e.g., UL Grant). For example, the DL signals may also include upper-layer control information (e.g., RRC control information), reference signals, etc.

[0025] The channels used to transmit DL signals include, for example, a data channel and a control channel. For example, the data channel includes a PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), and the control channel includes a PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel). For example, gNB111 may transmit control information to UE101 and 151 using the PDCCH and transmit data signals using the PDSCH.

[0026] CN102 includes a user plane function (UPF) 161, which is a network function (NF) that processes user plane communications.

[0027] The XR application server 103 receives requests from clients such as UE101 and 151, executes the XR application in response to the request, and returns the result to the client.

[0028] It is assumed that UE 101 sends and receives XR data for one or more multicast XR sessions directed to XR application server 103. XR data from XR application server 103 is provided to gNB 111 via link 141, CN 102 (e.g., via data network 160 and UPF 161), and transport bearer (or GTP-U tunnel) 106. As described above, gNB 111 controls cell 121 to which UE 101 is connected. XR data from gNB 111 is then transmitted to UE 101 via data radio bearer (DRB) 153. In Figure 1, UE 151 receiving data via DRB 154 is also shown. A radio bearer is a set of PHY (Layer 1) and MAC (Layer 2) parameters that enable higher layer data connectivity between the terminal and the base station. Multiple types of radio bearers are defined in 5G. Multiple types of radio bearers include signaling radio bearers (SRBs) for the control plane, data radio bearers (DRBs), and multicast radio bearers (MRBs). DRBs enable point-to-point communication with a single terminal in the user plane (e.g., unicast).

[0029] MRB enables point-to-point and point-to-point multipoint communication with multiple terminals within the user plane (e.g., multicast / broadcast).

[0030] Before describing this embodiment in detail, UL scheduling based on the current 3GPP specification will be explained with reference to Figure 9.

[0031] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of a terminal and base station in relation to UL scheduling using DSR according to a conventional method. For the sake of explanation, in the following description, it will be assumed that UE101 and gNB111 perform the processes shown in Figure 9. In this specification, the expression "notify B of A" or a similar expression may be read as "transmit information about A to B" or a similar expression. "Information about A" may mean "information that identifies A" (for example, A itself, identifier, identification information, ID, index, etc.).

[0032] As a prerequisite, UE101 is assumed to have LCH#1 with a Priority Level (PL) of 3 (PL=3), LCH#2 with a PL=4, and LCH#3 with a PL=5. In the example shown in Figure 9 and in this embodiment, a smaller PL value indicates a higher priority, i.e., PL=1 represents the highest priority. However, conversely, a larger PL value may also indicate a higher priority. PL is an example of "priority information" related to this disclosure.

[0033] In 5G, when UL data to be transmitted to gNB111 is generated, UE101 is required to request scheduling by sending a BSR to gNB111 in accordance with the procedure shown in Figure 9, which notifies the amount of UL data buffered (TS38.321).

[0034] First, if UE101 has U-Plane data for an individual UL, it sends a scheduling request (SR) to gNB111 (S901).

[0035] In response to the scheduling request sent by UE101, gNB111 sends a UL Grant containing UL allocation resource information to UE101 (S902).

[0036] When UE101 receives UL allocation resource information transmitted by gNB111, it transmits UL U-Plane data via PUSCH at the timing of the UL slot specified by gNB111 based on the received UL allocation resource information (S903). At this time, if the UL resources allocated by gNB111 via UL Grant are equal to the total amount of data lingering in the buffers of LCH#1, LCH#2, and LCH#3, it is possible to transmit all U-Plane data in a single PUSCH. In the example shown in Figure 9, it is assumed that the UL resources allocated by gNB111 via UL Grant are less than the total amount of data.

[0037] Next, if unsent UL data exists in the buffer of LCH#1 after the transmission of UL U-Plane data in S903, UE101 notifies gNB111 of the buffer amount of remaining UL data (e.g., 1 MB) using BSR (S904). The BSR that UE101 notifies gNB111 of reports the buffer amount for each LCG consisting of one or more LCHs if UL data exists. In this example and description of this embodiment, it is assumed that UE101 uses only one LCH for one LCG. Therefore, in the following, LCH may be read as LCG. Also, if unsent UL data exists in LCHs other than LCH#1, UE101 can notify gNB11 of the buffer amount for LCHs other than LCH#1 simultaneously with LCH#1 using BSR.

[0038] Here, in the specifications of Release 18, it is newly defined (TS38.321) that if the time that untransmitted UL data remains in the buffer is less than or equal to the threshold of the PDCP Discover Timer (for example, 20 ms), the terminal shall do the following: The terminal shall notify the base station of the remaining time of the PDCP Discover Timer and the buffer size using the DSR (TS38.321). In this specification, UL data that is less than or equal to the threshold of the PDCP Discover Timer for which the conditions for notifying the base station using the DSR are met is called delayed critical data. UL data that has not reached the threshold of the PDCP Discover Timer is called normal data. Here, for example, under the condition that the threshold = 20 ms, suppose that 0.5 MB of UL data with a remaining time of 15 ms is unsent and is accumulating in the buffer on LCH#2, and 1 MB of UL data with a remaining time of 3 ms is unsent and is accumulating in the buffer on LCH#3. In this case, according to the above specifications, UE101 notifies gNB111 of the remaining time and buffer accumulation amount using DSR (S905 and S906). However, if these are notified at the same slot timing, they are notified to gNB111 in separate LCG-related fields within the same DSR.

[0039] In S904-S906, gNB111 receives the BSR and DSR transmitted by UE101 and allocates UL resources. At this time, if gNB111 is also receiving BSR and / or DSR from other UEs with higher priority, it may not be able to allocate UL resources to the entire buffered amount of UL data at the same time. This is because gNB111 has limited UL resources. The total buffered amount for the BSR (1MB of UL data in LCH#1) and DSR (0.5MB of UL data in LCH#2 and 1MB of UL data in LCH#3) notified by UE101 is 2.5MB. In contrast, if, for example, gNB111 has 1.5 MB of UL resources available to allocate to UE101, gNB111 will send a UL Grant to UE101, indicating that 1.5 MB of UL resources are available (S907).

[0040] Upon receiving the UL Grant transmitted by gNB111, UE101 determines the UL transmission data according to the LCP (TS38.321). Here, with the 1.5 MB of UL resources allocated by gNB111, UE101 first selects (determines) 1 MB of UL data located in LCH#1, which has the highest LCH priority (PL=3), as a transmission candidate. Next, gNB111 selects 0.5 MB of UL data located in LCH#2, which has PL=4, as a transmission candidate. At this stage, there are no more usable UL resources, so UE101 transmits both the UL data in LCH#1 and the UL data in LCH#2 to gNB111 via PUSCH (S908).

[0041] Therefore, the 1MB of UL data in LCH#3, where PL=5, remains in a waiting state until the next UL transmission timing. According to the current TDD (Time Division Duplex) UL / DL timing, 4ms will have elapsed by the next UL timing, exceeding the remaining 3ms. As a result, the PDCP Discover Timer timeout (T.O: TimeOut) will cause the delayed critical data lingering in the LCH#3 buffer to be discarded (S909).

[0042] Thus, according to the above operation example, when there is delay-critical data in multiple LCHs, efficient UL data transmission based on the remaining time may not be possible by UL scheduling according to the conventional method. As a result, throughput degradation due to data discard and / or an increase in delay time may occur.

[0043] A multimodal XR application is likely to be associated with multiple QoS flows having different characteristics and QoS (Quality of Service) requirements, and different characteristics and QoS will be mapped to different DRBs. Therefore, even when one application is being executed on the terminal, more LCHs (LCGs) with different priorities will be used. As a result, in the wireless communication system 100 that supports XR, a more serious situation (throughput degradation and / or an increase in delay time) may occur because delay-critical data is not prioritized over normal data.

[0044] Therefore, the details of the present embodiment that enable suppression of throughput degradation and / or an increase in delay time due to data discard will be described below.

[0045] <Hardware Configuration of Terminal> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of the hardware configuration of UE101, which is an example of a terminal, will be described, but UE151 can also have a similar configuration.

[0046] UE101 has components for transmitting and receiving communication with gNB111. For example, UE101 has a central processing unit (CPU) 215, a terminal communication management unit 220, a data storage unit 225, a transceiver 235, an antenna control unit 245, an I / O (Input / Output) controller 255, and an antenna 265. The CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit and is an example of a processor. All of these components can communicate with each other via an internal bus.

[0047] The CPU 215 is configured to execute machine-readable instructions. When the machine-readable instructions are executed by the CPU 215, the UE 101 performs various functions, including controlling the entire UE 101. For example, these functions may be related to communication or interaction with peripheral devices such as a keyboard, screen, mouse, etc. (not shown in FIG. 2). The CPU 215 can execute an operating system such as iOS (registered trademark), Windows (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark), etc. The CPU 215 may be a single processor or may include two or more processors that execute the processing required for the operation of the UE 101.

[0048] The terminal communication management unit 220 is configured to control the establishment of communication of the UE 101 with the RAN or a base station (e.g., gNB 111), communication with the RAN, and the release of the UE 101 from the RAN. The terminal communication management unit 220 periodically receives a notification of a slot in which communication is possible between the gNB 111 and the UE 101 from the gNB 111 via the antenna 265, the antenna control unit 245, and the transceiver 235. Therefore, the terminal communication management unit 220 can determine when and at what frequency incoming data should be received. Further, the terminal communication management unit 220 can identify when and at what frequency outgoing data should be transmitted. The terminal communication management unit 220 can determine whether the data belongs to the control plane or the data plane. In one example, the terminal communication management unit 220 can provide a Uu interface. The terminal communication management unit 220 may be implemented by the CPU 215. The terminal communication management unit 220 may be a function of only software implemented by the CPU 215.

[0049] As will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, the terminal communication management unit 220 determines the PL of the LCH by changing the PL of the LCH of the UE 101 and determining the LCH for which the PL is not changed. The terminal communication management unit 220 is an example of a (terminal-side) determination means according to the present disclosure.

[0050] The data storage unit 225 includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a combination of both. Additionally or alternatively, the data storage unit 225 may include a mass storage device such as a disk or solid-state drive (SSD). Basic input / output system (BIOS) instructions can be stored in the data storage unit 225. Data transmitted and received with the gNB 111, data processed or performed by the CPU 215, etc., can also be stored in the data storage unit 225.

[0051] The transceiver 235 is configured to provide bidirectional wireless communication with other wireless devices (including the gNB 111) via the antenna control unit 245 and the antenna 265. For example, the transceiver 235 provides a modem (e.g., a router) and frequency shifter necessary for connecting to one or more wireless networks such as Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, LTE, 5G, etc. The transceiver 235 corresponds to a transmitter and receiver (or communication unit). Instead of the transceiver 235, the transmitter and receiver may exist as separate components. For example, the transceiver 235 may include a PDCP transmitter and receiver. The transceiver 235 and / or the PDCP transmitter and receiver may be implemented by the CPU 215. The transceiver 235 and / or the PDCP transmitter and receiver may be software-only functions implemented by the CPU 215.

[0052] The transceiver 235 transmits the PL determined by the terminal communication management unit 220 to the gNB 111 via BSR and / or DSR. The transceiver 235 is an example of a (terminal-side) transmitting or receiving means according to this disclosure.

[0053] The antenna control unit 245 is configured to control the antenna 265 based on instruction signals from the CPU 215 and the terminal communication management unit 220. For example, the antenna control unit 245 controls the antenna 265 to switch its directional direction. The antenna control unit 245 may be implemented by the CPU 215. The antenna control unit 245 may also be a software-only function implemented by the CPU 215.

[0054] The I / O controller 255 enables interaction with external peripheral devices by providing the necessary hardware and managing input / output signals. The I / O controller 255 can interact with all or part of, for example, an image capture device, an image rendering device, an audio capture device, an audio rendering device, a sensor device capable of determining its usage location, etc.

[0055] Antenna 265 is composed of one or more antennas. When Antenna 265 is composed of multiple antennas, it is configured to provide beamforming capability.

[0056] <Base Station Hardware Configuration> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a base station according to this embodiment. Below, an example of the hardware configuration of gNB111, which is an example of a base station, will be described, but gNB110 can also have a similar configuration.

[0057] The gNB111 has components for sending and receiving communications with the UE101. For example, the gNB111 includes a CPU 315, a base station communication management unit 320, a data storage unit 325, a transceiver 335, an antenna control unit 345, a core network (CN) communication management unit 355, an inter-station communication management unit 365, and an antenna 375. All of these components can communicate with each other via an internal bus.

[0058] The CPU 315 is configured to execute machine-readable instructions. Once machine-readable instructions are executed by the CPU 315, the gNB 111 performs various functions, including controlling the entire gNB 111. The CPU 315 may be a single processor or may include two or more processors that perform the processing necessary for the operation of the gNB 111.

[0059] The base station communication management unit 320 is configured to control the establishment of communication with a plurality of UEs, including UE 101 and UE 151, communication with UEs, and the termination of communication with UEs. The base station communication management unit 320 includes a scheduler that allocates time and frequency resources to communication with different UEs. Information regarding the scheduling of time and frequency resources is transmitted to the relevant UEs periodically or dynamically. In one example, the base station communication management unit 320 can provide a Uu interface. The base station communication management unit 320 may be implemented by a CPU 315. The base station communication management unit 320 may also be a software-only function implemented by the CPU 315.

[0060] The base station communication management unit 320 determines the UL resource to be allocated to UE 101 based on the PL of the received LCH of UE 101, as will be described later with reference to Figure 6. The base station communication management unit 320 is an example of a (base station side) decision means according to this disclosure.

[0061] The data storage unit 325 includes RAM, ROM, or a combination of both. Additionally or alternatively, the data storage unit 325 may include a large-capacity storage device such as a disk or SSD. BIOS instructions can be stored in the data storage unit 325. Data transmitted and received with the UE, data processed or performed by the CPU 315, etc., can also be stored in the data storage unit 325.

[0062] The transceiver 335 is configured to provide bidirectional wireless communication with other wireless devices (including UEs such as UE101 and other gNBs) via the antenna control unit 345 and the antenna 375. For example, the transceiver 335 provides the modem and frequency shifter necessary to connect to multiple UEs simultaneously using different frequency carriers in time-division duplex (TDD) or frequency-division duplex (FDD). The transceiver 335 corresponds to a transmitter and receiver (or communication unit). Instead of the transceiver 335, the transmitter and receiver may exist as separate components. For example, the transceiver 335 may include a PDCP transmitter and receiver. The transceiver 335 and / or the PDCP transmitter and receiver may be implemented by the CPU 315. The transceiver 335 and / or the PDCP transmitter and receiver may be software-only functions implemented by the CPU 315.

[0063] Transceiver 335 receives the LCH PL of UE 101 from UE 101 via BSR and / or DSR. Here, the LCH PL of UE 101 that is received is determined by UE 101. Transceiver 335 also transmits a UL Grant to UE 101 notifying it of the UL resource determined by UL scheduling by the base station communication management unit 320. Transceiver 335 is an example of a (base station side) transmitting means or receiving means according to this disclosure.

[0064] The antenna control unit 345 is configured to control the antenna 375 based on instruction signals from the CPU 315 and the base station communication management unit 320. For example, the antenna control unit 345 controls the antenna 375 to switch its directional direction. The antenna control unit 345 may be implemented by the CPU 315. The antenna control unit 345 may also be a software-only function implemented by the CPU 315.

[0065] The CN communication management unit 355 is configured to manage communication between the gNB 111 and the CN (e.g., CN 102). For example, the CN communication management unit 355 may provide a standardized NR interface defined in the 3GPP standard to support such communication. The CN communication management unit 355 may be implemented by the CPU 315. The CN communication management unit 355 may also be a software-only function implemented by the CPU 315.

[0066] The inter-station communication management unit 365 is configured to manage communication between gNB 111 and other gNBs (e.g., gNB 110). For example, the inter-station communication management unit 365 can provide a standardized Xn interface to support such communication. The inter-station communication management unit 365 may be implemented by the CPU 315. The inter-station communication management unit 365 may also be a software-only function implemented by the CPU 315.

[0067] Antenna 375 is composed of one or more antennas. When Antenna 375 is composed of multiple antennas, it is configured to provide beamforming capability.

[0068] <Operation of Terminals and Base Stations> Next, an example of the operation of terminals and base stations according to this embodiment will be described. As described above with reference to Figure 9, in UL scheduling based on the current 3GPP specifications, a situation may occur where delayed critical data is discarded because it is not possible to transmit the delayed critical data in time. In response to this, an example of UL scheduling operation that determines the LCH for which UL resource allocation is prioritized according to the remaining time notified by the DSR transmission from the terminal will be described with reference to Figure 4.

[0069] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of operation of a terminal and a base station according to this embodiment. More specifically, the operation example shown in Figure 4 relates to UL scheduling according to LCP based on DSR.

[0070] The example operation shown in Figure 4 is assumed to be subject to the same prerequisites as the example operation shown in Figure 9. Furthermore, since steps S401 to S404 in Figure 4 are the same as steps S901 to S904 in Figure 9, the explanation of steps S401 to S404 is omitted.

[0071] In S405, UE101 detects that the remaining time of the LCHs (LCH#2 and LCH#3) is below a threshold (i.e., that there is delay-critical data in the LCH buffer). Thus, UE101 (its terminal communication management unit 220) decides to send the DSR described later to gNB111 as a trigger when the remaining time of the LCHs (LCH#2 and LCH#3) falls below a threshold (or when this is detected).

[0072] In response to UE101 detecting the presence of delayed critical data in the LCH buffer, UE101 executes the LCH priority change (determination) procedure (priority change control) in S406. The priority change in S406 will be described later with reference to Figure 5.

[0073] Here, UE101 is assumed to have changed the priority of LCH#3 from PL=5 to PL=1 and the priority of LCH#2 from PL=4 to PL=2 through a priority change.

[0074] In S407 and S408, UE101 transmits the remaining time and buffer occupancy amount to gNB111 using DSR, respectively. Specifically, UE101 notifies gNB111 that 1MB of UL data with a remaining time of 3ms is occupying the buffer and has not been transmitted to LCH#3, and that 0.5MB of UL data with a remaining time of 15ms is occupying the buffer and has not been transmitted to LCH#2.

[0075] In S409, gNB111, having received the BSR (S404) and DSR (S407 and S408) transmitted by UE101, performs UL resource allocation based on the received BSR and DSR. The UL resource allocation in S409 will be described later with reference to Figure 6. In this embodiment, the execution of UL resource allocation in S409 generates one or more UL Grants based on the received BSR and DSR. Here, it is assumed that gNB111 generates a UL Grant specifying 1.5 MB of UL resources, taking into account the delayed critical data lingering in the buffers of LCH#3 and LCH2. It is also assumed that gNB111 generates a UL Grant specifying 1 MB of UL resources based on the UL data present in the buffer of LCH#1. In other embodiments, the execution of UL resource allocation in S409 may generate only one UL Grant based on the received BSR and DSR.

[0076] Based on the UL resource allocation in S409, in S410, gNB111 sends a UL Grant to UE101 notifying it of the allocated UL resources for 1.5 MB of transmission data, consisting of 1 MB in LCH#3 and 0.5 MB in LCH#2. Also based on the UL resource allocation in S409, in S410, gNB111 sends a UL Grant to UE101 notifying it of the allocated UL resources for 1 MB of transmission data in LCH#1. gNB111 (transceiver 335) sends UL Grants to UE101 according to the priority determined by UE101, as will be described later with reference to Figure 6.

[0077] Upon receiving the UL Grant transmitted by gNB111, UE101 will determine the UL transmission data according to the LCP (TS38.321). Here, UE101 first determines the 1MB of UL data (with 3ms remaining) located in LCH#3, which has the highest priority PL=1, as the transmission candidate for the 1.5MB allocated UL resource.

[0078] Next, UE101 selects 0.5MB of UL data (with 15ms remaining) located in LCH#2, where PL=2, as a candidate for transmission. At this stage, there are no more usable UL resources, so in S411, UE101 transmits 1.5MB of UL data, consisting of 1MB of UL data in LCH#3 and 0.5MB of UL data in LCH#2, to gNB111 via PUSCH. This makes it possible to prioritize the transmission of delayed critical data located in LCH#3 and LCH#2. As a result, the discarding of delayed critical data due to the expiration of the PDCP Discover Timer can be avoided.

[0079] Next, in S412, UE101 transmits 1MB of UL data located in LCH#1 to gNB111 via PUSCH. The 1MB of UL data located in LCH#1, which has PL=3 and could not be transmitted at the timing of S411, has more than 20ms remaining, so it can be transmitted via PUSCH in S412 at the next UL transmission timing 4ms later without being discarded.

[0080] Next, the priority change in S406 in Figure 4 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of terminal operation related to priority change according to this embodiment. UE101 performs the process shown in Figure 5 for all LCHs managed by UE101 (LCH#1 to LCH#3 in the example shown in Figure 4). In this embodiment, the process shown in Figure 5 is performed in ascending order of LCH index, but it may also be performed in descending order of LCH index. For example, the process shown in Figure 5 is performed by the terminal communication management unit 220 of UE101.

[0081] In S501, UE101 determines whether or not UL data is present in the buffer of the LCH.

[0082] If it is determined that there is no UL data remaining (S501; No), UE101 does not change the PL of the LCH (S506). Then, in S505, UE101 sets the PL of the LCH back to its original value.

[0083] If it is determined that UL data is accumulating (S501; Yes), in S502, UE101 determines whether the remaining time of the LCH is below a threshold (i.e., whether delayed critical data is accumulating).

[0084] If it is determined that the remaining time is below the threshold (S502; Yes), in S503, UE101 considers the PDCP SDU whose remaining time is below the threshold as a delay-critical data and provisionally sets the PL of the LCH to 1, which has the highest priority.

[0085] Next, in S504, UE101 checks whether there are other LCHs whose remaining time is below a threshold (i.e., where delayed critical data is accumulating). If there are no other LCHs (S504; No), the flow proceeds to S505. If there are other LCHs (S504; Yes), the flow proceeds to S509.

[0086] In S505, UE101 confirms the PL of the LCH to 1, which was provisionally set in S503.

[0087] In S509, UE101 compares the remaining time of the LCH with the remaining time of the LCH with the shortest remaining time among other LCHs whose remaining time is below the threshold. More specifically, in S509, UE101 determines whether the remaining time of the LCH is less than the shortest remaining time mentioned above.

[0088] If it is determined that the remaining time for the LCH is less than the minimum remaining time mentioned above (S509; Yes), in S505, UE101 confirms the PL of the LCH to 1, which was provisionally set in S503.

[0089] If it is determined that the remaining time of the LCH is greater than the minimum remaining time (S509; No), in S510, UE101 changes the PL of the LCH as follows: UE101 changes the PL of the LCH to a value obtained by adding the number of other LCHs whose remaining time is less than the remaining time of the LCH and below the threshold to the PL of the LCH (=1). Then, in S505, UE101 confirms the PL of the LCH to the value changed in S510.

[0090] In addition, it is possible that in S509, the remaining time of the LCH is determined to be equal to the minimum remaining time mentioned above. In this case, the LCH having the smallest (or largest) index among the indexes of the LCH and one or more other LCHs with the minimum remaining time may correspond to the smaller of the remaining time of the LCH and the minimum remaining time mentioned above. The flow may then proceed to S505 or S510. Therefore, if the index of the LCH is the smallest, the flow proceeds to S505; otherwise, the flow proceeds to S510. In this case, in S510, UE101 adds to the PL of the LCH the number of LCHs with a remaining time less than the remaining time of the LCH and below the threshold, and LCHs with a remaining time equal to the remaining time of the LCH and an index greater than that of the LCH. Then, UE101 changes the PL of the LCH to the value after the addition. Alternatively, if the index of the LCH is the largest, the flow may proceed to S505; otherwise, the flow may proceed to S510. In this case, in S510, UE101 adds to the PL of the LCH the number of LCHs whose remaining time is less than the remaining time of the LCH and below the threshold, and LCHs whose remaining time is equal to the remaining time of the LCH and whose index is smaller than that of the LCH. Then, UE101 changes the PL of the LCH to the value after the addition. In this way, if in S509 it is determined that the remaining time of the LCH is equal to the minimum remaining time described above, the flow may then proceed to S505 or S510 according to a predetermined rule, and S510 may be executed.

[0091] In S502, if it is determined that the remaining time is not below the threshold (S502; No), then in S507, UE101 checks whether the remaining time of other LCHs is below the threshold (i.e., whether there is any delayed critical data). Here, UE101 considers the PDCP SDUs in the LCH with a remaining time greater than the threshold as normal data.

[0092] If the remaining time of other LCHs is below the threshold (S507; Yes), in S508, UE101 changes the PL of the LCH to a value obtained by adding the number of other LCHs whose remaining time is below the threshold to the PL of the LCH in question. In other words, UE101 sets the PL of the LCH in question to a PL greater than the PL of other LCHs where delayed critical data is accumulating.

[0093] In this case, UE101 will change the PL of the LCH (the LCH in question) that normally has a buffer where data resides. The following describes the newly introduced BSR format for notifying the base station of such a change in the LCH's PL.

[0094] Figure 7 shows an example of the BSR format according to this embodiment. The changes from the BSR format specified in the current specification (see Figure 6.1.3.1-2 in §6.1.3.1 of TS38.321) are as follows: The change is that the BSR format 700 includes a Modified Priority Level 1 field 701 that notifies the modified PL. In reality, there are as many Modified Priority Level fields as there are LCGs to be notified (let's say m fields). More specifically, there are Modified Priority Level fields ranging from Modified Priority Level 1 field to Modified Priority Level m field. In this embodiment, the Modified Priority Level 1 field 701 is an 8-bit field. However, if the number of bits required to notify the PL is n bits (where n is a natural number less than or equal to 7), the remaining (8-n) bits may be a Reserved bit or may be used for other fields. Other fields (parameters) are as per the current specifications, and a field for notifying the buffer retention amount (Buffer Size 1, etc.) is included in the BSR format 700. The newly introduced BSR according to this embodiment may be notified or set from the terminal to the base station via RRC messages (RRC signaling) and / or MAC CE (Control Element). Note that the name of the newly introduced field is not limited to the Modified Priority Level field and can be changed.

[0095] UE101 notifies gNB11 of the PL of the LCH having a buffer where data normally exists, using the BSR format shown in Figure 7. In the example shown in Figure 4, the notification is not shown because there is no change in the PL of LCH#1. However, if a change is to be notified, the notification may be made, for example, between S406 and S407, between S407 and S408, or between S408 and S409.

[0096] In S507, if the remaining time of another LCH is greater than the threshold (S507; No), UE101 does not change the PL of that LCH (S506). Then, in S505, UE101 sets the PL of that LCH to its original value.

[0097] As shown in Figure 5, UE101 sets the PL of the LCH having a buffer where delayed critical data is accumulating to be smaller than the PL of the LCH having a buffer where normal data is present. Furthermore, if there are multiple LCHs having buffers where delayed critical data is accumulating, UE101 assigns the smaller PL to the one with the shortest remaining time.

[0098] Next, the UL resource allocation in S409 of Figure 4 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of base station operation related to UL resource allocation according to this embodiment.

[0099] For example, the process shown in Figure 6 is performed by the base station communication management unit 320 of the gNB111. In this embodiment, the process shown in Figure 6 is performed as many times as there are UL Grants generated based on the received BSR and / or DSR. In other embodiments, the process shown in Figure 6 may be performed only once, and the process may proceed to S410 in Figure 4.

[0100] In S601, gNB111 receives the DSR (the DSRs in S407 and S408 in the example shown in Figure 4). In this way, gNB111 (base station communication management unit 320) decides to perform UL scheduling (decides which UL resources to allocate to UE101) triggered by the receipt (or detection) of the DSR from UE101.

[0101] In S602, gNB111 determines, based on the received DSR, whether the PL of UE101's LCH (LCH#3 and #2 in the example shown in Figure 4) has been changed (by UE101), and if so, the changed PL.

[0102] Here, we will explain the newly introduced DSR format that notifies whether or not the PL has been changed.

[0103] Figure 8 shows an example of the DSR format according to this embodiment. The changes from the DSR format specified in the current specification (see §6.1.3.72 of TS38.321) are as follows: The changes are that the DSR format 800 includes a PF (Priority Flag) 1 field 801 and a Modified Priority Level 1 field 802 that notifies the modified PL. Here, the PF 1 field 801 stores a flag that notifies whether or not the PL has been modified. In reality, there are as many PF fields and Modified Priority Level fields as there are LCGs to be notified (let's say m). More specifically, there are PF fields from PF 1 to PF m. Furthermore, there are Modified Priority Level fields, ranging from Modified Priority Level 1 to Modified Priority Level m. The field corresponding to PF 1 field 801 in the current specification is a Reserved bit. In this embodiment, a value of 1 in PF 1 field 801 means that the PL has been changed, and a value of 0 in PF 1 field 801 means that the PL has not been changed. Alternatively, the opposite may also be true. In this embodiment, Modified Priority Level 1 field 802 is an 8-bit field. However, if the number of bits required to notify the PL is n bits (where n is a natural number less than or equal to 7), the remaining (8-n) bits may be a Reserved bit or may be used for other fields. For LCGs where the PL is not changed (PF = 0), the corresponding Modified Priority Level field does not need to exist. Other fields (parameters) are as per the current specifications, and fields indicating the remaining time (e.g., Remaining Time 1) and buffer size (e.g., Buffer Size 1) are included in the DSR format 800.The newly introduced DSR according to this embodiment may be notified or set from the terminal to the base station via RRC messages (RRC signaling) and / or MAC CE. Note that the names of the newly introduced fields are not limited to the PF field and the Modified Priority Level field, and can be changed.

[0104] gNB111 determines whether the PL of the LCH of UE101 (LCH#2 and LCH#3 in the example shown in Figure 4) has been changed, according to the value of the PF field in the received DSR. Also, gNB111 determines the modified PL of the LCH of UE101, according to the value of the Modified Priority Level field in the received DSR.

[0105] If it is determined that the PL has been changed (S602; Yes), in S603, gNB111 calculates the buffer occupancy for the LCH notified by DSR and BSR as follows: gNB111 always includes the buffer occupancy of the LCH with the smallest PL (highest priority), and calculates the total buffer occupancy for each LCH by adding the buffer occupancy of zero or more other LCHs in ascending order of PL, and records it (for example in the data storage unit 325). In the example shown in Figure 4, gNB111 calculates and records the sum of the buffer occupancy of LCH#3 with PL=1, LCH#2 with PL=2, and LCH#1 with PL=3. Also, gNB111 calculates and records the sum of the buffer occupancy of LCH#3 with PL=1 and LCH#2 with PL=2. Furthermore, gNB111 calculates and records the buffer retention value of LCH#1 where PL=3. Thus, in the example shown in Figure 4, gNB111 calculates and records the values ​​of three buffer retention levels.

[0106] In S604, gNB111 determines whether the total buffered amount of UL data lingering in the buffers of all LCHs (LCH#3, LCH#2, and LCH#1) notified by DSR and BSR is less than or equal to the available UL resources. If the total buffered amount is less than or equal to the available UL resources (S604; Yes), the flow proceeds to S605. If the total buffered amount is not less than or equal to the available UL resources (S604; No), the flow proceeds to S606. In the example shown in Figure 4, the total buffered amount is 2.5 MB, and the available UL resources are 1.5 MB, so the flow proceeds to S606.

[0107] In S605, gNB111 generates a UL Grant specifying the allocated UL resources equal to the total buffer hoarding amount.

[0108] In S606, gNB111 generates a UL Grant specifying the available UL resources. More specifically, gNB111 considers the PLs of all LCHs and, based on the buffer occupancy calculated in S603 and their sum, determines the available UL resources for transmitting UL data and generates a UL Grant specifying the determined UL resources. As a result of the determination in S604, it is not possible to allocate UL resources to all UL data notified by all BSRs and DSRs, but this makes it possible to transmit the maximum amount of UL data starting with the highest priority.

[0109] If it is determined in S602 that the PL has not been changed (S602; No), then in S607, gNB111 generates a UL Grant by performing UL scheduling according to the conventional method described with reference to Figure 9. In the example shown in Figure 4, this step is performed after scheduling the transmission of 1.5 MB of UL data in LCH#3 and LCH#2. Therefore, gNB111 generates a UL Grant specifying the allocated UL resource for the amount of buffer hoarding notified by the BSR (1 MB of UL data in LCH#1). The flow then ends. In the example shown in Figure 4, this step may also be performed after UL scheduling has been re-executed in response to the next notification of the BSR and / or DSR.

[0110] As shown in Figure 6, the gNB111 (base station communication management unit 320) determines the uplink resources to be allocated to UE101 according to the priority determined by UE101.

[0111] As described above, according to this embodiment, the priority of LCHs containing delay-critical data is set higher than that of LCHs containing normal data (only), taking into account the remaining time of the delay-critical data (prioritizing LCHs with less remaining time). Furthermore, if there are multiple LCHs containing delay-critical data, the priority is set higher for those with less remaining time. Since UL scheduling can be performed based on the priorities set in this way, it is possible to avoid a decrease in throughput due to the discarding of UL data and to improve the delay time.

[0112] Furthermore, the classification of items in the above description is not essential to this disclosure, and matters described in two or more items may be used in combination as necessary, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other).

[0113] (Other Embodiments) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which UE101 changes (determines) the priority of one LCG in which only one LCH is used, and notifies gNB111 of the changed priority. In other embodiments, UE101 may change (determine) the priority of an LCH instead of an LCG, and notify gNB111 of the changed priority, and gNB111 may perform UL scheduling based on the notified priority. Therefore, UL scheduling may be performed on an LCH basis.

[0114] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which UE 101 notifies gNB 111 of the changed priority of the LCG (LCH) containing delayed critical data via DSR. In other embodiments, UE 101 may notify gNB 111 of the changed priority of the LCG (LCH) containing delayed critical data via BSR.

[0115] This disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of each of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. Furthermore, this disclosure can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., ASIC or FPGA) that implements one or more functions. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit, and FPGA is an abbreviation for Field Programmable Gate Array.

[0116] Any two or more of the components of UE101 and gNB111 described above may be integrated, or one component may be divided into two or more (sub)components.

[0117] The names of the components and parameters of UE101 and gNB111 described above are merely examples and may be changed to other names.

[0118] The order of the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., in the embodiments described above may be rearranged as long as they do not contradict each other. For example, the methods described above present various step elements using an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0119] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are attached to make the scope of the invention public.

[0120] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-156896, filed on September 10, 2024, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communication device that operates as a terminal compliant with the 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard, comprising: a priority changing means for performing a change in the priority of logical channels included in a predetermined logical channel group; and a transmission means for transmitting information regarding the changed priority to a base station compliant with the 3GPP standard.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the priority changing means changes the priority based on the remaining time until upstream data present in the buffer of a logical channel included in the predetermined logical channel group is discarded.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits a DSR (Delay Status Report) containing information regarding the changed priority to a communication device operating as the base station.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, further comprising a determination means for determining to transmit the DSR to a communication device operating as the base station, triggered when the remaining time until uplink data in the buffer of a logical channel included in the predetermined logical channel group is discarded falls below a threshold.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the logical channel includes a first logical channel and a second logical channel, the priority of the logical channel includes a first priority of the first logical channel and a second priority of the second logical channel, and if the remaining time until upstream data in the buffer of the first logical channel is discarded exceeds a threshold and the remaining time until upstream data in the buffer of the second logical channel is discarded is less than or equal to the threshold, the priority changing means changes at least one of the first priority or the second priority so that the first priority is lower than the second priority.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting means transmits a BSR (Buffer Status Report) containing information regarding the modified first priority and a DSR containing information regarding the modified second priority to a communication device operating as a base station.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the logical channel includes a third logical channel and a fourth logical channel, the priority of the logical channel includes a third priority of the third logical channel and a fourth priority of the fourth logical channel, and if the remaining time for the upstream data in the buffer of the third logical channel until it is discarded is less than or equal to a threshold, and the remaining time for the upstream data in the buffer of the fourth logical channel until it is discarded is less than or equal to the threshold, and the remaining time for the third is less than the remaining time for the fourth, the priority changing means changes at least one of the third priority or the fourth priority so that the third priority is higher than the fourth priority.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting means transmits a single DSR containing information relating to the modified third priority or fourth priority to a communication device operating as the base station.

9. A communication device operating as a base station compliant with the standards of 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project), comprising: receiving means for receiving information from a communication device operating as a terminal regarding the priority of logical channels included in a predetermined logical channel group modified by the communication device; and resource allocation means for assigning the modified priority information to the communication device operating as a terminal after receiving it.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, further comprising a transmission means for transmitting control information notifying the uplink resource to a communication device operating as the terminal.

11. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the receiving means receives a DSR containing the priority information from a communication device operating as the terminal.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the resource allocation means is triggered by receiving the DSR from the communication device operating as the terminal, and then allocates resources to the communication device operating as the terminal.

13. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the resource allocation means allocates upstream resources to the communication device operating as the terminal in accordance with the priority.

14. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the transmitting means transmits the control information to a communication device operating as the terminal in accordance with the priority.

15. A wireless communication system having a communication device operating as a terminal and a communication device operating as a base station, wherein the communication device operating as a terminal includes terminal-side determination means for determining the priority of a logical channel group and terminal-side transmission means for transmitting information relating to the determined priority to the communication device operating as a base station, and the communication device operating as a base station includes base station-side receiving means for receiving information relating to the determined priority from the communication device operating as a terminal and base station-side determination means for determining uplink resources to be allocated to the communication device operating as a terminal based on the information relating to the determined priority.

16. A control method performed by a communication device operating as a terminal compliant with the 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard, comprising the steps of: changing the priority of logical channels included in a predetermined logical channel group; and transmitting information regarding the changed priority to a communication device operating as a base station compliant with the 3GPP standard.

17. A control method performed by a communication device operating as a base station compliant with the 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard, comprising: receiving information from a communication device operating as a terminal regarding the priority of logical channels included in a predetermined logical channel group that has been modified by the communication device operating as a terminal compliant with the 3GPP standard; and determining uplink resources to be allocated to the communication device operating as a terminal after receiving the modified priority information.

18. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method described in claim 16 or 17.

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