Data transmission method, storage medium, electronic device and computer program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a data transmission method, the method comprising: sending to a base station a random access request; receiving from the base station a random access response; sending to the base station a data transmission request; and receiving from the base station a contention resolution result generated on the basis of the data transmission request.

Description

Data transmission methods, storage media, electronic devices and computer program products

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This disclosure is based on and claims priority to Chinese patent application CN202411644986.6, filed on November 15, 2024, entitled “Data Transmission Method, Storage Medium, Electronic Device and Computer Program Product”, and incorporates the entire contents of that patent application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a data transmission method, a storage medium, an electronic device, and a computer program product. Background Technology

[0004] With the pre-research of 6G networks and the widespread application of 5G networks, future wireless communication networks will not only provide high-speed mobile broadband services but also integrate sensing, computing, and intelligent services to support the low-power, low-cost communication needs of massive IoT devices. In such a network environment, IoT devices typically need to frequently send small amounts of data in low-power mode. To meet the needs of these devices, 5G R17 introduced Small Data Transmission (SDT) technology. User Equipment (UE) needs to first enter the connected state, receive the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release signaling, and then enter the inactive state. Subsequently, if the UE has uplink data to transmit, it can initiate a connection recovery request in the inactive state and transmit data in the inactive state. Since SDT technology requires the UE to enter the connected state before sending small data, this means that the UE needs to go through the complete RRC connection establishment process before entering SDT. This results in an excessively long process for the device to enter SDT for the first time, increasing the latency of data transmission.

[0005] There is no good solution to the above problems yet. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a data transmission method, storage medium, electronic device, and computer program product to at least solve the problem of long small data transmission processes in related technologies.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a data transmission method is provided, applied to a terminal, the method comprising: sending a random access request to a base station; receiving a random access response from the base station; sending a first data transmission request related to a data transmission service to the base station; receiving a contention resolution result generated based on the first data transmission request from the base station, and transmitting data with the base station.

[0008] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a terminal is also provided, which is used to implement the steps of any of the above-described method embodiments applied to the terminal.

[0009] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a data transmission method is also provided, applied to a base station. The method includes: receiving a random access request from a terminal; sending a random access response to the terminal; receiving a first data transmission request related to a data transmission service from the terminal; sending a contention resolution result to the terminal according to the first data transmission request; and transmitting data with the terminal.

[0010] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a base station is also provided for implementing the steps of any of the above-described method embodiments applied to a base station.

[0011] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a communication system is also provided, including a base station and a terminal, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the steps in any of the above-described method embodiments applied to the terminal, and the base station is configured to implement the steps in any of the above-described method embodiments applied to the base station.

[0012] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0013] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0014] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 is a hardware structure block diagram of the mobile terminal operating in the embodiments of the method disclosed herein;

[0016] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a data transmission method on the terminal side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a data transmission method on the base station side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the SDT data transmission process in the existing standard;

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the process of initiating a CFT for the first time in one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a non-first-time CFT initiation process in one embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0024] The method embodiments provided in this disclosure can be executed in a mobile terminal, computer terminal, or similar computing device. Taking running on a mobile terminal as an example, FIG1 is a hardware structure block diagram of a mobile terminal running in the method embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in FIG1, the mobile terminal may include one or more (only one is shown in FIG1) processors 102 (processor 102 may include, but is not limited to, processing devices such as microprocessors MCUs or programmable logic devices FPGAs) and a memory 104 for storing data. The mobile terminal may also include a transmission device 106 for communication functions and an input / output device 108. Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in FIG1 is only illustrative and does not limit the structure of the mobile terminal. For example, the mobile terminal may also include more or fewer components than shown in FIG1, or have a different configuration than shown in FIG1.

[0025] The memory 104 can be used to store computer programs, such as application software programs and modules, like the computer program corresponding to the data transmission method in this embodiment. The processor 102 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the computer program stored in the memory 104, thus implementing the above-described method. The memory 104 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 104 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 102, and these remote memories can be connected to the mobile terminal via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0026] The transmission device 106 is used to receive or send data via a network. Specific examples of the network described above may include a wireless network provided by the mobile terminal's communication provider. In one example, the transmission device 106 includes a Network Interface Controller (NIC), which can connect to other network devices via a base station to communicate with the Internet. In another example, the transmission device 106 may be a Radio Frequency (RF) module, used for wireless communication with the Internet.

[0027] This disclosure provides a data transmission method applied to a terminal. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the data transmission method on the terminal side according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the process includes the following steps:

[0028] Step S201: Send a random access request to the base station;

[0029] Step S202: Receive a random access response from the base station;

[0030] Step S203: Send a first data transmission request related to the data transmission service to the base station;

[0031] Step S204: Receive the contention resolution result generated according to the first data transmission request from the base station, and transmit data with the base station.

[0032] In this embodiment, the execution subject of the above steps S201 to S204 is a terminal, including but not limited to mobile terminals, computer terminals, Internet of Things devices, etc.

[0033] The embodiments disclosed herein allow the UE to send small data packets without establishing a complete RRC connection, thereby achieving more efficient and energy-saving data transmission. Therefore, this data transmission method can be called Connection Free Transmission (CFT) or Small Data Transmission Detachment (SDD), but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Correspondingly, the data transmission service here is CFT or SDT.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first data transmission request in step S203 carries the terminal identifier (UE-ID) of the terminal and a registration request or service initiation request. The registration request and service initiation request can follow the content of the current standard protocol.

[0035] For example, in the traditional access process, registration requests and service initiation requests are usually sent after the RRC connection is established. However, the embodiments of this disclosure skip the traditional RRC connection establishment process and directly send registration requests or service initiation requests, thereby simplifying the data transmission access process.

[0036] In one exemplary embodiment, the first data transfer request may include a connectionless data transfer request (CFTRequest), but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0037] In some embodiments, sending a random access request to the base station in step S201 may include: sending the random access request to the base station according to the dedicated random access resources of the data transmission service.

[0038] In one exemplary embodiment, the dedicated random access resource for data transmission services can be a CFT-dedicated random access resource or a small data transmission-dedicated random access resource. For example, the base station can determine whether a random access request is for a CFT process and not for an RRC connection establishment process based on the CFT-dedicated resource used by the random access request.

[0039] In some embodiments, prior to step S201, the method further includes: step S200, obtaining the dedicated random access resource.

[0040] For example, step S200 may include:

[0041] Step S2002: Receive a system information block message carrying information indicating the dedicated random access resource;

[0042] Step S2004: Determine the dedicated random access resource based on the information of the dedicated random access resource.

[0043] In this embodiment, the base station allocates dedicated random access resources for data transmission (such as CFT) to the terminal through a System Information Block (SIB). These resources are used for the transmission of various signaling messages in the random access procedure. For example, these dedicated random access resources can be used for the transmission of random access requests, random access responses, data transmission requests, and contention resolution results.

[0044] In some embodiments, the random access response in step S202 carries an uplink grant allocated by the base station to the terminal, wherein the uplink grant (UL grant) carries indication information of the terminal's transport block size (TBSize), which is greater than or equal to the size of the registration request or service initiation request.

[0045] In some embodiments, the random access response carries a temporary cell-radio network temporary identifier (temp C-RNTI) assigned to the terminal by the base station. The data transmission request and the contention resolution result are scrambled using the temporary cell-radio network temporary identifier. The temporary cell-radio network temporary identifier is converted into a cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) after the terminal successfully contends for the data.

[0046] For example, after a terminal successfully competes for a share, all subsequent air interfaces will use the C-RNTI scrambling method.

[0047] In some embodiments, receiving the contention resolution result generated according to the first data transmission request from the base station in step S204 may include receiving the contention resolution result from the base station through a Medium Access Control Element (MAC CE).

[0048] In this embodiment, the contention resolution result can be sent using the UE Contention Resolution Identity (MAC CE) from existing communication standards.

[0049] In this embodiment of the disclosure, in step S204, regarding data transmission between the terminal and the base station, as an example only, if the terminal initiates a data transmission service for the first time, or if the terminal and the base station do not store the bearer and security-related context information (e.g., dedicated signaling radio bearer, dedicated data radio bearer, and / or access layer security-related context information) established for previous data transmission services (e.g., CFT or SDT data transmission services) between them, the terminal can establish these bearers with the base station and activate access layer security to transmit data. As another example, if the terminal initiates a data transmission service again and the terminal and the base station store the bearer and security-related context information established for previous data transmission services between them, in step S204, the terminal and the base station can use this context information to restore these bearers and activate access layer security, thereby enabling data transmission. A more detailed description follows.

[0050] In some embodiments, the data transmission with the base station in step S204 may include the following steps:

[0051] Step S2041: Receive a security mode command from the base station;

[0052] Step S2042: Activate access layer (AS) security according to the security mode command, and send a security mode completion message to the base station;

[0053] Step S2043: Receive a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message from the base station, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message carries parameters of the dedicated data radio bearer;

[0054] Step S2044: Configure the dedicated data radio bearer according to the parameters of the dedicated data radio bearer, and send an RRC reconfiguration response to the base station;

[0055] Step S2045: The data transmission is performed through the dedicated data wireless bearer.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first data transmission request is used to establish a dedicated signaling radio bearer and the first data transmission request is transmitted through a signaling radio bearer (SRB) SRB0, wherein the dedicated signaling radio bearer is used to send signaling such as the security mode command and the security mode completion message.

[0057] For example, SRB0 uses Transparent Mode (TM) to send data transmission requests, and a dedicated signaling radio bearer (such as SRBx) is used for subsequent signaling interaction procedures.

[0058] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal can activate access layer security and configure data radio bearer according to the above steps S2041, S2042, S2043, and S2044.

[0059] In some embodiments, the terminal and base station may store relevant context information, including security information and bearer information. The bearer information can be divided into information related to signaling radio bearers (SRBs, such as SRBx) and information related to data radio bearers (DRBs). For example, steps S2041 and S2042 are used to determine the security information, and steps S2043 and S2044 are used to determine the dedicated data radio bearer in the bearer information. In some embodiments, depending on whether the relevant information is stored, the above steps may be performed individually or sequentially.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, if the terminal is initiating the access process for data transmission for the first time, after receiving the contention resolution result in step S204, the above steps S2041, S2042, S2043, and S2044 need to be executed to realize data transmission.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, if the terminal initiates the access procedure for data transmission again, and neither the terminal nor the base station has saved the context information, then after receiving the contention resolution result in step S204, the above steps S2041, S2042, S2043, and S2044 also need to be executed to achieve data transmission.

[0062] In some embodiments, transmitting the data via the dedicated data radio bearer may include at least one of the following: transmitting uplink data to the base station via the dedicated data radio bearer; and receiving downlink data transmitted via the dedicated data radio bearer from the base station.

[0063] Through the embodiments of this disclosure, data transmission can be performed using a dedicated data radio bearer without establishing an RRC connection, thereby saving signaling interaction processes, avoiding resource waste, and improving the transmission efficiency of small data.

[0064] In some embodiments, after receiving the contention resolution result generated according to the first data transmission request from the base station in step S204, the method further includes:

[0065] The terminal is determined to have entered a first state, wherein the first state supports data transmission.

[0066] In this embodiment, when the terminal has activated access layer security and the terminal has not established a signaling radio bearer (SRB1) with the base station, the terminal will enter the first state.

[0067] In some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to the first state supporting the storage of context information related to the dedicated signaling radio bearer, the dedicated data radio bearer, and the access layer security, storing the context information.

[0068] In one exemplary embodiment, the first state includes one of the following:

[0069] In idle state, saving context information by the terminal and base station is not supported; alternatively, saving context information by the terminal and base station is supported.

[0070] In the inactive state, the context information has been saved by the terminal and the base station;

[0071] The new RRC status and context information have been saved by the terminal and the base station.

[0072] In this embodiment, context information can be used to restore the dedicated signaling radio bearer, the dedicated data radio bearer, and activate the access layer security.

[0073] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0074] In response to the terminal entering the first state, a service monitoring timer is started;

[0075] In response to the terminal sending uplink data or receiving downlink data, the service monitoring timer is restarted;

[0076] In response to the service monitoring timer expiring, the terminal enters a second state corresponding to the first state, wherein the second state does not support data transmission.

[0077] In this embodiment, only the connected state in the traditional RRC state can support data transmission, while the first state in this disclosure can support data transmission, such as small data transmission and connectionless transmission.

[0078] In this embodiment, the first state is an RRC state that supports data transmission, and the second state is a traditional RRC state that does not support data transmission. For example, both the first and second states can include an idle state, an inactive state, or a new RRC state, wherein a new RRC state refers to an RRC state that is different from the traditional RRC state.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, if the second state is a conventional idle state (IDLE), then the first state can be represented as a CFT-supporting idle state (CFT_IDLE); if the second state is a conventional inactive state (INACTIVE), then the first state can be represented as a CFT-supporting inactive state (CFT_INACTIVE). For example, since new RRC states may be introduced in communication standard protocols, the first state in this embodiment can also be a new RRC state supporting CFT transmission.

[0080] In this embodiment, the duration of the service monitoring timer can be carried in the data transmission request, or the duration of the service monitoring timer can be configured by the base station. The duration can be set according to the user's desired service duration.

[0081] In this embodiment, a service monitoring timer can be used to monitor the duration of connectionless data transmission. If data needs to be transmitted before the timer expires, regardless of whether the data comes from different data transmission services, the timer can be restarted, and the terminal can remain in the first state. If no service data transmission occurs for a period of time, connectionless data transmission deactivation is required, i.e., transitioning from the first state to the second state. For example, from a macroscopic perspective, the UE's RRC state does not change before and after deactivation; it simply transitions from a CFT-supporting RRC state to a CFT-unsupporting RRC state. From a microscopic perspective, if the UE enters an idle state that supports data transmission, then after deactivation, the UE enters an idle state that does not support data transmission, but both states belong to the idle state within the RRC state.

[0082] In some embodiments, in response to the service monitoring timer timeout, the terminal may save the context information. Specifically, when the service monitoring timer times out, the terminal will transition from a first state to a second state. If the first state supports saving context information, the terminal may save the context information when the first state ends. If the first state does not support saving context information, the terminal will not save the context information.

[0083] In some embodiments, the base station may also similarly save context information. For example, the base station may monitor the RRC status of the terminal and save the corresponding context information when the terminal enters the second state from the first state, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0084] In some embodiments, in response to the existence of data transmission service in the second state and the terminal saving the context information, the method further includes:

[0085] Send a second data transmission request and at least some data related to the existing data transmission service to the base station;

[0086] Upon receiving a response to the second data transmission request from the base station, the system enters the first state and transmits data with the base station based on the context information.

[0087] In this embodiment, the second data transmission request is similar to the first data transmission request described above. Specifically, the second data transmission request also carries the terminal's identifier and a registration request or service initiation request; the second data transmission request may also include a connectionless data transmission request. Furthermore, the second data transmission request can be sent together with uplink data.

[0088] In some embodiments, the response to the second data transmission request may be indicated using a contention resolution identifier, and the response to the second data transmission request may be transmitted along with downlink data. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the response to the second data transmission request may also be indicated using other message formats.

[0089] In some embodiments, before sending a second data transmission request and at least some data related to the existing data transmission service to the base station, the method further includes: sending the random access request to the base station; and receiving the random access response from the base station. The specific implementation is the same as steps S201 and S202 described above, and will not be repeated here. Depending on the actual needs of the service scenario (e.g., whether the base station needs to reallocate UL Grant, temp C-RNTI, etc. for the terminal), when performing data transmission services again, the terminal can directly send the second data transmission request, or the terminal can first send a random access request and then send the second data transmission request after receiving the random access response.

[0090] In this embodiment, the terminal and the base station can restore the dedicated signaling radio bearer, the dedicated data radio bearer, and activate the access layer security based on pre-saved context information, and use the restored dedicated data radio bearer to perform data transmission.

[0091] In some embodiments, using a restored dedicated data radio bearer for data transmission may include at least one of the following: sending uplink data to the base station via the dedicated data radio bearer; and receiving downlink data sent via the dedicated data radio bearer from the base station.

[0092] Through the embodiments disclosed herein, the RRC connection establishment message can be omitted, and the data transmission request can be initiated directly in Msg3, thus eliminating the Msg5 process. This simplifies the data transmission access process, solves the problem of long small data transmission processes in related technologies, and achieves the technical effect of improving access speed and data transmission efficiency.

[0093] This disclosure also provides a terminal for implementing the steps in any of the terminal-side method embodiments described above.

[0094] This disclosure provides a data transmission method applied to a base station. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the data transmission method on the base station side according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the process includes the following steps:

[0095] Step S301: Receive a random access request from the terminal;

[0096] Step S302: Send a random access response to the terminal;

[0097] Step S303: Receive a first data transmission request related to the data transmission service from the terminal;

[0098] Step S304: Send the contention resolution result to the terminal according to the first data transmission request, and perform data transmission with the terminal.

[0099] In this embodiment, the entity executing steps S301 to S304 is the base station.

[0100] This disclosure allows the UE to send small data packets without establishing a complete RRC connection, thereby achieving more efficient and energy-saving data transmission. Therefore, this data transmission method can be called Connectionless Transmission (CFT) or Small Data Transmission (SDT), but this disclosure is not limited to these terms. Correspondingly, the data transmission service here is CFT or SDT.

[0101] In some embodiments, the base station may determine the dedicated random access resources for data transmission services based on the resources used when receiving a random access request.

[0102] In this embodiment, the first data transmission request in step S303 carries the terminal identifier (UE-ID) and a registration request or service initiation request. In traditional access procedures, the registration request and service initiation request are typically sent after the RRC connection is established. However, this embodiment skips the traditional RRC connection establishment process and allows the registration request or service initiation request to be received directly from the terminal.

[0103] In one exemplary embodiment, the first data transfer request may include a connectionless data transfer request (CFTRequest), but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0104] In some embodiments, before receiving a random access request from the terminal in step S301, the method further includes:

[0105] Step S300: Send a System Information Block (SIB) message to the terminal, carrying information indicating the Dedicated Random Access Resource (DRG) for the data transmission service.

[0106] In this embodiment, the base station allocates dedicated random access resources for data transmission (such as CFT) to the terminal through a System Information Block (SIB). These resources are used for the transmission of various signaling messages in the random access procedure. For example, these dedicated random access resources can be used for the transmission of random access requests, random access responses, data transmission requests, and contention resolution results.

[0107] In some embodiments, sending the contention resolution result to the terminal in step S304 may include: sending the contention resolution result to the terminal through the Control Information Unit (MAC CE) of the Media Access Control layer.

[0108] In some embodiments, in response to the fact that the context information of the terminal is not saved by the terminal and the base station or that the terminal is initiating the data transmission request for the first time, the data transmission with the terminal in step S304 may include the following steps:

[0109] Step S3041: Send a security mode command to the terminal via a dedicated signaling radio bearer;

[0110] Step S3042: Receive the security mode completion message sent by the terminal through the dedicated signaling radio bearer after activating access layer security;

[0111] Step S3043: Send a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message to the terminal, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message carries parameters of the dedicated data radio bearer;

[0112] Step S3044: Receive the RRC reconfiguration response sent by the terminal after configuring the dedicated data radio bearer;

[0113] Step S3045: The data transmission is performed through the dedicated data wireless bearer.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first data transmission request is used to establish a dedicated signaling radio bearer, and the first data transmission request is transmitted via the signaling radio bearer SRB0, wherein...

[0115] The dedicated signaling radio bearer is used to transmit the security mode command. For example, SRB0 uses transparent mode for data transmission.

[0116] In some embodiments, the terminal and base station may store relevant context information, including security information and bearer information. The bearer information can be divided into information related to the signaling radio bearer (SRB) and information related to the data radio bearer (DRB). For example, steps S3041 and S3042 are used to determine the security information, and steps S3043 and S3044 are used to determine the dedicated data radio bearer in the bearer information. In some embodiments, depending on whether the relevant information is stored, the above steps may be performed individually or sequentially.

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment, if the terminal is initiating the access process for data transmission for the first time, after receiving the contention resolution result in step S304, the above steps S3041, S3042, S3043, and S3044 need to be executed to realize data transmission.

[0118] In an exemplary embodiment, if the terminal initiates the access procedure for data transmission again, and neither the terminal nor the base station has saved the context information, then after receiving the contention resolution result in step S304, the above steps S3041, S3042, S3043, and S3044 also need to be executed to achieve data transmission.

[0119] In some embodiments, transmitting data via the dedicated data radio bearer may include at least one of the following: receiving uplink data transmitted via the dedicated data radio bearer from the terminal; and transmitting downlink data to the terminal via the dedicated data radio bearer.

[0120] In some embodiments, the process of initiating a data transmission request again in response to the terminal and base station saving the context information may include the following steps:

[0121] Receive a second data transmission request and at least some data related to the existing data transmission service from the terminal;

[0122] Send a response to the second data transmission request to the terminal and perform data transmission with the terminal.

[0123] In this embodiment, the second data transmission request is similar to the first data transmission request described above. Specifically, the second data transmission request also carries the terminal's terminal identifier and a registration request or service initiation request; the second data transmission request may also include a connectionless data transmission request. The difference is that the second data transmission request can be sent together with uplink data.

[0124] In some embodiments, the response to the second data transmission request may be indicated using a contention resolution identifier, and the response to the second data transmission request may be transmitted along with downlink data. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the response to the second data transmission request may also be indicated using other message formats.

[0125] In some embodiments, before receiving a second data transmission request and at least some data related to the existing data transmission service from the terminal, the method further includes: receiving the random access request from the terminal; and sending the random access response to the terminal. The specific implementation is the same as steps S301 and S302 described above, and will not be repeated here. Depending on the actual needs of the service scenario (e.g., whether the base station needs to reallocate UL Grant, temp C-RNTI, etc. for the terminal), when performing data transmission services again, the terminal can directly send the second data transmission request, or the terminal can first send a random access request and then send the second data transmission request after receiving the random access response.

[0126] In this embodiment, the terminal can restore the dedicated signaling radio bearer, the dedicated data radio bearer, and activate the access layer security based on pre-saved context information, and use the restored dedicated data radio bearer to perform data transmission.

[0127] In some embodiments, using a restored dedicated data radio bearer for data transmission may include at least one of the following: receiving uplink data transmitted via the dedicated data radio bearer from the terminal; and transmitting downlink data to the terminal via the dedicated data radio bearer.

[0128] Through the embodiments disclosed herein, the RRC connection establishment message can be omitted, and the data transmission request can be initiated directly in Msg3, thus eliminating the Msg5 process. This simplifies the data transmission access process, solves the problem of long small data transmission processes in related technologies, and achieves the technical effect of improving access speed and data transmission efficiency.

[0129] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a base station for implementing the steps in any of the base station-side method embodiments described above.

[0130] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a communication system is also provided. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the system includes the following structure:

[0131] Terminal 10 is configured to implement any of the steps described above in the method embodiments applied to the terminal;

[0132] Base station 20 is configured to implement any of the steps described above in the method embodiments applied to a base station.

[0133] In this embodiment, data transmission can be achieved without establishing an RRC connection between the terminal and the base station. For example, the data transmission access process may include the following steps:

[0134] Step S401: The terminal sends a random access request to the base station;

[0135] Step S402: The base station sends a random access response to the terminal;

[0136] Step S403: The terminal sends a data transmission request to the base station;

[0137] In step S404, the base station sends the contention resolution result generated based on the data transmission request to the terminal.

[0138] In this embodiment, if the base station and the terminal have stored the terminal's context information, such as bearer information and security information, the terminal can directly send uplink data to the base station through the data transmission request in step S403, and the base station can also directly send downlink data to the terminal through the contention resolution result in step S404.

[0139] In this embodiment, if the terminal initiates a data transmission request for the first time, or if the terminal and the base station do not save the terminal's context information, the terminal also needs to activate access layer security, configure a dedicated data radio bearer, and then transmit uplink and downlink data through the dedicated data radio bearer.

[0140] The embodiments disclosed herein allow UEs to send small data packets without establishing a complete RRC connection, enabling faster and simpler small data transmission. By directly initiating data transmission requests during the access process, the problem of long small data transmission processes in related technologies is solved, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving access speed and data transmission efficiency.

[0141] The normal procedure for random access to small data transmission (RA-SDT) in existing standard protocols is as follows: If the UE needs to enter the SDT state for the first time, it needs to first enter the connected state, receive the RRC connection release signaling, and then transition to the inactive state (configuring the dedicated bearer identifier used for small data transmission). If the UE subsequently has uplink data to transmit, it can initiate an RRC recovery request (RRCResumeRequest) in the inactive state and transmit data in the inactive state. The process of the UE entering the SDT state for the first time is relatively long. If uplink data needs to be sent subsequently, the RRC recovery request is re-initiated.

[0142] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the SDT data transmission process in the existing standard. As shown in Figure 5, the process includes the following steps:

[0143] In step S501, the gNB sends the small data public configuration (sdt-ConfigCommon) to the UE through SIB1;

[0144] Step S502: When the UE enters the inactive state, the gNB configures the SDT resources through the RRC release message;

[0145] Step S503: When the UE needs to restore the RRC connection, it determines whether the SDT procedure can be initiated based on the preset SDT initiation conditions. If, after the determination, RA-SDT can be initiated, then proceed to step S504.

[0146] In step S504, the UE uses the RA-SDT resources configured in step S501 to send msg1;

[0147] Step S505, UE receives msg2;

[0148] In step S506, the UE sends msg3, which carries an RRC recovery request (RRCResumeRequest) and uplink small data (UL small data);

[0149] In step S507, the UE receives msg4, which carries the UE Contention Resolution Identity (MAC CE) identifier. msg4 may also carry downlink small data (DL small data). If the MAC CE indicates that the UE contention resolution was successful, the SDT procedure is successfully initiated, and the UE can begin receiving and sending subsequent small data.

[0150] Step S508: Perform small data transmission of the uplink dynamically scheduled by C-RNTI;

[0151] Step S509: Perform small data transmission of the downlink dynamically scheduled by C-RNTI;

[0152] In step S510, the gNB sends an RRC release (RRCRelease) message to the UE, notifying the UE to end the SDT process and re-enter the inactive state.

[0153] In the existing standard SDT data transmission process, for small data transmission, the UE first needs to receive the SIB1 message to obtain physical resource configuration and transition to the active state. Then, it receives the RRC reconfiguration message to receive the control unit and distribution unit parameters of the radio bearer (RB), and the RRC Release message (to obtain the SDT-specific RB), before transitioning to the inactive state. If the UE needs to transmit small amounts of data at this point, it can initiate an RRC Resume Request to send the data. In other words, the initial SDT data transmission process can be represented as: SIB1 -> RRC Establishment Request -> RRC Establishment -> RRC Establishment Completed -> RRC Reconfiguration -> Uplink Data -> RRC Release -> ... -> RRC Resume Request (carrying uplink data).

[0154] It is evident that the existing SDT data transmission process is cumbersome, which is not conducive to system energy saving and will also have a certain impact on the efficiency of small data transmission. In order to solve this problem, the embodiments of this disclosure propose a simplified data transmission process, in which the UE can directly enter the small data transmission process without going through the complete RRC establishment process, thereby realizing a connectionless data transmission (CFT).

[0155] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the process of initiating a CFT for the first time in one embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the process includes the following steps:

[0156] In step S0, the UE triggers the CFT random access procedure.

[0157] Step S1: The UE sends a random access request (RAPreamble), or Msg1, to the network side (xNB) to initiate the random access procedure.

[0158] The UE needs to first receive the SIB message sent by the network side, obtain the resource information from the SIB message, and then use the CFT-specific random access resource configured in the SIB to send the random access request.

[0159] Step S2: The network side sends a random access response (RAResponse), i.e., Msg2, to the UE to grant random access authorization.

[0160] The network side identifies the user (UE) as a CFT user based on the fact that the resource used by Msg1 is a random access resource dedicated to CFT. The base station replies to the UE with Msg2 and allocates a larger transport block size (TBSize) to the UE through the uplink grant (UL Grant) carried in Msg2. The transport block size can accommodate the CFT request, and temp C-RNTI is allocated to the UE in Msg2.

[0161] Step S3: The UE sends a CFT request (CFTRequest), i.e., Msg3, to the network side.

[0162] CFTRequest is a newly defined RRC message that can carry the UE ID and traditional initiation request messages (such as registration requests or service requests), and is scrambled using temp C-RNTI. It is transmitted in TM mode using SRB0. CFT requests do not require the establishment of an RRC connection. For example, CFT requests establish a dedicated SRBx connection by default. This SRBx is used to carry subsequent secure establishment procedures between the network side and the UE.

[0163] Compared to the conventional initiation process, the embodiments disclosed herein advance the data transmission request from Msg5 to Msg3, reducing the number of signaling interactions, simplifying the access process, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and saving communication resources used for signaling interactions.

[0164] Step S4: The network side uses MAC CE to send the contention resolution result to the UE, completing the contention resolution process.

[0165] The contention resolution result can be transmitted using the UE Contention Resolution Identity MAC CE, a legacy feature from the existing standard, scrambled with a temp C-RNTI. Upon successful contention resolution, the temp C-RNTI becomes a C-RNTI, which is then used for scrambling in subsequent air interfaces.

[0166] Step S5: The network side sends a security mode command (SecurityModeCommand) to the UE.

[0167] The security mode command is sent via the CFT-dedicated signaling radio bearer SRBx.

[0168] Step S6: The UE sends a Security Mode Complete message (SecurityModeComplete) to the network side.

[0169] The UE activates access layer security according to the security mode command, and then sends a security mode completion message to the network side through the CFT-dedicated signaling radio bearer SRBx.

[0170] Step S7: The network side sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE.

[0171] The RRC reconfiguration message carries the parameters of the CFT-specific data radio bearer (DRB), and the UE can send data through the DRB configured in the RRC reconfiguration message.

[0172] Step S8: The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message (RRCReconfigurationComplete) to the network side.

[0173] The UE configures the dedicated data radio bearer for CFT according to the parameters of the dedicated data radio bearer, and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message, i.e., RRC reconfiguration response, to the network side after the configuration is completed.

[0174] For example, after step S8, the UE can use the CFT-specific DRB for its first uplink data transmission. The network side can also use the CFT-specific DRB for its first downlink data transmission.

[0175] In this embodiment, after step S8, the terminal and base station can directly use the dedicated CFT data radio bearer to transmit uplink or downlink data during the CFT process. The duration of the CFT process can be monitored by a timer; if there is no data transmission for an extended period, the CFT process is terminated.

[0176] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the CFT procedure can be triggered not only by the UE but also by the network. For example, when downlink data arrives, the network can inform the UE to initiate connectionless transmission through paging. A new field can be added to the paging message to distinguish whether the CFT procedure is triggered or the traditional RRC connection establishment procedure is initiated.

[0177] In this embodiment of the disclosure, if the UE is not initiating CFT for the first time, and both the UE and the network side have saved the UE's context information (including bearer information and AS security information), the CFT initiation process can be further simplified.

[0178] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a non-first-time CFT initiation process in one embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the process includes the following steps:

[0179] In step S0, the UE triggers the CFT random access procedure.

[0180] Step S1: The UE sends a random access request (RAPreamble), or Msg1, to the network side (xNB) to initiate the random access procedure.

[0181] The UE needs to first receive the SIB message sent by the network side, obtain the resource information from the SIB message, and then use the CFT-specific random access resource configured in the SIB to send the random access request.

[0182] Step S2: The network side sends a random access response (RAResponse), i.e., Msg2, to the UE to grant random access authorization.

[0183] The network side identifies the user (UE) as a CFT user based on the fact that the resource used by Msg1 is a random access resource dedicated to CFT. The base station replies to the UE with Msg2 and allocates a larger transport block size (TBSize) to the UE through the uplink grant (UL Grant) carried in Msg2. The transport block size can accommodate the CFT request, and temp C-RNTI is allocated to the UE in Msg2.

[0184] Step S3: The UE sends a CFT request (CFTRequest), i.e., Msg3, to the network side.

[0185] CFTRequest is a newly defined RRC message that can carry the UE ID and traditional initiation request messages (such as registration requests or service requests), and is scrambled using temp C-RNTI. It is transmitted in TM mode using SRB0. CFT requests do not require the establishment of an RRC connection. For example, CFT requests establish a dedicated SRBx connection by default. This SRBx is used to carry subsequent secure establishment procedures between the network side and the UE.

[0186] If the UE and the network side have saved the context information of bearer and AS security, the CFT request can be sent together with the service data to realize the transmission of uplink data, which further improves the data transmission efficiency and saves the communication resources used for signaling interaction.

[0187] Step S4: The network side uses MAC CE to send the contention resolution result to the UE, completing the contention resolution process.

[0188] The contention resolution result can be transmitted using the UE Contention Resolution Identity MAC CE, a legacy feature from the existing standard, scrambled with a temp C-RNTI. Upon successful contention resolution, the temp C-RNTI becomes a C-RNTI, which is then used for scrambling in subsequent air interfaces.

[0189] If the UE and the network side have saved the context information of bearer and AS security, the contention resolution result can also be sent together with the service data to realize the transmission of downlink data.

[0190] In some embodiments, the contention resolution result may also be replaced by a response to other forms of CFT requests to indicate that the terminal has completed access stratum security activation, dedicated signaling radio bearer configuration, and dedicated data radio bearer configuration.

[0191] In this embodiment, after step S4, the terminal and base station can directly use the dedicated CFT data radio bearer to transmit uplink or downlink data during the CFT process. The duration of the CFT process can be monitored by a timer; if there is no data transmission for an extended period, the CFT process is terminated.

[0192] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the CFT procedure can be triggered not only by the UE but also by the network. For example, when downlink data arrives, the network can inform the UE to initiate connectionless transmission through paging. A new field can be added to the paging message to distinguish whether the CFT procedure is triggered or the traditional RRC connection establishment procedure is initiated.

[0193] In this embodiment, the initial CFT initiation process is more streamlined than the SDT initiation process: by receiving the SIB, receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, sending the CFT request, and activating AS security, small data packet transmission can be performed immediately after receiving the RRC reconfiguration message. Furthermore, the CFT initiation process can be resumed solely through a CFT Request. In other words, the CFT initiation process can be represented as: Initial Initiation: SIB1 -> CFT Request (Service Request or Registration Request + UE ID) -> MAC CE (Downlink Contention Resolution Result MAC CE) -> RRC Reconfiguration -> Uplink Data -> ... -> Re-initiation: CFT Request (Uplink Data).

[0194] In this embodiment, the CFT access process differs from the conventional access process in the following ways: (1) The CFT registration request / service request process does not require the establishment of an RRC connection (SRB1), so there is no need to transmit signaling such as RRC establishment request, RRC establishment, or RRC establishment completion. This simplifies the process to a CFT request (new RRC signaling) or MAC CE, and the CFT request directly carries the UE ID and the registration request or service request. A dedicated control plane connection for CFT is established by default through the CFT request. (2) There is no need to release and save SDT proprietary data through the RRC connection. Based on the above differences, the data transmission access method in this embodiment can reduce the number of signaling requests, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and saving resource consumption during signaling interaction.

[0195] In one embodiment of this disclosure, for a non-first-time CFT random access procedure, the steps in Figure 6 or Figure 7 can be executed based on whether the UE and the network side have stored the context information of bearer and AS security.

[0196] In this embodiment, an RRC state (equivalent to the first state) is also defined. After contention resolution, although the UE has not established an SRB1 connection with the base station, the UE has activated AS layer security. This state can be defined as an idle state, an inactive state, or a new RRC state. The difference is that this state in this embodiment can support data transmission. For example, to distinguish it from the traditional RRC states that do not support data transmission (equivalent to the second state), this state can be represented as CFT_IDLE or CFT_INACTIVE.

[0197] If this state is defined as idle (including but not limited to CFT_IDLE), and the idle state supports the network side and UE in saving context information for bearer and AS security, then the UE only needs to send a CFT request and service data directly for the next service initiation, that is, execute the steps in Figure 7.

[0198] If this state is defined as idle (including but not limited to CFT_IDLE), and the idle state does not support the network side and UE in saving context information for bearer and AS security, then the UE needs to re-establish SRB and DRB bearers and activate AS security every time it initiates a service request, that is, to execute the steps in Figure 6.

[0199] If this state is defined as inactive (including but not limited to CFT_INACTIVE), then since both the network side and the UE side store the context information of bearer and AS security, the UE only needs to directly initiate a CFT request and send service data at the same time for the next service initiation, that is, execute the steps in Figure 7.

[0200] If this state is defined as the new RRC state, then the UE will only need to directly initiate a CFT request and send service data at the same time for the next service initiation, that is, to execute the steps in Figure 7.

[0201] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this disclosure, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0202] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0203] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0204] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0205] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0206] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the method embodiments described above.

[0207] Specific examples in this embodiment can be found in the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0208] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the modules or steps of this disclosure described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those presented herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, this disclosure is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0209] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A data transmission method applied to a terminal, the method comprising: Send a random access request to the base station; Receive a random access response from the base station; Send a first data transmission request related to the data transmission service to the base station; Receive the contention resolution result generated based on the first data transmission request from the base station, and transmit the data with the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first data transmission request carries the terminal identifier of the terminal and a registration request or service initiation request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first data transmission request includes a connectionless data transmission request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, Sending a random access request to the base station includes: The random access request is sent to the base station according to the dedicated random access resources of the data transmission service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, Before sending the random access request to the base station according to the dedicated random access resources of the data transmission service, the method further includes: Receive a System Information Block (SIB) message carrying information indicating the Dedicated Random Access Resource; The dedicated random access resource is determined based on the information of the dedicated random access resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The random access response carries an uplink license allocated by the base station to the terminal, wherein the uplink license carries an indication of the transport block size of the terminal, and the transport block size is greater than or equal to the size of the registration request or service initiation request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, The random access response carries a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier assigned to the terminal by the base station. The first data transmission request and the contention resolution result are scrambled using the temporary cell radio network temporary identifier. The temporary cell radio network temporary identifier is converted into a cell radio network temporary identifier after the terminal successfully competes for the contention.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, Data transmission with the base station includes: Receive security mode command from the base station; Activate access layer security according to the security mode command, and send a security mode completion message to the base station; The base station receives a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message carries parameters of the Dedicated Data Radio Bearer; Configure the dedicated data radio bearer according to the parameters of the dedicated data radio bearer, and send an RRC reconfiguration response to the base station; The data transmission is performed via the dedicated data wireless bearer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The first data transmission request is used to establish a dedicated signaling radio bearer, and the first data transmission request is transmitted through the signaling radio bearer SRB0, wherein... The dedicated signaling radio bearer is used to send the security mode command.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein, After receiving the contention resolution result generated according to the first data transmission request from the base station, the method further includes: The terminal is determined to have entered a first state, wherein the first state supports data transmission.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the first state, the context information related to the dedicated signaling radio bearer, the dedicated data radio bearer, and the access layer security is saved.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the terminal entering the first state, a service monitoring timer is started; In response to the terminal sending uplink data or receiving downlink data, the service monitoring timer is restarted; In response to the service monitoring timer expiring, the terminal enters a second state corresponding to the first state, wherein the second state does not support data transmission.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, In response to the existence of data transmission service in the second state and the terminal saving the context information, the method further includes: Send a second data transmission request and at least some data related to the existing data transmission service to the base station; Upon receiving a response to the second data transmission request from the base station, the system enters the first state and transmits data with the base station based on the context information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, Before sending a second data transmission request and at least some data related to the existing data transmission service to the base station, the method further includes: Send the random access request to the base station; Receive the random access response from the base station.

15. A data transmission method applied to a base station, the method comprising: Receive random access requests from the terminal; Send a random access response to the terminal; Receive a first data transmission request related to data transmission services from the terminal; The contention resolution result is sent to the terminal according to the first data transmission request, and data transmission is performed with the terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first data transmission request carries the terminal identifier of the terminal and a registration request or service initiation request.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, Before receiving the random access request from the terminal, the method further includes: A System Information Block (SIB) message carrying information indicating the Dedicated Random Access Resource (DRAP) for the data transmission service is sent to the terminal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein, Data transmission with the terminal includes: Send a security mode command to the terminal; Receive the security mode completion message sent by the terminal after activating access layer security; Send a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message to the terminal, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message carries parameters of the dedicated data radio bearer; Receive the RRC reconfiguration response sent by the terminal after configuring the dedicated data radio bearer; The data transmission is performed via the dedicated data wireless bearer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The first data transmission request is used to establish a dedicated signaling radio bearer, and the first data transmission request is transmitted through the signaling radio bearer SRB0, wherein... The dedicated signaling radio bearer is used to send the security mode command.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a second data transmission request and at least some data related to the existing data transmission service from the terminal; Send a response to the second data transmission request to the terminal and perform data transmission with the terminal.

21. A terminal configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

22. A base station configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 15 to 20.

23. A communication system comprising a base station and a terminal, the terminal being configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, and the base station being configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 15 to 20.

24. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a computer program, wherein, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 20.

25. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the processor implementing the steps of the method of any one of claims 1 to 20 when executing the computer program.

26. A computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method of any one of claims 1 to 20.

Images