Configured Grant PUSCH Resource Configuration for RRC Inactive State

Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G communication systems, user equipment (UEs) in the RRC_INACTIVE state face inefficiencies due to the need to frequently resume connections for small data transmissions, leading to unnecessary power consumption and signaling overhead, as the RRC_INACTIVE state did not initially support data transmission until NR Rel-16, prompting the need for methods like RACH-based and configured grant (CG) based small data transmission (SDT) to reduce these issues.

Innovation Solution

The method involves determining and configuring resource allocation for physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resources for CG-based transmission in the RRC_INACTIVE state, allowing UEs to transmit data without re-establishing a full RRC connection, using pre-configured PUSCH resources and associating them with synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) for beam alignment, thereby reducing power consumption and signaling overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If UEs frequently resume connections for small data transmissions, then data transmission capability is improved, but power consumption and signaling overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring PUSCH resources and establishing SSB-to-PUSCH resource mappings before the UE needs to transmit data. When in RRC_INACTIVE state, the UE can immediately use the pre-configured resources without performing full connection setup procedures, thus avoiding the energy cost of frequent connection resumptions while maintaining data transmission capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential data transmission functionality from the full RRC connection setup procedure. By allowing UEs to transmit small data packets using only pre-configured PUSCH resources without re-establishing complete RRC connections, it separates the minimal necessary transmission capability from the overhead of full connection management, reducing power consumption while preserving productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If UEs frequently resume connections for small data transmissions, then data transmission capability is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission capabilityVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring PUSCH resources and establishing SSB-to-PUSCH resource mappings before the UE needs to transmit data. When in RRC_INACTIVE state, the UE can immediately use the pre-configured resources without performing full connection setup procedures, thus avoiding the energy cost of frequent connection resumptions while maintaining data transmission capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential data transmission functionality from the full RRC connection setup procedure. By allowing UEs to transmit small data packets using only pre-configured PUSCH resources without re-establishing complete RRC connections, it separates the minimal necessary transmission capability from the overhead of full connection management, reducing power consumption while preserving productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If CG PUSCH resources are associated with SSBs for beam alignment, then transmission reliability is improved, but resource configuration complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam alignmentVSAvoidresource configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by associating specific CG PUSCH resources with specific SSB beams based on spatial characteristics. Each SSB beam is mapped to corresponding PUSCH resources that are optimized for that directional transmission, ensuring that the beam alignment and resource configuration are locally optimized for each spatial sector rather than using a uniform configuration across all beams.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the CG PUSCH resources into multiple groups, each associated with a specific SSB beam. This segmentation allows the system to manage beam alignment independently for different spatial directions, improving reliability by ensuring each transmission uses the appropriate beam while organizing the configuration in a structured, manageable way that reduces overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20240064736A1Method and apparatus for resource configuration for configured grant based transmission

Publication Date: 2024.02.22 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatus, and computer program products for configured grant (CG)-based transmission in non-RRC connected state. A method comprises determining resource configuration indicative of one or more physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resources allocated for the CG based transmission; and transmitting to a network node, data of the CG based transmission from a user equipment in the non-RRC connected state by utilizing the one or more PUSCH resources according to the determined resource configuration.