Uplink Data Transmission for Inactive State UEs

Solution Overview

Problem

User Equipment (UE) in an inactive state faces challenges in quickly transmitting uplink data due to the need for state transitions, which incur significant signaling overhead, especially in scenarios like massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) where burst small data packets are common.

Innovation Solution

The UE sends an initial uplink transmission carrying an inactive-state UE identifier in uplink contention resources, receiving a feedback acknowledgement message to acknowledge the transmission, allowing for quick data transfer without immediate state transitions, and determining the need for state changes flexibly to reduce unnecessary signaling overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the UE initiates a connection establishment procedure to transmit uplink data in inactive state, then the UE can transmit data, but the signaling overhead increases and transmission speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission speedVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The network pre-configures uplink contention resources and inactive-state UE identifiers for the UE while it is in the inactive state, before actual data transmission is needed. This preliminary configuration enables the UE to immediately transmit uplink data using pre-allocated resources without initiating a connection establishment procedure, thereby reducing both transmission delay and signaling overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the UE performs state transition to RRC_connected state for data transmission, then the UE can send data, but the transmission delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission capabilityVSAvoidstate transition time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The network pre-configures uplink contention resources and inactive-state UE identifiers for the UE while it is in the inactive state, before actual data transmission is needed. This preliminary configuration enables the UE to immediately transmit uplink data using pre-allocated resources without initiating a connection establishment procedure, thereby reducing both transmission delay and signaling overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Speed

If the UE sends uplink data in inactive state using pre-configured resources, then the transmission speed increases, but the resource allocation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuplink data transmission speedVSAvoidresource configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The uplink contention resources and inactive-state UE identifiers are designed to be universally applicable across multiple UEs in the inactive state. The network configures a set of shared resources that can be used by any inactive UE that needs to transmit uplink data, eliminating the need for complex individual resource allocation procedures while enabling fast transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3445125B1Uplink data transmission method and device

Publication Date: 2023.08.30 DATANG MOBILE COMM EQUIP CO LTD

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AI summary

A method and a device for transmitting uplink data are provided. The method includes sending, by a UE, an initial uplink transmission carrying an inactive-state UE identifier of the UE in uplink contention resources available in a region, in case that uplink data of the UE in an inactive state arrives; and receiving a feedback acknowledgement message for acknowledging the initial uplink transmission.