[go: up one dir, main page]

WO2022131981A1 - Autorisation configurée avec des motifs sélectionnables par un équipement utilisateur - Google Patents

Autorisation configurée avec des motifs sélectionnables par un équipement utilisateur Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2022131981A1
WO2022131981A1 PCT/SE2020/051236 SE2020051236W WO2022131981A1 WO 2022131981 A1 WO2022131981 A1 WO 2022131981A1 SE 2020051236 W SE2020051236 W SE 2020051236W WO 2022131981 A1 WO2022131981 A1 WO 2022131981A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pattern
wireless communications
communications device
uplink transmissions
network node
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/SE2020/051236
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Bikramjit Singh
Min Wang
Jan Christoffersson
Mårten ERICSON
Stefan WÄNSTEDT
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Original Assignee
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB filed Critical Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority to PCT/SE2020/051236 priority Critical patent/WO2022131981A1/fr
Publication of WO2022131981A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022131981A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W72/00—Local resource management
    • H04W72/02—Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W72/00—Local resource management
    • H04W72/20—Control channels or signalling for resource management
    • H04W72/23—Control channels or signalling for resource management in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to a configured grant where user equipment is able to select a configured grant, CG, pattern to use for uplink transmissions based on traffic patterns and to various related aspects.
  • the disclosed technology relates to providing a wireless communications device with a plurality of selectable CG patterns for up-link, UL, transmission occasions, TOs, from which the UE can select a CG to use in a radio access network, such as, for example, a 5G or 6G radio access network.
  • a radio access network such as, for example, a 5G or 6G radio access network.
  • configured scheduling is used to allocate semi-static periodic assignments or grants for transmissions by a user equipment, UE.
  • UE user equipment
  • Type 1 CGs are configured via radio resource control, RRC, signalling only.
  • Type 2 CGs use a similar configuration procedure to the semi-persistent scheduling uplink, SPS-UL, process used in long term evolution, LTE, networks.
  • some parameters are preconfigured via radio resource control, RRC signalling and some physical layer parameters are configured via a media access control, MAC, scheduling procedure.
  • each CG allocation has a specific pattern and each configured grant period starts with one or a plurality of uplink transmission occasions, UL- TOs, which are consecutively allocated.
  • the predetermined allocation of UL TOs at the start of each configured grant period can create several problems.
  • a network node such as a next-generation node, gNB
  • gNB next-generation node
  • this increases the signalling overhead and the frequency of signalling from the gNB for both Type 1 and Type 2 CGs as the gNB needs to send either an RRC reconfiguration to update the relevant parameters or a DCI activation command to activate the new grant configuration parameters respectively.
  • repetition related configuration parameters there are also other CG parameters such as the modulation and coding scheme, MCS, the physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, mapping type, the CG periodicity, and the CG time offset which are all configured in a semi-static fashion. These other CG parameters cannot be quickly adapted if there are changes to any channel conditions or quality of service, QoS, requirement during the configured grant period, due to the consecutive allocation of all UL-TOs to the start of each grant period.
  • the CG includes transmission occasions (TO) in the beginning of the period in a consecutive manner.
  • TO transmission occasions
  • every configured grant period i.e., configured by the parameter periodicity
  • there may be multiple TOs configured both intra slot and inter slot.
  • Rel-16 i.e. in ETSI TS 138 331 V16.2, also discloses that multiple CG allocations are allowed in one bandwidth part, BWP, of a serving cell. These multiple CG allocations can be used for multiple traffic types, or the same traffic type (but with only one CG used at any given time) to deter alignment delay, however, if a traffic pattern changes during a CG period, the CG pattern cannot change during the CG period.
  • a gNB can reconfigure a Type 1 CG, for example, using an RRC reconfiguration to update the relevant CG parameters but RRC signalling is normally slow and may introduce high signalling overhead.
  • the CG is a Type 2 CG
  • the gNB needs to send a DCI activation command to activate the new CG parameters at the UE.
  • the DCI based approach is not particularly fast either. Firstly, for example, the gNB may not be aware of the UE status (e.g., new data arrival etc.), therefore, gNB may not be able to make a timely decision.
  • the UE needs to provide confirmation MAC CE in uplink, which causes additional delay.
  • the disclosed technology seeks to mitigate, obviate, alleviate, or eliminate one or more of the above example problems with current technology and/or to improve a communications over a radio access network.
  • Various aspects of the disclosed technology are as set out in this summary section with examples of some embodiments, which may be preferred embodiments.
  • An object of the disclosed technology seeks to provide a configured grant process in a radio access network.
  • a configured grant process may be provided which enables a wireless communications device such as a UE to respond more quickly to changes in traffic patterns by providing a CG where the UE is able to select a CG pattern for an UL transmissions based on the detected UL traffic pattern.
  • a first aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a method performed by a wireless communications device for selecting a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network, the method comprising: receiving signalling for at least one configured grant, CG, allocation from a network node, the CG allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a configured grant in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device, determining a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period, and selecting one of the at least one CG patterns for the configured grant in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • a plurality of selectable CG patterns are received with the CG allocation and the wireless communications device selects one of the received plurality of selectable CG patterns in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the CG pattern which is selectable by the wireless communications device comprises a CG pattern which the wireless communications device defines for the CG configuration based on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the method further comprises determining, by the wireless communications device, a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions in a CG period comprises determining, by the wireless communications device, at least one traffic pattern for uplink transmissions in a plurality of CG periods.
  • selecting, by the wireless communications device, a CG pattern in dependence on the determining traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in a CG period comprises selecting, by the wireless communications device , a CG pattern for each of the plurality of CG periods in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for uplink transmissions in each CG period.
  • each CG pattern comprises a set of CG parameter values which are defined at least in part by the wireless communications device.
  • one or more of the set of CG parameters of a CG pattern are defined with default values by the network node allocating the CG.
  • one or more of the network node default values are redefined by the wireless communications device.
  • the CG pattern indicates which parameters and/or values can be defined or redefined by the wireless communications device, and the CG pattern may, in some embodiments, indicate a range of values for the CG patttern parameters within which the wireless communications device can select a value.
  • all of the parameter values in a CG pattern are determined by the network node 120, but a plurality of CG patterns are provided in each allocation from which the wireless communications device selects a CG pattern.
  • the method further comprises transmitting , by the wireless communications device , an indicator of the selected CG pattern to a network node receiving the uplink transmissions, wherein the indicator is a unique indicator for each unique CG pattern
  • the wireless communications device prior to receiving the grant allocation from the network node, the wireless communications device sends a capability bit to the network node.
  • the selected CG pattern is selected based on one or more traffic characteristics of the uplink transmissions.
  • the method further comprises receiving information from the network node indicating the selected CG pattern is accepted, for example, an ACK may be provided, alternatively, the network node may reject the selected CG and/or provide a different CG the wireless communications device should use in its response.
  • the wireless communications device selects the CG pattern by measuring a channel condition for the uplink transmissions and based on the measured channel conditions selects the CG pattern and the channel condition measurement is based on at least a number of listen-before- talk, LBT, and/or a number of clear channel assessment failures.
  • the wireless communications device is configured with multiple CGs for a CG period, each CG being associated with a different CG pattern for the CG period, and the method further comprises signalling to the network node an indicator of the selected CG pattern for a grant configuration to be used in the CG period.
  • the method further comprises determining a current CG pattern of a grant configuration used for uplink transmissions has been interrupted and selecting another, different, CG pattern of the grant configuration for continuing the uplink transmissions.
  • the selecting a CG pattern comprises selecting a plurality of candidate CG patterns and the method further comprises transmitting an indictors for the plurality of candidate CG patterns to the network node.
  • each CG pattern is associated with a bit-map field position.
  • the same bitmap field used to indicate each of one or more selected or candidate CG patterns in the signalling by the network node to the wireless communications device is used to signal the selected CG pattern or patterns back to the network node.
  • the method further comprises: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host computer via transmission to a network node configured to provide base station functionality to the wireless communications device.
  • a second aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a method performed by a network node for providing a configured grant, CG, allocation for uplink transmissions in a radio access network to a wireless communications device, the method comprising determining at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions by a wireless communications device and transmitting the at least one CG pattern in a CG allocation for uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods to the wireless communications device, wherein the at least one CG pattern is selectable for the CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods by the wireless communications device
  • the least one CG pattern is selectable by the wireless communications device defining or redefining one or more of the parameters and/or parameter values forming a CG pattern and selecting to use that defined or redefined CG pattern for the CG configuration.
  • the method further comprises receiving, from a wireless communications device , uplink transmissions using one of the plurality of CG patterns allocated for the CG period.
  • the method further comprises decoding the received uplink transmissions using each CG pattern allocated to the wireless communications device for use in that CG period until a match is found.
  • the method further comprises receiving signalling from the wireless communications device comprising an indication of the allocated CG pattern selected by the wireless communications device for the uplink transmissions, for example, prior to the receiving of the uplink transmissions.
  • the method further comprises signalling an assignment of a different CG pattern from the CG pattern in the indication received from the wireless communications device , for example in a response, to receiving the indicator or a capability bit from the wireless communications device.
  • the method further comprises receiving a capability bit from the wireless communications device.
  • the configuring of the CG patterns is based on a capability bit received from the communications device.
  • the method further comprises sending an indication to the wireless communications device that the selected CG pattern of the indication is accepted, or rejected or proposing in response to a received CG indicator and/or capability bit a CG pattern that the wireless communications device is to use.
  • the network node is a gNB.
  • the method of the second aspect comprises providing multiple CG allocations for a CG period, wherein each of the CG allocations allocates resources for uplink transmissions in the CG period and includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in the CG period which is selectable by the wireless communications device (110, Q.Q.491, 0.0.492,0.0.530).
  • each CG pattern is associated with a bit-map field position included in the signalling to the wireless communications device.
  • the same bitmap field which used to indicate each of one or more selected or candidate CG patterns in the signalling by the network node to the wireless communications device is used to signal the selected CG pattern or patterns back to the network node.
  • the plurality of CG patterns are dynamically determined as a function of current and/or predicted cell statistics for the cell occupied by the wireless communications device.
  • the method further comprises receiving a request for a new CG pattern from the wireless communications device, wherein the configuring of the plurality of CG patterns for at least one CG period is responsive to processing the received request.
  • the method further comprises: configuring the plurality of CG patterns comprises configuring at least one CG pattern based on a predicted traffic behaviour for at least one service used by the wireless communications device and signalling the configured CG pattern to the wireless communications device .
  • the predicted traffic behaviour is predicted using a machine learning technique, for example, by the network node.
  • the method further comprises: obtaining user data and forwarding the user data to a host computer or a wireless communications device .
  • a third aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a wireless communications device configured to select, or determine, a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network
  • the wireless communications device comprising a controller or control circuitry configured to: receive signalling for at least one CG allocation from a network node , the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device, determine a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period, and select a CG pattern in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • control circuitry is configured to perform any one of the disclosed embodiments of the first method aspect.
  • a fourth aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a network node configured to provide a configured grant, CG, allocation for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network to at least one wireless communications device, the network node comprising control circuitry configured to determine at least one configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions by a wireless communications device (110) and transmit the at least one CG pattern in a CG allocation for uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods to the wireless communications device, wherein the at least one CG pattern is selectable for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods by the wireless communications device.
  • control circuitry is configured to perform any one of the disclosed embodiments of the second method aspect.
  • a fifth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a user equipment (UE) for selecting a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network, the UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to control or processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the control or processing circuitry; the control or processing circuitry being configured to: receive, signalling for at least one CG allocation from a network node, the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device, determine a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period, and select a CG pattern in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • UE user equipment
  • all of the at least one CG pattern for the CG configuration are selectable by the wireless communications device.
  • each of the plurality of CG patterns is selectable by the wireless communications device 110 and the wireless communications device 110 selects one or more CG patterns from the plurality of selectable CG.
  • the wireless communications device instead or in addition selects a CG pattern where the wireless communications device 110 has defined one or more parameter values of at least one, or a plurality or all of the at least one CG patterns and/or has redefined one or more default parameter values.
  • the UE comprises the wireless communications device according to the third aspect, wherein the control or processing circuitry is configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the first method aspect.
  • a sixth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a communication system including a host computer comprising control or processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a radio access network for transmission to a user equipment, UE, wherein the radio access network comprises a network node having a radio interface and control or processing circuitry, the network node's control or processing circuitry being configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the method according to the second aspect.
  • the communication system further includes the network node and/or the UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the network node.
  • the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.
  • a seventh aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node providing base station functionality and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a radio access network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any one of the embodiments of the second method aspect.
  • a communication system including a host computer, a network node providing base station functionality and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a radio access network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any one of the embodiments of the second method aspect.
  • the method further comprises, at the network node, transmitting the user data.
  • the user data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application, and wherein the method further comprises, at the UE, executing a client application associated with the host application.
  • An eighth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a network node providing base station functionality, the UE comprising a radio interface and control or processing circuitry configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the method of the seventh aspect.
  • UE user equipment
  • a ninth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a communication system including a host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward user data to a cellular network, for example, a radio access network, for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and control or processing circuitry, the UE's components configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the method of the first aspect.
  • a host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward user data to a cellular network, for example, a radio access network, for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and control or processing circuitry, the UE's components configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the method of the first aspect.
  • UE user equipment
  • the cellular network for example a radio access network, further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE.
  • control or processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the UE's control or processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.
  • a tenth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node configured to provide base station functionality and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a radio network comprising the network node, wherein the UE performs any one of the embodiments of the method of the first aspect.
  • UE user equipment
  • An eleventh aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a communication system including a host computer comprising: a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a network node configured to provide base station functionality, wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and control or processing circuitry, the UE's control or processing circuitry configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the method of the first aspect.
  • a host computer comprising: a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a network node configured to provide base station functionality, wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and control or processing circuitry, the UE's control or processing circuitry configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the method of the first aspect.
  • the communication system further includes the UE and/or the network node configured to provide base station functionality, wherein the network node comprises a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE and a communication interface configured to forward to the host computer the user data carried by a transmission from the UE to the base station.
  • control or processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and the UE's control or processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data.
  • control or processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing request data; and the UE's control or processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data in response to the request data.
  • a twelfth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node configured to provide base station functionality and a user equipment, UE, the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving user data transmitted to the base station from the UE, wherein the UE performs any one of the methods of the first aspect.
  • the method further comprises, at the UE, providing the user data to the base station.
  • the method further comprises, at the UE, executing a client application, thereby providing the user data to be transmitted; and at the host computer, executing a host application associated with the client application.
  • the method further comprises, at the UE, executing a client application, and at the UE, receiving input data to the client application, the input data being provided at the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application, wherein the user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data.
  • a thirteenth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a communication system including a host computer comprising a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment, UE, to a network node providing base station functionality, wherein the network node comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, the network node's control or processing circuitry being configured to perform any one of the embodiments of the method of the second aspect.
  • the communication system further includes the network node and/or the UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.
  • the communication system further includes the control or processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data to be received by the host computer.
  • a fourteenth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node configured to provide base station functionality and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving, from the network node, user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the UE performs any one of the embodiments of the first method aspect.
  • a communication system including a host computer, a network node configured to provide base station functionality and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving, from the network node, user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the UE performs any one of the embodiments of the first method aspect.
  • the method further comprises at the network node, receiving the user data from the UE.
  • the method further comprises at the network node, initiating a transmission of the received user data to the host computer.
  • a fifteenth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer readable storage medium comprising computer code, which when loaded and executed by one or more processors or processing circuitry of a wireless communications device causes the wireless communications device to perform a method of the first method aspect or any one of the embodiments of the method of the first aspect.
  • a sixteenth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer readable storage medium comprising computer code, which when loaded and executed by one or more controllers or control circuitry or processors or processing circuitry of a network node, causes the network node to perform any one of the embodiments of a method according to the second aspect.
  • a seventeenth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises an apparatus or control circuitry 1900 for selecting a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network, the apparatus comprising: means or one or more modules for receiving signalling for at least one CG allocation from a network node, the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein a CG pattern for the configured grant in at least one of the one or more CG periods is selectable by the wireless communications device, means or one or more modules for determining a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period, and means or one or more modules for selecting a CG pattern in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the network node comprises, for example, an apparatus or control circuitry (2000) according to the eighteenth aspect,
  • the apparatus or control circuitry further comprises means or one or more modules to perform one of the embodiments of the method of the first aspect.
  • An eighteenth aspect of the disclosed technology comprises an apparatus or control circuitry configured to provide a configured grant, CG, allocation for uplink transmissions in a radio access network to a wireless communications device, the apparatus or control circuitry comprising: means or one or more modules configured to determine at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions by a wireless communications device; and means or one or more modules configured to transmit the at least one CG pattern in a CG allocation CG for uplink transmissions in one or more periods to the wireless communications device , wherein the at least one CG pattern is selectable for the CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods by the wireless communications device.
  • the apparatus or control circuitry of the eighteenth aspects further comprises means or one or more modules configured to perform any one of the embodiments of a method according to the second aspect.
  • a nineteenth aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a carrier signal comprising signalling from a network node according to the fourth aspect or any of the disclosed embodiments of the fourth aspect to at least one wireless communications device according to the third aspect or any of the disclosed embodiments of the third aspect and/or, for example, comprising user equipment, UE, according to the third aspect or any one of the embodiments of the fifth or eighth aspects, wherein the signalling comprises a CG allocation indicating at least one configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration of radio resources for uplink transmissions by the wireless communications device in one or more CG periods, and wherein at least one CG pattern for the CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods is selectable by the at least one wireless communications device.
  • a CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable, for example, by being determinable, or definable or redefineable in some embodiments.
  • the parameters and/or parameter values in the CG allocation may be definable or redefineable by the wireless communications device in some embodiments selecting an option from a list of optional values that the CG pattern provides for the wireless communications device 110 to select from.
  • Figure 1 schematically illustrates a radio access network in which radio resources are granted to wireless communications devices according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • Figure 2A schematically illustrates an example of a wireless communications device which receives signalling for a configured grant of radio resources according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • Figure 2B schematically illustrates a network node which generates and provides signalling for a configured grant of radio resources to a wireless communications device according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an example embodiment of the network node of Figure 2B
  • Figure 4 schematically illustrates how a maximum limit on autonomous uplinktransmissions of a HARQ process triggered by a UE can be controlled using a configured grant timer
  • Figure 5A illustrates schematically an example of a method 400 performed by a wireless communications device according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • Figures 5B illustrates schematically an example of a method 500 performed by a network node according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • Figure 6 illustrates schematically example of how CG patterns are allocated according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • Figure 7A illustrates schematically an example of a HARQ. process over a plurality of CG periods according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • Figure 7B illustrates schematically an example of a CG period changing according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology
  • Figure 8A illustrates schematically an example embodiment of computer apparatus on which an embodiment of a method according to the disclosed technology is implemented
  • Figure 8B illustrates schematically an example embodiment of computer apparatus on which an embodiment of another method according to the disclosed technology is implemented
  • Figure 9 schematically illustrates a telecommunication network connected via an intermediate network to a host computer
  • Figure 10 is a generalized block diagram of a host computer communicating via a network node or base station with a user equipment over a partially wireless connection;
  • FIGS 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B are flowcharts illustrating methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, according to the some of the disclosed embodiments.
  • FIG 1 schematically illustrates an example embodiment of a communication system which comprises a radio access network 100 comprising at least one network node 120, of which two are shown in Figure 1 which are labelled 120A, 120B and at least one wireless communications device 110, of which three are shown in Figure 1 labelled as 110A,110B,110C.
  • the wireless communications devices 110 are configured to communicate with one or more or all of the network nodes 120A, 120B using radio links 130 over the radio access network 100.
  • Each network node 120A, 120B is capable of connecting to a core network 150 using suitable wired or wireless communication links 140.
  • At least one network node 120 shown in Figure 1 is configured to implement one of the disclosed embodiments of a method 500 according to the second aspect disclosed herein, for example, a method 500 performed by a network node 120, Q412, Q520 for providing a configured grant, CG, allocation for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100 to a wireless communications device 110, the method comprising: determining 504 at least one configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions by a wireless communications device 110;; and transmitting 506 the at least one CG pattern in a CG allocation for uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods to the wireless communications device, wherein the at least one CG pattern is selectable for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods by the wireless communications device 110, QQ491, QQ492, QQ530.
  • At least one wireless communications device 110 shown in Figure 1 is configured to implement one of the disclosed embodiments of a method 400 for selecting a configured grant pattern for a traffic pattern of an uplink transmission in a radio access network, according to the first aspect disclosed herein in the communication system illustrated schematically in Figure 1.
  • method 400 performed by a wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.491, QQ492, QQ530 for selecting a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100, the method comprising: receiving 404 signalling for at least one CG allocation, from a network node 120, Q.Q.412, Q.Q.520, the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for aCG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.530, determining 406 a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period, and selecting 408 a CG pattern in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the ETSI TS 138 331 V16.2.0 2020-11 CG is provided using a resource pattern for uplink transmissions, for example, the CG may be provided as a pattern for the uplink transmissions in which the specific parameters values of CG allocated by the network node 120, for example, by a gNB, are provided in a form which allows their selection by the wireless communications device 110, for example, UE,.
  • a CG pattern comprises a set of selectable parameter values for a CG for uplink transmissions.
  • the CG pattern includes selectable ranges of parameter values within which a wireless communications device 110 can define a value.
  • the wireless communications device 110 may define one or more parameters and their values for uplink transmissions which comply with the CG pattern allocated by a network node 120. In some embodiments, multiple CG configurations, one or more having different CG patterns, are allocated by a network node 120, from which the UE is able to select a CG pattern.
  • Some embodiments of the method of the first aspect accordingly provide a flexible grant allocation from the network node 120, such as a gNB, to the wireless communications device 110 for uplink transmissions.
  • the CG is a flexible grant allocation according to a predetermined CG pattern, which allows the wireless communications device 110 to adapt or redefine values for one or more of the grant parameters and values according to the predetermined CG pattern.
  • the uplink transmissions comprise repetitive transmission occasions.
  • Some examples of CG parameters which may be included in the CG pattern include those of the ConfigureGrantConfig information element disclosed in in ETSI TS 138 331 V16.2.0 2020-11.
  • the resources for the uplink transmission by a UE may be dedicated or shared resources.
  • the method of the first aspect enables the wireless communications device 110 to respond more quickly to changes in traffic patterns that it detects, as the wireless communications device 110 can change the CG pattern parameter values is uses without waiting for signalling to confirm the new selection of CG parameter values from the gNB.
  • this allows the wireless communications device 110 to change the CG pattern parameter values to define a new CG pattern during a CG period. This can further reduce the latency that uplink transmissions might otherwise experience.
  • a network node 120 comprises an apparatus such as the apparatus 1900 shown in Figure 8A or a network node QQ412A, QQ412B, QQ412C such as are shown in Figure 9, or a network node providing base station functionality such as is shown in Figure 10 as base station QQ520, all of which are described in more detail later hereinbelow.
  • network node 120 comprises a network node 120 according to the fourth aspect of the disclosed technology, for example, a network node 120, QQ412, QQ530 configured to provide a configured grant, CG, allocation of resources for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100 to at least one wireless communications device 110, QQ4191, QQ492, Q.Q.530, the network node comprising control circuitry configured to: configure 504 a plurality of configured grant, CG, patterns in each CG period of at least one CG period, and transmit 506 the plurality of CG patterns in a CG allocation to the wireless communications device, the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device 110, QQ491, QQ492, QQ530.
  • a wireless communications device 110 comprises a user equipment, UE, according to the fifth or eighth aspects or any of their disclosed embodiments, for example a UE QQ491, QQ492 as shown in Figure 9 or a UE QQ530 as shown in Figure 10 described later below.
  • the wireless communications device also or instead comprises an apparatus 2000 or control circuitry according to the eighteenth aspect or any disclosed embodiments, including for example, an apparatus 2000 as shown in Figure 8B in some embodiments.
  • one or more or all of the wireless communications devices 110A, HOB, HOC, shown Figure 1 comprises a wireless communications device 110 according to the third aspect of the disclosed technology, for example, a wireless communications device (110, QQ491, QQ492, QQ530) configured to select a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100.
  • a wireless communications device 110, QQ491, QQ492, QQ530
  • the wireless communications device 110, QQ530 comprises a controller or control circuitry configured to receive 404, signalling for at least one CG allocation from a network node 120, Q.Q.412, Q.Q.520, the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.491, Q.Q.492, Q.Q.530, determine 406 a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period, and select 408 a CG pattern in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the communications system of Figure 1 only depicts radio access network 100, core network 150, network nodes 120A and 120B, and wireless communications devices 110A, HOB, and HOC.
  • the radio access network 100 may further include any additional elements suitable to support communication between wireless communications devices or between a wireless communications device and another communication device, such as a landline telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or end device.
  • network node 120 and wireless communications device (wireless communications device) 110 are depicted with additional detail in other Figures.
  • the radio access network 100 may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless communications devices 110 to facilitate the wireless communications devices' access to and/or use of the services provided by, or via, the radio access network 100.
  • the radio access network 100 may comprise a Long Term Evolution, LTE, and/or other suitable 4G, 5G, or 6G or later standard radio access network.
  • Core networks 150 comprises one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks, PSTNs, packet data networks, optical networks, wide- area networks, WANs, and may also comprise one or more local area networks, LANs, wireless local area networks, WLANs, wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication 140 between devices.
  • Network node 120 and wireless communications device 110 comprise various components described in more detail below in Figures 2A and 2B. These components work together in order to provide network node and/or wireless communications device functionality, such as providing wireless connections 130, 140 in a communications system 100, 150.
  • the communications system 100, 150 may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes 120, wireless communications devices 110, and/or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and/or signals via wireless connections 130, 140.
  • Figure 2A shows schematically an example embodiment of a wireless communications device 110 such as Figure 1 shows as wireless communications devices 110A, 110B, 110C.
  • the example embodiment of the wireless communications device 110 illustrated in Figure 2A comprises an antenna 208 connected via a suitable interface 206 to radio front end circuitry 204.
  • the interface 206 is connected to processing circuitry or one or more processor(s) 200, which may form, function as, or be part of control circuitry or a controller in some embodiments.
  • Reference to a processor and/or processing circuitry should be considered to also reference to a controller and/or control circuitry.
  • the controller and/or control circuitry may include other components in addition to a processor and/or processing circuitry.
  • Processing circuitry 200 is configured to write and retrieve data from memory 210 and can also receive, and cause to be displayed, data via user interface, U I, 212 (the display is not shown in Figure 2A for clarity).
  • the wireless communications device 110 includes optional auxiliary equipment 214 such as, for example, one or more sensors or other data input and/or output interfaces.
  • the various components of each wireless communications device 110 are powered using a suitable power source, for example, power circuitry 202 may receive power from a power source 216 and distribute power to the components of the wireless communications device 110.
  • Power source 216 may be an internal power source, such as one or more batteries, which may be rechargeable via an external power supply and/or be replaceable batteries.
  • An external power source may comprise a conventional or off-grid power source.
  • wireless communications device 110 illustrated in Figure 2A and also shown as wireless communications devices 110A,B,C in Figure 1 comprise multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components shown in Figure 2A for different wireless technologies, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies.
  • the components for these wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or set of chips as the components for other technologies and/or other components within wireless communications device 110.
  • the processing circuitry 200 illustrated in Figure 2A may comprise one or more or a combination of: a microprocessor, controller or control circuitry, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other wireless communications device 110 components, such as memory 210, wireless communications device 110 functionality.
  • Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein, for example, processing circuitry 200 may execute instructions stored in memory 210 or in memory within processing circuitry 200 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.
  • control or processing circuitry 200 may be provided by the control or processing circuitry 200 executing instructions stored on memory or other form of computer-readable storage medium 210. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by control or processing circuitry 200 without executing instructions stored in memory, such as in a hard-wired manner.
  • the control or processing circuitry 200 may be configured to perform any one or more or all of the determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being performed by an embodiment of the wireless communications device 110 according to the third aspects and/or a wireless communications device 110 configured to implement a method according to the first aspect.
  • Memory 210 as illustrated in Figure 2A is operable to store at least one computer program, software, or application comprising a set of instructions capable of being executed by processing circuitry 200.
  • Memory 210 may include computer memory (e.g., Random Access Memory, RAM, or Read Only Memory, ROM), mass storage media (e.g., a hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., a flash drive or other form of memory stick, a Compact Disk, CD or a Digital Video Disk, DVD, or removable memory drive), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and/or computer executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry 200.
  • computer memory e.g., Random Access Memory, RAM, or Read Only Memory, ROM
  • mass storage media e.g., a hard disk
  • removable storage media e.g., a flash drive or other form of memory stick, a Compact Disk, CD or a Digital Video Disk, DVD, or removable
  • the processing circuity 200 comprises one or more processors and/or is part of control circuitry or a controller and is integrated with memory 210.
  • Memory 200 may also be distributed and be provided in part remotely in some embodiments.
  • Example embodiments of wireless communications device 110 include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a cell phone, a voice over IP, VoIP, phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant, PDA, a wireless cameras, a gaming console or device, a music storage device, a playback appliance, a wearable terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet, a laptop, a laptop-embedded equipment, LEE, a laptop-mounted equipment, LME, a smart device, a wireless customer-premise equipment, CPE, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, etc.
  • wireless communications device 110 support device-to-device, D2D, communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, vehicle- to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X).
  • V2V vehicle- to-vehicle
  • V2I vehicle-to-infrastructure
  • V2X vehicle-to-everything
  • wireless communications device 110 comprises a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another wireless communications device and/or a network node.
  • the wireless communications device 110 comprises a UE implementing the 3GPP narrow band internet of things (NB-loT) standard.
  • NB-loT 3GPP narrow band internet of things
  • wireless communications device 110 examples include machines or devices such as sensors, metering devices such as power meters, residential or industrial machinery, or home or personal appliances (e.g. refrigerators, televisions, heating controllers, etc.), and personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.).
  • wireless communications device 110 represents a vehicle or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.
  • a wireless communications device 110 as described above in some embodiments represents an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, a wireless communications device 110 as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.
  • Figure 2B shows schematically an example embodiment of a network node such as Figure 1 shows as network nodes 120A,120B.
  • the example embodiment of such a network node 120 shown in Figure 2B comprises an apparatus or device (or a group of devices) capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to enable and/or provide a wireless communications device 110 with access to the wireless radio access network 100 or to provide some service to a wireless communications device 110 that has accessed the wireless radio access network 100.
  • a network node 120 which comprises equipment capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless communications device 110 such as wireless communications devices 110A,B,C in Figure 1 and/or with other network nodes 120 or equipment in a wireless radio access network 100 to enable and/or provide wireless radio access to the wireless communications devices 110 and/or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless radio access network.
  • network nodes 120 include, but are not limited to, access points, APs, for example, radio APs, base stations, BSs, such as for example, radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs, eNBs and NR NodeBs gNBs.
  • access points for example, radio APs, base stations, BSs, such as for example, radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs, eNBs and NR NodeBs gNBs.
  • network node 120 comprises antenna(s) 308 which is connected via interface 306 to radio front end circuitry 304.
  • the interface 306 is connected to processor(s) or processing circuitry 300.
  • Processor(s) or processing circuitry 300 is configured to store and retrieve data from memory 310.
  • auxiliary equipment 314 which may include network management user interface technology 312, for example, not shown in Figure 2B.
  • a power source 316 provides electrical energy via power circuitry 302 to the components of the network node 120.
  • Network node 120 may be implemented in any RAN which can support a CG configuration.
  • network node 120 comprises multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component.
  • network node 120 comprises a gNB, but in other embodiments network node 120 may comprise another type of node which can allocate configured grants according to one of the disclosed embodiments of method 500 in an LTE, 5G, or 6G or later network.
  • network node 120 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs).
  • RATs radio access technologies
  • Network node 120 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 120, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies in addition to LTE, 5G or 6G later RATs.
  • the processing circuitry 300 of network node 120 is configured to perform one or more of or all of any determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by a network node 120.
  • the processor(s) or processing circuitry 300 may also form part of or comprise a controller or control circuitry in some embodiments, and reference to a processor or processing circuitry should be also regarded as a reference to a controller or control circuitry. In some embodiments, the controller or control circuity also includes other components.
  • the control or processing circuitry 200 may be configured to perform any one or more or all of the determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being performed by an embodiment of the network node 120 such as a network node 120 according to the fourth aspect of the disclosed technology and/or a network node 120 configured to implement a method of the second aspect.
  • These operations performed by processing circuitry 300 may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry 300 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination.
  • processing circuitry 300 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory 310 to provide functionality providing, for example, any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein.
  • processing circuitry 300 may include a system on a chip, SOC.
  • processing circuitry 300 executing instructions stored on device readable medium or memory 300 within processing circuitry 300 or external to processing circuitry 300.
  • some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 300 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete memory component or module 310, for example, any suitable device readable (and/or writeable) medium, such as in a hard-wired manner.
  • processing circuitry 300 can be configured to perform the described functionality.
  • the memory 300 of network node 120 may comprise any suitable device readable and/or writeable medium, examples of which include, but are not limited to: any form of volatile or non-volatile computer readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), readonly memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and/or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry 300.
  • RAM random access memory
  • ROM readonly memory
  • mass storage media for example, a hard disk
  • removable storage media for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)
  • Memory 310 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructions capable of being executed by processing circuitry 300 and, utilized by network node 120. Memory 310 may be used to store any calculations made by processing circuitry 300 and/or any data received via interface 306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 300 and memory 310 are integrated. Memory may be also dispersed amongst one or more components of the network node and/or other network nodes. For example, memory 310 may comprises a plurality of different memory modules, including modules located on other network nodes in some some embodiments.
  • Interface 306 is used in the wired or wireless communication of signalling and/or data between network node 120, network 100, and/or wireless communications devices 110. As illustrated, interface 306 comprises port(s)/terminal(s) to send and receive data, for example to and from network 100 over a wired connection. Interface 306 also includes radio front end circuitry 304 coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, antenna 308. Radio front end circuitry 304 comprises filters 198 and amplifiers 196. Radio front end circuitry 304 may be connected to antenna 308 and processing circuitry 300. Antenna 308 may be coupled to radio front end circuitry 306 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly.
  • Antenna 308, interface 306, and/or processing circuitry 300 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Similarly, antenna 308, interface 306, and/or processing circuitry 300 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a network node.
  • Power circuitry 302 may comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry and is configured to supply the components of network node 120 with power for performing the functionality described herein.
  • Power circuitry 302 is used to distribute power from power source 316, which may comprise an internal or external battery or a mains power source, such as from a power distribution grid, or an alternative off-grid source of energy such as a solar or wind power source, and may include appropriate AC/DC and voltage transforming components (not shown in Figure 2B).
  • power source 316 may comprise an internal or external battery or a mains power source, such as from a power distribution grid, or an alternative off-grid source of energy such as a solar or wind power source, and may include appropriate AC/DC and voltage transforming components (not shown in Figure 2B).
  • Figure 3 shows schematically an example embodiment where network 100 is an access network such as a NR-RAN or next-generation RAN, NG-RAN, 100 for a core network 150.
  • network nodes 120A, 120B are shown in NR-RAN 100 in Figure 3 as gNBs 120 which provide NR or NG-NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards one or more more wireless communication devices 110 (not shown in Figure 3).
  • the gNBs are configured to connect to RAN 100 via suitable NG interfaces.
  • one or more or all of the network nodes 120 in NR-RAN 100 comprise a logical 5G or later radio communications standard, for example, 6G, network node 120.
  • One or more of such network nodes 120 may be configured to provide functionality in a manner similar to that of a base station by providing allocating grants for radio resources for communications access over NR-RAN 100 to at least one wireless communications device 110 when RAN 100 is a 5G or later standard NR-RAN.
  • one or more network nodes 120 in RAN 100 comprise a gNB node providing NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards a wireless communications device 110, or UE. In some embodiments, one or more network nodes 120 in RAN 100 comprise ng-eNB providing E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE such as wireless communications device 110.
  • Both types of network node 120 use a NG interfaces toward the core network 150 but will use different radio interfaces towards the UE.
  • the gNB and ng- eNG network nodes are linked together via an Xn-0 interface in some embodiments as shown in Figure 3.
  • the wireless core network 150 is a 4G core network and the RAN 100 is a NG-RAN network and each network node 120 may be a gNB node that connects to the 4G core network 150 in the form of a 4G eNB which acts as a master node, MeNB, in control of radio communications with the user equipment and an en-gNB node which is used as a secondary node, SgNB.
  • the functionality the gNB provides is distributed.
  • two gNBs 120 are shown connected via a NG logical interface to core network 150.
  • Each of the gNB nodes 120 is capable of operating in one or more or all of a frequency division duplexing mode, a time division duplexing operational mode or both (dual mode operation).
  • the gNB nodes 120 are interconnected through a Xn-C logical interface.
  • two gNB network nodes 120 are shown where the right hand side gNB is illustrated in its functional form as comprising two functional blocks: a gNB centralized unit which is shown schematically as gNB-CU 170 and two gNB distributed units gNB-DU 180.
  • the gNB-CU is is connected via a logical interface to one or more gNB-DUs 180.
  • a gNB centralized unit gNB-CU 170 is further split into a control and user plane
  • the disclosed example embodiments of the network nodes 120 described above are configured to implement one of the disclosed embodiments of method 500 described later on below and/or to comprise a network node according to the fourth aspect of the disclosed technology.
  • the disclosed embodiments of network node 120 are configured to allocate a configured grant of radio resources for one or more wireless communications devices 110 within its area of network coverage which allocate radio resources for the wireless communications devices 110 to use for uplink transmission occasions, for example, for repetitive up-link transmission occasions.
  • the configured grants are communicated by a network node 120 to one or more receiving wireless communications devices 110 using a suitable signalling process.
  • Each configured grant allocates resources which may be shared or not shared with other communication devices 110 according to a pattern.
  • the network nodes 120 may also send feedback, for example, hybrid automatic repeat-request, HARQ, feedback, to such wireless communications devices 110 for the uplink transmissions they make in RAN 100 using a suitable signalling process.
  • a wireless communications device 110 such as for example, a wireless communications device 110 according to the third aspect or any of its disclosed embodiments, which may comprise a UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530 according to the fifth or eight aspects or any of their disclosed embodiments, can trigger a retransmission autonomously using a configured grant for a HARQ. process configured with autonomous uplink, AUL, when a CG retransmission timer, CGRT, expires if the UE has not received HARQ feedback for the HARQ process by then.
  • AUL autonomous uplink
  • CGRT CG retransmission timer
  • the CGRT is configured by the radio resource control, RRC, parameter cg- RetransmissionTimer in the ConfiguredGrantConfig, CGC.
  • the CGRT is started for a HARQ process configured with AUL upon the data transmission using a configured grant, and a retransmission using another configured grant is triggered when the CGRT expires.
  • the wireless communications device 110 may continue to initiate autonomous HARQ retransmissions for a HARQ process.
  • These autonomous retransmissions may continue for a very long time if the radio channel quality is so bad or if the channel is seldom obtained due to listen-before-talk, LBT, failures, that the gNB does not receive that transport block, TB. This creates issues as until the transmitted packets expire the retransmission attempt(s) will create channel congestion which may increase the latency of other packets held at the up-link UL buffer of the wireless communications device 110.
  • the radio link control, RLC, layer at the UE may sooner or later trigger RLC retransmissions for a RLC packet data unit, PDU, which is still under retransmissions in the HARQ., however, the retransmitted RLC PDU would occupy a different HARQ process.
  • a network node 120 is configured to allocate configured grants according to 3GPP TS38.331 for configured grant in NR Re-16.
  • Figure 4 schematically illustrates how a maximum limit on autonomous uplinktransmissions of a HARQ process triggered by a UE can be controlled using a configured grant timer.
  • time flows from left to right and a timer, CGT, is configured to indicate the maximum amount of time that the wireless communications device 110 can use to complete transmission of a HARQ process.
  • CGT expires for that HARQ process the wireless communications device 110 flushes the HARQ buffer for that HARQ process and can then transmit the data of another transport block, TB.
  • both the CGT and the CGRT are configured for a HARQ process, they can both be operated in parallel as Figure 4 shows schematically.
  • the wireless communications device 110 can then perform HARQ retransmission using CG resources for a HARQ process while the CGT is running for that HARQ process.
  • the value of CGT is considerably longer than that of the CGRT in Figure 4, so that more than one retransmission can occur before the CGT expires.
  • a wireless communications device 110 such as a UE
  • multiple active configured grants for a given bandwidth part, BWP, in a serving cell
  • multiple configured grants may be used to allowing a wireless communications device 110, such as a UE, to switch to slot-based transmissions after initiating the COT, channel occupancy time, to minimize demodulation reference signal, DMRS, and uplink control information, UCI, overhead in unlicensed spectrum.
  • each CG configuration where there are a number of HARQ processes in the HARQ process pool assigned and a separate CGT timer and CGRT setting is associated with each CG configuration, it is possible to share HARQ. processes between the CG configurations to allow for better configuration flexibility. If instead each CG configuration used by a wireless communications device has separate associated HARQ processes, the HARQ process space may become limited for that wireless communications device. If a logical channel, LCH, is mapped to multiple CG configurations, the UE can transmit the data over that LCH using multiple active CG resources at the same time.
  • LCH logical channel
  • the wireless communications device 110 For a TB which was transmitted using a CG resource, it is allowed to use any CG resource among the set of CG resources mapped to the LCH which comes earliest in the time to perform retransmission. This can advantageously reduce latency in some embodiment, as the selected resource provides the same size as the same initial TB to avoid rate-matching on the TB. If this is used, then the wireless communications device 110 retains to the same HARQ process for each transmission/retransmission of a TB.
  • the CGT timer for a HARQ process is only started when the TB using this HARQ process is initially transmitted and so the value of the CGT timer is set according to the CG configuration/resource which is used for the initial transmission.
  • the CGRT is started/restarted and set to the timer value which is used for every transmission/retransmission attempt. If the initial transmission of a TB uses the resource in CG configuration 1, the CGRT is started using the timer value configured in CG configuration 1. The next retransmission of the TB is performed with the resource in CG configuration 2. The CGRT need to be restarted and set to the timer value configured in CG configuration 2.
  • the HARQ process number field in the UL downlink control information, DCI (e.g., format 0-0 or format 0-1) is scrambled in a configured scheduling radio network temporary identifier, CS-RNTI, which is used to indicate which grant configuration is to be activated and which grant configuration(s) is/are to be released.
  • DCI the new data indicator, NDI, in received HARQ information is 0. This means if the wireless communications device 110 receives an NDI of 0 in received HARQ information it will flush its uplink buffer and transmit a new data packet for UL CG. For dynamic UL, however, the NDI rule is different.
  • the wireless communications device 110 Upon reception of an activation/reactivation/deactivation command, the wireless communications device 110, for example, the UE, provides a confirmation media-access-control control element, MAC CE, to the network node 120, for example to the gNB.
  • the MAC CE contains a bitmap of CG configurations. In the bitmap field, each bit corresponds to a specific CG configuration (, i.e., the bit position corresponds to the CG index).
  • Some embodiments of the RAN 100 shown in Figure 1 which are according to the RRC spec for configured grant in NR Rel-16, (i.e., in the standard 3GPP TS 38.331 [1]) support repetition of a TB with the same resource configuration being used for K repetitions for a TB including the initial transmission.
  • the higher layer configured parameters repK and repK-RV define the K repetitions to be applied to the transmitted transport block, and the redundancy version pattern to be applied to the repetitions.
  • the initial transmission of a transport block may start at
  • the repetitions shall be terminated after transmitting K repetitions, or at the last transmission occasion among the K repetitions within the period P, or when a UL grant for scheduling the same TB is received within the period P, whichever is reached first.
  • the wireless communications device 110 for example, a UE, is not expected to be configured with the time duration for the transmission of K repetitions larger than the time duration derived by the periodicity P.
  • the wireless communications device 110 for both Type 1 and Type 2 PUSCH transmissions with a configured grant, when the wireless communications device, 110, for example, a UE, is configured with repK > 1, the wireless communications device 110 repeats the TB across the repK consecutive slots by applying the same symbol allocation in each slot. If the wireless communications device 110 follows a procedure for determining slot configuration, as that defined in subclause 11.1 of [TS 38.213], it determines symbols of a slot allocated for PUSCH as downlink symbols, the transmission on that slot is omitted for multi-slot PUSCH transmission.
  • a wireless communications device 110 can autonomously retransmit in NR Rel-16, (i.e., according to the standard 3GPP TS 38.331 [1]), resources for a CG are allocated in NR Rel-16 according to a specific pattern in Rel-16.
  • the CG includes transmission occasions (TO) in the beginning of the period in a consecutive manner.
  • TO transmission occasions
  • Every configured grant period i.e., configured by the parameter periodicity
  • CG allocations can be used for multiple traffic types, or for the same traffic type (but only with one CG allocation being used at any given instant) to deter alignment delay by providing different timing off-sets for each CG allocation, however, the UE can only use a CG parameters or properties which have been semi-statically assigned in the CG allocation, which means that alignment delays can remain.
  • the gNB could reconfigure those parameters when it is necessary. For example, if the CG is a Type 1 CG, the gNB could send an RRC reconfiguration to update the relevant parameters to the UE, however, RRC signalling is normally slow and may introduce a high signalling overhead.
  • the gNB could send a DCI activation command to activate the new parameters.
  • this DCI based approach is not fast either, due to either the gNB not being aware of the UE status (e.g., new data arrival etc.) for a while, so the gNB would not know to make decision, or, for a gNB initiated DCI activation command, first the UE has to provide a confirmation MAC CE in uplink, which causes additional delay.
  • Some embodiments relate to a new CG process which is described as a Type 3 CG, which may improve the ability of using a CG process to provide a CG allocation for a CG configuration to a UE to allow the UE to more quickly adapt the CG configuration if there is a change of a UE's traffic pattern.
  • a wireless communications device 110 such as that shown in Figure 1 and described herein uses a method 400 according to the first aspect, for example, a method 400 as shown in Figure 5A which is performed by a wireless communications device 110, QQ491, QQ492, QQ530 to select configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100.
  • the method comprising receiving 404 signalling for at least one CG allocation, from a network node 120, QQ412, QQ520, the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods, wherein the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.530; determining 406 a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period; and selecting 408 a CG pattern in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the wireless communications device 110 can select a CG pattern based on one or more traffic characteristics of an uplink transmission without the network node 120 needing to send RRC reconfiguration information, which would be required for a Type 1 CG, or the DCI activation, which would be needed for a Type 2 CG.
  • This new type of configured grant involves the wireless communications device 110 selecting which CG pattern configuration/reconfiguration method is used, which can be thus distinguished from both the CG Type 1 where a gNB uses RRC signalling to configure/reconfigure the CG, and from CG Type 2, where a gNB uses DCI signalling to configure/reconfigure the CG.
  • a plurality of selectable CG patterns are received with the CG allocation and the wireless communications device selects one of the received plurality of selectable CG patterns in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the CG pattern which is selectable by the wireless communications device comprises a CG pattern which the wireless communications device defines or configures or redefines or reconfigures for the CG configuration based on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmission in the CG period.
  • the wireless communications device 110 may define or redefine one or more CG parameters which define the CG pattern.
  • the wireless communications device 110 determines a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions in a CG period by determining at least one traffic pattern for uplink transmissions in a plurality of CG periods. Each CG pattern comprises a set of CG parameter values.
  • the selection comprises the wireless communications device 100 selecting a pattern comprising CG parameters which the network node has configured. In some embodiments, however, instead of the network node 120 which is allocating the grant allocating a set configuration all of the CG parameters for a CG pattern, one or more or all of the set of CG parameters for each CG pattern are definable or redefinable by the wireless communications device 100.
  • the CG parameters which can be defined or redefined by the wireless communications device 110 are may be indicated as such with the CG however, in some embodiments, the wireless communications device 110 may be configured with a list of one or more parameters which may be redefined (and the network node 120 may also be provided with a corresponding list) for a CG pattern so that the wireless communications device 110 is able to more rapidly adapt to changing traffic conditions.
  • the wireless communications device 110 needs only to select one of the configured CG patterns after it has determined which is suitable for the traffic pattern for an uplink transmission of a TB in that CG period. In other words, the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern for each of the plurality of CG periods in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for uplink transmissions in each CG period.
  • Figure 5A also shows that after a CG pattern has been selected, 408, either from the received CG patterns and/or a CG pattern has been defined or redefined by the wireless communications device 110 from the received CG patterns CG
  • the method 400 further comprises the wireless communications device 110 transmitting, 410, a unique indicator for a selected unique CG pattern to the network node 120 which will receive the uplink transmissions.
  • the wireless communications device 110 starts, 412, to use the CG pattern for its uplink transmissions in that CG period.
  • the wireless communications device 110 can start, 414, to use that selected CG pattern for uplink transmissions of TB data without checking first with the network node 120. This incurs less delay prior to transmitting the UL TB using that CG pattern at the wireless communications device 110 but then requires a network node 120 to blind decode received transmissions from the wireless communications device 110 which is described in more detail later below.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is configured perform only one of 410 or 412 but in some embodiments, the wireless communications device 110 may selectively perform either, for example, if an ultra-low latency transmission is required, it may select to start transmitting but for low latency traffic the wireless communications device 110 requests confirmation the selected CG pattern is acceptable by that network node 120 which will receive the uplink transmissions by sending, i.e. transmitting, 410 an indicator of the selected CG pattern first.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects the CG pattern based on traffic characteristics of the uplink transmissions, for example, based on one or more of the following uplink traffic characteristics: a channel condition for the uplink transmission; a quality of service, QoS, requirement for the traffic; a volume of traffic to be transmitted; a detected change or a predicted change in a traffic pattern; and a detected usage of transmission occasions for the uplink traffic in an adjacent previous CG period.
  • uplink traffic characteristics for example, based on one or more of the following uplink traffic characteristics: a channel condition for the uplink transmission; a quality of service, QoS, requirement for the traffic; a volume of traffic to be transmitted; a detected change or a predicted change in a traffic pattern; and a detected usage of transmission occasions for the uplink traffic in an adjacent previous CG period.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects the CG pattern by measuring a channel condition for the uplink transmissions and based on the measured channel conditions selects the CG pattern, for example, the channel condition measurement may be based on at least a number of listen-before-talk, LBT, and/or a number of clear channel assessment failures.
  • the wireless communications device prior to receiving the grant allocation from the network node, sends a capability bit to the network node. In some embodiments, the method further comprises receiving information from the network node 120, QQ520 indicating the selected CG pattern which is indicated, for example, by the capability bit, is accepted.
  • the wireless communications device 100 is configured with multiple CGs for a CG period, each CG being associated with a different CG pattern for the CG period, wherein the method further comprises: signalling to the network node an indicator of the selected CG pattern for a grant configuration to be used in the CG period.
  • method 400 further comprises: determining a current CG pattern of a grant configuration used for an uplink transmission has been interrupted and selecting another, different, CG pattern of the grant configuration for continuing the uplink transmissions.
  • the wireless communications device 110 prior to using a selected CG pattern, the wireless communications device 110 signals the CG pattern to be used via a side-link to one or more other wireless communications devices.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects more than one CG pattern and signals more than one selected CG pattern's indicator to the network node.
  • CG patterns and their indicators are transmitted to the wireless communications device using: system information; dedicated radio resource control, RRC, signalling information; a media access control, MAC, control element, CE, information; downlink control information, DCI.
  • RRC dedicated radio resource control
  • MAC media access control
  • CE control element
  • DCI downlink control information
  • each CG pattern is associated with a bit-map field position, and the same bitmap field is used to indicate each of one or more selected or candidate CG patterns signalled by the network node to the wireless communications device.
  • CG patterns and their indicators are hard coded in the wireless communications device 110.
  • the plurality of CG patterns are dynamic and determined as a function of current and/or predicted cell statistics . For example, cell load, bit rate demand per UE, current traffic types, level of interference.
  • method 400 prior to selecting a new CG pattern, further comprises the wireless communications device: requesting 402 a new CG pattern from the network node, and receiving at least one new CG pattern from the network node, wherein the selecting comprises selecting one of the CG patterns received responsive to the request.
  • selecting a CG pattern comprises selecting a plurality of candidate CG patterns, and the method further comprises transmitting an indictors for the plurality of candidate CG patterns to the network node.
  • each CG pattern is associated with a bit-map field position, and the same bitmap field is used to indicate each of one or more selected or candidate CG patterns signalled by the network node to the wireless communications device.
  • Figure 5B shows a method 500 according to the second aspect of the disclosed technology that a network node 120, for example, a gNB in a 5G or 6G or later generation network, in RAN 100 performs to allocate one or more configured grants for uplink transmissions in a RAN to a wireless communications device 110, for example, a method 500 performed by a network node 120, Q.412, Q.520 for providing a configured grant, CG, allocation for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100 to a wireless communications device 110, the method comprising: determining or configuring 504 at least one configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions by a wireless communications device 110; and transmitting 506 the at least one CG pattern in a CG allocation for uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods to the wireless communications device, wherein the at least one CG pattern is selectable for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods by the wireless communications device 110, Q.Q
  • the method comprises determining or configuring a plurality of CG patterns for a CG configuration, at least one, or some, or all of which comprises one or more CG parameters (or settings) are selectable or defineable or redefinable by the wireless communications device 110 for a CG configuration.
  • the method 500 is triggered by and/or may also further comprise the network node 120 receiving 502 from the wireless communications device 110 a request for a new CG pattern.
  • the method 500 further comprises: receiving 510, from a wireless communications device, uplink transmissions using one of the plurality of CG patterns allocated for the CG period. In some embodiments, the method 500 further comprises: decoding 512 the received uplink transmission using each configured CG pattern allocated to the wireless communications device for use in that CG period until a match is found. In some embodiments, however, the method 500 instead further comprises: receiving signalling 508 from the wireless communications device comprising an indication of the allocated CG pattern selected by the wireless communications device for the uplink transmission. The indicator provided in 508 may be accepted 514 or rejected and/or a new CG pattern reassigned in 516.
  • the method may further comprise receiving transmissions which are then decoded by the network node 120 in accordance with the accepted or assigned CG pattern.
  • the method 500 further comprises: signalling 516 an assignment of a different CG pattern from the CG pattern in the indication to the wireless communications device.
  • the method 500 further comprises receiving a capability bit from the wireless communications device, for example, so that the configuring of the grant patterns is based on the received capability bit.
  • the method further comprises sending 514 an indication to the wireless communications device that the selected CG pattern of the indication is accepted.
  • the method 500 comprises providing multiple CG allocations, wherein each of the CG allocations allocates resources for uplink transmissions in the CG period and includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in the CG period which is selectable by the wireless communications device 110, QQ491, 0.0.492,0.0.530.
  • each of the plurality of CG patterns is associated with a bit-map field position included in the signalling to the wireless communications device 110 .
  • the plurality of CG patterns are dynamically determined as a function of current and/or predicted cell statistics for the cell occupied by the wireless communications device.
  • the method 500 further comprises receiving a request for a new CG pattern from the wireless communications device 110, wherein the configuring of the plurality of CG patterns, for example, CG uplink transmission occasion patterns, for at least one CG period is responsive to processing the received request.
  • configuring the plurality of CG patterns comprises configuring at least one CG pattern based on a predicted traffic behaviour for at least one service used by the wireless communications device and signalling the configured CG pattern to the wireless communications device 110, QQ530.
  • a machine learning technique can be used to predict the traffic behaviour. This may also be used by the wireless communications device 110 at the edge if it has access to the relevant data to provide input into such a machine learning model.
  • method 500 may further comprise obtaining user data and forwarding the user data to a host computer or a wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.530.
  • the network node 120 will either receive 508 an indicator at some point after transmitting 506 the plurality of CG patterns to the wireless communications device 110 or start to receive 510 transmissions from the wireless communications device 110 without any indication of which CG pattern the wireless communications device 110 is using.
  • a network node 120 may in some embodiments be configured to only perform one of 508 or 510 but in some embodiments, the network node 120 may be configured to perform both 508 or 510 depending on what the wireless communications device 110 does.
  • the network node 120 may respond to the wireless communications device 110 either by sending, i.e. transmitting or signalling, an indication the CG pattern is accepted 414 or that it is rejected 516, in which case the wireless communications device 110 must select another CG pattern to use for that uplink transmission.
  • the network node 120 instead receives 510 transmissions without an prior indicator of the CG pattern that the wireless communications device 110 has selected, it must blind decode 512 the received transmissions using each of the CG patterns that it had previously signalled to that wireless communications device 110 until a match is found.
  • the network node 120 responds to the wireless communications device 110 either by sending, i.e. transmitting or signalling, an indication the CG pattern is accepted 414 or that it is rejected 516, in which case the wireless communications device 110 must select another CG pattern to use for that uplink transmission or just reassign a CG pattern to the wireless communications device 110 for it to use.
  • the network node 120 which allocates the grant may be a different network node 120 from the network node 120 which generated the CG pattern.
  • the uplink transmission may also be received by a network node 120 which is a different network node 120 from the network node 120 which allocated the grant.
  • the network nodes 120 have shared knowledge of what CG patterns may be used by the wireless communications device 110.
  • the wireless communications device 110 whenever the wireless communications device 110 changes to a different CG pattern, the wireless communications device 110 indicates an indicator in step 410 of the new CG pattern to the network node 120 via Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, based signalling, or random access control channel, ,RACH, or Physical Uplink Shared Channel, PUSCH, based signalling.
  • the CG pattern indicator may be carried in a RACH message, such as for example, aMsgl or Msg3 for a 4-step RACH procedure, or a MsgA for a 2-step RACH procedure.
  • the CG pattern indicator is carried in a RACH Msgl or MsgA from the wireless communications device 110 to the network node 120
  • dedicated PRACH preambles or PRACH resources for the RACH occasions, ROs may be assigned to UE and to be associated with each CG pattern.
  • the UE uses an associated PRACH preamble or PRACH resource to initiate a RACH for indicating the selected CG pattern to the gNB.
  • a CG pattern indicator may be carried in a Msg3 or a MsgA PUSCH payload by the wireless communications device 110.
  • the indicator may be a field in a MAC subheader, or a MAC CE.
  • the CG indicator can be carried in an RRC message.
  • each CG pattern may be associated with a unique index so that the wireless communications device 110 only needs to include the CG pattern index for the CG pattern it has selected in the signalling message sent in step 410 to a network node 120.
  • the network node 120 gNB replies with a response message.
  • the response message may accept the wireless communications device 110 selected CG pattern or reject it allowing the wireless communications device 110 to reselect a new CG pattern or assign a different CG pattern from the one the wireless communications device 110 indicated.
  • Some embodiments of the configured grant provide a plurality of CG patterns for a wireless communications device 110 to select, however, in some embodiments, the network node 120 may provided one CG pattern which the wireless communications device 110 redefines parameters for.
  • Some embodiments of this new type of configured grant where a wireless communications device 110 can select the CG pattern allow resource allocation or hopping over cells, carriers. Some embodiments allow code block group, CBG, transmission over multiple periods or in a period. In some embodiments, repetition occasions within a period can be hopped over the frequency resource and/or CG periods can be hopped over the frequency resource providing the resource within a CG period uses the same frequency.
  • CBG code block group
  • 5G NR has several retransmission systems using different layers in the protocol stack.
  • the HARQ protocol is a very fast retransmissions system for which delays should not exceed 1ms.
  • HARQ. feedback can be enabled or disabled such as Type 1 codebook, Type 2 codebook, one-shot based codebook (which was introduced in Rel NR-U).
  • HARQ is a stop and wait, SAW, protocol comprising multiple processes which allows one transmission to be repaired for example, without impacting any other ongoing transmissions which can continue in parallel.
  • the type 3 CG supports more than one HARQ process in the same CG and the wireless communications device 110 by allocating multiple TOs in both type and frequency, such as Figure 6 shows schematically.
  • the CG pattern indicator can be carried in a UCI (on PUCCH or PUSCH), or a MAC CE.
  • Figure 6 illustrates schematically example of how CG patterns are allocated according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology.
  • UCI indicates the hop pattern for the given HARQ process' repetitions in a CG period.
  • the time-slots for three CG periods are shown in which the CG patterns have multiple allocations in the frequency domain (represented by each row of time-slots or rectangles, where time-slots which share a frequency are shown in the same row).
  • the wireless communications device 110 will choose only one TO at a time for uplink transmissions.
  • the network node 120 for example, a gNB, provides resource allocation via RRC or RRC plus downlink control information, DCI.
  • the wireless communications device 110 transmits in the resources indicated by the network node 120, but uses information provided in the RRC or RRC+DCI to adapt, define, or redefine parameters from on one or more set of ranges of values for parameters which the network node 120 provides in the CG pattern, for example, in some embodiments, the CG pattern may be provided with a range of options of values for every CG property that the wireless communications device 110 can select values from. Examples of CG parameters which may be configured in this way include those listed in the CGConfig IE in Rel 16, i.e.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects the CG parameters from the pattern options included in the CG grant allocation.
  • the CG allocation may provide a CG pattern in which the MCS parameter which can take one of 16 options if allocated by the network node 120 is able to have 4 of these 16 options selected or defined by the wireless communications device 110.
  • the network node 120 could provide a set of three options for a RV pattern, and the wireless communications device 110 may be allowed in the grant pattern to select one of these options for is transmissions to the network node 120.
  • the network provides a set of values for each given transmission parameter, from which the wireless communications device 110 selects a value.
  • the wireless communications device 110 can use uplink control information in every CG period which indicates the characteristics the wireless communications device 110 is using for transmitting a HARQ process. If, for example, a CG period comprises more than 1 repetition, then the wireless communications device 110 can either use UCI in every repetition such as Figure 7A shows schematically or UCI in just some repetitions or UCI in just one repetition (the first repetition).
  • Figure 7A shows how a CG occasion can be configured over an UL shared channel for data transmission in a plurality of CG periods, with the UCI for each CG occasion indicating the HARQ.
  • process parameters for example, the redundancy version, RV, pattern, and priority, in the case where transmissions in a period are part of a single HARQ process.
  • Figure 7B shows schematically an embodiment where a CG occasion is configured over an UL shared channel for data transmission and shows schematically how UCI is sent in the CG occasion only at the start of a CG period to indicate the duration of the CG period has changed from Pl to P2.
  • UCI is used by the wireless communications device 110 when the wireless communications device 110 changes the CG characteristics/pattern. If the wireless communications device 110 does not provide UCI, it means the wireless communications device 110 is continuing to use the CG characteristics/pattern as of past CG periods.
  • the UCI is sent using a non-CG resource, such as, for example, in some other PUSCH not meant for this CG or in some PUCCH, which may or may not be multiplexed with other data or control information.
  • a non-CG resource such as, for example, in some other PUSCH not meant for this CG or in some PUCCH, which may or may not be multiplexed with other data or control information.
  • the network node 120 indicates to the wireless communications device 110 how much freedom the wireless communications device 110 has to select its own CG pattern values. For example, for CG operation in the morning, the network node 120 may allow the wireless communications device 110 to choose MCS value from a set of 4 MCS values. At night, or in other situations where there may be different traffic trends, the network node 120 may allow the wireless communications device 110 to choose MCS value from a set of 10 MCS values. In this way, in some embodiments, the flexible grant allocation that the network node 120 provides can be dynamically adjusted based on factors such as time of day, for one or more or all of the grant parameter values which form a CG pattern.
  • rules may be established which are set via, for example, DCI or RRC.
  • a rule may be set using RRC to indicate in the morning, the wireless communications device 110 is able to select CG MCS parameter values from a MCS set composed of 4 values whereas in the wireless communications device 110 can select CG MCS parameter values from a MCS set of 10 values which are only available in the night after 9 pm.
  • the wireless communications device 110 after selecting a CG pattern the wireless communications device 110 starts transmissions (see the dashed connector in Figure 5A).
  • the indicator sent 410 to the network node 120 by the wireless communications device 110 comprises a UE capability bit.
  • the UE capability bit is defined so that the wireless communications device 110 can indicate to a network node 120 that the wireless communications device 110 supports a particular type of CG Type 3 pattern as disclosed herein.
  • the network node 120 provides an ACK which confirms the wireless communications device 110 selected CG pattern is accepted 414.
  • the wireless communications device 110 first indicates a selected CG pattern, and the network node 120 then provides response message for accepting 514 or rejecting 516 UE's indicated CG pattern.
  • the UE capability bit is defined for a wireless communications device 110 to indicate whether the wireless communications device 110 supports CG Type 3, without the network node 120 providing any ACK confirming the UE selected CG pattern.
  • the wireless communications device 110 first selects a CG pattern and then just starts to use it after sending an indication to the gNB (see the dash-dot connection in Figure 5A).
  • the wireless communications device is configured to use one or more or all of of the following channels for the signalling: a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, a random access channel, RACH; and a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH.
  • the indicator of the selected CG pattern is transmitted in one of: uplink control information, UCI, for example, on a PUCCH or PUSCH, a media access control, MAC, control element, CE, a RACH message; or a radio resource control, RRC, message.
  • UCI uplink control information
  • MAC media access control
  • CE control element
  • RACH radio resource control
  • method 400 further comprises receiving 414 information from the network node indicating the selected CG pattern is accepted.
  • the grant allocation of a CG configuration where wireless communications device 110 can select one or more parameters for the CG pattern is used in a licensed spectrum operation but it can also be used in unlicensed spectrum operations.
  • Examples of CG parameters and properties of a CG pattern include at least the following: CG periodicity, MCS, rank indicator, Rl, precoding matric indicator, PMI, sounding reference signal, SRS, resource indicator, SRI, associated HARQ process, frequency domain allocation (resource allocation type and positions), time domain offset, time domain allocation, number of TOs per CG period, the start and length indicator value, SUV, of the first TO, the TO time duration, the timing gap duration or durations between two consecutive TOs, the redundancy version, RV, sequence, repK, where repK is the number of repetitive transmission occasions in a CG period, repRV, which indicates the repetition of the RV, the CGT or CGRT used to configure a CG (this may be changed from one to the other based on requirement/channel status, etc.), the numerology of the CG such as, for example, the sub-carrier spacing, SCS, cyclic prefix, CP, length and the OFDM symbol duration, the spectrum type, for example, if the spectrum is licensed, un
  • the network node 120 is a gNB which provides explicit HARQ ACK/NACK.
  • inexplicit HARQ can be implemented by configuring the wireless communications device 110 to assume an ACK for a HARQ process if a grant associated with the HARQ process indicating new transmission is received or a timer such as, for example, the CGT, has expired while UE has not received any grant associated with the HARQ. process.
  • Other parameters/properties of a CG pattern may include whether Group (de)- activation of CGs is supported and/or whether UE autonomous retransmission using a configured grant is allowed.
  • each CG pattern comprises one or more of the following CG parameters: transmission related parameters, feedback related parameters, channel related parameters, and may also include other grant related parameters.
  • the transmission related parameters comprise: at least one frequency related domain characteristic parameter, for example, a frequency domain allocation (resource allocation type and positions, ; at least one time-related characteristic parameter, for example, a a CG periodicity, a timedomain offset, a time domain allocation, a configured timer (CGT or CGRT);; at least one redundancy characteristic parameter, for example, .
  • RV sequence, repK, and/or repRV at least one modulation and/or coding parameter, for example, MCS, Rl, PMI, SRI; at least one transmission occasion characteristic parameter, for example, a number of TOs per CG period, the SUV of the first TO, the TO time duration, a timing gap or gaps between two consecutive TOs in CG period, a frequency hopping pattern among the TOs, whether UCI multiplexing on PUSCH is allowed in a TO, and if a CG pattern is allowed to contain TOs which are overlapped in time.
  • MCS modulation and/or coding parameter
  • Rl for example, MCS, Rl, PMI, SRI
  • at least one transmission occasion characteristic parameter for example, a number of TOs per CG period, the SUV of the first TO, the TO time duration, a timing gap or gaps between two consecutive TOs in CG period, a frequency hopping pattern among the TOs, whether UCI multiplexing on PUSCH is allowed in a TO, and if a CG
  • the channel related parameters comprise: a parameters for a plurality of logical channels mapped to the GB configuration, at least one frequency related domain characteristic parameter, for example, numerology for SCS, OFDM symbol duration.; and a spectrum resource type, for example, if the spectrum is licensed, unlicensed, dedicated, or shared.
  • a feedback related parameter comprises: an feedback process parameter associated with the uplink transmission; an ACK/NACK mechanism parameter for explicit or implicit ACK/NACK feedback.
  • the feedback comprises hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, feedback.
  • a wireless communications device 110 initiates a CG pattern configuration/reconfiguration by performing an embodiment of a method according to the first aspect, such as method 400.
  • This may be referred to herein as a method of performing a CG Type 3 configuration to distinguish from existing CG Type 1 configuration schemes where a network node 120 such as a gNB uses RRC signalling to configure/reconfigure a CG, or CG Type 2 configuration schemes where a gNB uses DCI signalling to configure/reconfigure the CG.
  • a CG type 3 configuration which is allocated to a wireless communications device 110 is configured with multiple CG patterns.
  • Each CG pattern contains a different setting of each associated CG parameter such as those listed above.
  • the CG patterns may contain TOs which overlap in time.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects, based on certain conditions and/or rules, a suitable CG pattern for its uplink transmissions.
  • the selection is based on conditions and/or rules where the wireless communications device 110 measures its channel conditions in terms of quantities such as, for example, reference signal received power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, reference signal strength indicator, RSSI, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, the signal to noise ratio, SNR, channel occupancy, a number of listen before talk, LBT, clear channel assessment, CCA, failures, ratio of LBT/CCA failures. Based on these measurements, the wireless communications device 110 then selects a proper CG pattern for subsequent CG transmissions.
  • quantities such as, for example, reference signal received power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, reference signal strength indicator, RSSI, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, the signal to noise ratio, SNR, channel occupancy, a number of listen before talk, LBT, clear channel assessment, CCA, failures, ratio of LBT/CCA failures.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern based on quality of service, QoS, requirements of services/logical channels, LCHs/logical channel groups, LCGs, which are associated with the data.
  • QoS quality of service
  • requirements of services/logical channels LCHs/logical channel groups, LCGs, which are associated with the data.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern which can provide more frequent transmission opportunities.
  • LCH without critical QoS requirement such as delay insensitive or low transmission reliability
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern which provide less frequent transmission opportunities.
  • the wireless communications device 110 can select a CG pattern which provides fast transmission opportunities (such as PUSCHs with short durations), while for a LCH without critical delay requirement, the wireless communications device 110 can select a CG pattern which provides PUSCHs with large durations.
  • the selection is based on conditions and/or rules where the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern based on data volume of services/LCHs/LCGs which are associated with the data. In case there is a high data volume, the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern which can provide more frequent transmission opportunities. Otherwise, the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern which provides less frequent transmission opportunities.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG pattern according to its traffic pattern. When a traffic pattern change is detected by the wireless communications device 110, the wireless communications device 110 then changes from the current used CG pattern to another CG pattern.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG new pattern if it turns out that the current serving CG pattern cannot meet QoS requirements for an LCH/LCG. For example, the buffer level of the LCH/LCG served by the CG pattern exceeds a threshold for a certain time or if the queueing delay exceeds a certain time.
  • the wireless communications device 110 selects a CG new pattern if a certain fraction/number of consecutive TOs are unused.
  • the wireless communications device 110 predicts the traffic behaviour of each service it is using using a suitable machine learning technique and then selects an appropriate CG pattern.
  • the wireless communications device 110 uses a LBT process before selecting the CG pattern and if the LBT indicates CG pattern is busy, another CG pattern is used.
  • the wireless communications device 110 signals the CG pattern to be used via side-link communications to adjacent wireless communications devices 110. For example, if the wireless communications device 110 is wireless communications device 1101, then it may signal the CG pattern it has selected to use to wireless communications devices HOB, HOC as shown in Figure 1. If wireless communications devices 110B and 110C are able to decode this signalling, they can then avoid using the same CG pattern.
  • Figure 8A illustrates schematically an embodiment of the apparatus or control circuitry of the seventheenth aspect.
  • the apparatus or control circuitry is illustrated as apparatus 1900, comprising an input/output data interface module 1902, memory 1906 and one or more processors or processing circuitry 1904.
  • the memory 1906 is configured to hold computer program code which, when loaded by the processors or processing circuity 1904 comprises one or more means or modules to cause the apparatus to implement any one of the disclosed embodiments of method 400.
  • the apparatus or control circuitry 1900 for selecting a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100 comprises means or one or more modules for receiving 404, signalling for at least one configured grant, CG, allocation from a network node 120 Q.Q.520, the CG allocation allocating resources for the uplink transmissions in each of one or more CG periods, wherein a CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods is selectable by the wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.530, means or one or more modules for determining 406 a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period, and means or one or more modules for selecting 408 a CG pattern in dependence on the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the apparatus or control circuitry shown in Figure 8A comprises means or one or more modules configured to perform any one of the embodiments of a method according to the first aspect, for example, a transmitting module 1914 for sending messages and/or otherwise signalling information to the wireless communications device 110.
  • Figure 8B illustrates schematically an embodiment of the apparatus or control circuitry of the thirteenth aspect.
  • the apparatus or control circuitry is illustrated as apparatus 2000, comprising an input/output data interface module 2002, memory 2006 and one or more processors or processing circuitry 2004.
  • the memory 2006 is configured to hold computer program code which, when loaded by the processors or processing circuity 2004 comprises one or more means or modules to cause the apparatus to implement any one of the disclosed embodiments of method 400. For example, in some embodiments, 36.
  • An apparatus or control circuitry 2000 configured to provide a configured grant, CG, allocation for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in a radio access network 100 to at least one wireless communications device 110, QQ530, the apparatus or control circuitry comprising: means or one or more modules 2010 configured to determine at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions by a wireless communications device; and means or one or more modules 2012 configured to transmit the at least one CG pattern in a CG allocation CG for uplink transmissions in one or more periods to the wireless communications device, wherein the at least one CG pattern is selectable for the CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods by the wireless communications device.
  • the apparatus or control circuitry of the eighteenth aspects further comprises means or one or more modules configured to perform any one of the embodiments of a method according to the second aspect, for example, as shown in Figure 8B, a receiving module 2008 may be provided to receive messages and/or other information signalled from the wireless communications device 110.
  • the method 400 is implemented using a computer readable storage medium comprising computer code, which when loaded and executed by one or more processors or processing circuitry of a wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.530 causes the wireless communications device to perform a method 400 or a method according to the first method aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.
  • method 500 is implemented using a computer readable storage medium comprising computer code, which when loaded and executed by one or more processors or processing circuitry of a network node 120, QQ520 causes the network node 120 to perform a method 500 or a method according to any embodiment of the second method aspect disclosed herein.
  • Some embodiments of the disclosed technology comprise a communications system such as is shown in Figure 1 or 9, for example, a computer system according to the sixth aspect in which a communication system including a host computer QQ150 comprising: control or processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface QQ560 configured to forward the user data to a radio access network 100 for transmission to a user equipment, UE, 110, QQ530, wherein the radio access network comprises a network node QQ520 having a radio interface and control or processing circuitry and the network node's control or processing circuitry is configured to perform any one of the method 500 or a method according to any embodiment of the second method disclosed herein.
  • a communication system including a host computer QQ150 comprising: control or processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface QQ560 configured to forward the user data to a radio access network 100 for transmission to a user equipment, UE, 110, QQ530, wherein the radio access network comprises a network node QQ520 having a radio interface and control or
  • Some embodiments of the disclosed technology comprise a carrier signal comprising signalling from a network node 120, Q.Q.520 as claimed in a communication system according to the sixth aspect to at least one wireless communications device 110, QQ530 according to the third aspect, wherein the signalling comprises information indicating at least one configured grant, CG, allocating resources for an uplink transmission in one or more CG periods, wherein a CG pattern for the allocated grant in at least one of the one or more CG periods is selectable by the at least one wireless communications device 110, QQ530.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as those labelled QQ491, QQ492 in Figure 9 or UE QQ530 in Figure 10.
  • the UE changes to a different CG pattern
  • the UE indicates the new CG pattern to the network node 120, for example, a gNB 120, via PUCCH based signalling, or RACH, or PUSCH based signalling.
  • the CG pattern indicator may be carried in a UCI (on PUCCH or PUSCH), or a MAC CE as mentioned above in some embodiments.
  • the CG pattern indicator is carried in a RACH message (Msgl or Msg3 for a 4-step RACH procedure, while MsgA for a 2-step RACH procedure).
  • RACH Msgl or MsgA dedicated PRACH preambles or PRACH resources (e.g., RO) may be assigned to UE and to be associated with each CG pattern.
  • PRACH preambles or PRACH resources e.g., RO
  • the UE uses an associated PRACH preamble or PRACH resource to initiate a RACH for indicating the selected CG pattern to the gNB.
  • a CG pattern indicator may be carried in a Msg3 or a MsgA PUSCH payload by the UE.
  • the indicator may be a field in a MAC subheader, or a MAC CE.
  • the CG indicator is carried in an RRC message.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example, a UE such as QQ491, QQ492 or QQ530, and each CG pattern is associated with a unique index, and the UE includes the CG pattern index in the signalling message it sends to the gNB 120.
  • the gNB node 120 may reply with a message.
  • the gNB 120 may accept the UE selected pattern or assign a different CG pattern from the one the UE indicated.
  • a wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example, a UE such as QQ491, QQ492 or QQ530 and the UE defines a UE capability bit for the wireless communications device 110 UE to indicate whether the UE supports CG Type 3.
  • wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example, a UE such as Q.Q.491, QQ492 or QQ530 and the UE capability bit is defined for the wireless communications device 110 to indicate whether the wireless communications device 110 supports CG Type 3, with a gNB 120, providing an ACK confirming the UE selected CG pattern.
  • the UE first indicates a selected CG pattern, the gNB 120 then provides response message for accepting or rejecting UE's indicated CG pattern.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example, a UE such as QQ491, QQ492 or QQ530, and a UE capability bit is defined for a UE to indicate whether the UE supports CG Type 3, without gNB 120 providing ACK confirming the UE selected CG pattern. In other words, with this capability bit, it is fully up to UE control on how to select a CG pattern. As soon as the UE selects a CG pattern, the UE can just directly use it after sending an indication to the gNB 120.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE for example, a UE such as QQ491, QQ492 or QQ530 and as a fall-back option for indicating a Type 3 CG to the gNB, a gNB 120 receiving UL transmissions from the UE blind decodes which CG pattern the UE has applied to the uplink CG transmission(s).
  • This option may be applied in various scenarios, for example, if the UE cannot send the indication of a selected CG pattern to the gNB such as may happen if there is no PUCCH resource available when the CG pattern is chosen, if there is no additional PUSCH resource except those used for the data transmission, if the transmissions of the CG pattern indicator have failed.
  • the gNB 120 cannot decode a CG transmission based on the old CG pattern.
  • the gNB 120 would then try to decode the data using CG patterns which have been already configured to the UE QQ49, QQ492 or QQ530, however, not being active. As soon as one of those CG patterns matches, the gNB 120 assumes that CG pattern will be used by the UE for subsequent data transmission.
  • a bitmap may be introduced in the signalling. Each CG pattern is associated with a specific position in the bitmap. The bit is set to the value 1 means that the corresponding CG pattern is activated, while the bit is set to the value 0 means the corresponding CG pattern is deactivated.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530 and the UE is be configured with multiple CG configurations. Each CG configuration is associated with a different CG pattern. Each pattern contains different settings for associated parameters. In addition, if a UE needs to change its CG pattern, both CG index and CG pattern index may be signalled between the UE and the gNB.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530 and if the UE is allocated with multiple CG patterns, in order to reduce alignment delay, instead of selecting one of the CG patterns for the transmission, the UE is allowed to transmit on another CG pattern for the same transmission if the current pattern gets pre-empted or interrupted.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE Q.Q.491, QQ492, or QQ530, and the UE is allocated with multiple CG patterns for the same transmission (e.g., to reduce alignment delay) which are associated with different parameters even though the UE selects one of the CG patterns to deliver the same data.
  • the UE can transmit data with certain RV sequence/K repetition number, whereas in another CG pattern, the UE is configured to transmit another RV pattern/K repetition number.
  • DL feedback is allowed whereas for other CG patterns, there is no DL feedback provisioning.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530 and the available patterns and corresponding indices are hard coded in the specification, transmitted in System Information or dedicated RRC signalling, or MAC CE, or DCI to a UE.
  • a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530
  • the available patterns and corresponding indices are hard coded in the specification, transmitted in System Information or dedicated RRC signalling, or MAC CE, or DCI to a UE.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530 and the CG patterns are dynamic and determined as a function of current and predicted cell statistics, e.g. cell load, bit rate demand per UE, current traffic types, level of interference, etc.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530 and the UE can signal desired changes to a specific pattern if none of the existing patterns are sufficient. This signalling may indicate for example increase or decrease of any of the previous parameters defining the CG pattern.
  • the UE could signal a decrease of CG periodicity and/or decrease of Timing gap between two consecutive TOs in case it would prefer a CG pattern with more frequent TOs. The gNB could then configure a new CG pattern to the UE.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or QQ530 and the UE indicates multiple selected CG patterns to the gNB rather than just a single selected CG pattern.
  • the wireless communications device 110 is a UE, for example a UE such as UE QQ491, QQ492, or Q.Q.530 and instead of signalling being transmitted by the wireless communications device 110 to the network node 120 or vice versa, a bitmap field is applied to indicate the one or multiple CG patterns to reduce the signalling overhead between the UE and the gNB 120.
  • the gNB predicts the traffic behaviour of each service with some machine learning technique and then selects an appropriate CG pattern and can change the UE pattern even if the UE has already started using another CG pattern.
  • a communication system includes a communication or telecommunication network Q.Q.410, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, which comprises access network Q.Q.411, such as a radio access network, and core network Q.Q.414.
  • Access network Q.Q.411 comprises a plurality of network nodes, for example, network nodes providing base station functionality or base stations QQ412A, QQ412B, QQ412C, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area QQ413A, QQ413B, QQ413C.
  • Each base station QQ412A, QQ412B, QQ412C is connectable to core network QQ414 over a wired or wireless connection QQ415.
  • a first UE QQ491 located in coverage area QQ413C is configured to wirelessly connect to, or be paged by, the corresponding base station QQ412C.
  • a second UE QQ492 in coverage area QQ413A is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding base station QQ412A. While a plurality of UEs QQ491, QQ492 are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to a situation where a sole UE is in the coverage area or where a sole UE is connecting to the corresponding base station QQ412.
  • the UEs QQ491, QQ492 shown in Figure 9 may comprise the wireless communications device 110, for example, a wireless communications device 110a, 110b, 110c as shown in Figure 1 in some embodiments.
  • the network nodes QQ412a, QQ412b shown in Figure 9 may comprise a network node 120 shown as a network nodes 120a, 120b Figure 1 in some embodiments.
  • Telecommunication network QQ410 is itself connected to host computer QQ430, which may be embodied in the hardware and/or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server or as processing resources in a server farm.
  • Host computer QQ430 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider.
  • Connections QQ421 and QQ422 between telecommunication network QQ410 and host computer QQ430 may extend directly from core network QQ414 to host computer QQ430 or may go via an optional intermediate network QQ420.
  • Intermediate network QQ420 may be one of, or a combination of more than one of, a public, private or hosted network; intermediate network QQ420, if any, may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, intermediate network QQ420 may comprise two or more sub-networks (not shown).
  • the communication system of Figure 9 as a whole enables connectivity between the connected UEs QQ491, QQ492 and host computer QQ430.
  • the connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection QQ450.
  • Host computer Q.Q.430 and the connected UEs QQ491, QQ492 are configured to communicate data and/or signalling via OTT connection QQ450, using access network QQ411, core network QQ414, any intermediate network QQ420 and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries.
  • OTT connection QQ450 may be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which OTT connection QQ450 passes are unaware of routing of uplink and downlink communications.
  • base station QQ412 may not or need not be informed about the past routing of an incoming downlink communication with data originating from host computer QQ430 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to a connected UE QQ491.
  • base station QQ412 need not be aware of the future routing of an outgoing uplink communication originating from the UE QQ491 towards the host computer QQ430.
  • host computer QQ510 comprises hardware QQ515 including communication interface QQ516 configured to set up and maintain a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of communication system QQ500.
  • Host computer QQ510 further comprises processing circuitry QQ518, which may have storage and/or processing capabilities.
  • processing circuitry QQ518 may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays or combinations of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions.
  • Host computer QQ510 further comprises software QQ511, which is stored in or accessible by host computer QQ510 and executable by processing circuitry QQ518.
  • Software QQ511 includes host application QQ512.
  • Host application QQ512 may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as UE QQ530 connecting via OTT connection QQ550 terminating at UE QQ530 and host computer QQ510. In providing the service to the remote user, host application QQ512 may provide user data which is transmitted using OTT connection QQ550.
  • Communication system QQ500 further includes a network node 120 such as a network node 120 with base station functionality which is shown in Figure 10 as base station QQ520 provided in a telecommunication system and comprising hardware QQ525 enabling it to communicate with host computer QQ510 and with UE QQ530.
  • Hardware QQ525 may include communication interface QQ526 for setting up and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of communication system QQ500, as well as radio interface QQ527 for setting up and maintaining at least wireless connection QQ570 with UE QQ530 located in a coverage area (not shown in Figure 11) served by base station QQ520.
  • Communication interface QQ526 may be configured to facilitate connection QQ560 to host computer QQ510.
  • Connection Q.Q.560 may be direct or it may pass through a core network (not shown in Figure 10, see Figure 1 for an example) of the telecommunication system and/or through one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunication system.
  • hardware QQ525 of base station QQ520 further includes processing circuitry QQ528, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, applicationspecific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays or combinations of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions.
  • Base station QQ520 further has software QQ521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.
  • Communication system QQ500 further includes UE QQ530 already referred to.
  • Its hardware QQ535 may include radio interface QQ537 configured to set up and maintain wireless connection QQ570 with a base station serving a coverage area in which UE QQ530 is currently located.
  • Hardware QQ535 of UE QQ530 further includes processing circuitry QQ538, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays or combinations of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions.
  • UE QQ530 further comprises software QQ531, which is stored in or accessible by UE QQ530 and executable by processing circuitry QQ538.
  • Software QQ531 includes client application QQ532.
  • Client application QQ532 may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE QQ530, with the support of host computer QQ510.
  • an executing host application QQ512 may communicate with the executing client application QQ532 via OTT connection QQ550 terminating at UE QQ530 and host computer QQ510.
  • client application QQ532 may receive request data from host application QQ512 and provide user data in response to the request data.
  • OTT connection QQ550 may transfer both the request data and the user data.
  • Client application QQ532 may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides.
  • host computer QQ510, base station QQ520 and UE QQ530 illustrated in Figure 10 may be similar or identical to host computer QQ430, one of base stations QQ412A, QQ412B, QQ412C and one of UEs QQ491, QQ492 of Figure 9, respectively.
  • the inner workings of these entities may be as shown in Figure 10 and independently, the surrounding network topology may be that of Figure 9.
  • OTT connection QQ550 has been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between host computer QQ510 and UE QQ530 via base station QQ520, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.
  • Network infrastructure may determine the routing, which it may be configured to hide from UE Q.Q.530 or from the service provider operating host computer QQ510, or both. While OTT connection QQ550 is active, the network infrastructure may further take decisions by which it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., on the basis of load balancing consideration or reconfiguration of the network).
  • Wireless connection QQ570 between UE QQ530 and base station QQ520 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.
  • One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE QQ530 using OTT connection QQ550, in which wireless connection QQ570 forms the last segment.
  • teachings of these embodiments may reduce the latency and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time and/or better responsiveness.
  • some of the embodiments of the disclosed technology allow a wireless communications device 110 such a the UE shown in Figures 9 and 10 to select a suitable CG pattern without waiting for the network node 120 orgNB to confirm their selection. This can reduce the latency experienced by uplink transmissions and so provides an improved grant configuration scheme within the RAN 100, for example, the cellular network.
  • a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve.
  • the measurement procedure and/or the network functionality for reconfiguring OTT connection QQ550 may be implemented in software QQ511 and hardware QQ515 of host computer QQ510 or in software QQ531 and hardware QQ535 of UE QQ530, or both.
  • sensors may be deployed in or in association with communication devices through which OTT connection QQ550 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values of other physical quantities from which software QQ511, QQ531 may compute or estimate the monitored quantities.
  • the reconfiguring of OTT connection QQ550 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not affect base station QQ520, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to base station QQ520. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art.
  • measurements may involve proprietary UE signalling facilitating host computer QQ510's measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like.
  • the measurements may be implemented in that software QQ511 and QQ531 causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or 'dummy' messages, using OTT connection QQ550 while it monitors propagation times, errors etc.
  • FIG. 11A is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment.
  • the communication system includes a host computer, a network node such as, for example, a network node providing base station functionality or a base station and a UE.
  • the network node may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed embodiments of network node 120, QQ520 or QQ412A disclosed herein with reference to Figures 1, 2B, 3, 9 or 10.
  • the UE may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed examples of UE QQ491, QQ492, QQ530 or the wireless communications device 110 disclosed herein, such as those described with reference to Figures 1, 2A, 9 or 10.
  • Only drawing references to Figure 11A will be included in this section.
  • the host computer provides user data.
  • substep QQ611 (which may be optional) of step Q.Q.610, the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application.
  • the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE.
  • the base station transmits to the UE the user data which was carried in the transmission that the host computer initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.
  • QQ640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.
  • FIG 12B is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment.
  • the communication system includes a host computer, a network node 120, for example, a network node providing base station functionality or a base station and a UE.
  • the network node may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed embodiments of network node 120, QQ520 or QQ412A disclosed herein with reference to Figures 1, 2B, 3, 9 or 10.
  • the UE may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed examples of UE QQ491, QQ492, QQ530 or the wireless communications device 110 disclosed herein, such as those described with reference to Figures 1, 2A, 9 or 10 .
  • Only drawing references to Figure 11B will be included in this section.
  • the host computer provides user data.
  • the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application.
  • the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE.
  • the transmission may pass via the base station, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.
  • QQ730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.
  • Figure 12A is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment.
  • the communication system includes a host computer, a network node 120, for example, a network node providing base station functionality or a base station and a UE.
  • the network node may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed embodiments of network node 120, QQ520 or QQ412A disclosed herein with reference to Figures 1, 2B, 3, 9 or 10.
  • the UE may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed examples of UE QQ491, QQ492, QQ530 or the wireless communications device 110 disclosed herein, such as those described with reference to Figures 1, 2A, 9 or 10. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 11B will be included in this section.
  • QQ810 (which may be optional) the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, QQ820, the UE provides user data.
  • substep QQ821 (which may be optional) of step Q.Q.820
  • the UE provides the user data by executing a client application.
  • substep QQ811 (which may be optional) of step QQ810
  • the UE executes a client application which provides the user data in reaction to the received input data provided by the host computer.
  • the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user.
  • the UE initiates, in substep QQ830 (which may be optional), transmission of the user data to the host computer.
  • QQ840 of the method the host computer receives the user data transmitted from the UE, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.
  • FIG. 12b is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment.
  • the communication system includes a host computer, a network node 120, for example, a network node providing base station functionality or a base station and a UE.
  • the network node may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed embodiments of network node 120, QQ520 or QQ412A disclosed herein with reference to Figures 1, 2B, 3, 9 or 10.
  • the UE may comprise, for example, any of the disclosed examples of UE QQ491, QQ492, QQ530 or the wireless communications device 110 disclosed herein, such as those described with reference to Figures 1, 2A, 9 or 10.
  • Only drawing references to Figure 12B will be included in this section.
  • the base station receives user data from the UE.
  • QQ920 (which may be optional)
  • the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer.
  • QQ930 (which may be optional)
  • the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.
  • a carrier signal comprising signalling sent from a network node 120, QQ412, QQ520 ) according to the fourth aspect to at least one wireless communications device 110, QQ491, QQ492, QQ530 according to the third aspect may comprise a CG allocation indicating at least one configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration of radio resources for uplink transmissions by the wireless communications device in one or more CG periods in some embodiments of the disclosed technology.
  • At least one of the CG patterns allocated by the network node 120 for the CG configuration to be used by the wireless communications device 110 in at least one of the one or more CG periods for the uplink transmissions may comprises a set of parameters in which at least one, if not some or all of the parameters in the set of parameters of the allocated CG pattern are associated with a set of one or more options for their values which are selectable by the at least one wireless communications device.
  • a wireless communications device such as a UE in a radio access network such as a 5G or 6G network to autonomously select one or more CG pattern parameters for uplink transmissions.
  • the communications device selects a configured grant, CG, pattern for a CG configuration for uplink transmissions in the radio access network by receiving signalling for at least one CG allocation from a network node.
  • the CG allocation allocates resources for the uplink transmissions in one or more CG periods.
  • the CG allocation includes at least one CG pattern for a CG configuration in at least one of the one or more CG periods which is selectable by the wireless communications device 110, Q.Q.530) based on a determined a traffic pattern for uplink transmissions comprising a plurality of transmission occasions in a CG period.
  • the wireless communications device 110 can then select values or options for parameters a CG pattern which are most suitable for the determined traffic pattern for the uplink transmissions in the CG period.
  • the functions or steps noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations.
  • two blocks shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
  • the functions or steps noted in the blocks can according to some aspects of the disclosure be executed continuously in a loop.
  • eNodeB and wireless communications device should be considered as non-limiting and does in particular not imply a certain hierarchical relation between the two.
  • eNodeB could be considered as device 1 and “wireless communications device” as device 2, and these two devices communicate with each other over some radio channel.
  • wireless communications device could be considered as device 1 and “wireless communications device” as device 2, and these two devices communicate with each other over some radio channel.
  • wireless transmissions in the uplink it should be appreciated that the example embodiments could be applicable in the downlink.
  • a “wireless communications device” as the term may be used herein, is to be broadly interpreted to include a radiotelephone having ability for Internet/intranet access, web browser, organizer, calendar, a camera (e.g., video and/or still image camera), a sound recorder (e.g., a microphone), and/or global positioning system (GPS) receiver; a personal communications system (PCS) user equipment that may combine a cellular radiotelephone with data processing; a personal digital assistant (PDA) that can include a radiotelephone or wireless communication system; a laptop; a camera (e.g., video and/or still image camera) having communication ability; and any other computation or communication device capable of transcribing, such as a personal computer, a home entertainment system, a television, etc.
  • a device may be interpreted as any number of antennas or antenna elements.
  • user equipment any wireless communications device, terminal, or node capable of receiving in DL and transmitting in UL (e.g. PDA, laptop, mobile, sensor, fixed relay, mobile relay or even a radio base station, e.g. femto base station), which may or may not be always used or useable by a human user, for example UE may be used by a machine user in some embodiments.
  • UL e.g. PDA, laptop, mobile, sensor, fixed relay, mobile relay or even a radio base station, e.g. femto base station
  • a cell is associated with a radio node, where a radio node or radio network node or eNodeB used interchangeably in the example embodiment description, comprises in a general sense any node transmitting radio signals used for measurements, e.g., eNodeB, macro/micro/pico base station, home eNodeB, relay, beacon device, or repeater.
  • a radio node herein may comprise a radio node operating in one or more frequencies or frequency bands. It may be a radio node capable of CA. It may also be a single- or multi-RAT node.
  • a multi-RAT node may comprise a node with co-located RATs or supporting multi-standard radio (MSR) or a mixed radio node.
  • a computer-readable medium may include removable and nonremovable storage devices including, but not limited to, Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVD), etc.
  • program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
  • Computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps or processes.
  • SRS SRI Sounding Reference Signals

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention divulgue un nouveau type d'autorisation configurée qui permet à un UE de sélectionner de manière autonome des paramètres de motif de CG pour des transmissions en liaison montante. L'UE sélectionne un motif d'autorisation configurée, CG, pour une configuration de CG pour des transmissions en liaison montante dans le réseau d'accès radio par réception d'une signalisation pour au moins une attribution de CG à partir d'un nœud de réseau. L'attribution de CG attribue des ressources pour les transmissions en liaison montante dans une ou plusieurs périodes de CG. L'attribution de CG comprend au moins un motif de CG pour une configuration de CG dans au moins l'une de la ou des périodes de CG qui peut être sélectionnée par l'UE sur la base d'un motif de trafic déterminé pour des transmissions en liaison montante comprenant une pluralité d'occasions de transmission dans une période de CG. L'UE peut ensuite sélectionner des valeurs ou des options pour des paramètres d'un motif de CG qui sont les plus appropriés pour le motif de trafic déterminé pour les transmissions en liaison montante dans la période de CG.
PCT/SE2020/051236 2020-12-18 2020-12-18 Autorisation configurée avec des motifs sélectionnables par un équipement utilisateur Ceased WO2022131981A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/SE2020/051236 WO2022131981A1 (fr) 2020-12-18 2020-12-18 Autorisation configurée avec des motifs sélectionnables par un équipement utilisateur

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/SE2020/051236 WO2022131981A1 (fr) 2020-12-18 2020-12-18 Autorisation configurée avec des motifs sélectionnables par un équipement utilisateur

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2022131981A1 true WO2022131981A1 (fr) 2022-06-23

Family

ID=74003854

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE2020/051236 Ceased WO2022131981A1 (fr) 2020-12-18 2020-12-18 Autorisation configurée avec des motifs sélectionnables par un équipement utilisateur

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2022131981A1 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20240023110A1 (en) * 2022-07-13 2024-01-18 Qualcomm Incorporated Status indications for uplink configured grant instances
WO2024158468A1 (fr) * 2023-01-25 2024-08-02 Qualcomm Incorporated Gestion de latence de transmission en liaison montante
WO2024169484A1 (fr) * 2023-02-16 2024-08-22 华为技术有限公司 Procédé et appareil de transmission de données
WO2024169603A1 (fr) * 2023-02-14 2024-08-22 华为技术有限公司 Procédé et appareil de transmission d'informations
WO2024211288A1 (fr) * 2023-04-03 2024-10-10 Qualcomm Incorporated Transmission de paquet par l'intermédiaire de multiples configurations d'autorisation configurées
US12144028B2 (en) * 2021-08-13 2024-11-12 Qualcomm Incorporated Conditional use of allocated periodic resources

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2020166852A1 (fr) * 2019-02-12 2020-08-20 Lg Electronics Inc. Procédé et appareil pour générer une unité de données de protocole de contrôle d'accès au support sur la base de multiples autorisations configurées dans un système de communication sans fil

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2020166852A1 (fr) * 2019-02-12 2020-08-20 Lg Electronics Inc. Procédé et appareil pour générer une unité de données de protocole de contrôle d'accès au support sur la base de multiples autorisations configurées dans un système de communication sans fil

Non-Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
3GPP TS 38.331
3GPP TS38.331
ERICSSON: "On support for deterministic periodic traffic with configured grants", vol. RAN WG2, no. Spokane, USA; 20181112 - 20181116, 12 November 2018 (2018-11-12), XP051556716, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Meetings%5F3GPP%5FSYNC/RAN2/Docs/R2%2D1817174%2Ezip> [retrieved on 20181112] *
HUAWEI ET AL: "Discussion on the scheduling enhancement to support IIoT traffic", vol. RAN WG2, no. Spokane, USA; 20181112 - 20181116, 12 November 2018 (2018-11-12), XP051557096, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Meetings%5F3GPP%5FSYNC/RAN2/Docs/R2%2D1817570%2Ezip> [retrieved on 20181112] *
INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION INDUSTRY (III): "Uplink Grant Free Transmission for URLLC", vol. RAN WG1, no. Hangzhou; 20170515 - 20170519, 14 May 2017 (2017-05-14), XP051274283, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Meetings_3GPP_SYNC/RAN1/Docs/> [retrieved on 20170514] *

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US12144028B2 (en) * 2021-08-13 2024-11-12 Qualcomm Incorporated Conditional use of allocated periodic resources
US20240023110A1 (en) * 2022-07-13 2024-01-18 Qualcomm Incorporated Status indications for uplink configured grant instances
US12418923B2 (en) * 2022-07-13 2025-09-16 Qualcomm Incorporated Status indications for uplink configured grant instances
WO2024158468A1 (fr) * 2023-01-25 2024-08-02 Qualcomm Incorporated Gestion de latence de transmission en liaison montante
WO2024169603A1 (fr) * 2023-02-14 2024-08-22 华为技术有限公司 Procédé et appareil de transmission d'informations
WO2024169484A1 (fr) * 2023-02-16 2024-08-22 华为技术有限公司 Procédé et appareil de transmission de données
WO2024211288A1 (fr) * 2023-04-03 2024-10-10 Qualcomm Incorporated Transmission de paquet par l'intermédiaire de multiples configurations d'autorisation configurées

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US11765693B2 (en) Method and apparatus for NR V2X sidelink HARQ procedure
US12089247B2 (en) Method and apparatus for NR V2X resource selection
US12028834B2 (en) Resource configuration and selection for device-to-device links
US11510217B2 (en) Method and apparatus for transmission/reception of signals between wireless devices
US12432018B2 (en) Configured grant based PUSCH transmission to multiple TRPs
US10735992B2 (en) Cellular communication method on basis of flexible frame structure and apparatus therefor
JP7420732B2 (ja) ユーザ装置および通信システム
US9420564B2 (en) Apparatus and method for dynamic communication resource allocation for device to-device communications in a wireless communication system
RU2713410C1 (ru) Способ функционирования сотовой сети, включающий в себя высокочастотную пакетную передачу
WO2022131981A1 (fr) Autorisation configurée avec des motifs sélectionnables par un équipement utilisateur
JP2023506128A (ja) 複数のアクティブグラント設定におけるタイマーハンドリング
EP3874903B1 (fr) Procédés et dispositifs pour une configuration de réception discontinue adaptative
WO2016022060A1 (fr) Partage d&#39;un récepteur entre des opérations d2d et cellulaires dans un système multiporteuse
US20240430040A1 (en) Terminal Devices, Network Devices, and Methods Thereof
US20240172321A1 (en) Methods, Node, UE and Computer Readable Media for Aligning Partial Sensing Configuration with DRX Configuration
EP2865232A1 (fr) Procédés et n uds pour hiérarchisation souple de liaison montante de cellule
WO2022179496A1 (fr) Dispositif terminal, nœud de réseau et procédés à l&#39;intérieur de celui-ci pour une configuration drx
US20230422235A1 (en) Radio access network resource grant allocation and related aspects
US20220232480A1 (en) Transmit Power Allocation Technique
EP4223011A1 (fr) Procédure de surveillance pour scénarios de trajet de relais
EP4367808A1 (fr) Premier noeud, second noeud et procédés réalisés par ceux-ci pour envoyer une attribution à un dispositif sans fil compris dans un trajet à sauts multiples comportant une pluralité de noeuds relais
US20250344244A1 (en) Technique for using channel occupancy time
JP2024538997A (ja) 方法、通信デバイスおよびインフラストラクチャ機器
KR20230152571A (ko) Lte 사이드링크와 nr 사이드링크 간의 공존 방법 및 장치
WO2022203563A1 (fr) Procédé et dispositifs d&#39;alignement de configurations drx sur des opérations de détection partielle

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 20829043

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 20829043

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1