Patent Description:
A configured grant is always overridden by an overlapping dynamic grant. However, when a gNodeB (gNB) has to allocate a short periodicity configured grant to accommodate sporadic low-latency critical traffic, a non-robust dynamic grant might overlap with a robust configured grant which can lead to dropping of critical traffic transmission. Therefore, there is a need for a tool to protect critical uplink configured grant transmission.

Non-critical uplink data transmissions may overlap with uplink control information for critical traffic, i.e. scheduling request (SR) or hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgments (ACKs). Due to this, SR for critical transmission can be delayed because it can be too late to include information about critical traffic in a buffer status report (BSR). Moreover, BSR reception takes a longer time compared to short SR. From HARQ-ACK perspective, the situation is similar. Either HARQ-ACK reliability or latency can be affected due to multiplexing of uplink control information (UCI) on physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

Non-critical and critical traffic uplink control information can be in conflict. For example, a critical SR or HARQ-ACK may come during a transmission of long physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) with channel state information (CSI) report.

Intra-UE prioritization feature spans both physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) operations for prioritization between time-overlapping uplink transmissions. On PHY, there has been an introduction of PHY priority index and introduction of PHY prioritization between uplink transmissions of different PHY priority index; on MAC, there has been enhanced prioritization between dynamic grant and configured grant and enhanced logical channel prioritization (LCP) rules.

The general principle of the prioritization is that MAC performs prioritization between uplink grants (both dynamic and configure-grants) and SRs based on LCH priority and signaled/configured PHY priority index, then triggers PHY to make a selected transmission. PHY then continues the intra-UE prioritization process and prioritizes uplink signals based on PHY priority index and instructions from MAC.

From MAC point of view, when addressing resource conflict between uplink grants, two scenarios can be considered:.

A similar scenario split applies for the resource conflict between SR and uplink grant.

From MAC point of view, the priority of a grant is determined by the highest priority among priorities of the logical channel with data available that are multiplexed (corresponding to the pre-emption case) or can be multiplexed (corresponding to the selection case) in the MAC PDU, according to the LCP restriction. Similarly, the LCH-based priority of the SR is the priority of the logical channel that triggered the SR. This means that when no data is multiplexed or can be multiplexed on the grant, either due to no data arrival or LCP restriction, this grant has a lower priority than any other grants that have data multiplexed or can be multiplexed. This can be collectively called LCH-based priority of a grant or SR.

From PHY point of view, the selection case is filtered out by the MAC and the only case it needs to address is the above pre-emption case.

To further facilitate priority, a two-level PHY-index-based priority of a grant or SR is used, which can either be indicated in downlink control information (DCI) or radio resource control (RRC):.

There currently exist certain challenges. For example, in the MAC layer the priority of a grant or SR should be determined based on the LCH priority among the conflicting grants. However, there are cases in which the intra-UE prioritization based on LCH-based priority determination cannot address and lead to conflicting outcomes if PHY-index-based priority of the physical resources are considered.

One example, which may be referred to as Example A, is that it is unknown whether MAC CEs conveyed by a grant should be considered for prioritization, because MAC CE is not from LCH and hence is not associated to a priority level. The candidate proposals include to ignore the MAC CE in the prioritization. Some MAC CEs might need further clarification. BSR MAC CE is triggered by new data arrival from an LCH and a priority based on this LCH can be re-used. Some newly introduced Rel-<NUM> MAC CE, e.g., BFR and LBT Failure MAC CE, can also trigger SR if they cannot be transmitted. It is then not clear the associated priority of the SR from MAC point of view.

Some other examples are related to the generated MAC PDU with only padding bits. The MAC spec 3GPP TS <NUM> describes the allocation of resources as follows. The MAC entity shall not generate a MAC PDU for the HARQ entity if the MAC entity is configured with skipUplinkTxDynamic with value true and the grant indicated to the HARQ entity was addressed to a C-RNTI, or the grant indicated to the HARQ entity is a configured uplink grant; and (a) there is no aperiodic CSI requested for this PUSCH transmission as specified in TS <NUM> [<NUM>]; (b) the MAC PDU includes zero MAC SDUs; and (c) the MAC PDU includes only the periodic BSR and there is no data available for any LCG, or the MAC PDU includes only the padding BSR.

From the description above, if there is a periodic CSI requested for this PUSCH transmission and the other three conditions above are satisfied, then a MAC PDU with padding bits only are also generated. This may be referred to herein as Example B.

If the MAC entity is NOT configured with skipUplinkTxDynamic, then a MAC PDU with padding bits is generated. This may be referred to herein as Example C.

Yet another example is configured grant activation confirmation MAC CE. In Rel-<NUM>, a new multi-bit confirmation MAC CE to confirm activation of multiple configured grant is described. Each of the configured grants may have different (PHY) priority index as well as be associated with different LCHs of different LCH-priority.

The scope of the present invention is defined in the appended independent claims. Specific embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

To address the foregoing problems with existing solutions, disclosed is systems and methods for prioritization for SR and PUSCH without LCH association.

According to certain embodiments, a method by a wireless device for priority handling of SR and PUSCH without LCH association is provided. The wireless device determines that the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH and determines a priority of the SR and PUSCH.

According to certain embodiments, a wireless device for priority handling of SR and PUSCH without LCH association includes processing circuitry configured to determine that the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH and determine a priority of the SR and PUSCH.

According to certain embodiments, a method by a network node for configuring a wireless device for priority handling of SR and PUSCH without LCH association includes configuring the wireless device to determine a priority of the SR and PUSCH when the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH.

According to certain embodiments, a network node for configuring a wireless device for priority handling of SR and PUSCH without LCH association includes processing circuitry configured to configure the wireless device to determine a priority of the SR and PUSCH when the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may provide one or more technical advantages. For example, certain embodiments may provide a clear prioritization rule between the uplink transmission without LCH association and the uplink transmission with LCH association. Another advantage may be that such a prioritization rule considers the importance of the uplink transmission not only by the to-be-transmitted data but also the PHY layer priority of the transmission and the reason that triggered the uplink transmission. Still another advantage may be that such a prioritization rule prioritizes the chance of being successfully transmitted over what can be transmitted, so that the UE may discard a transmission with more important data (e.g., high LCH priority) if the transmission would fail with a high probability.

Other advantages may be readily apparent to one having skill in the art. Certain embodiments may have none, some, or all of the recited advantages.

Because a user equipment (UE) for industrial use cases may process traffic flows originated by different applications/devices simultaneously, the intra-UE prioritization/multiplexing issues considering downlink/uplink resource collision involving data/control channels and dynamic/configured assignments/grants is included as part of the enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency communication (eURLLC) and industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) specifications. With these features, traffic flows with different priorities within a UE can be appropriately handled to fulfil the respective quality of service (QoS) requirements.

As described above, there currently exist certain challenges with priority for some medium access control (MAC) control elements (CEs). Particular embodiments obviate the problems described above. For example, in a first group of embodiments, if the priority of the SR/PUSCH has no clear relation to any LCH, LCH-based priority is not considered in the MAC but rather MAC considers PHY-index-based priority of the SR and PUSCH.

Note that, the priority of the SR associated with the two MAC CEs, BFR MAC CE and LBT failure MAC CE is configured in the RRC IE (MAC-CellGroupConfig), i.e.,
<IMG>.

More precisely, for example A, if the Scheduling Request Resource Config associated with the schedulingRequestId is high (i.e., high PHY-index-based priority) and the other overlapping resource's PHY-index-based priority is low, then the triggered SR has a higher priority. Otherwise, the triggered SR has a lower priority. This has considered that SR when colliding with the same PHY-index priority PUSCH resources, it is deprioritized.

For example B, as long as the PHY-index priority for the aperiodic CSI report is high, then this grant is always prioritized, according to certain embodiments. If the PHY-index priority for the aperiodic CSI report is low but the other overlapping resources have low PHY-index priority too, then this grant is also prioritized. This has considered that dynamic grant overrides configured grant with same PHY-index priority. The same can apply for the example C.

As an alternative for example B and C, the MAC PDU is always de-prioritized in MAC because it carries no useful information, according to certain embodiments. One implementation in the specification can be to specify that the grant with MAC PDU in which only padding is included always has the lowest LCH-based-priority.

In a second group of embodiments, the LCH-based-priority of the SR associated with the two MAC CEs, BFR MAC CE and LBT failure MAC CE is associated with the "LCH-priority" of the MAC CE during priority comparison between LCH and MAC CE in the intra-UE prioritization.

According to certain embodiments, in a first method, the MAC CE follows the priority order in the clause <NUM>. <NUM> of MAC spec TS <NUM>, which is described as follows. Logical channels shall be prioritised in accordance with the following order (highest priority listed first):.

NOTE <NUM>: Prioritization between Configured Grant Confirmation MAC CE and BFR MAC CE is up to UE implementation.

According to certain embodiments, in a second method, the MAC CE is always considered to have lower LCH-based-priority than any LCH data.

In a particular embodiment that may be considered an extension of the second method, the MAC PDU with only aperiodic CSI report is also assigned an LCH-based-priority in the above table and two methods (prioritized according to MAC CE priority or always considered as the lowest priority) can be applied. For example, in method <NUM>, PUSCH with aperiodic CSI can be considered to have the priority as LBT failure MAC CE. In the method <NUM>, the padding with aperiodic CSI report is considered to have the lowest LCH-priority.

In other embodiments, since they are all considered as lowest LCH priority, only some network configurations make sense. This is to avoid that the high PHY-index priority resources are de-prioritized in the MAC compared to the low PHY-index priority resources. For example, in some network implementation, their associated physical resources are always configured with low PHY-index priority, e.g., SRs associated with the LBT failure MAC CE and BFR MAC CE are low PHY-index priority. In some other network implementation, if the network configures their associated physical resources to have high PHY-index priority, then they do not overlap with other PHY resources.

According to certain embodiments, the above network implementation applies for semi-persistent CSI report on PUSCH. The reason is: PHY-index priority of the semi-persistent CSI report on PUSCH is the same as the DCI that schedules its transmission, however the transmission of this semi-persistent CSI report on PUSCH is not visible in MAC (which makes it essentially the lowest LCH-based priority).

In particular embodiments, a configured grant activation confirmation MAC CE is considered to have same priority as the LCH priority of the LCH with lowest LCH priority that can be mapped on the configured grant. In other example, if P is the priority of the LCH with lowest LCH priority that can be mapped on the configured grant, then the configured grant activation confirmation MAC CE is considered to have priority P-<NUM>.

In an embodiment when UE is configured with multiple configured grants and UE confirms activation using multi-bit MAC-CE for confirmation, then priority of the multi-bit MAC-CE is determined as priority P or P-<NUM>, where P is the lowest priority of the LCHs that can be mapped on the configured grants indicated as active in the multi-bit MAC CE.

<FIG> illustrates a wireless network, in accordance with some embodiments.

Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any appropriate type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described in relation to a wireless network, such as the example wireless network illustrated in <FIG>. For simplicity, the wireless network of <FIG> only depicts network <NUM>, network nodes <NUM> and 160b, and WDs <NUM>, 110b, and 110c. In practice, a wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable to support communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device, such as a landline telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. Of the illustrated components, network node <NUM> and wireless device (WD) <NUM> are depicted with additional detail. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless devices' access to and/or use of the services provided by, or via, the wireless network.

<FIG> illustrates a network node <NUM>, according to certain embodiments.

In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may in some instances be considered a single separate network node.

In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry <NUM> and baseband processing circuitry <NUM> may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units
In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB or other such network device may be performed by processing circuitry <NUM> executing instructions stored on device readable medium <NUM> or memory within processing circuitry <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an example wireless device, according to certain embodiments. As used herein, wireless device (WD) refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and/or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term WD may be used interchangeably herein with user equipment (UE). Communicating wirelessly may involve transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and/or other types of signals suitable for conveying information through air. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and/or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a WD may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the network. Examples of a WD 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. A WD may 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) and may in this case be referred to as a D2D communication device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another WD and/or a network node. The WD may in this case be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the WD may be a UE implementing the 3GPP narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) standard. Particular examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or home or personal appliances (e.g. refrigerators, televisions, etc.) personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD may represent 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 WD as described above may represent the endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, a WD as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

<FIG> illustrates a telecommunication network connected via an intermediate network to a host computer, in accordance with some embodiments.

<FIG> illustrates a host computer communicating via a base station with a user equipment over a partially wireless connection, in accordance with some embodiments.

Wireless connection <NUM> between UE <NUM> and base station <NUM> 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 <NUM> using OTT connection <NUM>, in which wireless connection <NUM> forms the last segment.

In step QQ910 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step QQ920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step QQ930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

<FIG> depicts a method <NUM> by a wireless device <NUM> for priority handling of SR and PUSCH without LCH association, according to certain embodiments. At step <NUM>, the wireless device <NUM> determines that the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH. At step <NUM>, the wireless device <NUM> determines a priority of the SR and PUSCH.

In a particular embodiment, the priority of the SR and PUSCH is determined based on a priority of at least one MAC CE.

In a particular embodiment, the MAC CE comprises at least one of a BFR MAC CE or a LBT failure MAC CE.

In a particular embodiment, the wireless device receives the priority of at least one MAC CE in a RRC IE.

In a particular embodiment, the priority of the SR and PUSCH is determined based on a physical-index-based priority of the SR and PUSCH.

In a particular embodiment, the wireless device receives the physical-index-based priority of the SR and PUSCH in a RRC IE.

In a particular embodiment, the wireless device receives the priority of the PUSCH associated with an aperiodic CSI report in a RRC IE.

In a particular embodiment, the priority of the SR and PUSCH is determined to be a high priority, and the wireless device prioritizes the SR and PUSCH over an overlapping resource that has a lower priority than the high priority of the SR and PUSCH.

In a particular embodiment, the wireless device prioritizes the SR and PUSCH over a grant associated with a MAC PDU that includes only padding.

In various particular embodiments, the method may additionally or alternatively include one or more of the steps or features of the Group A and Group C Example Embodiments described below.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic block diagram of a virtual apparatus <NUM> in a wireless network (for example, the wireless network shown in <FIG>). The apparatus may be implemented in a wireless device or network node (e.g., wireless device <NUM> or network node <NUM> shown in <FIG>). Apparatus <NUM> is operable to carry out the example method described with reference to <FIG> and possibly any other processes or methods disclosed herein. It is also to be understood that the method of <FIG> is not necessarily carried out solely by apparatus <NUM>. At least some operations of the method can be performed by one or more other entities.

Virtual Apparatus <NUM> may comprise processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessor or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), special-purpose digital logic, and the like. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or several types of memory such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. Program code stored in memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and/or data communications protocols as well as instructions for carrying out one or more of the techniques described herein, in several embodiments. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause first determining module <NUM>, second determining module <NUM>, and any other suitable units of apparatus <NUM> to perform corresponding functions according one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

According to certain embodiments, first determining module <NUM> may perform certain of the determining functions of the apparatus <NUM>. For example, first determining module <NUM> may determine that the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH.

According to certain embodiments, second determining module <NUM> may perform certain other of the determining functions of the apparatus <NUM>. For example, second determining module <NUM> may determine a priority of the SR and PUSCH.

Optionally, in particular embodiments, virtual apparatus may additionally include one or more modules for performing any of the steps or providing any of the features described above with regard to <FIG> and/or described below with regard to the Group A and Group C Example Embodiments.

As used herein, the term module or unit may have conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices and/or electronic devices and may include, for example, electrical and/or electronic circuitry, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid state and/or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for carrying out respective tasks, procedures, computations, outputs, and/or displaying functions, and so on, as such as those that are described herein.

<FIG> depicts a method <NUM> by a network node <NUM> for configuring a wireless device for priority handling of SR and PUSCH without LCH association, according to certain embodiments. At step <NUM>, the network node <NUM> configures the wireless device to determine a priority of the SR and PUSCH when the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH.

In a particular embodiment, the network node transmits the priority of at least one MAC CE in a RRC IE.

In a particular embodiment, the network node transmits the physical-index-based priority of the SR and PUSCH in a RRC IE.

In a particular embodiment, the network node transmits the priority of the PUSCH associated with an aperiodic CSI report in a RRC IE.

In a particular embodiment, the network node configures the wireless device to prioritize the SR and PUSCH over an overlapping resource when the priority of the SR and PUSCH is determined to be of a higher priority than the a priority of the overlapping resource.

In a particular embodiment, the network node configures the wireless device to prioritize the SR and PUSCH over a grant associated with a MAC PDU that includes only padding.

In various particular embodiments, the method may include one or more of any of the steps or features of the Group B and Group C Example Embodiments described below.

Virtual Apparatus <NUM> may comprise processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessor or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), special-purpose digital logic, and the like. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or several types of memory such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. Program code stored in memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and/or data communications protocols as well as instructions for carrying out one or more of the techniques described herein, in several embodiments. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause configuring module <NUM> and any other suitable units of apparatus <NUM> to perform corresponding functions according one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

According to certain embodiments, configuring module <NUM> may perform certain of the configuring functions of the apparatus <NUM>. For example, configuring module <NUM> may c configures the wireless device to determine a priority of the SR and PUSCH when the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH.

Optionally, in particular embodiments, virtual apparatus may additionally include one or more modules for performing any of the steps or providing any of the features described above with regard to <FIG>.

Claim 1:
A method (<NUM>) performed by a wireless device (<NUM>) for priority handling of scheduling request, SR, and physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, without Logical Channel, LCH, association, the method comprising:
determining (<NUM>) that the SR and PUSCH are not related to a LCH; and
determining (<NUM>) a priority of the SR and PUSCH,
the method further comprising receiving the priority of the PUSCH associated with an aperiodic Channel State Information, CSI, report in a Radio Resource Control Information Element, RRC IE,
wherein the priority of the SR and PUSCH is determined based on a priority of at least one Medium Access Control-Control Element, MAC CE or the priority of the SR and PUSCH is determined based on a physical-index-based priority of the SR and PUSCH.