Patent Description:
In a <NUM> system, a MAC control element (Control Element, CE) type is introduced to control switching of multiple input and multiple output (Multiple Input and Multiple Output, MIMO), beam management (Beam Management), etc. In a protocol in the related art, a MAC CE index uses a logical channel identity (logical channel identify, LCID).

The LCID has a length of <NUM> bits and can identify <NUM> MAC CE types and logical channels. Except the LCID values used to identify the logical channels in the protocol in the related art, dozens of LCID values are left for identifying the MAC CE types.

In the <NUM> system, more MAC CE types need to be introduced. However, a range of the LCID values used to identify the MAC CE types in the related art can no longer satisfy a system in which the <NUM> system expands the MAC CE types. Therefore, how to identify an expanded MAC CE type in the <NUM> system is a problem that needs to be solved.

A <CIT> discloses a method for transmitting buffer status report from a user equipment in a wireless communication system and an apparatus therefor.

A <CIT> discloses a method and a device for generating a MAC CE in a carrier aggregation system.

A 3GPP draft No. R2-<NUM> provides a draft of MAC CEs definition for NR MIMO.

Further prior art can be found in <CIT>.

Directed to the above problem, an objective of the present application is to provide a MAC PDU transmission method and a MAC PDU transmission apparatus for identifying an expanded MAC CE type in a MAC PDU. The present invention is defined in accompanying claims.

In the above embodiments of the present application, if the MAC PDU needs to contain an expanded type of MAC CE, then on one hand, the MAC CE expanded-type indication information is set in the MAC PDU subheader corresponding to the MAC CE, and is used to indicate that the MAC CE is an expanded type of MAC CE; on the other hand, a MAC CE type index is set in the MAC CE to indicate a specific expansion type of the MAC CE. It can be seen that through two levels of indication information (the first level of indication information is MAC CE expanded-type indication information, and the second level of indication information is a MAC CE type index), a specific type to which the expanded type of MAC CE belongs can be identified.

A MAC layer in a long term evolution (Long Term Evolution, LTE) system is located between a radio link control (Radio Link Control, RLC) protocol layer and a physical layer (PHY) of a Uu interface.

A scheduling function in the LTE system is implemented at the MAC layer. An operation of the physical layer is scheduled and controlled through the MAC layer. A PDU is a protocol data unit of the MAC layer and is composed of character strings arranged in bytes (<NUM> bits). A service data unit (Service Data Unit, SDU) is also called a service data unit, which is a data set of user services at a specified layer, and can be encapsulated and sent in MAC PDU. The MAC SDU is transferred to a lower layer protocol layer by a high layer protocol information unit.

A MAC PDU is composed of a MAC header, a MAC CE, a MAC SDU, and a possible padding. The number of MAC headers is <NUM>; the number of MAC CEs is one or more than one or a MAC CE may not be included; the number of MAC SDUs is one or more than one, or a MAC SDU may not be included; the padding may be included or may not be included based on specific conditions. The length of the MAC header and the MAC SDU is variable.

The MAC CE is located ahead of all MAC SDUs, and the padding is located at the end of the MAC PDU.

A MAC header contains one or more MAC PDU subheaders, and each MAC PDU subheader corresponds to a MAC SDU or a MAC CE or a padding. An order of the MAC PDU subheaders is consistent with an order of corresponding MAC SDUs, corresponding MAC CEs, and corresponding paddings.

<FIG> shows a structure of a MAC PDU subheader corresponding to a MAC CE in the related art.

As shown in <FIG>, the MAC PDU subheader includes an R field, an F field, a LCID field and a <NUM>-bit length (L) field, where:.

<FIG> shows another structure of the MAC PDU subheader corresponding to the MAC CE in the related art.

As shown in <FIG>, the MAC PDU subheader includes: the R field, the F field, the LCID field, and a <NUM>-bit L field. A meaning of each field can be obtained by referring to relevant description of the MAC PDU subheader shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, the MAC PDU subheader includes two R fields and an LCID field. A meaning of each field can be obtained by referring to relevant description of the MAC PDU subheader shown in <FIG>.

The MAC PDU can be mapped to a downlink shared channel (Downlink-Shared Channel, DL-SCH) or to an uplink shared channel (Uplink-Shared Channel, UL-SCH).

When the MAC PDU is mapped to the DL-SCH, a value of the LCID field in the MAC PDU subheader can be as shown in Table <NUM>.

When the MAC PDU is mapped to an UL-SCH, a value of the LCID field in the MAC PDU subheader is shown in Table <NUM>.

With enhancement in a MAC protocol sublayer function, a <NUM> system introduces a large number of new MAC CE types. In the MAC protocol in the related art, the LCID field is used to indicate the MAC CE types, as shown in Table <NUM> or Table <NUM> above. However, in the related art, a range of values of the LCID limits the number of MAC CE types, that is, the range of values of the LCID in the related art cannot identify a large number of new MAC CE types introduced by the <NUM> system.

In order to identify the expanded new MAC CE types to meet needs of future air-interface communication, an embodiment of the present application provides a MAC PDU transmission method.

In the embodiment of the present application, if the MAC PDU needs to contain an expanded type of MAC CE (that is, a new type of MAC CE), then on the one hand, MAC CE expanded-type indication information is set in the MAC PDU subheader corresponding to the MAC CE, and is used to indicate that the MAC CE is an expanded type of MAC CE; on the other hand, a MAC CE type index is set in the MAC CE to indicate a specific expanded type of the MAC CE. That is, through two levels of indication (a first level is the MAC CE expanded-type indication information, and a second level is the MAC CE type index), a specific type to which the expanded type of MAC CE belongs can be identified.

The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

In the embodiment of the present application, for a MAC CE having the expanded type, the MAC CE expanded-type indication information needs to be set in the MAC PDU subheader, and is used to indicate that the MAC CE is the expanded type of MAC CE.

In order to improve compatibility with a protocol in the related art, optionally, in the embodiments of the present application, the MAC CE expanded-type indication information can be set in the MAC PDU subheader without changing a structure of the MAC PDU subheader in the related art.

Specifically, in a possible implementation manner, the MAC CE expanded-type indication information is carried in the LCID field in the MAC PDU subheader, and a value of the MAC CE expanded-type indication information is one value in a value range available for a MAC CE type identity, for example, can be a value in a reserved value range.

For example, if the MAC PDU is mapped to the DL-SCH for transmission, the value of the LCID in the MAC PDU subheader can be shown in Table <NUM>. The value range of <NUM>-<NUM> is a reserved value range, and a value in this range can be defined as the value of the MAC CE expanded-type indication information. For example, <NUM> in the reserved value range can be used as the value of the MAC CE expanded-type indication information, and the value of the LCID of the DL-SCH defined in this way can be shown in Table <NUM>.

As another example, if the MAC PDU is mapped to the UL-SCH for transmission, the value of the LCID in the MAC PDU subheader can be shown in Table <NUM>. The value range of <NUM>-<NUM> is a reserved value range, and a value in this range can be defined as the value of the MAC CE expanded-type indication information. For example, <NUM> in the reserved value range can be used as the value of the MAC CE expanded-type indication information, and the value of the LCID of UL-SCH defined in this way can be as shown in Table <NUM>.

Based on the above description, when an expanded type of MAC CE needs to be carried in a MAC PDU, the structure of the MAC PDU subheader corresponding to the MAC CE may be shown in <FIG>. The value of the LCID field is the value of the MAC CE expanded-type indication information defined in the embodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that a naming pattern of the above-mentioned "MAC CE expanded-type indication information" is only an example, the present application does not limit the naming pattern of the indication information, and indication information or identifier information that has the same function as that of the indication information is within the protection scope of the present application.

In order to indicate, in the MAC PDU, the specific type to which an expanded type of MAC CE belongs, in the embodiment of the present application, a field is added to the expanded type of MAC CE to indicate the specific type of the MAC CE.

In the embodiment of the present application, the newly added field is named "MAC CE type index". The above-mentioned naming pattern of the "MAC CE Type Index" is only an example, the present application does not limit the naming pattern of this information, and indication information or identification that has the same function as that the information is within the protection scope of the present application.

The MAC CE type index can uniquely indicate a MAC CE type (the MAC CE type is a new type, that is, an expanded type).

The length of the field of the MAC CE type index is N bytes, and N is an integer greater than or equal to <NUM>, that is, an integer multiple of bytes, for example, can be <NUM> byte (<NUM> bits) or <NUM> bytes (<NUM> bits). The length of the field of the MAC CE type index may not be an integer multiple of bytes. The length can be expressed as (N × <NUM>-M) bits, N is an integer greater than or equal to <NUM>, M is an integer, <NUM>≤M≤<NUM>, for example, N can be <NUM> bits or <NUM> bits. The length of the field of the MAC CE type index can be flexibly defined according to needs of the system.

Table <NUM> exemplarily shows a MAC CE expanded-type mapped to DL-SCH.

Table <NUM> exemplarily shows a MAC CE expanded-type mapped to UL-SCH.

In the embodiment of the present application, the expanded type of MAC CE may include the following two basic components (<NUM>) and (<NUM>).

If the length of the field of MAC CE type index in the expanded type of MAC CE is not a length having an integer multiple of bytes, then based on the above basic components, the expanded type of MAC CE may also include length-expansion indication information which can occupy one or more bits and is used to indicate whether the length of the MAC CE type index has been expanded.

It should be noted that an order of three possible components of the MAC CE in the MAC CE can be flexibly defined, which is not specifically limited in the present application.

It should be noted that the naming pattern of the above-mentioned "length-expansion indication information" is only an example, and the present application does not limit the naming pattern of the indication information. Indication information or identifier information that has the same function as that of the indication information is within the protection scope of the present application.

For example, the length-expansion indication information occupies <NUM> bit. When the value of the length-expansion indication information is <NUM>, the "<NUM>" value indicates that the length of the MAC CE type index is not expanded, that is, the length of the MAC CE type index is <NUM> bits; when the value of the length-expansion indication information is <NUM>, the "<NUM>" value indicates that the length of the MAC CE type index has been expanded, that is, the length of the MAC CE type index is <NUM> bits.

<FIG> exemplarily shows a structure of an expanded type of MAC CE, and a length of the MAC CE type index is <NUM> bits. As shown in <FIG>, the MAC CE may include following:.

<FIG> exemplarily shows a structure of an expanded type of MAC CE, and the length of the MAC CE type index is <NUM> bits. As shown in <FIG>, the MAC CE may include following.

<FIG> exemplarily shows the structure of an expanded type of MAC CE, and the length of the MAC CE type index is <NUM> bits. As shown in <FIG>, the MAC CE may include following.

In another possible implementation, a C-RNTI CE format in a protocol is shown in <FIG> shows a format of an expanded type of MAC CE with a <NUM>-bit MAC CE type index. By combining <FIG> with <FIG>, it can be seen that the method provided by the embodiment of the present application can realize expansion of a MAC CE type.

Based on the foregoing embodiment, an embodiment of the present application provides a MAC PDU transmission method on a sending device side, as shown in <FIG>, the method includes steps <NUM>-<NUM>.

S801: generating a MAC PDU by a sending device.

If the sending device needs to send an expanded type of MAC CE through the MAC PDU, the MAC PDU subheader corresponding to the MAC CE includes MAC CE expanded-type indication information for indicating that the corresponding MAC CE is an expanded type of MAC CE, and the MAC CE type index is set in the MAC CE and is used to indicate an expansion type described by the MAC CE.

Specific implementation of this step is described in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

S802: sending the MAC PDU by the sending device.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a MAC PDU transmission method on a receiving device side, the method includes steps S803-S804.

S803: receiving, by the receiving device, a MAC PDU sent by the sending device.

S804: determining the type of a MAC CE by the receiving device according to the MAC CE expanded-type indication information and the MAC CE type index.

It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, when the MAC PDU is mapped to an uplink shared channel for transmission, the "sending device" may be a "terminal", the "receiving device" may be a "base station"; when the MAC PDU is mapped to a downlink shared channel for transmission, the "sending device" may be the "base station" and the "receiving device" may be the "terminal".

Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application also provides a MAC PDU transmission apparatus. Referring to <FIG>, the apparatus provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a generating module <NUM> and a sending module <NUM>.

The generating module <NUM> is configured to generate a MAC PDU by a sending device. The MAC PDU includes N media access control control elements (MAC CE) and N MAC PDU subheaders corresponding to the N MAC CEs in a one-to-one manner. At least one MAC PDU subheader in the N MAC PDU subheaders includes MAC CE expanded-type indication information used to indicate that the corresponding MAC CE is an expanded type of MAC CE, and the MAC PDU subheader that contains the MAC CE expanded-type indication information corresponds to the MAC CE including a MAC CE type index, the MAC CE type index is used to indicate an expansion type to which the MAC CE belongs, and N is an integer greater than or equal to <NUM>.

The sending module <NUM> is configured to send the MAC PDU by the sending device.

Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application also provides a MAC PDU transmission apparatus. Referring to <FIG>, the apparatus provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a receiving module <NUM> and a determining module <NUM>.

The receiving module <NUM> is configured to generate a MAC PDU by a receiving device. The MAC PDU includes N media access control control elements (MAC CE) and N MAC PDU subheaders corresponding to the N MAC CEs in a one-to-one manner. At least one MAC PDU subheader in the N MAC PDU subheaders includes MAC CE expanded-type indication information used to indicate that the corresponding MAC CE is an expanded type of MAC CE, and the MAC PDU subheader that contains the MAC CE expanded-type indication information corresponds to the MAC CE including a MAC CE type index, the MAC CE type index is used to indicate an expansion type to which the MAC CE belongs, and N is an integer greater than or equal to <NUM>.

The determining module <NUM> is configured to determine the type of the MAC CE by the receiving device according to the MAC CE expanded-type indication information and the MAC CE type index.

Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment not covered by the claims of the present application further provides an apparatus, as shown in <FIG>, the apparatus includes a processor <NUM>, a storage <NUM>, a transceiver <NUM>, and a bus interface. The apparatus can implement an object processing procedure described in the foregoing embodiments.

The processor <NUM> is responsible for managing a bus architecture and general processing, and the storage <NUM> can store data used by the processor <NUM> when performing an operations. The transceiver <NUM> is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor <NUM>.

The bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges. Specifically, various circuits such as one or more processors represented by the processor <NUM> and a storage represented by the storage <NUM> are linked together. The bus architecture can also link various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, power management circuits, etc., which are all known in the art, and therefore, no further description thereof is provided herein. A bus interface provides the interface. The processor <NUM> is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the storage <NUM> can store data used by the processor <NUM> when performing operations.

The processes disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the processor <NUM> or implemented by the processor <NUM>. In the implementation process, each step of a signal processing flow can be completed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in the processor <NUM> or instructions in a form of software. The processor <NUM> may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be directly embodied as being executed and completed by a hardware processor, or executed and completed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. A software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the field such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the storage <NUM>, and the processor <NUM> reads information in the storage <NUM>, and completes the steps of a signal processing flow in combination with hardware of the processor <NUM>.

Specifically, the processor <NUM> is configured to read a program in the storage <NUM> and execute processes executed by an access network node described in the foregoing embodiments.

Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment not covered by the claims of the present application also provides an apparatus, as shown in <FIG>. The apparatus includes a processor <NUM>, a storage <NUM>, a transceiver <NUM>, and a bus interface. The apparatus can implement an object processing procedure described in the foregoing embodiments.

The flows disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the processor <NUM> or implemented by the processor <NUM>. In the implementation process, each step of a signal processing flow can be completed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in the processor <NUM> or instructions in a form of software. The processor <NUM> may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be directly embodied as being executed and completed by a hardware processor, or executed and completed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. A software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the field such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the storage <NUM>, and the processor <NUM> reads information in the storage <NUM>, and completes the steps of a signal processing flow in combination with hardware of the processor <NUM>.

Based on the same technical concept, the embodiments not covered by the claims of the present application also provide one or more computer-readable storage media, on which instructions are stored, wherein when the instructions are executed by one or more processors, a communication device is caused to execute the method described in the foregoing embodiments.

Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment not covered by the claims of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions are used to cause one or more processors to execute the method described in the foregoing embodiments.

The present application is described with reference to flowcharts and/or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each flow and/or each block in a flowchart and/or a block diagram, and a combination of flows and/or blocks in the flowchart and/or the block diagram can be realized by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing devices to generate a machine, so that instructions, when being executed by a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device, can generate a device used to realize a functions specified in one or more flows in a flowchart and/or one or more blocks in a block diagram.

These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can guide a computer or other programmable data processing devices to work in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including an instruction apparatus. The apparatus implements the functions specified in one or more flows in a flowchart and/or one or more blocks in a block diagram.

Claim 1:
A media access control protocol data unit, MAC PDU, transmission method, comprising:
generating (S801) a MAC PDU by a sending device, wherein the MAC PDU comprises N media access control control elements, MAC CE, and N MAC PDU subheaders corresponding to the N MAC CEs in a one-to-one manner; and,
sending (S802) the MAC PDU by the sending device,
wherein
at least one MAC PDU subheader in the N MAC PDU subheaders comprises MAC CE expanded-type indication information used to indicate that a corresponding MAC CE is an expanded type of MAC CE, and a MAC CE corresponding to the MAC PDU subheader containing the MAC CE expanded-type indication information comprises an MAC CE type index used to indicate an expansion type to which the MAC CE belongs, and N is an integer greater than or equal to <NUM>, the MAC CE type index uniquely indicates a MAC CE type,
the expanded type is a new MAC CE type a Fifth Generation communication system, other than MAC CE types in a Long Term Evolution system, wherein the MAC CE expanded-type indication information is carried in a logical channel identity, LCID, field in the MAC PDU subheader, and a value of the MAC CE expanded-type indication information is an available value in a value range of a MAC CE type identity.