WO2019106576A1

WO2019106576A1 - Method for message handling

Info

Publication number: WO2019106576A1
Application number: PCT/IB2018/059425
Authority: WO
Inventors: Magnus Stattin; Paul Schliwa-Bertling; Dung PHAM VAN
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 2017-11-28
Filing date: 2018-11-28
Publication date: 2019-06-06

Abstract

A method for message handling comprises receiving, from a network node at a user equipment (UE), a first uplink grant with a first size; sending, from the UE to the network node, a first message which is adapted to the first size via the first uplink grant; receiving, from the network node at the UE, a second uplink grant with a second size; determining, at the UE, that the second size of the second uplink grant is different from the first size of the first uplink grant; and building, at the UE, a protocol data unit (PDU) in a second message to correspond to the second size of the second uplink grant. The method further comprises sending, to the network node, the second message adapted to the second size via the second uplink grant. The method provides a UL message built to correspond to the size of the provided UL grant to avoid a resource waste in the network.

Description

METHOD FOR MESSAGE HANDLING

TECHNICAL FIELD

Particular embodiments relate to the field of message handling; and more specifically, to methods, and apparatus for handling a resume request message for an uplink transmission.

BACKGROUND

There has been a lot of work in 3 GPP lately on specifying technologies to cover Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and/or Internet of Things (IoT) related use cases. Most recent work for 3GPP Release 13 and 14 includes enhancements to support Machine-Type Communications (MTC) with new UE categories, as in Cat-Ml, Cat- M2, supporting reduced bandwidth of up to 6 and 24 physical resource blocks (PRBs), and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) UEs providing a new radio interface, with UE categories Cat-NBl and Cat-NB2.

The LTE enhancements introduced in 3GPP Release 13, 14, and 15 for MTC would be referred as“eMTC”, including but not limited to support for bandwidth limited UEs, Cat- M1/M2, and support for coverage enhancements. This is to separate discussions from NB-IoT used for any Release, although the supported features are similar on a general level.

For both eMTC and NB-IoT, Cellular IoT EPS User Plane optimization and Cellular IoT EPS Control Plane optimization signaling reductions were also introduced in Release 13. The former, here referred to as UP-solution, allows the UE to resume a previously stored RRC connection, thus also known as RRC Suspend/Resume. The latter, here referred to as CP- solution, allows the transmission of user-plane data over non-access stratum, i.e. DoNAS.

For 3GPP Release 15, new work items (WIs) for Even further enhanced MTC for LTE (LTE_eMTC4) and Further NB-IoT enhancements (NB_IOTenh2) target eMTC and NB-IoT enhancements, respectively. The new WIs for LTE_eMTC4 here is referred to as WI_eMTC, and the new WIs for NB_IOTenh2 here is referred as WI_NBIOT. In both of these, one of the goals for a WI is to reduce UE power consumption and latency through introducing possibilities to send data as early as possible during the Random Access (RA) procedure.

WI_eMTC supports early data transmission and evaluates power consumption, latency gain, and specifies necessary support for downlink (DL)/uplink (UL) data transmission on a dedicated resource during the RA procedure, e.g. after physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission and before the RRC connection setup is completed, at least in the RRC Suspend/Resume case. WI_NBIOT evaluates power consumption, latency gain, and specifies necessary support for DL/UL data transmission on a dedicated resource during the RA procedure, after NPRACH transmission and before the RRC connection setup is completed.

During RAN2#99 and RAN2#99-Bis, several contributions on early data transmission (EDT) were discussed, and a significant progress has been made. One of the agreements is to support early UL data transmission in Msg3 for Release 13 user plane (UP) solution. Existing solutions for realizing the early data transmission concept have recently been presented in prior art, such as WO 2018/185654A1.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a contention-based RA procedure from TS 36.300. The messages in the RA procedure are commonly referred to as message 1 (Msgl) through message 4 (Msg4).

Currently in LTE, the UE is provided with an UL grant in the Random Access Response (RAR) to transmit Msg3, that includes a RRC message, such as RRCConnectionRequest or RRCConnectionResumeRequest. Once the UE transmitted Msg3, it starts mac- ContentionResolutionTimer and monitors the PDCCH for receiving either Msg4 or a UL grant for retransmission of Msg3. In the former, the UE may receive Msg4 but the contention resolution is considered unsuccessful. In this case, the UE restarts the RA procedure but the Msg3 buffer remains unchanged. In the subsequent random access attempt, the UE obtains the Msg3 PDU from Msg3 buffer for transmission rather than building a new one. In the latter, a failure occurs in transmission of Msg3, and the eNB provides the UE with a new UL grant for retransmission. In both cases, the newly provided UL grant for Msg3 (re)transmission, i.e., in RAR or via PDCCH may be different from the previous UL grant. However, since it is sufficient to accommodate a legacy Msg3 PDU, the UE does not need to rebuild Msg3.

With existing solutions, when Msg3 PDU is larger than the provided UL grant, for example, due to UL data included in Msg3, i.e., in the context of early data transmission, the (re)transmission of Msg3 PDU with a small UL grant is problematic. According to the legacy behavior specified in TS36.321, sections 5.1 and 5.4, if the UE receives a smaller UL grant either via RAR or PDCCH for (re)transmission of Msg3 PDU, it shall obtain the medium access control (MAC) PDU from Msg3 buffer and the associated Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) process shall instruct the physical layer to generate a (re)transmission. However, since the transport block size (TBS) is not sufficient for the Msg3 PDU, failure would occur. As a result, the higher layers would release all UE context, Msg3 buffer is flushed, and the UE needs to start again the random access procedure. In this case, the extra delay and power consumption incurred may dismiss possible gains by the early data transmission. In another example, the new UL grant may be larger than the previous one leading to the unnecessary padding bits in the Msg3 retransmission. Early data transmission is one example of not having sufficient TBS for Msg3 PDU, the observation applies for other cases where Msg3 is sent with more information than in legacy LTE.

SUMMARY

To address the foregoing problems with existing solutions, disclosed are methods and a user equipment (UE) for message handling by building a protocol data unit (PDU) in a message which is used for an uplink transmission. The present disclosure implements a solution to build a PDU to fit a size of the uplink (UL) grant provided by the network node, such that the whole RA procedure does not need to be abandoned and the resources in the network is not wasted.

Several embodiments are elaborated in this disclosure. According to one embodiment, a method for message handling comprises receiving, from a network node at a UE, a first uplink grant with a first size. The method additionally comprises sending, from the UE to the network node, a first message which is adapted to the first size via the first uplink grant. The method further comprises receiving, from the network node at the UE, a second uplink grant with a second size. The method further comprises determining, at the UE, that the second size of the second uplink grant is different from the first size of the first uplink grant. The method further comprises building, at the UE, a PDU in a second message to correspond to the second size of the second uplink grant.

In one embodiment, the first uplink grant and the second uplink grant are received via a random access response (RAR) message or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

In one embodiment, the PDU in the second message is built by updating the first message in message buffer. In one embodiment, updating the first message in message buffer comprises replacing the first message with the second message. In another embodiment, updating the first message in message buffer comprises updating a relevant section in the first message with the second message.

In one embodiment, when the second uplink grant is smaller than the first uplink grant, the PDU in the second message comprises at least one of the following: service data unit (SDU) which is used in the first message; signaling data from radio link control (RLC) PDU; signaling data from PDCCH PDU; user data from RLC unacknowledged mode data (UMD) PDU; and user data from RLC acknowledged mode data (AMD) PDU. In one embodiment, when the second uplink grant is larger than the first uplink grant, the second message further comprises at least one of the following: uplink user data for early data transmission; uplink signaling in a form of RLC PDU; and uplink control elements.

In one embodiment, the first message and the second message are an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In another embodiment, the first message and the second message comprise an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In one embodiment, the PDU in the second message is built based on a copy of SDU used in the first message and a RLC PDU segment.

In one embodiment, when the second message comprises data from a RLC transparent mode (TM) entity, a copy of RLC transparent mode data (TMD) PDU is maintained until a completion of transmitting the second message. In one embodiment, the completion of transmitting the second message represents one of the following scenarios: when a contention resolution is considered successful; when a maximum number of transmission is reached; and when a radio link failure (RLF) occurs.

According to another embodiment, a user equipment for message handling comprises at least one processing circuitry, and at least one storage that stores processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, causes a UE to receive, from a network node, a first uplink grant with a first size; send, to the network node, a first message which is adapted to the first size via the first uplink grant; receive, from the network node, a second uplink grant with a second size; determine that the second size of the second uplink grant is different from the first size of the first uplink grant; and build a PDU in a second message to correspond to the second size of the second uplink grant.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. There are, proposed herein, various embodiments which address one or more of the issues disclosed herein.

Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. The methods disclosed in the present disclosure may provide a built Msg3 or any other suitable UL messages which is transmitted via an UL grant provided by the network node. The UE builds the PDU in Msg3 to adapt the size of the UL grant provided. Therefore, the UE does not need to request the network node for another UL grant when the provided UL grant is too small for Msg3. In addition, the UE does not waste resource by adding further information in Msg3 when the provided UL grant is larger than the UL transmission.

Various other features and advantages will become obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the following detailed description and drawings. Certain embodiments may have none, some, or all of the recited advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

FIGETRE 1 illustrates an example contention-based random access procedure;

FIGETRE 2 illustrates an example wireless network, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 3 illustrates an example user equipment, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 4 illustrates an example virtualization environment, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 5 illustrates an example retransmission in Msg3 within the same RA procedure, in accordance with certain embodiments ;

FIGETRE 6 illustrates an example retransmission in Msg3 between two consecutive RA attempts, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 7 illustrates an example telecommunication network connected via an intermediate network to a host computer, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 8 illustrates an example host computer communicating via a base station with a user equipment over a partially wireless connection, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 9 illustrates an example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 10 illustrates another example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGETRE 11 illustrates another further example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, in accordance with certain embodiments ;

FIGETRE 12 illustrates another yet example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, in accordance with certain embodiments; FIGURE 13 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGURE 14 illustrates a flow diagram of another example method, in accordance with certain embodiments;

FIGURE 15 illustrates a block schematic of an example apparatus, in accordance with certain embodiments; and

FIGURE 16 illustrates a block schematic of an example user equipment, in accordance with certain embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In 3 GPP radio access networks, when a UE is being provided with a UL grant with a different size from the size of the UL transmission, a resource waste may be caused. When the UE receives a smaller UL grant than the size of the UL transmission, a transmission failure occurs which leads to a release of all UE context, a flush of Msg3 buffer, and a restart of the random access (RA) procedure. When the UE receives a larger UL grant, unnecessary padding bits are wasted in the UL transmission. Therefore, particular embodiments of the present disclosure propose a method to provide a Msg3 which is built to correspond to the size of the UL grant provided by the network node, such that the built Msg3 may be adapted to the provided UL grant to avoid a resource waste in the network.

Particular embodiments provide a solution for handling (re)transmission of Msg3 with an UL grant whose size is possibly smaller or larger than the preceding Msg3 PDU size. Particular embodiments provide a method for rebuilding Msg3 PDU to fit the newly provided UL grant in order for the UE to continue the random access procedure rather than failing the RA procedure. Lurthermore, particular embodiments avoid performing actions related to failure to establish or resume the RRC connection. Specifically, particular embodiments eliminate a need to restart the connection establishment procedure when an inappropriate UL grant is provided. In addition, particular embodiments provide a rebuilt Msg3 PDU to allow a possibility of including of UL data in Msg3 rather than padding bits, which is particularly beneficial in the context of early data transmission.

Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Other embodiments, however, are contained within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

Generally, all terms used herein are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and/or is implied from the context in which it is used. All references to a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any methods disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and/or where it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Likewise, any advantage of any of the embodiments may apply to any other embodiments, and vice versa. Other objectives, features and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will be apparent from the following description.

In some embodiments a non-limiting term“UE” is used. The UE herein can be any type of wireless device capable of communicating with network node or another UE over radio signals. The UE may also be radio communication device, target device, device to device (D2D) UE, machine type UE or UE capable of machine to machine communication (M2M), a sensor equipped with UE, iPAD, Tablet, mobile terminals, smart phone, laptop embedded equipped (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) etc.

Also, in some embodiments, generic terminology“network node” is used. It can be any kind of network node which may comprise of a radio network node such as base station, radio base station, base transceiver station, base station controller, network controller, multi-standard radio BS, gNB, NR BS, evolved Node B (eNB), Node B, Multi-cell/multicast Coordination Entity (MCE), relay node, access point, radio access point, Remote Radio Unit (RRU) Remote Radio Head (RRH), a multi-standard BS (a.k.a. MSR BS), a core network node (e.g., MME, SON node, a coordinating node, positioning node, MDT node, etc.), or even an external node (e.g., 3rd party node, a node external to the current network), etc. The network node may also comprise a test equipment.

In some embodiments, the term“Msg3 PDU size” may be used to indicate a size of PDU in Msg3 buffer or a size of content in Msg3 buffer.

The term“radio node” used herein may be used to denote a UE or a radio network node.

The term“signaling” used herein may comprise any of: high-layer signaling (e.g., via radio resource control (RRC) or a like), lower-layer signaling (e.g., via a physical control channel or a broadcast channel), or a combination thereof. The signaling may be implicit or explicit. The signaling may further be unicast, multicast or broadcast. The signaling may also be directly to another node or via a third node.

Regarding naming message and numbering, sometimes messages corresponding to e.g., RRCConnectionResumeRequest, RRCConnectionResume and RRConnectionResumeComplete etc. are referred to in terms of where they occur in a random access sequence. As an example, in LTE, the messages RRCConnectionResumeRequest, RRCConnectionResume and RRConnectionResumeComplete correspond to messages 3, 4 and 5 in a random access procedure. Hence, they are often referred to as Msg3, Msg4 and Msg5, respectively. Same or similar or analogous naming is often used also in the context of NR and may, with or without some adaptations, be used also in the context of other access technologies and/or systems.

FIGURE 2 is an example wireless network, in accordance with certain 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 FIGURE 2. For simplicity, the wireless network of FIGURE 2 only depicts network 206, network nodes 260 and 260b, and wireless devices (WDs) 210, 2l0b, and 2l0c. 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 260 and wireless device (WD) 210 are depicted with additional detail. In certain embodiments, the network node 260 may be an apparatus which is further depicted in FIGURE 15. In some embodiments, the network node 260 may be a base station, such as gNB. In certain embodiments, the wireless device 210 may be a user equipment, which is further illustrated in FIGURE 16. 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.

The wireless network may comprise and/or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and/or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to specific standards or other types of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of the wireless network may implement communication standards, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and/or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 standards; and/or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave and/or ZigBee standards.

Network 206 may comprise one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), packet data networks, optical networks, wide-area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices. Network node 260 and WD 210 comprise various components described in more detail below. These components work together in order to provide network node and/or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connections in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and/or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and/or signals whether via wired or wireless connections.

As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and/or with other network nodes or equipment in the wireless network to enable and/or provide wireless access to the wireless device and/or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and may then also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units and/or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Yet further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell/multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSCs, MMEs), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and/or MDTs. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node as described in more detail below. More generally, however, network nodes may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to enable and/or provide a wireless device with access to the wireless network or to provide some service to a wireless device that has accessed the wireless network.

In FIGETRE 2, network node 260 includes processing circuitry 270, device readable medium 280, interface 290, auxiliary equipment 288, power source 286, power circuitry 287, and antenna 262. Although network node 260 illustrated in the example wireless network of FIGURE 2 may represent a device that includes the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise network nodes with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that a network node comprises any suitable combination of hardware and/or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Moreover, while the components of network node 260 are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a network node may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component (e.g., device readable medium 280 may comprise multiple separate hard drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

Similarly, network node 260 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which network node 260 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, network node 260 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device readable medium 280 for the different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 262 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 260 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 260, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 260.

Processing circuitry 270 is configured to perform any determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by processing circuitry 270 may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry 270 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 270 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, 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 network node 260 components, such as device readable medium 280, network node 260 functionality. For example, processing circuitry 270 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium 280 or in memory within processing circuitry 270. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 270 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

In some embodiments, processing circuitry 270 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 272 and baseband processing circuitry 274. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 272 and baseband processing circuitry 274 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 272 and baseband processing circuitry 274 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 270 executing instructions stored on device readable medium 280 or memory within processing circuitry 270. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 270 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device readable medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a device readable storage medium or not, processing circuitry 270 can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry 270 alone or to other components of network node 260, but are enjoyed by network node 260 as a whole, and/or by end users and the wireless network generally.

Device readable medium 280 may comprise 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), read-only 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 270. Device readable medium 280 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 270 and, utilized by network node 260. Device readable medium 280 may be used to store any calculations made by processing circuitry 270 and/or any data received via interface 290. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 270 and device readable medium 280 may be considered to be integrated.

Interface 290 is used in the wired or wireless communication of signaling and/or data between network node 260, network 206, and/or WDs 210. As illustrated, interface 290 comprises port(s)/terminal(s) 294 to send and receive data, for example to and from network 206 over a wired connection. Interface 290 also includes radio front end circuitry 292 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, antenna 262. Radio front end circuitry 292 comprises filters 298 and amplifiers 296. Radio front end circuitry 292 may be connected to antenna 262 and processing circuitry 270. Radio front end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 262 and processing circuitry 270. Radio front end circuitry 292 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. Radio front end circuitry 292 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 298 and/or amplifiers 296. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 262. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 262 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry 292. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry 270. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

In certain alternative embodiments, network node 260 may not include separate radio front end circuitry 292, instead, processing circuitry 270 may comprise radio front end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 262 without separate radio front end circuitry 292. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of RF transceiver circuitry 272 may be considered a part of interface 290. In still other embodiments, interface 290 may include one or more ports or terminals 294, radio front end circuitry 292, and RF transceiver circuitry 272, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and interface 290 may communicate with baseband processing circuitry 274, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

Antenna 262 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals. Antenna 262 may be coupled to radio front end circuitry 290 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly. In some embodiments, antenna 262 may comprise one or more omni-directional, sector or panel antennas operable to transmit/receive radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. An omni-directional antenna may be used to transmit/receive radio signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to transmit/receive radio signals from devices within a particular area, and a panel antenna may be a line of sight antenna used to transmit/receive radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In certain embodiments, antenna 262 may be separate from network node 260 and may be connectable to network node 260 through an interface or port.

Antenna 262, interface 290, and/or processing circuitry 270 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node and/or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna 262, interface 290, and/or processing circuitry 270 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node and/or any other network equipment.

Power circuitry 287 may comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry and is configured to supply the components of network node 260 with power for performing the functionality described herein. Power circuitry 287 may receive power from power source 286. Power source 286 and/or power circuitry 287 may be configured to provide power to the various components of network node 260 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). Power source 286 may either be included in, or external to, power circuitry 287 and/or network node 260. For example, network node 260 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry 287. As a further example, power source 286 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry 287. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

Alternative embodiments of network node 260 may include additional components beyond those shown in FIGURE 2 that may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and/or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 260 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into network node 260 and to allow output of information from network node 260. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node 260.

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). In certain embodiments, the wireless device 210 may be a user equipment which is further depicted in FIGURES 3 and 16. 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 3 GPP 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 3 GPP 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.

As illustrated, wireless device 210 includes antenna 211, interface 214, processing circuitry 220, device readable medium 230, user interface equipment 232, auxiliary equipment 234, power source 236 and power circuitry 237. WD 210 may include multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by WD 210, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, just to mention a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or set of chips as other components within WD 210.

Antenna 211 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals, and is connected to interface 214. In certain alternative embodiments, antenna 211 may be separate from WD 210 and be connectable to WD 210 through an interface or port. Antenna 211, interface 214, and/or processing circuitry 220 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a network node and/or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front end circuitry and/or antenna 211 may be considered an interface.

As illustrated, interface 214 comprises radio front end circuitry 212 and antenna 211. Radio front end circuitry 212 comprise one or more filters 218 and amplifiers 216. Radio front end circuitry 214 is connected to antenna 211 and processing circuitry 220, and is configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 211 and processing circuitry 220. Radio front end circuitry 212 may be coupled to or a part of antenna 211. In some embodiments, WD 210 may not include separate radio front end circuitry 212; rather, processing circuitry 220 may comprise radio front end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 211. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 222 may be considered a part of interface 214. Radio front end circuitry 212 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. Radio front end circuitry 212 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 218 and/or amplifiers 216. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 211. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 211 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry 212. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry 220. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components. Processing circuitry 220 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, 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 WD 210 components, such as device readable medium 230, WD 210 functionality. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, processing circuitry 220 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium 230 or in memory within processing circuitry 220 to provide the functionality disclosed herein. In particular embodiments, the processing circuitry 220 of the wireless device 210 may perform the method which is further illustrated in FIGURES 13 and 14.

As illustrated, processing circuitry 220 includes one or more of RF transceiver circuitry 222, baseband processing circuitry 224, and application processing circuitry 226. In other embodiments, the processing circuitry may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments processing circuitry 220 of WD 210 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 222, baseband processing circuitry 224, and application processing circuitry 226 may be on separate chips or sets of chips. In alternative embodiments, part or all of baseband processing circuitry 224 and application processing circuitry 226 may be combined into one chip or set of chips, and RF transceiver circuitry 222 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In still alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 222 and baseband processing circuitry 224 may be on the same chip or set of chips, and application processing circuitry 226 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In yet other alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 222, baseband processing circuitry 224, and application processing circuitry 226 may be combined in the same chip or set of chips. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 222 may be a part of interface 214. RF transceiver circuitry 222 may condition RF signals for processing circuitry 220.

In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionalities described herein as being performed by a WD may be provided by processing circuitry 220 executing instructions stored on device readable medium 230, which in certain embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 220 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a device readable storage medium or not, processing circuitry 220 can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry 220 alone or to other components of WD 210, but are enjoyed by WD 210 as a whole, and/or by end users and the wireless network generally.

Processing circuitry 220 may be configured to perform any determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being performed by a WD. These operations, as performed by processing circuitry 220, may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry 220 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored by WD 210, 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.

Device readable medium 230 may be operable to store 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 220. Device readable medium 230 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 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 220. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 220 and device readable medium 230 may be considered to be integrated.

User interface equipment 232 may provide components that allow for a human user to interact with WD 210. Such interaction may be of many forms, such as visual, audial, tactile, etc. User interface equipment 232 may be operable to produce output to the user and to allow the user to provide input to WD 210. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface equipment 232 installed in WD 210. For example, if WD 210 is a smart phone, the interaction may be via a touch screen; if WD 210 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alert (e.g., if smoke is detected). User interface equipment 232 may include input interfaces, devices and circuits, and output interfaces, devices and circuits. User interface equipment 232 is configured to allow input of information into WD 210, and is connected to processing circuitry 220 to allow processing circuitry 220 to process the input information. User interface equipment 232 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity or other sensor, keys/buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. User interface equipment 232 is also configured to allow output of information from WD 210, and to allow processing circuitry 220 to output information from WD 210. User interface equipment 232 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, vibrating circuitry, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits, of user interface equipment 232, WD 210 may communicate with end users and/or the wireless network, and allow them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

Auxiliary equipment 234 is operable to provide more specific functionality which may not be generally performed by WDs. This may comprise specialized sensors for doing measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communications etc. The inclusion and type of components of auxiliary equipment 234 may vary depending on the embodiment and/or scenario.

Power source 236 may, in some embodiments, be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic devices or power cells, may also be used. WD 210 may further comprise power circuitry 237 for delivering power from power source 236 to the various parts of WD 210 which need power from power source 236 to carry out any functionality described or indicated herein. Power circuitry 237 may in certain embodiments comprise power management circuitry. Power circuitry 237 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in which case WD 210 may be connectable to the external power source (such as an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Power circuitry 237 may also in certain embodiments be operable to deliver power from an external power source to power source 236. This may be, for example, for the charging of power source 236. Power circuitry 237 may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from power source 236 to make the power suitable for the respective components of WD 210 to which power is supplied.

FIGURE 3 illustrates one embodiment of a UE in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, a user equipment or UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and/or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter). UE 300 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-IoT UE, a MTC UE, and/or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. UE 300, as illustrated in FIGETRE 3, is one example of a WD configured for communication in accordance with one or more communication standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP’s GSM, EIMTS, LTE, and/or 5G standards. In certain embodiments, the user equipment 300 may be a user equipment which is further depicted in FIGETRE 16. As mentioned previously, the term WD and UE may be used interchangeable. Accordingly, although FIGURE 3 is a UE, the components discussed herein are equally applicable to a WD, and vice-versa.

In FIGURE 3, UE 300 includes processing circuitry 301 that is operatively coupled to input/output interface 305, radio frequency (RF) interface 309, network connection interface 311, memory 315 including random access memory (RAM) 317, read-only memory (ROM) 319, and storage medium 321 or the like, communication subsystem 331, power source 333, and/or any other component, or any combination thereof. Storage medium 321 includes operating system 323, application program 325, and data 327. In other embodiments, storage medium 321 may include other similar types of information. Certain UEs may utilize all of the components shown in FIGURE 3, or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

In FIGURE 3, processing circuitry 301 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. Processing circuitry 301 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute machine instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored program, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 301 may include two central processing units (CPUs). Data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

In the depicted embodiment, input/output interface 305 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, output device, or input and output device. UE 300 may be configured to use an output device via input/output interface 305. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from UE 300. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. UE 300 may be configured to use an input device via input/output interface 305 to allow a user to capture information into UE 300. The input device may include a touch-sensitive or presence- sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another like sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

In FIGURE 3, RF interface 309 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna. Network connection interface 311 may be configured to provide a communication interface to network 343a. Network 343a may encompass wired and/or wireless networks such as a local-area network (FAN), a wide-area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another like network or any combination thereof. For example, network 343a may comprise a Wi-Fi network. Network connection interface 311 may be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface used to communicate with one or more other devices over a communication network according to one or more communication protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, SONET, ATM, or the like. Network connection interface 311 may implement receiver and transmitter functionality appropriate to the communication network links (e.g., optical, electrical, and the like). The transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively may be implemented separately.

RAM 317 may be configured to interface via bus 302 to processing circuitry 301 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as the operating system, application programs, and device drivers. ROM 319 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuitry 301. For example, ROM 319 may be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input and output (I/O), startup, or reception of keystrokes from a keyboard that are stored in a non-volatile memory. Storage medium 321 may be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, or flash drives. In one example, storage medium 321 may be configured to include operating system 323, application program 325 such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine or another application, and data file 327. Storage medium 321 may store, for use by UE 300, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

Storage medium 321 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), floppy disk drive, flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro- DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as a subscriber identity module or a removable user identity (SIM/RUIM) module, other memory, or any combination thereof. Storage medium 321 may allow UE 300 to access computer-executable instructions, application programs or the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied in storage medium 321, which may comprise a device readable medium.

In FIGURE 3, processing circuitry 301 may be configured to communicate with network 343b using communication subsystem 331. Network 343a and network 343b may be the same network or networks or different network or networks. Communication subsystem 331 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with network 343b. For example, communication subsystem 331 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN) according to one or more communication protocols, such as IEEE 802.5, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, or the like. Each transceiver may include transmitter 333 and/or receiver 335 to implement transmitter or receiver functionality, respectively, appropriate to the RAN links (e.g., frequency allocations and the like). Further, transmitter 333 and receiver 335 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively may be implemented separately.

In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of communication subsystem 331 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, communication subsystem 331 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. Network 343b may encompass wired and/or wireless networks such as a local-area network (LAN), a wide-area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another like network or any combination thereof. For example, network 343b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and/or a near- field network. Power source 313 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to components of UE 300.

The features, benefits and/or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 300 or partitioned across multiple components of UE 300. Further, the features, benefits, and/or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, communication subsystem 331 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Further, processing circuitry 301 may be configured to communicate with any of such components over bus 302. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that when executed by processing circuitry 301 perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functionality of any of such components may be partitioned between processing circuitry 301 and communication subsystem 331. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

FIGURE 4 illustrates an example virtualization environment, according to certain embodiments. FIGURE 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 400 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or to a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device or any other type of communication device) or components thereof and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines or containers executing on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 400 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes 430. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node is not a radio access node or does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node), then the network node may be entirely virtualized. The functions may be implemented by one or more applications 420 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operative to implement some of the features, functions, and/or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. Applications 420 are run in virtualization environment 400 which provides hardware 430 comprising processing circuitry 460 and memory 490. Memory 490 contains instructions 495 executable by processing circuitry 460 whereby application 420 is operative to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and/or functions disclosed herein.

Virtualization environment 400, comprises general-purpose or special-purpose network hardware devices 430 comprising a set of one or more processors or processing circuitry 460, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, dedicated Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuitry including digital or analog hardware components or special purpose processors. Each hardware device may comprise memory 490- 1 which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 495 or software executed by processing circuitry 460. Each hardware device may comprise one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 470, also known as network interface cards, which include physical network interface 480. Each hardware device may also include non-transitory, persistent, machine -readable storage media 490-2 having stored therein software 495 and/or instructions executable by processing circuitry 460. Software 495 may include any type of software including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 450 (also referred to as hypervisors), software to execute virtual machines 440 as well as software allowing it to execute functions, features and/or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein.

Virtual machines 440, comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 450 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of the instance of virtual appliance 420 may be implemented on one or more of virtual machines 440, and the implementations may be made in different ways.

During operation, processing circuitry 460 executes software 495 to instantiate the hypervisor or virtualization layer 450, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 450 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to virtual machine 440.

As shown in FIGETRE 4, hardware 430 may be a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 430 may comprise antenna 4225 and may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 430 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or customer premise equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration (MANO) 4100, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 420.

Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

In the context of NFV, virtual machine 440 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of virtual machines 440, and that part of hardware 430 that executes that virtual machine, be it hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and/or hardware shared by that virtual machine with others of the virtual machines 440, forms a separate virtual network elements (VNE).

Still in the context of NFV, Virtual Network Function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more virtual machines 440 on top of hardware networking infrastructure 430 and corresponds to application 420 in FIGFTRE 4.

In some embodiments, one or more radio units 4200 that each include one or more transmitters 4220 and one or more receivers 4210 may be coupled to one or more antennas 4225. Radio units 4200 may communicate directly with hardware nodes 430 via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station.

In some embodiments, some signaling can be affected with the use of control system 4230 which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes 430 and radio units 4200.

FIGFTRE 5 illustrates an example retransmission in Msg3 with UF early data within the same RA procedure, according to certain embodiments. In an embodiment, once the UE received a UF grant for (re)transmission of Msg3, which is smaller than the size of the Msg3 PDU currently in Msg3 buffer, the UE rebuilds the Msg3 PDU. In certain embodiments, the newly built Msg3 PDU may be used to replace the content in Msg3 buffer for (re)transmission. In certain embodiments, the steps after sending the newly built Msg3 may be optional, such as steps 7 to 9 indicated in FIGURE 5.

In one embodiment, the solution may be applicable to (re)transmission of Msg3 with a smaller UF grant with respect to the size of the Msg3 PDU currently in Msg3 buffer, irrespective of whether the UL grant is signaled via RAR message or downlink control information (DCI) in PDCCH, or via other means. In one embodiment, the UL grant may be received in a RAR. In another embodiment, the UL grant may be received on PDCCH.

In an embodiment, the rebuilt Msg3 PDU may include at least an SDU corresponding to the RRC message included in the previous (re)transmission. In another embodiment, the SDU may comprise an RRC message corresponding to the RRC message included in the previous (re)transmission. This ensures the fallback operation when a small UL grant size is provided. In addition, if the UL grant may accommodate other information, e.g., UL user data in the case of early data transmission, the UE may consider including such information in Msg3 to avoid unnecessary waste of resources.

In an embodiment, the UE may rebuild a new Msg3 PDU for (re)transmission based on an input used in the process of building the Msg3 PDU currently in Msg3 buffer. More specifically, the newly built Msg3 PDU may include at least one of the following: signaling data from RRC signaling radio blocks, SRBO or SRB 1 PDU, user data from RLC UMD PDU, and user data from RLC AMD PDU without a segment. In certain embodiments, SRB1 PDU may be RLC TMD PDU, RLC UMD/RLC AMD PDU, or common control channel (CCCH)/dedicated control channel (DCCH) SDU.

In another embodiment, to facilitate the rebuilding of Msg3 PDU, if Msg3 includes data from RLC TM entity, e.g., the RRCConnectionResumeRequest on CCCH logical channel, a copy of RLC TMD PDU, the corresponding RRC PDU, or the corresponding MAC SDU may be maintained until the completion of Msg3 (re)transmission. Lor example, the completion of Msg3 (re)transmission may be when contention resolution is considered successful, when a maximum number of transmissions is reached, or when RLLs occur). LIGURE 5 shows an example signaling flow for the retransmission of Msg3 in early data transmission, in case the UL grant is provided in between Msg3 and Msg4. LIGURE 6 shows an example signaling flow for the retransmission of Msg3 in early data transmission, in case the UL grant is provided in between two random access attempts.

In another embodiment, in case the content of the RRC message in Msg3 needs to be updated for a new (re)transmission, the update may be performed by building a new RRC message or by updating the relevant section(s) of the message. In certain embodiments of updating the relevant section(s) of the message, the shortResumeMAC-I in the RRCConnectionResumeRequest in Msg3 is generated using a freshness parameter as an input, and thus recalculation is needed. In certain embodiments of updating the relevant section(s) of the message, the RRCConnectionSetup includes a dedicatedlnfoNAS IE containing UL user data, as in early data transmission in a CP solution. In certain embodiments of updating the relevant section(s) of the message, as an alternative, the RRC layer may rebuild the RRC SRBO PDU without the IE to fit the UL grant.

FIGURE 6 illustrates an example retransmission in Msg3 with UL early data between two consecutive RA attempts, according to certain embodiments. In this embodiment, the UE may perform the actions in a RA procedure as follows:

Step 1. The UE receives a first UL grant for a first TBS for Msg3 transmission.

a. The UL grant may be received via a RAR, via PDCCH or via other means.

Step 2. The UE builds Msg3 by building a first Msg3 adapted to the first TBS.

a. The first Msg3 comprises at least an RRC, CCCH or DCCH message.

i. The RRC, CCCH or DCCH message may, for example, be or comprise an RRCCOnnectionRequest or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message.

b. The first Msg3 may further comprise, limited by the first TBS, other information.

i. The other information may be, for example, UL user data, and/or UL signaling or UL control in the form of RLC UMD PDU(s), RLC AMD PDU(s) or MAC Control Elements.

Step 3. The UE transmits Msg3 using the first Msg3 and first UL grant.

Step 4. The UE receives a second UL grant for a second TBS for Msg3 transmission. a. The UL grant may be received via a RAR, via PDCCH or via other means.

Step 5. The UE determines that the second TBS for Msg3 transmission is smaller than the first TBS for Msg3 transmission; or determines that the second TBS for Msg3 transmission is larger than the first TBS for Msg3 transmission.

Step 6. If the second TBS is smaller or larger than the first TBS, the UE rebuilds Msg3 by building a second Msg3 adapted to the second TBS.

a. The second Msg3 may comprise at least an RRC, CCCH or DCCH message corresponding to and/or equivalent to the at least an RRC, CCCH or DCCH message of the first Msg3.

ii. Content of the RRC, CCCH or DCCH message may be updated, in part or in whole, compared to the content of the RRC, CCCH or DCCH message of the first Msg3. 1. The content of the RRC, CCCH or DCCH message may be updated by building a new RRC, CCCH or DCCH message; or

2. The context of the RRC, CCCH or DCCH message may be updated by modifying section(s) of the RRC, CCCH or DCCH message of the first Msg3.

b. The second Msg3 may further comprise, limited by the second TBS, further information corresponding to information included in the first Msg3.

i. The further information may be, for example, UL user data, and/or UL signaling or UL control in the form of RLC UMD PDU(s), RLC AMD PDU(s) or MAC Control Elements.

ii. The further information is adapted to the second TBS as needed. Adaptation may comprise, for example:

1. SDU or PDU segmentation or re-segmentation; and/or

2. An omission of SDU(s), segment(s) and/or control element(s). In certain embodiments, omitted SDU(s), segment(s) and/or control element(s) may be considered for retransmission in a future Transport Block (TB) without receiving a request for retransmission of the omitted information.

c. The second Msg3 may, in particular in the case, further comprise, limited by the second TBS, other information not corresponding to information included in the first Msg3.

Step 7. The second Msg3 replaces the first Msg3 in msg3 buffer.

Step 8. The UE transmits the (second) Msg3 using the second UL grant.

In certain embodiments, step 5 may be omitted, such that steps 6 and 7 are performed unconditionally. Lor example, irrespective of whether the second TBS is smaller or larger than the first TBS, steps 6 and 7 are performed. In certain embodiments, steps 7 and 8 may be performed in any order. Lor example, step 7 before step 8 or step 8 before step 7. In certain embodiments, the steps after sending the first and the second Msg3 may be optional, such as steps 3, 8, and 9 indicated in LIGURE 6.

LIGURE 7 illustrates an example telecommunication network connected via an intermediate network to a host computer, according to certain embodiments. With reference to FIGURE 7, in accordance with an embodiment, a communication system includes telecommunication network 710, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, which comprises access network 711, such as a radio access network, and core network 714. Access network 711 comprises a plurality of base stations 7l2a, 7l2b, 7l2c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 7l3a, 7l3b, 7l3c. Each base station 7l2a, 7l2b, 7l2c is connectable to core network 714 over a wired or wireless connection 715. A first UE 791 located in coverage area 7l3c is configured to wirelessly connect to, or be paged by, the corresponding base station 7l2c. A second UE 792 in coverage area 7l3a is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding base station 7l2a. While a plurality of UEs 791, 792 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 712. In certain embodiments, the plurality of UEs 791, 792 may be the user equipment as described with respect to FIGURE 16.

Telecommunication network 710 is itself connected to host computer 730, 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 730 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 721 and 722 between telecommunication network 710 and host computer 730 may extend directly from core network 714 to host computer 730 or may go via an optional intermediate network 720. Intermediate network 720 may be one of, or a combination of more than one of, a public, private or hosted network; intermediate network 720, if any, may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, intermediate network 720 may comprise two or more sub-networks (not shown).

The communication system of FIGURE 7 as a whole enables connectivity between the connected UEs 791, 792 and host computer 730. The connectivity may be described as an over- the-top (OTT) connection 750. Host computer 730 and the connected UEs 791, 792 are configured to communicate data and/or signaling via OTT connection 750, using access network 711, core network 714, any intermediate network 720 and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. OTT connection 750 may be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which OTT connection 750 passes are unaware of routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, base station 712 may not or need not be informed about the past routing of an incoming downlink communication with data originating from host computer 730 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to a connected UE 791. Similarly, base station 712 need not be aware of the future routing of an outgoing uplink communication originating from the UE 791 towards the host computer 730.

FIGURE 8 illustrates an example host computer communicating via a base station with a user equipment over a partially wireless connection, in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with an embodiment, of the UE, base station and host computer discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIGURE 8. In communication system 800, host computer 810 comprises hardware 815 including communication interface 816 configured to set up and maintain a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of communication system 800. Host computer 810 further comprises processing circuitry 818, which may have storage and/or processing capabilities. In particular, processing circuitry 818 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 810 further comprises software 811, which is stored in or accessible by host computer 810 and executable by processing circuitry 818. Software 811 includes host application 812. Host application 812 may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as UE 830 connecting via OTT connection 850 terminating at UE 830 and host computer 810. In providing the service to the remote user, host application 812 may provide user data which is transmitted using OTT connection 850.

Communication system 800 further includes base station 820 provided in a telecommunication system and comprising hardware 825 enabling it to communicate with host computer 810 and with UE 830. Hardware 825 may include communication interface 826 for setting up and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of communication system 800, as well as radio interface 827 for setting up and maintaining at least wireless connection 870 with UE 830 located in a coverage area (not shown in FIGURE 8) served by base station 820. Communication interface 826 may be configured to facilitate connection 860 to host computer 810. Connection 860 may be direct or it may pass through a core network (not shown in FIGURE 8) of the telecommunication system and/or through one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunication system. In the embodiment shown, hardware 825 of base station 820 further includes processing circuitry 828, 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. Base station 820 further has software 821 stored internally or accessible via an external connection. Communication system 800 further includes UE 830 already referred to. In certain embodiments, the UE 830 may be the user equipment as described with respect to FIGURE 16. Its hardware 835 may include radio interface 837 configured to set up and maintain wireless connection 870 with a base station serving a coverage area in which UE 830 is currently located. Hardware 835 of UE 830 further includes processing circuitry 838, 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 830 further comprises software 831, which is stored in or accessible by UE 830 and executable by processing circuitry 838. Software 831 includes client application 832. Client application 832 may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE 830, with the support of host computer 810. In host computer 810, an executing host application 812 may communicate with the executing client application 832 via OTT connection 850 terminating at UE 830 and host computer 810. In providing the service to the user, client application 832 may receive request data from host application 812 and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 850 may transfer both the request data and the user data. Client application 832 may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides.

It is noted that host computer 810, base station 820 and UE 830 illustrated in FIGURE 8 may be similar or identical to host computer 730, one of base stations 7l2a, 7l2b, 7l2c and one of UEs 791, 792 of FIGURE 7, respectively. This is to say, the inner workings of these entities may be as shown in FIGURE 8 and independently, the surrounding network topology may be that of FIGURE 7.

In FIGURE 8, OTT connection 850 has been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between host computer 810 and UE 830 via base station 820, 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 830 or from the service provider operating host computer 810, or both. While OTT connection 850 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 870 between UE 830 and base station 820 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 830 using OTT connection 850, in which wireless connection 870 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the handling of redundant data in the transmit buffer and thereby provide benefits such as improved efficiency in radio resource use (e.g., not transmitting redundant data) as well as reduced delay in receiving new data (e.g., by removing redundant data in the buffer, new data can be transmitted sooner).

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. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring OTT connection 850 between host computer 810 and UE 830, in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and/or the network functionality for reconfiguring OTT connection 850 may be implemented in software 811 and hardware 815 of host computer 810 or in software 831 and hardware 835 of UE 830, or both. In embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with communication devices through which OTT connection 850 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 811, 831 may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of OTT connection 850 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not affect base station 820, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to base station 820. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling facilitating host computer 8l0’s measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like. The measurements may be implemented in that software 811 and 831 causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or‘dummy’ messages, using OTT connection 850 while it monitors propagation times, errors etc.

FIGURE 9 illustrates an example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, according to certain embodiments in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, FIGURE 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be a user equipment described with reference to FIGURE 16. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to FIGURE 9 will be included in this section. In step 910, the host computer provides user data. In substep 911 (which may be optional) of step 910, the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 920, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 930 (which may be optional), 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. In step 940 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

FIGURE 10 illustrates an example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, FIGURE 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be a user equipment described with reference to FIGURE 16. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to FIGURE 10 will be included in this section. In step 1010 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional substep (not shown) the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1020, 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. In step 1030 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

FIGURE 11 illustrates another further example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, FIGURE 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be a user equipment described with reference to FIGURE 16. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to FIGURE 11 will be included in this section. In step 1110 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 1120, the UE provides user data. In substep 1121 (which may be optional) of step 1120, the UE provides the user data by executing a client application. In substep 1111 (which may be optional) of step 1110, the UE executes a client application which provides the user data in reaction to the received input data provided by the host computer. In providing the user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE initiates, in substep 1130 (which may be optional), transmission of the user data to the host computer. In step 1140 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.

FIGURE 12 illustrates another example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, FIGURE 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be a user equipment described with reference to FIGURE 16. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to FIGURE 12 will be included in this section. In step 1210 (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 1220 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 1230 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

Any appropriate steps, methods, features, functions, or benefits disclosed herein may be performed through one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual apparatuses. Each virtual apparatus may comprise a number of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via 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 (RAM), 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 some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the respective functional unit to perform corresponding functions according one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGURE 13 is a flow diagram of an example method, in accordance with certain embodiments. The method 1300 begins at step 1310 with receiving an uplink grant for a message 3. The uplink grant may specify a size for the message 3 uplink that is different than the size of a message 3 in a buffer to be sent via the uplink grant. The uplink grant may be larger or smaller than the size of the message 3 to be sent. The uplink grant may be received from a network node. At step 1320, it is determined that the uplink grant specified a message 3 having a size that is different (larger or smaller) than the message 3 in the buffer. At step 1330, the message 3 currently in the buffer is rebuilt to match the size of the uplink grant. The message may be rebuilt using a variety of different techniques. At step 1340, the message 3 originally in the buffer is replaced with the rebuilt message 3. At step 1350, the rebuilt message 3 is transmitted. The rebuilt message 3 may be transmitted to the network node.

FIGURE 14 is a flow diagram of another example method, in accordance with certain embodiments. The method may be performed by a UE or a WD in a network. The user equipment may be the wireless device 210 depicted in FIGURE 2 or the user equipment 300 shown in FIGURE 3. The network node may be the network node 260 depicted in FIGURE 2. The network may be the network 206 depicted in FIGURE 2. Method 1400 begins at step 1410 with receiving a first UL grant with a first size from a network node. In certain embodiments, the first uplink grant may be received via a random access response (RAR) message or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

At step 1420, the method 1400 sends, to network node, a first message adapted to the first size via the first uplink grant. In certain embodiments, the first message may be an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In certain embodiments, the first message may comprise an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message.

At step 1430, the method 1400 receives, from a network node, a second uplink grant with a second size. In certain embodiments, the second uplink grant may be received via a RAR message or PDCCH.

At step 1440, the method 1400 determines that the second size of the second uplink grant is different from the first size of the first uplink grant.

At step 1450, the method 1400 builds a PDU in a second message to be adapted to the second size of the second uplink grant. In certain embodiments, the PDU in the second message may be built by updating the first message in message buffer. In some embodiments, updating the first message in message buffer may comprise replacing the first message with the second message. In some embodiments, updating the first message in message buffer may comprise updating a relevant section in the first message with the second message. In certain embodiments, when the second uplink grant is smaller than the first uplink grant, and the PDU in the second message may comprise at least one of the following: service data unit (SDU) which is used in the first message; signaling data from radio link control (RLC) PDU; signaling data from PDCCH PDU; user data from RLC unacknowledged mode data (UMD) PDU; and user data from RLC acknowledged mode data (AMD) PDU. In certain embodiments, when the second uplink grant is larger than the first uplink grant, and the second message may further comprise at least one of the following: uplink user data for early data transmission; uplink signaling in a form of RLC PDU; and uplink control elements. In certain embodiments, the PDU in the second message may be built based on a copy of SDU used in the first message and a RLC PDU segment.

At step 1460, the method 1400 sends, to network node, the second message adapted to the second size via the second uplink grant. In certain embodiments, the second message may be an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In certain embodiments, the second message may comprise an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In certain embodiments, when the second message comprises data from a RLC transparent mode (TM) entity, a copy of RLC TMD PDU may be maintained until a completion of transmitting the second message. In certain embodiments, the completion of transmitting the second message may be one of the following scenarios: when a contention resolution is considered successful; when a maximum number of transmission is reached; and when a radio link failure (RLF) occurs.

FIGURE 15 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary apparatus 1500 in a wireless network, in accordance with certain embodiments. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be the wireless network 206 shown in FIGURE 2. The apparatus 1500 may be implemented in a wireless device and network node (e.g., wireless device 210 or network node 260 shown in FIGURE 2). The apparatus 1500 is operable to carry out the example method described with reference to FIGURE 13 and possibly any other processes or methods disclosed herein. It is also to be understood that the method of FIGURE 13 is not necessarily carried out solely by the apparatus 1500. At least some operations of the method can be performed by one or more other entities.

The apparatus 1500 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. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of the apparatus 1500 may be the processing circuitry 270 shown in FIGURE 2. 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 receiver unit 1510, determiner unit 1520, rebuilder unit 1530, replacer unit 1540, and transmitter unit 1550, and any other suitable units of the apparatus 1500 to perform corresponding functions according one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, such as a receiver and a transmitter.

FIGURE 16 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary user equipment 1600, in accordance with certain embodiments. The user equipment 1600 may be used in a wireless network, e.g. the wireless network 206 shown in FIGURE 2. In certain embodiments, the user equipment 1600 may be implemented in a wireless device 210 shown in FIGURE 2. The user equipment 1600 is operable to carry out the example method described with reference to FIGURE 14 and possibly any other processes or methods disclosed herein. It is also to be understood that the method in FIGURE 14 are not necessarily carried out solely by user equipment 1600. At least some operations of the method can be performed by one or more other entities.

User equipment 1600 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. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of user equipment 1600 may be the processing circuitry 220 shown in FIGURE 2. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of user equipment 1600 may be the processor 301 shown in FIGURE 3. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory 315 shown in FIGURE 3, 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 receiving unit 1610, sending unit 1620, determining unit 1630, and building unit 1640, and any other suitable units of user equipment 1600 to perform corresponding functions according one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, such as a transmitter and a receiver.

As illustrated in FIGURE 16, user equipment 1600 includes receiving unit 1610, sending unit 1620, determining unit 1630, and building unit 1640. The receiving unit 1610 may be configured to receive a first UL grant with a first size from a network node. In certain embodiments, the receiving unit 1610 may receive the first uplink grant via a RAR message or PDCCH.

Sending unit 1620 may be configured to send, to network node, a first message adapted to the first size via the first uplink grant. In certain embodiments, the first message may be an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In certain embodiments, the first message may comprise an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message.

Receiving unit 1610 may be further configured to receive, from a network node, a second uplink grant with a second size. In certain embodiments, the receiving unit 1610 may receive the second uplink grant via a RAR message or PDCCH.

Determining unit 1630 may be configured to determine that the second size of the second uplink grant is different from the first size of the first uplink grant.

Building unit 1640 may be configured to build a PDU in a second message to be adapted to the second size of the second uplink grant. In certain embodiments, the PDU in the second message may be built by updating the first message in message buffer. In some embodiments, updating the first message in message buffer may comprise replacing the first message with the second message. In some embodiments, updating the first message in message buffer may comprise updating a relevant section in the first message with the second message. In certain embodiments, when the second uplink grant is smaller than the first uplink grant, and the PDU in the second message may comprise at least one of the following: service data unit (SDU) which is used in the first message; signaling data from radio link control (RLC) PDU; signaling data from PDCCH PDU; user data from RLC unacknowledged mode data (UMD) PDU; and user data from RLC acknowledged mode data (AMD) PDU. In certain embodiments, when the second uplink grant is larger than the first uplink grant, and the second message may further comprise at least one of the following: uplink user data for early data transmission; uplink signaling in a form of RLC PDU; and uplink control elements. In certain embodiments, the building unit 1640 may build the PDU in the second message based on a copy of SDU used in the first message and a RLC PDU segment.

Sending unit 1620 may be further configured to send, to network node, the second message adapted to the second size via the second uplink grant. In certain embodiments, the second message may be an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In certain embodiments, the second message may comprise an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message. In certain embodiments, when the second message comprises data from a RLC transparent mode (TM) entity, a copy of RLC TMD PDU may be maintained until a completion of transmitting the second message. In certain embodiments, the completion of transmitting the second message may be one of the following scenarios: when a contention resolution is considered successful; when a maximum number of transmission is reached; and when a radio link failure (RLF) occurs.

The term 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, receivers, transmitters, 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.

According to various embodiments, advantages of features herein include continuing the random access procedure when a UL grant with different size from the preceding one is received for a transmission of Msg3. UL data may be transmitted in Msg3 with a smaller UL grant. Particular embodiments may be valid for LTE, LTE-M, and NB-IoT, and also for 5G/NR. The method in the present disclosure reduces resource waste and power consumption.

While processes in the figures may show a particular order of operations performed by certain embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that such order is exemplary (e.g., alternative embodiments may perform the operations in a different order, combine certain operations, overlap certain operations, etc.).

While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.

Claims

1. A method (1400) for message handling comprising:

receiving, from a network node at a user equipment (UE), a first uplink grant with a first size (1410);

sending, from the UE to the network node, a first message which is adapted to the first size via the first uplink grant (1420);

receiving, from the network node at the UE, a second uplink grant with a second size

(1430);

determining, at the UE, that the second size of the second uplink grant is different from the first size of the first uplink grant (1440); and

building, at the UE, a protocol data unit (PDU) in a second message to correspond to the second size of the second uplink grant (1450).

2. The method (1400) according to Claim 1, wherein the first uplink grant and the second uplink grant are received via a random access response (RAR) message or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

3. The method (1400) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the PDU in the second message is built by updating the first message in message buffer.

4. The method (1400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein when the second uplink grant is smaller than the first uplink grant, and the PDU in the second message comprises at least one of the following:

service data unit (SDU) which is used in the first message;

signaling data from radio link control (RLC) PDU;

signaling data from PDCCH PDU;

user data from RLC unacknowledged mode data (UMD) PDU; and

user data from RLC acknowledged mode data (AMD) PDU.

5. The method (1400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein when the second uplink grant is larger than the first uplink grant, and the second message further comprises at least one of the following:

uplink user data for early data transmission;

uplink signaling in a form of RLC PDU; and

uplink control elements.

6. The method (1400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first message and the second message are an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message.

7. The method (1400) according to Claim 4, wherein the PDU in the second message is built based on a copy of SDU used in the first message and a RLC PDU segment.

8. The method (1400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein when the second message comprises data from a RLC transparent mode (TM) entity, a copy of RLC TMD PDU is maintained until a completion of transmitting the second message.

9. The method (1400) according to Claim 8, wherein the completion of transmitting the second message is one of the following:

when a contention resolution is considered successful;

when a maximum number of transmission is reached; and

when a radio link failure (RLF) occurs.

10. The method (1400) according to Claim 3, wherein updating the first message in message buffer comprises replacing the first message with the second message.

11. The method (1400) according to Claim 3, wherein updating the first message in message buffer comprises updating a relevant section in the first message with the second message.

12. A user equipment (300) for message handling comprising:

at least one processing circuitry (301); and

at least one storage (315) that stores processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, causes a user equipment (300) to:

receive, from a network node (260), a first uplink grant with a first size (1410); send, to the network node (260), a first message which is adapted to the first size via the first uplink grant (1420);

receive, from the network node (260), a second uplink grant with a second size

(1430);

determine that the second size of the second uplink grant is different from the first size of the first uplink grant (1440); and

build a protocol data unit (PDU) in a second message to correspond to the second size of the second uplink grant (1450).

13. The user equipment (300) according to Claim 12, wherein the first uplink grant and the second uplink grant are received via a random access response (RAR) message or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

14. The user equipment (300) according to Claim 12 or 13, wherein the PDU in the second message is built by updating the first message in message buffer.

15. The user equipment (300) according to any one of Claims 12 to 14, wherein when the second uplink grant is smaller than the first uplink grant, and the PDU in the second message comprises at least one of the following:

service data unit (SDU) which is used in the first message;

signaling data from radio link control (RLC) PDU ;

signaling data from PDCCH PDU;

user data from RLC unacknowledged mode data (UMD) PDU; and

user data from RLC acknowledged mode data (AMD) PDU.

16. The user equipment (300) according to any one of Claims 12 to 15, wherein when the second uplink grant is larger than the first uplink grant, and the instructions further cause the user equipment (300) to comprise at least one of the following in the second message:

uplink user data for early data transmission;

uplink signaling in a form of RLC PDU; and

uplink control elements.

17. The user equipment (300) according to any one of Claims 12 to 16, wherein the first message and the second message are an RRCConnectionRequest message or an RRCConnectionResumeRequest message.

18. The user equipment (300) according to Claim 15, wherein the PDU in the second message is built based on a copy of SDU used in the first message and a RLC PDU segment.

19. The user equipment (300) according to any one of Claims 12 to 18, wherein when the second message comprises data from a RLC transparent mode (TM) entity, the instructions further cause the user equipment (300) to maintain a copy of RLC TMD PDU until a completion of transmitting the second message.

20. The user equipment (300) according to Claim 19, wherein the completion of transmitting the second message is one of the following:

when a contention resolution is considered successful;

when a maximum number of transmission is reached; and

when a radio link failure (RLF) occurs.

21. The user equipment (300) according to Claim 14, wherein updating the first message in message buffer comprises replacing the first message with the second message.

22. The user equipment (300) according to Claim 14, wherein updating the first message in message buffer comprises updating a relevant section in the first message with the second message.