Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and devices for discontinuous transmission or discontinuous reception. A terminal device receives a DTX or DRX configuration indicating configuration information on a DTX or DRX mode of the network device. The terminal device monitors a downlink transmission or performs an uplink transmission based on one or more conditions regardless of the cell DTX or DRX configuration. In this way, an improved solution for communication on the DTX or DRX mode may be provided, which may meet certain services with low latency requirement.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are provided for enabling a device in a cell of a network access the cell based on system information received from the network. The system information is stored in the at least one memory for use in performing operations for access to the cell when system information is not transmitted in the cell-The device receives an indication that system information enabling access to the cell is not transmitted in the cell whereafter operations for access to the cell are performed based on the system information stored in the at least one memory.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for bandwidth part (BWP) switching for configured grant (CG) small data transmission (SDT) are provided. One method may include, when a switch to an initial BWP for a random access (RA) procedure is triggered due to a configured grant (CG)-small data transmission (SDT) condition becoming invalid, autonomously switching, by a user equipment (UE), to a dedicated BWP configured with the CG SDT when the CG SDT condition becomes valid.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer-readable storage medium for controlling DCCH based non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data arrival. In some example embodiments, a terminal device transmits an indication an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data to a network device during a SDT procedure. The terminal device monitors for a response to the indication, and performs an action comprising in response to absence of the response to the indication of the non-SDT data. The action comprises: entering an idle or inactive state and/or initiating a connection setup or resume request to the network device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer readable storage media of blind user equipment (UE) specific timing advance group (TAG) indication. The method comprises: determining, at a first apparatus, whether an association between at least one TAG associated with a SpCell of the first apparatus and respective one or more indices in an RAR is obtained from a second apparatus; and determining, based on the determination of the association, an applicability of the RAR for a random access procedure of the first apparatus.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device, method, apparatus and computer readable storage medium of scheduling request (SR) and random access (RA) triggering for small data transmission (SDT). In example embodiments, a terminal device receives, from a network device, a configuration of one or more configured grant (CG) resources for a SDT procedure and a list of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs) associated with respective logical channels (LCHs) allowed for SDT over at least one of the one or more CG resources. After the terminal device initiates the SDT procedure in an inactive mode, if the terminal determines that a buffer status report (BSR) is triggered, the terminal device determines whether a configuration of a SR mask is to be applied for a LCH configured for SDT.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer readable storage media for configuration of small data transmission. In example embodiments, a metric of mobility is determined in an inactive state. Based on the metric of mobility, one of a small data transmission procedure and a connection establishment procedure is selected for data transmission. Further, the selected one of the small data transmission procedure and the connection establishment procedure is initiated for the data transmission.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to dynamic active time trigger in CFRA. A first device receives a random access request from a second device in a discontinuous reception mode. The first device transmits a random access response to the second device. The random access response comprises at least one of: an indicator of an offset between a reception of the random access response and a start of monitoring scheduling information from the first device, or a flag indicating whether the indicator is present in the random access response. The first device transmits the scheduling information to the second device based on the offset.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer readable storage media of BSR. The method comprises obtaining a configuration at least for a first type of BSR MAC CE and for a second type of BSR MAC CE, the configuration defining at least that: either one of the BSR MAC CE types may be used to report buffer status of a LCG, wherein a LCG ID refers to the LCG for which the buffer status is reported, and a LCID of the BSR MAC CE indicates the type of the BSR MAC CE used for reporting the buffer status of the LCG; and transmitting at least one type of BSR MAC CE to a network device based on the configuration.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a solution for determining a contention resolution timer. In an aspect, a first device receives, from a second device, an indication to perform Msg3 transmission. The first device transmits, to the second device, information of the first device for contention resolution. In case a configuration of a 4-step random access channel is unavailable in an active bandwidth part for the first device, the first device determines a duration for monitoring a contention resolution message based on one of: a first configuration of a 2-step random access channel in the active bandwidth part, or a second configuration of a 4-step random access channel in a bandwidth part different from the active bandwidth part. Example embodiments of the present disclosure can improve the performance of a random access procedure.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to beam reporting triggered by data transmission. A first device receives from a second device configuration information concerning at least one candidate beam for serving the first device. The first device determines whether data is available for transmission from the first device to the second device. If the data is available for transmission, the first device selects at least one first reference signal identifying the at least one candidate beam based on the configuration information. The first device transmits information concerning the selected at least one first reference signal to the second device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to small data transmission. A terminal device performs a transmission, in a small data transmission, SDT, procedure utilizing a resource associated with a selected Synchronization Signal and PBCH block, SSB. The selected SSB is selected from one or more SSBs available for the SDT procedure. And monitor the selected SSB for a downlink, DL, reception for a period of time. The period of time is based on at least one of: a timer, a time window, a counter of slot, a part of the SDT procedure. The solution for SDT as provided in the present disclosure can keep the DL SSB consistent between terminal device and the network device during the SDT procedure.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer-readable storage medium for communication. In some example embodiments, a terminal device receives an indication for a retransmission of a protocol data unit comprising data of a Data Radio Bearer (DRB). The terminal device activates, at the terminal device, a target secondary Radio Link Control (RLC) entity of one or more secondary RLC entities configured for the data of the DRB, the target secondary RLC entity being associated with at least one serving cell that is in an activated mode or in an activation procedure.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to for enabling retransmission of an initial transmission of CG-SDT. A first device selects a first configured uplink grant for retransmission of an initial transmission of CG-SDT. A first TBS associated with the first configured uplink grant is comparable to a second TBS associated with a second configured uplink grant for the initial transmission of CG-SDT. The first device performs the retransmission to a second device based on the first configured uplink grant.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for handling expiry of at least one time alignment timer (TAT) of multiple timing advance groups (TAGs) associated with a serving cell. In an example method, the terminal device receives determines at least two TAGs for a serving cell, wherein the at least two TAGs comprise a primary TAG and a secondary TAG. The terminal device determines whether at least one TAT of the at least two TAGs has expired and maintain, based on determining that the at least one TAT has expired, one of the primary TAG and the secondary TAG. In this way, only a single TAG is maintained once the terminal device has single TAT/no TAT running removing ambiguities in RA procedure/UL signal transmissions. Since the network is aware of the TAT expiry, it knows behaviour of the terminal device and can act accordingly.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to contention resolution in random access procedure. An apparatus transmits a random access request to a further apparatus, and the random access request comprises a random access preamble and an identifier of the apparatus for a random access procedure. The apparatus then receives, from the further apparatus, control information on a control channel addressed to the identifier, and the control information indicates at least one of a resource and timing information for communication between the apparatus and the further apparatus. Next, the apparatus determines a result of the random access procedure based at least in part on the control information.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to contention resolution in random access procedure. An apparatus transmits a random access request to a further apparatus, and the random access request comprises a random access preamble and an identifier of the apparatus for a random access procedure. The apparatus then receives, from the further apparatus, control information on a control channel addressed to the identifier, and the control information indicates at least one of a resource and timing information for communication between the apparatus and the further apparatus. Next, the apparatus determines a result of the random access procedure based at least in part on the control information.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solution on cell off indication via DCI. In particular, a group common DCI format is used to indicate an activation/deactivation of the cell off for entering network energy saving mode. DCI in the group common DCI format may include separate bits for a first indication regarding the activation/deactivation of the cell off for entering network energy saving mode and a second indication regarding the activation/deactivation of cell DTX/DRX. Alternatively, the DCI may include common bits for the first and second indications with a flag to indicate which indication. In this way, the cell off for entering network energy saving mode can be indicated more efficiently.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a delay status report (DSR). In an aspect, a terminal device determines a criterion for one or more data units. The one or more data units are buffered and not submitted to a lower layer in a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP). Moreover, the terminal device triggers, based on said criterion, a DSR comprising a data volume of the one or more data units and a remaining time associated with the one or more data units. In this way, it is possible to improve the DSR reporting with enhanced efficiency.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer readable storage media of the resource selection for the transmission of a pending data unit. The method comprises in accordance with a determination that a data unit is not successfully transmitted using a resource associated with an original Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, process, determining a set of allowed HARQ processes for transmitting the data unit based on at least one condition; selecting a further resource associated with a target HARQ process from the set of allowed HARQ process and transmitting the data unit using the further resource to the second apparatus. In this way, a scheme for conditional HARQ switching is proposed, such that the pending MAC PDU could be retransmitted rapidly. Meanwhile, the retransmission of the pending MAC PDU may not influence other scheduled traffics.