US 12,069,718 B2
Network node, a communications device and methods therein for transmission of uplink grants
Jan Christoffersson, Luleå (SE); Min Wang, Luleå (SE); and Mats Folke, Vällingby (SE)
Assigned to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), Stockholm (SE)
Appl. No. 16/973,817
Filed by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), Stockholm (SE)
PCT Filed Jun. 13, 2018, PCT No. PCT/SE2018/050615
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 10, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/240636, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0195631 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. H04W 74/00 (2009.01); H04W 74/0833 (2024.01)
CPC H04W 74/004 (2013.01) [H04W 74/006 (2013.01); H04W 74/0833 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method performed by a network node for transmitting uplink grants to a communications device, wherein the communications device operates in a service area served by the network node, and wherein the method comprises:
determining a load measure on a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) between the network node and the communications device;
receiving a load measure on the PRACH from the communications device or from another communications device operating in the service area;
combine the determined load measure and the received load measure,
wherein the determining of the load measure further comprises:
determining a number of available PRACH occasions that are used for PRACH preamble transmissions to the network node; and
determining the load measure based on the combination and a number of received PRACH preamble transmissions in relation to the number of available PRACH occasions;
based on the load measure on the PRACH between the network node and the communications device in relation to a load threshold, determining a number of uplink grants that are to be associated with a Random Access Preamble Identity (RAPID) of a PRACH preamble transmission received from the communications device, wherein the determining of the number of uplink grants per RAPID comprises:
determining the number of uplink grants per RAPID as two or more uplink grants when the load measure is above the load threshold; and
determining the number of uplink grants per RAPID as one uplink grant when the load measure is equal to or below the load threshold;
indicating the determined number to the communications device; and
transmitting the determined number of uplink grants to the communications device.