Method and apparatus for handling numerology change

1. A method implemented at a terminal device, the method comprising:

determining a change from a first numerology to a second numerology; and transmitting a pending transmission block, TB, using a first configured grant configuration associated with the first numerology, or using a second configured grant configuration associated with the second numerology,

wherein the first configured grant configuration provides a first size for an initial TB, the second configured grant configuration provides a second size for the pending TB, and the first size is the same as the second size, or the first size is different from the second size, wherein the initial TB is transmitted using the first configured grant configuration associated with the first numerology.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the change from the first numerology to the second numerology is determined based on a received message or consistent listen before talk, LBT, failure, wherein the received message indicates the change from the first numerology to the second numerology.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

performing rate matching to fit the second size when the first size is different from the second size.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after transmitting the pending TB using the second configured grant configuration associated with the second numerology, the method further comprises:

clearing the first configured grant configuration.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second configured grant configuration is able to fulfil a quality of service, QoS, requirement of the pending TB.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, process associated with the pending TB is reused after changing from the first numerology to the second numerology, or a HARQ process associated with the pending TB is changed from a first HARQ process to a second HARQ process after changing from the first numerology to the second numerology.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein when the HARQ process associated with the pending TB is changed from the first HARQ process to the second HARQ process after changing from the first numerology to the second numerology, the method further comprises:

dropping the pending TB and triggering an upper layer retransmission; or

copying the pending TB from the first HARQ process to the second HARQ process and dropping the pending TB in the first HARQ process.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

for the pending TB, stopping a first timer and a second timer according to the first configured grant configuration which needs to be cleared, wherein the first timer is configured to indicate a maximum amount of time for the terminal device to transmit and retransmit a TB associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, process using a configured grant and the second timer is configured to indicate an autonomous retransmission time interval of configured grant for the HARQ process; and/or

for the pending TB, restarting the first timer and the second timer according to the second configured grant configuration,

wherein timer values of the first timer and the second timer according to the second configured grant configuration are set according to one of:

the timer values of the first timer and the second timer according to the second configured grant configuration are set as corresponding values configured in the second configured grant configuration; or

the timer values of the first timer and the second timer according to the second configured grant configuration are set as the corresponding values configured in the second configured grant configuration minus corresponding elapsed time values of the first timer and the second timer according to the first configured grant configuration, or further comprising:

for the pending TB, stopping a first timer and a second timer according to the first configured grant configuration which needs to be suspended, wherein the first timer is configured to indicate a maximum amount of time for the terminal device to transmit and retransmit a TB associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, process using a configured grant and the second timer is configured to indicate an autonomous retransmission time interval of configured grant for the HARQ process; and/or

for the pending TB, restarting the first timer and the second timer after the suspended first configured grant configuration is resumed,

wherein respective timer values of the first timer and the second timer according to the first configured grant configuration are updated by excluding a suspension period of the first configured grant configuration associated with the first numerology.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

when the pending TB has been transmitted using the first configured grant configuration, the first configured grant configuration is configured without repetition and the second configured grant configuration is configured with repetition, applying the repetition to transmit the pending TB in the second configured grant configuration, wherein in the second configured grant configuration, the pending TB is transmitted based on one of:

a configured repetition number in the second configured grant configuration;

a repetition number calculated by the configured repetition number in the second configured grant configuration minus one;

a repetition number configured by a network node; or

a repetition number configured by the terminal device;

or further comprising:

when the pending TB has been transmitted using the first configured grant configuration, the first configured grant configuration is configured with repetition and the second configured grant configuration is configured with repetition, applying the repetition to transmit the pending TB in the second configured grant configuration,

wherein in the second configured grant configuration, the pending TB is transmitted based on one of:

a configured repetition number in the second configured grant configuration; or

a repetition number calculated by the configured repetition number in the second configured grant configuration minus a repetition number that the pending TB has been transmitted in the first configured grant configuration;

or further comprising:

 when the pending TB has been transmitted using the first configured grant configuration, the first configured grant configuration is configured with repetition and the second configured grant configuration is configured without repetition, disabling the repetition to transmit the pending TB in the second configured grant configuration.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pending TB is transmitted using the first configured grant configuration associated with the first numerology when the first configured grant configuration is a first type of configured grant configuration, wherein the first type of configured grant configuration comprises configured grant Type 1.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein after the change from the first numerology to the second numerology has completed, the method further comprises:

retransmitting the pending TB using the first configured grant configuration associated with the first numerology.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, to a network node, a notification regarding the pending TB, wherein the notification regarding the pending TB comprises at least one of:

a size of the pending TB;

information regarding a hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, process associated with the pending TB in the first configured grant configuration which was cleared;

information regarding the HARQ process associated with the pending TB in the first configured grant configuration which was suspended;

information regarding the second configured grant configuration, wherein the pending TB is to be transmitted using the second configured grant configuration; or

information regarding the HARQ process to be used for retransmission of the pending TB after the change from the first numerology to the second numerology.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the notification regarding the pending TB is transmitted to the network node via at least one of:

a random access channel, RACH, message;

a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, transmission;

a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, based transmission; or

a sounding reference signal, SRS, transmission.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal device is configured with multiple configured grant configurations, and at least one of the configured grant configuration is associated with at least one numerology.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an association between a configured grant configuration and a numerology is configured explicitly or inexplicitly.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an index of a numerology is included in a configured grant configuration.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

one or more configured grant configurations are configured for a bandwidth part, BWP, and the BWP is configured with at least one numerology; and/or

one or more configured grant configurations are configured for a cell and the cell is configured with at least one numerology; and/or

a BWP segment is configured with at least one numerology.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein numerology comprises at least one of:

a sub-carrier spacing, SCS,

a symbol duration, or

a cyclic prefix, CP, length.

19. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting capability information of the terminal device,

wherein the capability information comprises a capability bit indicating whether the terminal device supports to transmit the pending TB using the second configured grant configuration associated with the second numerology.

20. A terminal device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the terminal device is operative to:

determine a change from a first numerology to a second numerology; and

transmit a pending transmission block, TB, using a first configured grant configuration associated with the first numerology, or using a second configured grant configuration associated with the second numerology.