METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROBUST SMALL DATA TRANSMISSION IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

1 . A method for transmitting Small Data Transmission, SDT, data from a base station, gNB, to a user equipment, UE, the method comprising the steps of:

setting the UE to an inactive state;

providing, by the gNB, the SDT data;

sending, from the gNB to the UE, a paging notification, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range;

receiving, by the UE, the BPV range; and

selecting, by the UE, a backoff time according to the BPV range.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the selecting, by the UE, is only performed when the priority flag indicates a high priority and a radio signal quality is above a predefined threshold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing, by the gNB, a Random Access based SDT with the backoff time for the PRACH transmission according to the BPV range.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the BPV range is between zero and a first BPV-value for a data volume of the SDT data above a predefined data volume threshold, and the BPV range is between the first BPV-value and a second BPV-value for a data volume below the predefined data volume threshold.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the BPV range is between zero and a first BPV-value for a high UE priority, and

the BPV range is between the first BPV-value and a second BPV-value for a low UE priority.

6 . A method for transmitting Small Data Transmission, SDT, data by a base station, gNB, the method comprising:

providing the SDT data; and

when a user equipment, UE, is in an inactive state, sending a paging notification to the UE, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: on a paging response, performing a Random Access based SDT with the backoff time for the PRACH transmission according to the BPV range.

8 . A method for receiving Small Data Transmission, SDT, data by a user equipment, UE, the method comprising:

setting the UE to an inactive state;

receiving a paging notification, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range; and

selecting a backoff time according to the BPV range.

9 . A wireless communication system, configured for transmitting Small Data Transmission, SDT, data from a base station, gNB, to a user equipment, UE, the wireless communication system being configured to perform operations comprising:

setting the UE to an inactive state;

providing, by the gNB, the SDT data;

sending, from the gNB to the UE, a paging notification, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range;

receiving, by the UE, the BPV range; and

selecting, by the UE, a backoff time according to the BPV range.

10 . A base station, gNB, configured for transmitting Small Data Transmission, SDT, data, the base station being configured to perform operations comprising:

providing the SDT data; and

when a user equipment, UE, is in an inactive state, sending a paging notification to the UE, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range.

11 . A user equipment, UE, configured for receiving Small Data Transmission, SDT, data, the user equipment being configured to perform operations comprising:

setting the UE to an inactive state;

receiving a paging notification, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range; and

selecting a backoff time according to the BPV range.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein, which, when executed by a processor of a base station, gNB, cause the gNB to perform operations comprising:

providing the SDT data; and

when a user equipment, UE, is in an inactive state, sending a paging notification to the UE, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein, which, when executed by a processor of a user equipment, UE, cause the UE to perform operations comprising:

setting the UE to an inactive state;

receiving a paging notification, the paging notification comprising a backoff parameter value, BPV, range; and

selecting a backoff time according to the BPV range.