Method and apparatus for mobile-terminated early data transmission (MT-EDT) and preconfigured uplink resources (PUR) in a wireless communication system

1. A method of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving, from a network node, a paging message indicative of Mobile-terminated Early Data Transmission (MT-EDT);

responsive to receiving the paging message, determining a validity of a timing parameter associated with one or more Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PUR);

determining, based on the validity, whether to initiate a Random Access (RA) procedure for MT-EDT or to initiate a transmission using the one or more PURs; and

at least one of:

initiating the RA procedure for MT-EDT based on a determination that the timing parameter is not valid; or

transmitting, based on a determination that the timing parameter is valid, a first uplink message using the one or more PURs to the network node.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after initiating the RA procedure for MT-EDT based on the determination that the timing parameter is not valid, transmitting the first uplink message to the network node during the RA procedure for MT-EDT.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after transmitting the first uplink message using the one or more PURs to the network node, monitoring Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) during a time period; and

receiving, from the network node, a first downlink message during the time period.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

responsive to receiving the first downlink message, transmitting, to the network node, a second uplink message, wherein the second uplink message comprises uplink data responsive to downlink data comprised in the first downlink message.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to receiving the paging message, receiving, from the network node, a first PUR configuration associated with the one or more PURs.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the timing parameter is a Timing Advance or a Timing Adjustment;

the determining the validity of the timing parameter is performed based on validation criteria included in the first PUR configuration; and

the validation criteria is associated with the timing parameter.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the validation criteria comprises a timer associated with the one or more PURs; and

the determining the validity of the timing parameter comprises:

determining that the timing parameter is valid based on a determination that the timer is running; or

determining that the timing parameter is not valid based on a determination that the timer is not running.

8. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

prior to receiving the paging message, receiving, from the network node, a first PUR configuration associated with the one or more PURs, wherein:

the monitoring the PDCCH is performed based on the first PUR configuration;

the time period is a PUR search space window; and

a time length of the time period is configured in the first PUR configuration.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the transmitting the first uplink message is performed on a first PUR occasion; and

the first PUR occasion is a next available PUR occasion when the paging message is received.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the first uplink message comprises a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; and

the first downlink message comprises a second RRC message.

11. A communication device, comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause performance of operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a network node, a paging message indicative of Mobile-terminated Early Data Transmission (MT-EDT);

responsive to receiving the paging message, determining a validity of a timing parameter associated with one or more Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PUR);

determining, based on the validity, whether to initiate a Random Access (RA) procedure for MT-EDT or to initiate a transmission using the one or more PURs;

at least one of:

initiating the RA procedure for MT-EDT based on a determination that the timing parameter is not valid; or

transmitting, based on a determination that the timing parameter is valid, a first uplink message using the one or more PURs to the network node.

12. The communication device of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

after initiating the RA procedure for MT-EDT based on the determination that the timing parameter is not valid, transmitting the first uplink message to the network node during the RA procedure for MT-EDT.

13. The communication device of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

after transmitting the first uplink message using the one or more PURs to the network node, monitoring Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) during a time period; and

receiving, from the network node, a first downlink message during the time period.

14. The communication device of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:

responsive to receiving the first downlink message, transmitting, to the network node, a second uplink message, wherein the second uplink message comprises uplink data responsive to downlink data comprised in the first downlink message.

15. The communication device of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

prior to receiving the paging message, receiving, from the network node, a first PUR configuration associated with the one or more PURs.

16. The communication device of claim 15 , wherein:

the timing parameter is a Timing Advance or a Timing Adjustment;

the determining the validity of the timing parameter is performed based on validation criteria included in the first PUR configuration; and

the validation criteria is associated with the timing parameter.

17. The communication device of claim 16 , wherein:

the validation criteria comprises a timer associated with the one or more PURs; and

the determining the validity of the timing parameter comprises:

determining that the timing parameter is valid based on a determination that the timer is running; or

determining that the timing parameter is not valid based on a determination that the timer is not running.

18. The communication device of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:

prior to receiving the paging message, receiving, from the network node, a first PUR configuration associated with the one or more PURs, wherein:

the monitoring the PDCCH is performed based on the first PUR configuration;

the time period is a PUR search space window; and

a time length of the time period is configured in the first PUR configuration.

19. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein:

the transmitting the first uplink message is performed on a first PUR occasion; and

the first PUR occasion is a next available PUR occasion when the paging message is received.

20. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein:

the first uplink message comprises a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; and

the first downlink message comprises a second RRC message.

21. A method of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving, from a network node, a paging message indicative of Mobile-terminated Early Data Transmission (MT-EDT);

responsive to receiving the paging message, determining a validity of a timing parameter associated with one or more Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PUR) associated with a timer,

wherein the determining the validity of the timing parameter comprises:

determining that the timing parameter is valid based on a determination that the timer is running; or

determining that the timing parameter is not valid based on a determination that the timer is not running; and

determining, based on the validity, whether to initiate a Random Access (RA) procedure for MT-EDT or to initiate a transmission using the one or more PURs.

22. A method of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving, from a network node, a first PUR configuration associated with one or more Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PURs);

receiving, from the network node, a paging message indicative of Mobile-terminated Early Data Transmission (MT-EDT);

responsive to receiving the paging message, determining a validity of a timing parameter associated with the one or more PURS;

determining, based on the validity, whether to initiate a Random Access (RA) procedure for MT-EDT or to initiate a transmission using the one or more PURs; and

monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), based on the first PUR configuration, during a time period.