Method and apparatus for self-scheduled uplink transmission

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

receiving, from a network node, configuration information about capability of the terminal device to schedule uplink data transmission to the network node; and determining whether to schedule, by the terminal device, the uplink data transmission, based at least in part on the configuration information, the configuration information indicating at least one of:

one or more radio resource units available for the uplink data transmission;

one or more configuration schemes applicable to the uplink data transmission; and

a maximum time duration allowed for the uplink data transmission; and

the terminal device is capable of scheduling the uplink data transmission, and the determination of whether to schedule the uplink data transmission by the terminal device based at least in part on the configuration information comprising:

determining whether radio resource granted by the network node is enough to empty uplink data buffered at the terminal device, the granted radio resource being available for the terminal device to transmit uplink data scheduled by the network node; and

determining to schedule the uplink data transmission by the terminal device, in response to the determination that the granted radio resource is not enough to empty the uplink data buffered at the terminal device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more radio resource units comprise at least one radio resource unit sharable by the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information comprises an indicator of whether to enable or disable the capability of the terminal device to schedule the uplink data transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determination to schedule the uplink data transmission by the terminal device is made further in response to at least one of that:

the uplink data transmission is for a service with a predefined quality class; and

the uplink data transmission enables the uplink data buffered at the terminal device to be emptied.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a scheduling message based at least in part on the configuration information received from the network node; and:

transmitting the scheduling message to the network node to indicate scheduling of the uplink data transmission by the terminal device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the scheduling message is transmitted by the terminal device upon transmission of uplink data scheduled by the network node.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating the uplink data transmission scheduled by the terminal device, in response to completion of transmitting the uplink data scheduled by the network node.

8. An apparatus implemented in a terminal device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories comprising computer program codes, the one or more memories and the computer program codes being configured to, with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive, from a network node, configuration information about capability of the terminal device to schedule uplink data transmission to the network node; and

determine whether to schedule, by the terminal device, the uplink data transmission, based at least in part on the configuration information; and

the terminal device capable of scheduling the uplink data transmission, and the determination of whether to schedule the uplink data transmission by the terminal device based at least in part on the configuration information comprises:

determining whether radio resource granted by the network node is enough to empty uplink data buffered at the terminal device, wherein the granted radio resource is available for the terminal device to transmit uplink data scheduled by the network node, and

determining to schedule the uplink data transmission by the terminal device, in response to the determination that the granted radio resource is not enough to empty the uplink data buffered at the terminal device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more radio resource units comprise at least one radio resource unit sharable by the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the configuration information comprises an indicator of whether to enable or disable the capability of the terminal device to schedule the uplink data transmission.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the determination to schedule the uplink data transmission by the terminal device is made further in response to at least one of that:

the uplink data transmission is for a service with a predefined quality class; and

the uplink data transmission enables the uplink data buffered at the terminal device to be emptied.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

generating a scheduling message based at least in part on the configuration information received from the network node; and:

transmitting the scheduling message to the network node to indicate scheduling of the uplink data transmission by the terminal device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scheduling message is transmitted by the terminal device upon transmission of uplink data scheduled by the network node.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

initiating the uplink data transmission scheduled by the terminal device, in response to completion of transmitting the uplink data scheduled by the network node.