Detection of a skipped uplink transmission

A network node comprising processing circuitry and at least one memory, the at least one memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the network node is operable to:

• attempt to obtain a scheduled uplink transmission from a transmitter;
• in response to successful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission, conclude that the uplink transmission is not skipped by the transmitter;
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission and a signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the scheduled uplink transmission being below a threshold, conclude that the uplink transmission is skipped by the transmitter;
• and
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission and the signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the scheduled uplink transmission exceeding the threshold, perform rescheduling of the uplink transmission, wherein performing the rescheduling of the uplink transmission comprises:
• attempt to obtain an n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission for an n:th rescheduling of the uplink transmission, wherein n≥1;
• and
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission and a signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission exceeding the threshold:
• check whether a number n of times that the uplink transmission has been rescheduled has reached a threshold number;
• and
• in response to the threshold number having been reached, conclude that the uplink transmission is not skipped by the transmitter.

A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

• attempt to obtain a scheduled uplink transmission from a transmitter;
• in response to successful decoding at a network node of the scheduled uplink transmission, concluding that the uplink transmission is not skipped by the transmitter;
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission and a signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the scheduled uplink transmission being below a threshold, concluding that the uplink transmission is skipped by the transmitter;
• and
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission and the signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the scheduled uplink transmission exceeding the threshold, performing rescheduling of the uplink transmission wherein performing the rescheduling of the uplink transmission comprises:
• attempting to obtain an n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission for an n:th rescheduling of the uplink transmission, wherein n≥1;
• and
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission and a signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission exceeding the threshold:
• checking whether a number n of times that the uplink transmission has been rescheduled has reached a threshold number;
• and
• in response to the threshold number having been reached, concluding that the uplink transmission is not skipped by the transmitter.

A network node comprising processing circuitry and at least one memory, the at least one memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the network node is operable to:

• attempt to obtain a scheduled uplink transmission from a transmitter;
• in response to successful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission, conclude that the uplink transmission is not skipped by the transmitter;
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission and a signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the scheduled uplink transmission being below a threshold, conclude that the uplink transmission is skipped by the transmitter;
• and
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the scheduled uplink transmission and the signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the scheduled uplink transmission exceeding the threshold, perform rescheduling of the uplink transmission, wherein performing the rescheduling of the uplink transmission comprises:
• attempt to obtain an n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission, wherein n≥1;
• in response to unsuccessful decoding at the network node of the n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission and a signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the n:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission exceeding the threshold:
• estimate a probability that the uplink transmission is skipped by the transmitter despite the signal strength measurement for the attempt to obtain the scheduled uplink transmission exceeding the threshold and despite, for each integer m in the range 1≤m≤n, a corresponding signal strength measurement for an attempt to obtain an m:th rescheduled version of the uplink transmission exceeding the threshold;
• and
• in response to the estimated probability being below a second threshold, conclude that the uplink transmission is not skipped by the transmitter.