Uplink transmission support for reduced-capability devices in wireless communications

Abstract

A reduced capability (redcap) device can perform an initial uplink communication including transmitting a redcap physical uplink control channel (R-PUCCH) on an initial uplink bandwidth part (BWP) shared with a second device, the initial uplink BWP having a bandwidth (BW) that is greater than a maximum BW supported by the redcap device and less than or equal to a maximum BW supported by the second device. Frequency hopping operation of the redcap device can be supported to make the R-PUCCH transmission by a resource set for frequency division multiplexing and / or time division multiplexing of the R-PUCCH transmission and a PUCCH transmission by the second device. When a frequency gap is greater than the maximum BW supported by the redcap device, a restriction can be implemented to create a gap for the redcap device to perform RF retuning between a physical RACH transmission and a subsequent physical control channel (e.g., PDCCH) monitoring for random access reception.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communication, including providing uplink support for degraded devices in wireless communication.

[0002] Related technical descriptions

[0003] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices (i.e., user equipment or UE) now offer access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating complex applications that utilize these capabilities. Furthermore, many different wireless communication technologies and standards exist. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (WCDMA, TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and BLUETOOTH. TM The current telecommunications standard that surpasses the current International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is called 5th generation mobile network or 5th generation wireless system, known as 3GPP NR (also called 5G New Radio 5G-NR or NR-5G, or simply NR). NR provides higher capacity for higher density mobile broadband users while supporting device-to-device, ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communications, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption than the LTE standard.

[0004] One aspect of wireless communication systems (including NR cellular wireless communication) involves scheduling communications for devices with different corresponding capabilities. Improvements in this field are desired. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This document presents implementation schemes, particularly for various degraded and non-degraded wireless communication devices, for effectively communicating using the same initial uplink and downlink bandwidth portions (BWP) by supporting specific frequency hopping and random access procedures for degraded devices. This document also presents implementation schemes for wireless communication systems comprising wireless communication devices or user equipment (UEs) and / or base stations and access points (APs) communicating with each other within the wireless communication system.

[0006] As described above, a device, such as a capability-reduced device, can perform initial wireless uplink communication on an initial uplink bandwidth portion (BWP) shared with a second device, wherein the bandwidth (BW) of the initial uplink BWP is greater than the maximum BW supported by the device and less than or equal to the maximum BW supported by the second device. In some embodiments, the device may perform the initial wireless uplink communication using specific frequency resources within the initial uplink BWP and within the maximum BW supported by the device. These frequency resources may be based on a separate physical resource block (PRB) offset relative to a first PRB of the initial uplink BWP. This separate PRB offset can be used to determine the resources used for frequency hopping.

[0007] The device can determine a first PRB index and a second PRB index at least in part based on the individual PRB offset, wherein the first PRB index is used for the initial radio uplink communication in the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission in the first frequency hopping, and the second PRB index is used for the PUCCH transmission in the second frequency hopping. The first PRB index and the second PRB index can be further based on the total number of the initial cyclic shift index and the PUCCH resource index. The value of the PRB offset parameter representing the individual PRB offset can be explicitly configured in the PUCCH Common Resource Information Element (IE) of the System Information Block (SIB).

[0008] In some implementations, the device may use specific resources to perform PUCCH transmissions, which are time-division multiplexed with the PUCCH resources used by the second device within the initial uplink BWP. These time-division multiplexed PUCCH resources may be specifically reserved for the device's PUCCH transmission within the initial uplink BWP, with at least a first portion of these specific resources shared with the second device during the first frequency hopping period, and a second portion of these specific resources reserved for the device's use during the second frequency hopping period. The length of the PUCCH transmission may be defined based on the number of PUCCH Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols transmitted during the PUCCH transmission. This number may be indicated to the device via an IE in the SIB or via an index in a hard-coded table that includes a set of predefined OFDM symbols corresponding to the appropriate PUCCH format used for the PUCCH transmission. A first portion of these PUCCH OFDM symbols may be transmitted during the first frequency hopping period, and the remaining portion of these PUCCH OFDM symbols may be transmitted during the second frequency hopping period. The first portion of these PUCCH OFDM symbols may be located in a first timeslot, and the second portion of these PUCCH OFDM symbols may be located in a second timeslot, wherein the gap between the last PUCCH OFDM symbol in the first timeslot and the first PUCCH OFDM symbol in the second timeslot is greater than the handover gap. The value of the start symbol in the first frequency hopping may be signaled to the device in the SIB, or it may be implicitly determined at least in part based on the length of the PUCCH transmitted by the device and the value of the start symbol broadcast by the SIB for the PUCCH transmission performed by the second device in the initial uplink BWP.

[0009] For the PUCCH transmission made by the device, the start symbol of the first hop and the start symbol of the second hop may be different from each other. In some embodiments, these specific resources may be shared between the device and the second device for a corresponding transmission of the PUCCH made by the device and a corresponding transmission of another PUCCH made by the second device. These specific resources may be partitioned between PUCCH resources for the device and PUCCH resources for the second device using different corresponding PUCCH Resource Indicator (PRI) values ​​for the first and second devices. These PRI values ​​for the device may be less than or equal to a first value and may restrict these PUCCH resources to a contiguous physical resource block (PRB) at one edge of the initial uplink BWP, while these PRI values ​​for the second device may be greater than the first value and may map the PUCCH resources for the second device to a PRB set at another edge of the initial uplink BWP. These specific resources for the device can be mapped to resource blocks (RBs) that do not overlap in the frequency domain with the resources used by the second device, so as to perform the device's own PUCCH transmission in the initial uplink BWP. These specific resources for the device can be interleaved within time slots, thereby eliminating time-domain segmentation caused by RF tuning.

[0010] In some implementations, the device may perform the PUCCH transmission via at least a first frequency hopping and a second frequency hopping, wherein certain symbols of the first frequency hopping and certain symbols of the second frequency hopping are disconnected to create a handover gap of a specified length between the first frequency hopping and the second frequency hopping. In some implementations, these specific resources may be included in a single timeslot, which also includes time-division multiplexed resources for the initial uplink transmission performed by the second device.

[0011] In some implementations, frequency hopping of the device can be disabled, while in others, a set of initial uplink BWPs specific to the redcap device can be configured in the SIB, wherein the corresponding BW of these BWPs in the set of initial uplink BWPs is not greater than the maximum BW supported by the redcap device. Alternatively, multiple different frequency offsets can be configured in the SIB to create a corresponding set of redcap-specific initial uplink BWPs based on the maximum BW supported by the device and these different frequency offsets.

[0012] In some implementations, the Random Access Response (RAR) window may be configured to begin at the first symbol of the earliest control resource set on which the device is configured to receive the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and the RAR window is used by the device to monitor the PDCCH after the random access procedure corresponding to the RAR. The earliest control resource set may be located at least a specified number of symbols after the last symbol of the associated Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) timing. This specified number of symbols may be hard-coded or reported by the device via a UE capability report by selecting a value from a set configured via RRC signaling. This specified number of symbols may also be determined such that the gap between the center frequency of the PRACH timing and the center frequency of the associated CORESET is greater than the gap required for the device to perform RF retuning operations when supported by the device at the maximum BW.

[0013] It should be noted that the technologies described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to base stations, access points, cellular phones, portable media players, tablets, wearable devices and various other computing devices.

[0014] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 Exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication systems according to some implementation schemes are shown;

[0016] Figure 2 An exemplary base station communicating with an exemplary wireless user equipment (UE) device according to some embodiments is shown;

[0017] Figure 3 This is an exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some implementation schemes;

[0018] Figure 4 This is an exemplary block diagram of a base station according to some implementation schemes;

[0019] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of an illustrative cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown;

[0020] Figure 6A simplified diagram illustrating the default Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resource configuration specific to a redcap device is shown according to some implementation schemes;

[0021] Figure 7 A simplified timing diagram illustrating the PUCCH format specific to a redcap device according to some implementations is shown, where frequency hopping is enabled;

[0022] Figure 8 A simplified timing diagram is shown, illustrating a dual-slot mapping of a redcap-PUCCH (R-PUCCH) that enables time-division multiplexing (TDM) with a (non-redcap) PUCCH, according to some implementations.

[0023] Figure 9 A simplified timing diagram illustrating some shared resources for multi-slot R-PUCCH and PUCCH transmissions is shown according to some implementation schemes;

[0024] Figure 10 A simplified diagram illustrating the resource configuration of fully shared resources for multi-slot R-PUCCH and PUCCH transmissions, according to some implementation schemes, is shown.

[0025] Figure 11 A simplified diagram illustrating the resource configuration for frequency division multiplexing (FDM) R-PUCCH and PUCCH resource allocation utilizing resource block offsets, according to some implementation schemes, is shown.

[0026] Figure 12 A simplified timing diagram is shown, based on some implementations, illustrating the redcap-specific PUCCH resource allocation for two (2) symbol PUCCHs with a three-symbol (3-symbol) switching gap;

[0027] Figure 13 A simplified timing diagram based on a disconnected PUCCH format for a redcap device is shown according to some implementation schemes; and

[0028] Figure 14 A simplified diagram illustrating the resource configuration determined using a redcap-specific random access response (RAR) window to utilize the radio frequency (RF) retuning gap, according to some implementations, is shown.

[0029] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0030] acronym

[0031] Various acronyms are used throughout this patent application. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms that may appear throughout this patent application are as follows:

[0032] •AF: Application Functionality

[0033] • AMF: Access and Mobility Management Functions

[0034] • AMR: Adaptive Multirate

[0035] AP: Access Point

[0036] • APN: Access Point Name

[0037] • APR: Application Processor

[0038] ·BS: Base Station

[0039] • BSSID: Basic Service Set Identifier

[0040] •CBRS: Citizens' Broadband Radio Service

[0041] •CBSD: Citizen Broadband Radio Service Equipment

[0042] •CCA: Idle Channel Assessment

[0043] • CCE: Control Channel Element

[0044] • CMR: Change Mode Request

[0045] ·CS: Cyclic shift

[0046] • CORESET: Control Resource Set

[0047] •DL: Downlink (from BS to UE)

[0048] DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal

[0049] DN: Data Network

[0050] ·DSDS: Dual SIM Dual Standby

[0051] ·DYN: Dynamic

[0052] ·EDCF: Enhanced Distributed Coordination Function

[0053] eSNPN: Equivalent Independent Non-Public Network

[0054] • FDD: Frequency Division Duplex

[0055] FT: Frame Type

[0056] • GAA: General Authorization Access

[0057] • GPRS: General Packet Radio Service

[0058] GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications

[0059] • GTP: GPRS Tunneling Protocol

[0060] • HPLMN: Home Public Land Mobile Network

[0061] • IC: Within coverage area

[0062] • IMS: Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem

[0063] • IoT: Internet of Things

[0064] IP: Internet Protocol

[0065] LAN: Local Area Network

[0066] • LBT: Listen First, Then Speak

[0067] • LQM: Link Quality Metric

[0068] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0069] • MCC: Country Code for Mobile Services

[0070] MNO: Mobile Network Operator

[0071] •MO: Monitoring Timing

[0072] NAS: Non-Access Layer

[0073] •NF: Network Functions

[0074] NG-RAN: Next Generation Radio Access Network

[0075] • NID: Network Identifier

[0076] • NMF: Network Identifier Management Function

[0077] • NPN: Non-public (cellular) network

[0078] • NRF: Network Repository Functionality

[0079] • NSI: Network Slicing Example

[0080] • NSSAI: Network Slice Selection Auxiliary Information

[0081] • OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0082] • OOC: Outside the coverage area

[0083] • PAL: Priority access to licensors

[0084] ·PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel

[0085] • PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol

[0086] • PDN: Packet Data Network

[0087] • PDU: Protocol Data Unit

[0088] PGW: PDN Gateway

[0089] PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network

[0090] • PRACH: Physical Random Access Channel

[0091] • PRB: Physical Resource Block

[0092] • PRI: Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) Resource Indicator

[0093] • PSCCH: Physical Side Link Control Channel

[0094] • PSFCH: Physical Side Link Feedback Channel

[0095] • PSSCH: Physical Side Link Shared Channel

[0096] • PSD: Power spectral density

[0097] • PSS: Master Synchronization Signal

[0098] •PT: Payload Type

[0099] PTRS: Phase Tracking Reference Signal

[0100] • PUCCH: Physical Uplink Control Channel

[0101] • QBSS: Essential Services for Quality Enhancement

[0102] •QI: Quality Indicator

[0103] •RA: Registration accepted

[0104] • RAR: Random Access Response

[0105] • RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0106] RF: Radio Frequency

[0107] ·ROHC: Robust Head Compression

[0108] •RR: Registration Request

[0109] •RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0110] • RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0111] RTP: Real-time Transport Protocol

[0112] RX: Receiver

[0113] SAS: Spectrum Allocation Server

[0114] ·SD: Slice Descriptor

[0115] SI: System Information

[0116] • SIB: System Information Block

[0117] • SID: System Identifier

[0118] ·SIM: Subscriber Identity Module

[0119] • SGW: Service Gateway

[0120] • SMF: Session Management Function

[0121] SNPN: Independent Non-Public Network

[0122] • SPS: Semi-persistent scheduling

[0123] •SSB: Synchronization Signal Block

[0124] • SSS: Auxiliary Synchronization Signal

[0125] ·SUPI: Subscription Permanent Identifier

[0126] • TBS: Transport Block Size

[0127] TCP: Transmission Control Protocol

[0128] • TDD: Time Division Duplex

[0129] • TDRA: Time Domain Resource Allocation

[0130] • TPC: Transmit Power Control

[0131] TX: Transmission

[0132] • UAC: Unified Access Control

[0133] UDM: Unified Data Management

[0134] UDR: User Data Repository

[0135] UE: User Equipment

[0136] UI: User Input

[0137] • UL: Uplink (from UE to BS)

[0138] UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0139] • UPF: User Plane Function

[0140] URM: General Resource Management

[0141] ·URSP: UE routing strategy

[0142] USIM: User Subscriber Identity Module

[0143] • Wi-Fi: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) RAT based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard

[0144] WLAN: Wireless LAN

[0145] the term

[0146] The following is a glossary of terms that will appear in this application:

[0147] memory media—Any device of any type of memory device or storage device. The term “memory medium” is intended to include mounting media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers, or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In a later example, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer system for execution. The term “memory medium” may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems, for example, connected via a network. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0148] carrier medium —The memory medium as described above, and the physical transmission medium, such as a bus, network and / or other physical transmission medium for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals or digital signals).

[0149] Programmable hardware components —This includes a variety of hardware devices, which comprise multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinatorial logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements can also be referred to as “configurable logic units.”

[0150] Computer system (or computer) —Any type of computing or processing system, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. Generally, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined as any device (or combination of devices) that includes at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0151] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE device") – Any of the various types of computer system devices that perform wireless communication. Also known as wireless communication devices, many of which can be mobile and / or portable. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone).TM Based on Android TM (phones) and tablets such as iPad TM Samsung Galaxy TM etc., gaming devices (such as Sony PlayStation) TM Microsoft Xbox TM etc.), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPod TM Laptops, wearable devices (e.g., Apple Watch) TM Google Glass TM PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices or other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., drones) and drone controllers, etc. Various other types of devices that include Wi-Fi communication capabilities or both cellular and Wi-Fi communication capabilities and / or other wireless communication capabilities (e.g., via Short Range Radio Access Technology (SRAT) such as BlueTooth). TM (etc.) would fall into this category. Generally, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to cover any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) capable of wireless communication, and can also be portable / mobile.

[0152] Wireless equipment (or wireless communication equipment) – Any of the various types of computer system devices that perform wireless communication using WLAN communication, SRAT communication, Wi-Fi communication, etc. As used herein, the term “wireless device” can refer to a UE device as defined above or a fixed device such as a fixed wireless client or a wireless base station. For example, a wireless device can be a wireless station of any type of 802.11 system, such as an access point (AP) or client site (UE), or a wireless station of any type of cellular communication system that communicates according to cellular radio access technologies (e.g., 5G NR, LTE, CDMA, GSM), such as a base station or cellular phone.

[0153] Communication equipment —Any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. Communication devices may be portable (or mobile), or they may be stationary or fixed in one location. A wireless device is one example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0154] Base station (BS) The term “base station” has the full range of its usual meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0155] processor – refers to various elements (e.g., circuits) or combinations of elements capable of performing the functions of a device (e.g., in a user equipment device or in a cellular network device). A processor may include, for example: a general-purpose processor and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, an entire processor core or processing circuit core, an array of processing circuits or a processor array, circuits such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any various combinations thereof.

[0156] Channel —A medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that, because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary depending on different wireless protocols, the term "channel" as used herein can be considered to be used in a standard manner consistent with the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, the channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0157] Band (or frequency band) The term "band" encompasses the full range of its usual meaning and includes at least a segment of the spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or reserved for the same purpose. Furthermore, "band" is used to refer to any interval in the frequency domain defined by lower and higher frequencies. The term can refer to radio bands or intervals in some other spectrum. Radio communication signals may occupy a frequency range that carries the signal (or the frequency range in which the signal is carried). Such a frequency range is also called the bandwidth of the signal. Therefore, bandwidth refers to the difference between the upper and lower frequencies in a continuous band. A band can represent a single communication channel, or it can be subdivided into multiple communication channels. The allocation of radio frequency ranges for different purposes is a primary function of radio spectrum allocation.

[0158] Wi-FiThe term "Wi-Fi" encompasses the full range of its common meaning and includes at least wireless communication networks, or RATs, which are provided by and through wireless LAN (WLAN) access points to provide connectivity to the Internet. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and marketed under the name "Wi-Fi." Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are distinct from cellular networks.

[0159] automatic — This refers to the action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform the action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" contrasts with a user-manually performed or specified action, where the user provides input to directly perform the action. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0160] About —This refers to a value that is close to the correct or accurate value. For example, "approximately" could mean a value within 1% to 10% of the accurate (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can vary depending on the application. For example, in some implementations, "approximately" may mean within 0.1% of some specified or expected value, while in various other implementations, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of the specific application.

[0161] concurrent —This refers to parallel execution or implementation, in which tasks, processes, or programs are executed in a manner that is at least partially overlapping. For example, concurrency can be achieved using “strong” or strict parallelism, in which tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on corresponding computing elements; or concurrency can be achieved using “weak parallelism,” in which tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0162] Site (STA) —The term “site” in this document refers to any device that has the ability to communicate wirelessly (e.g., using the 802.11 protocol). A site can be a laptop, desktop PC, PDA, access point, or Wi-Fi phone, or any type of device similar to a UE. A STA can be fixed, mobile, portable, or wearable. Generally, in wireless networking terminology, the term site (STA) broadly encompasses any device with wireless communication capabilities, and the terms site (STA), wireless client (UE), and node (BS) are therefore often used interchangeably.

[0163] Configured as Various components can be described as being "configured" to perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured" is a broad expression generally meaning "having" a "structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured" can also be a broad expression generally meaning a structure that "has" a "circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently switched on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured" can include hardware circuitry.

[0164] Transmission scheduling — This refers to the scheduling of transmissions (such as wireless transmissions). In some specific implementations of cellular radio communications, signal and data transmissions can be organized according to designated time units of a specific duration during which a transmission occurs. As used herein, the term "slot" has the full range of its usual meaning and at least refers to the smallest (or shortest) scheduling time unit in wireless communications. For example, in 3GPP LTE, transmissions are divided into radio frames, each with an equal (time) duration (e.g., 10 ms). Radio frames in 3GPP LTE can be further divided into a specified number (e.g., ten) subframes, each with an equal duration, which are designated as the smallest (shortest) scheduling unit, or the designated time unit for transmission. Thus, in the 3GPP LTE example, a "subframe" can be considered an example of a "slot" as defined above. Similarly, the smallest (or shortest) scheduling time unit for 5G NR (or simply NR) transmissions is called a "slot." The smallest (or shortest) scheduling time unit may also be named differently in different communication protocols.

[0165] resourceThe term "resource" has the full range of its usual meaning and can refer to both frequency and time resources used during wireless communication. As used herein, a resource element (RE) refers to a specific quantity or number of resources. For example, in the context of time resources, a resource element can be a time period of a specific length. In the context of frequency resources, a resource element can be a specific frequency bandwidth centered at a specific frequency or a specific amount of frequency bandwidth. As a concrete example, a resource element can refer to a resource unit having one symbol (reference time resource, such as a specific frequency bandwidth centered at a specific frequency) for each subcarrier (reference frequency resource). A resource element group (REG) has the full range of its usual meaning and refers to at least a specified number of consecutive resource elements. In some specific implementations, a resource element group may not include resource elements reserved for a reference signal. A control channel element (CCE) refers to a specified number of consecutive REGs. A resource block (RB) refers to a specified number of resource elements consisting of a specified number of subcarriers per specified number of symbols. Each RB may include a specified number of subcarriers. A resource block group (RBG) refers to a unit comprising multiple RBs. The number of RBs within an RBG can vary depending on the system bandwidth.

[0166] Bandwidth Component (BWP) —A bandwidth portion (BWP) is a contiguous set of physical resource blocks selected from a contiguous subset of common resource blocks on a given carrier with a given set of parameters. For the downlink, a UE can be configured with up to a specified number of carrier BWPs (e.g., four BWPs according to some specifications), with one BWP active per carrier at a given time (according to some specifications). For the uplink, a UE can similarly be configured with up to a number (e.g., four) of carrier BWPs, with one BWP active per carrier at a given time (according to some specifications). If the UE is configured with a supplemental uplink, the UE can additionally be configured with up to a specified number (e.g., four) of carrier BWPs in the supplemental uplink, with one carrier BWP active at a given time (according to some specifications).

[0167] Multi-community deploymentA primary node is defined as a node (radio access node) that provides control plane connectivity to the core network in the case of Multiple Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC). A primary node can be, for example, a primary eNB (3GPP LTE) or a primary gNB (3GPP NR). A secondary node is defined as a radio access node that does not have control plane connectivity to the core network and provides additional resources to the UE in the case of MR-DC. A primary cell group (MCG) is defined as a group of serving cells associated with a primary node, including a primary cell (PCell) and optionally one or more secondary cells (SCells). A secondary cell group (SCG) is defined as a group of serving cells associated with a secondary node, including a special cell, i.e., the primary cell (PSCell) of the SCG, and optionally including one or more SCells. The UE can typically apply radio link monitoring to the PCell. If the UE has an SCG configured, the UE can also apply radio link monitoring to the PSCell. Radio link monitoring is typically applied to active BWPs, and the UE does not need to monitor inactive BWPs. The PCell is used to initiate initial access, and the UE can communicate with the PCell and SCell via carrier aggregation (CA). The current modified capability means that the UE can receive and / or transmit to and / or from multiple cells. The UE initially connects to the PCell, and once the UE is in a connected state, one or more SCells can be configured for the UE.

[0168] Core Network (CN) —The core network is defined as part of a 3GPP system that is independent of the UE's connectivity technology (e.g., radio access technology, RAT). The UE can connect to the core network via the radio access network (RAN), which can be RAT-specific.

[0169] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions shall be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to”. The statement that a component is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke the interpretation of paragraph 6 of section 112 of title 35 of the United States Code.

[0170] Figure 1 and Figure 2 -Exemplary communication system

[0171] Figure 1 Exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication systems according to some implementation schemes are shown. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The system described is merely one example of a possible system, and this implementation can be carried out in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0172] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes base stations 102A to 102N, also collectively referred to as multiple base stations 102 or base station 102. Figure 1As shown, base station 102A communicates with one or more user equipments 106A to 106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a “user equipment” (UE) or UE device. Therefore, user equipments 106A to 106N are referred to as UEs or UE devices, and are also collectively referred to as multiple UEs 106 or UE 106.

[0173] Base station 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site, and may include hardware to enable wireless communication with UEs 106A to 106N. Base station 102A may also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, neutral hosts, or various CBRS (Citizen Broadband Radio Service) deployments, and various other possibilities). Therefore, base station 102A facilitates communication between user equipment 106 and / or between user equipment 106 and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities such as voice, short message service (SMS), and / or data services. The communication area (or coverage area) of base station 106 may be referred to as a “cell.” It should be noted that “cell” can also refer to a logical identity for a given wireless communication coverage area at a given frequency. Typically, any independent cellular wireless coverage area can be referred to as a “cell.” In such a case, the base station may be located at a specific intersection of three cells. In this uniform topology, a base station can serve three 120-degree beamwidth areas called cells. Furthermore, for carrier aggregation, smaller cells, relays, etc., can all represent cells. Therefore, especially in carrier aggregation, there can be primary and secondary cells serving at least partially overlapping coverage areas but operating on different corresponding frequencies. For example, a base station can serve any number of cells, and the cells served by the base station can be arranged side-by-side or not (e.g., at a remote radio head). Similarly, as used herein, with respect to a UE, sometimes, considering the UE's uplink and downlink communications, a base station can be considered to represent the network. Therefore, a UE communicating with one or more base stations in the network can also be interpreted as a UE communicating with that network, and can also be considered as at least a part of the UE communicating on or through the network.

[0174] Base station 102 and user equipment 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of Radio Access Technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (WCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LAA / LTE-U, 5G-NR (abbreviated as NR), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc. It should be noted that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE environment, its alternative location may be referred to as "eNodeB" or "eNB". Similarly, if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR environment, its alternative location may be referred to as "gNodeB" or "gNB". Depending on the given application or specific considerations, for convenience, some different RATs may be functionally grouped according to the overall defined characteristics. For example, all cellular RATs can be uniformly considered as representing a first (form / type) RAT, while Wi-Fi communication can be considered as representing a second RAT. In other cases, individual cellular RATs can be considered separately as distinct RATs. For example, when distinguishing between cellular and Wi-Fi communication, "first RAT" can uniformly refer to all cellular RATs under consideration, while "second RAT" can refer to Wi-Fi. Similarly, where applicable, different forms of Wi-Fi communication (e.g., above 2.4 GHz versus above 5 GHz) can be considered to correspond to different RATs. Furthermore, cellular communication performed according to a given RAT (e.g., LTE or NR) can be distinguished from each other based on the spectrum in which those communications are performed. For example, LTE or NR communication can be performed on the primary licensed spectrum as well as on secondary spectrum such as unlicensed spectrum and / or spectrum allocated to private networks. Overall, the use of various terms and expressions will always be clearly indicated in relation to the context of the various applications / implementations considered.

[0175] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user equipment 106 and / or between user equipment 106 and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services. UE 106 may be able to communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using any or all of the 3GPP cellular communication standards (such as LTE or NR) or 3GPP2 cellular communication standards (such as cellular communication standards in the CDMA2000 series). Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base station 102B...102N) operating under the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as one or more cell networks that can provide continuous or near-continuous overlapping services to UE 106 and similar devices over a wide geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0176] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1 The diagram shows the "serving cell" of UEs 106A-106N, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (possibly provided by base stations 102B-102N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells". Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipment 106 and / or between user equipment 106 and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, in Figure 1 Base stations 102A-102B shown can be macro cells, while base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0177] In some implementations, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a "gNB". In some implementations, the gNB may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to a new radio communication core (NRC) network. Furthermore, a gNB cell may include one or more transport and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0178] UE 106 can also be configured, or alternatively configured, to use WLAN, BLUETOOTH TMBLUETOOTH TM Communication can be made using low-energy devices, one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one and / or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H). Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible. Furthermore, UE 106 may also communicate with network 100 via one or more base stations or via other devices, sites, or any apparatus not explicitly shown but considered part of network 100. Therefore, UE 106 communicating with the network can be interpreted as UE 106 communicating with one or more network nodes considered part of the network, and may interact with UE 106 to conduct communication with UE 106, and in some cases affecting at least some communication parameters and / or the use of communication resources by UE 106.

[0179] For example, as well as Figure 1 As shown, at least some UEs (e.g., UEs 106D and 106E) can represent vehicles communicating with each other and with base station 102, for example via cellular communications such as 3GPP LTE and / or 5G-NR communications. Furthermore, UE 106F can represent a pedestrian communicating and / or interacting in a similar manner with the vehicles represented by UEs 106D and 106E. For example, in a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication environment (such as communications specified by certain versions of the 3GPP standard), the disclosure in... Figure 1 The following are examples of various implementation schemes for vehicles communicating in a network.

[0180] Figure 2 An exemplary user equipment 106 (e.g., one of UEs 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 122 and access point 112 according to some embodiments is shown. UE 106 may be capable of both cellular and non-cellular communication (e.g., BLUETOOTH). TMDevices such as mobile phones, handheld devices, computers, or tablets, or virtually any type of wireless device (e.g., Wi-Fi, etc.). UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 can perform any of the method embodiments of the present invention by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to perform any of the method embodiments of the present invention or any portion thereof. UE 106 may be configured to communicate using any of a plurality of wireless communication protocols. For example, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using two or more of CDMA 2000, LTE, LTE-A, NR, WLAN, or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication standards are also possible.

[0181] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols according to one or more RAT standards, such as those previously described above. In some embodiments, UE 106 may share one or more portions of a receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication standards. The shared radio components may include a single antenna, or may include multiple antennas for performing wireless communication (e.g., for MIMO). Alternatively, UE 106 may include independent transmit chains and / or receive chains (e.g., including independent antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate using it. As another alternative, UE 106 may include one or more radio components or radio circuits shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include radio circuits for communicating using either LTE or CDMA2000 1xRTT or NR, and for communicating using Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH. TM Each component communicates with a separate radio unit. Other configurations are also possible.

[0182] Figure 3 - Block diagram of an exemplary UE

[0183] Figure 3A block diagram of an exemplary UE 106 according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, UE 106 may include a system-on-chip (SOC) 300, which may include various elements / components for various purposes. For example, as shown, SOC 300 may include a processor 302 capable of executing program instructions for UE 106, and display circuitry 304 capable of performing graphics processing and providing display signals to a display 360. The processor 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, and / or other circuitry or devices (such as display circuitry 304, radio circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360), which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310). MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0184] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 can be coupled to various other circuits of the UE 106. For example, the UE 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), connector interface 320 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system), display 360, and wireless communication circuitry (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, CDMA2000, BLUETOOTH). TM (e.g., Wi-Fi, GPS, etc.). UE device 106 may include at least one antenna (e.g., 335a) and may include multiple antennas (e.g., shown by antennas 335a and 335b) for performing wireless communication with a base station and / or other devices. Antennas 335a and 335b are shown by way of example, and UE device 106 may include fewer or more antennas. Generally, one or more antennas are collectively referred to as antenna 335. For example, UE device 106 may use antenna 335 to perform wireless communication via radio circuitry 330. As described above, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured to use multiple wireless communication standards for wireless communication.

[0185] The processor 302 of the UE device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the methods described herein, for example by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). In other embodiments, the processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, the processor 302 may be coupled to, for example, Figure 3Other components shown and / or interoperable with other components are used to enable communication via UE 106 according to the various embodiments disclosed herein. Specifically, processor 302 may be coupled to Figure 3 Other components shown and / or those that can interoperate with these components facilitate communication by UE 106 in an attempt to optimize RAT selection. Processor 302 may also implement various other applications and / or end-user applications running on UE 106.

[0186] In some implementations, the radio circuit 330 may include a separate controller dedicated to controlling communications for various corresponding RAT and / or RAT standards. For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the radio circuit 330 may include a Wi-Fi controller 356, a cellular controller (e.g., an LTE and / or NR controller) 352, and a BLUETOOTH controller. TM Controller 354, and according to at least some embodiments, one or more of these controllers may be implemented as corresponding integrated circuits (referred to as ICs or chips), which communicate with each other and with the SOC 300 (e.g., with the processor 302). For example, Wi-Fi controller 356 may communicate with cellular controller 352 via a cell-ISM link or WCI interface, and / or BLUETOOTH TM Controller 354 can communicate with cellular controller 352 via a cell-ISM link, etc. While three independent controllers are shown within radio circuitry 330, other implementations may have fewer or more similar controllers for various different RAT and / or RAT standards, which can be implemented in UE device 106. For example, in Figure 5 At least one exemplary block diagram illustrating some implementations of the cellular controller 352 is shown, and will be further described below.

[0187] Figure 4 - Block diagram of an exemplary base station

[0188] Figure 4 A block diagram of an exemplary base station 102 according to some implementation schemes is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0189] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The telephone network described herein includes multiple devices such as UE device 106. Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to the telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0190] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434a, and may include multiple antennas (e.g., shown by antennas 434a and 434b) for performing wireless communication with mobile devices and / or other devices. Antennas 434a and 434b are shown as examples, and base station 102 may include fewer or more antennas. Generally, one or more antennas that may include antenna 434a and / or antenna 434b are collectively referred to as antenna 434 or multiple antennas 434. Antenna 434 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio circuit 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio circuit 430 may be designed to communicate via various wireless telecommunication standards, including but not limited to LTE, LTE-A, 5G-NR (NR), WCDMA, CDMA2000, etc. One or more processors 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement part or all of the methods described herein, for example by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) to enable base station 102 to communicate with a UE device as disclosed herein. Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) or a combination thereof. In the case of certain RATs (e.g., Wi-Fi), base station 102 may be designed as an access point (AP), in which case network port 470 may be implemented to provide access to a wide area network and / or one or more local area networks, for example, it may include at least one Ethernet port, and radio component 430 may be designed to communicate according to the Wi-Fi standard. Base station 102 may operate according to various methods disclosed herein for communicating with mobile devices.

[0191] Figure 5 —Exemplary cellular communication circuit

[0192] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of an illustrative cellular controller 352 according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely one example of possible cellular communication circuits; other circuits, such as those including or coupled to sufficient antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activities using independent antennas, or those including or coupled to fewer antennas, such as those that can be shared among multiple RATs, are also possible. According to some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 352 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As mentioned above, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices.

[0193] Cellular communication circuitry 352 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-b and 336 as shown in the figure. In some embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 352 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to dedicated processors and / or radio components (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 352 may include a first modem 510 and a second modem 520. The first modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the second modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0194] As shown, the first modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 communicating with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front-end 530. The RF front-end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 530 may include a receiver circuit (RX) 532 and a transmitter circuit (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receiver circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front-end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0195] Similarly, the second modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 communicating with the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front-end 540. The RF front-end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuitry 542 may communicate with a DL front-end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335b.

[0196] In some implementations, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front-end 572. Additionally, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 544 to UL front-end 572. UL front-end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Therefore, when cellular communication circuitry 352 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported by a first modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state allowing the first modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 534 and UL front-end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 352 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported by a second modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state allowing the second modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 544 and UL front-end 572).

[0197] As described herein, the first modem 510 and / or the second modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured as programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining with one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0198] Furthermore, as described herein, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more components. Therefore, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522.

[0199] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 352 may include only one transmit / receive chain. For example, the cellular communication circuit 352 may not include modem 520, RF front-end 540, DL front-end 560, and / or antenna 335b. As another example, the cellular communication circuit 352 may not include modem 510, RF front-end 530, DL front-end 550, and / or antenna 335a. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 352 may also not include switch 570, and RF front-end 530 or RF front-end 540 may communicate with UL front-end 572, for example, through direct communication.

[0200] Support for reduced-capacity equipment

[0201] Support for degraded NR devices (e.g., devices with low-end capabilities for certain features and parameters) has gained importance, at least in part, in the context of industrial wireless sensors, video surveillance, and wearable devices. One objective has become reducing UE bandwidth from 100MHz—currently legally required for standard NR devices in the 3GPP standards (Rel-15 / 16)—to 20MHz for degraded (referred to as "redcap") devices. Therefore, support has been established for UEs with reduced maximum bandwidth (BW), thus identifying a maximum bandwidth of 20MHz during and after initial access. The possibility of optional support for wider bandwidths up to 40MHz and any associated conditions has also been considered.

[0202] In the current 3GPP standard (Rel-15 / 16), the initial downlink / uplink bandwidth portion (DL / UL BWP) can be configured to be up to the entire component carrier (CC) bandwidth, which is greater than the limited capability of redcap devices (e.g., 20 MHz on frequency range 1 (FR1)). From the perspective of scheduling complexity and resource utilization, it may be beneficial to have the same initial operating DL and UL BWP parameters for both redcap and non-redcap UEs (also referred to herein as conventional UEs). However, the use of a shared initial BWP raises at least several issues related to random access procedures and PUCCH transmissions by recap devices utilizing frequency hopping.

[0203] The first issue is how to enable frequency hopping for, for example, Msg4 PUCCH during the initial access procedure (e.g., random access channel, RACH, procedure) in the case of radio frequency (RF) retuning. RF retuning refers to the adjustment of a UE's communication frequency (e.g., by tuning the center frequency of its RF module from a first frequency f1 to a second frequency f2 for transmission) when the frequency gap between two consecutive transmit / receive events is greater than the current RF bandwidth. For example, a given UE can perform retuning when the frequency gap between two consecutive UL transmissions (e.g., pucch / pusch) is 40 MHz, and the given UE's RF bandwidth capability is only 20 MHz.

[0204] The second issue is how to handle PRACH timing associated with the optimal SSB when the frequency gap between the physical RACH (PRACH) resource and the optimal synchronization signal block (SSB) is greater than the BW supported by the UE.

[0205] Based on the foregoing, this document discloses various implementation schemes for a redcap UE to perform initial uplink communication on an initial uplink bandwidth portion (BWP) shared with other UEs, wherein the initial uplink BWP relative to the other UEs has a higher bandwidth than the BW supported by the redcap UE. Furthermore, when a redcap UE and a non-redcap (also referred to as a traditional or ordinary) UE share a BWP with a higher BW than the BW supported solely by the redcap UE, various solutions to at least the problems listed above can be implemented to improve resource efficiency. Therefore, as disclosed herein, multiple methods can be used for PUCCH transmission that allow sharing an initial UL BWP greater than the maximum BW (e.g., 20 MHz) supported by the redcap UE or redcap device. Seven different methods for addressing the first problem and at least one method for addressing the second problem are further discussed below.

[0206] Factors to consider in the first question

[0207] As stated above, the first problem involves enabling Frequency Hopping (FH) for both redcap and non-redcap UEs using a shared BWP with a higher BW than that supported by the redcap UE. During initial access (e.g., RACH) procedures, FH operation is enabled by default for a set of UL transmissions. Therefore, the RF retuning required for FH operation can occur due to a variety of different transmission scenarios and is not limited to Msg4 PUCCH during initial access. However, it should be noted that some solutions are applicable to Msg4 PUCCH during initial access. In other words, by way of example, the various solutions disclosed herein are applied when a PUCCH resource pool is shared between redcap and non-redcap UEs (which occurs for Msg4 PUCCH during initial access). However, the various implementations of the solutions discussed herein can be equally applicable to other situations when a PUCCH resource pool is shared between redcap and non-redcap UEs and frequency hopping is enabled for PUCCH transmissions. In such cases, Msg4 PUCCH can be considered a typical example.

[0208] Factors to consider in the second question

[0209] The "best" SSB can be considered from the perspective of a given UE. When a UE powers on, it typically performs cell search. From a system perspective, multiple SSBs may exist, each covering a specific direction / sector. For SSB detection, the UE can typically perform a cross-correlation operation on the detected SSB sequence using different assumptions. The "best SSB" can refer to the SSB with the largest peak value during the cross-correlation operation among the multiple detected SSBs. In other words, a UE in a location can detect multiple SSBs and can select one from the multiple detected SSBs based on the peak value of the cross-correlation operation to perform subsequent RACH procedures based on the selected "best" SSB. There is a one-to-one mapping between SSBs and corresponding PRACHs. For a given UE, the frequency gap between the "best" SSB and the corresponding PRACH resource can be greater than the maximum BW supported by the redcap device (e.g., 20MHz on FR1), which requires RF retuning by the UE. After PRACH transmission, the UE again uses RF retuning to monitor the corresponding Msg2 scheduled on the PDSCH.

[0210] Specific implementation

[0211] The following section further discusses at least seven different examples for solving the first problem and at least one example for solving the second problem.

[0212] FH—First Method

[0213] According to some implementations, the initial UL BWP can be shared between redcap and non-redcap devices, where redcap-specific PUCCH resources are defined. A separate Physical Resource Block (PRB) offset is used for frequency hopping (FH). It can be explicitly configured in the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). Common Resource Information Elements (Common Resource IEs) in System Information Blocks (SIBs; e.g., SIB1) can be explicitly configured with the following restrictions:

[0214]

[0215] Indicates the size of the (shared) BWP, and BW Redcap This indicates the (supported) bandwidth of the redcap device (e.g., 20MHz). If Where r PUCCH If it is the PUCCH resource index, then the redcap UE can determine the Physical Resource Block (PRB) index in the first hop of the PUCCH transmission as... And the PRB index of the PUCCH transmission in the second hop is determined as follows: Where N CS This is the total number of initial cyclic shift (CS) indices configured by SIB1. If Then the redcap UE can determine the PRB index of the PUCCH transmission in the first hop as follows: And the PRB index of the PUCCH transmission in the second hop is determined as follows: This is Figure 6 The image shows the default PUCCH resource configuration (indicator) specific to the redcap device. A simplified diagram of ( ). For example... Figure 6 As can be seen, the resources used for the launches made by the redcap device are offset by a separately configured PRB. Define.

[0216] FH—Second Method

[0217] According to some implementation plans, even when Alternatively, the initial UL BWP can be shared between redcap UEs and legacy UEs without defining redcap-specific PUCCH resources (as opposed to the first method described above). According to current 3GPP specifications, frequency hopping (FH) is always enabled during the initial access procedure, and resource blocks (RBs) for PUCCH are distributed at the edges of the initial UL BWP to provide frequency diversity. In the time domain, the PUCCH spans a continuous set of symbols to avoid resource fragmentation.

[0218] In some implementations, redcap PUCCH (R-PUCCH) transmit resources and non-redcap PUCCH transmit resources can be separate (different from each other) or partially shared. Therefore, unlike frequency division multiplexing (FDM) used for the first method, time division multiplexing (TDM) can be used for both R-PUCCH and PUCCH. In some specific implementations, dedicated R-PUCCH TDM resources can be reserved (e.g., see Alternative 1 below), while in some specific implementations, for the first FH, certain TDM resources can be shared between R-PUCCH and PUCCH, while for the second FH, certain TDM R-PUCCH resources can be separate from PUCCH resources (e.g., see Alternative 2 below). The difference between the two aforementioned alternatives may lie in how different corresponding control signaling overheads are used to determine / specify R-PUCCH and PUCCH resources.

[0219] Based on the above, the length of the R-PUCCH transmission according to the OFDM symbol is expressed as... One symbol can be emitted in the first hop, and the remaining symbols are emitted in the second hop. The starting symbol in the first and second hops of R-PUCCH can be emitted by... and Instructions. In some implementations, The UE can be indicated in SIB1 by introducing a new IE, or it can be indicated by an index to a table, such as an index to a row in a hard-coded table in the (3GPP) specification, which includes a set of predefined values ​​corresponding to the respective PUCCH format (e.g., 2 corresponds to PUCCH format 0 and 4, 10, or 14 correspond to PUCCH format 1).

[0220] Figure 7 A simplified timing diagram illustrating a redcap-specific PUCCH format with frequency hopping enabled is shown. It should be noted that, as previously mentioned, this method defines non-redcap-specific PUCCH resources (FDM-based), but it is also possible to define / provide a redcap-specific PUCCH format (TDM-based) within the overall PUCCH resource for use. Examples for 2, 4, 10, and 14-symbol PUCCH transmissions are provided. Figure 7 As can be seen, in each case, half of the symbols are fired in the first hop, and the remaining half of the symbols are fired in the second hop.

[0221] Furthermore, in some implementations, for a given PUCCH resource, the symbols in the first hop and the second hop can be located in different time slots n and n+k, where In the 3GPP specification, this can be hard-coded, where The switching gap between frequencies (e.g., between the first and second frequency hopping) represents the interval between frequency jumps, taking into account various factors such as RF retuning delay, so that, for example, the PUCCH is distributed on the PRB at the edge of the initial UL BWP. A single R-PUCCH can be located in a single time slot (i.e., k = 0 and It can be located within two consecutive time slots (i.e., k=1) or two non-consecutive time slots (i.e., k>1).

[0222] Multiple alternative schemes can be considered for different frequency hopping start symbols to achieve time division multiplexing (TDM) between R-PUCCH resources and PUCCH resources in a single time slot.

[0223] Alternative Option 1 When E≥1, for The signaling value can be varied in different ways.

[0224] 1-1: For redcap devices, The value can be explicitly signaled in the SIB1 message.

[0225] ·1-2: For traditional UE, The value can be based on the start symbol of the PUCCH broadcast in SIB1. Implicitly determined, and the R-PUCCH length

[0226] Figure 8 Provided in This is an example of alternative scheme 1 used for dual-slot R-PUCCH determination. (See reference...) Figure 8 , (For 2-symbol R-PUCCH) or 6 (for 4-symbol R-PUCCH) can be explicitly signaled or implicitly determined in SIB1 (according to 1-1 above) such that the R-PUCCH resources for redcap UE and legacy UE are time-division multiplexed within the time slot and occupy the same number of PRBs.

[0227] Alternative Option 2 To further reduce signaling overhead, different start symbols can be considered for sharing PUCCH resources for the first hop of R-PUCCH and allocating dedicated resources for the second hop. This results in different start symbols for the first and second hops for a given R-PUCCH resource. The start symbols for the first and second hops can be defined as follows:

[0228]

[0229]

[0230] Figure 9 An example of using frequency hopping 4-symbol PUCCH and R-PUCCH is provided above. (See references.) Figure 9 Resources 930 / 960 / 980 are dedicated to PUCCH transmissions in the second hop of legacy (non-redcap) devices. Similarly, from The initial resources 910 / 940 / 970 are reserved for R-PUCCH transmission in the second hop of the redcap device. However, from The initial two symbol resources 920 / 950 / 980 are shared between R-PUCCH and PUCCH transmissions due to the shared control resource set (CORESET) used for DCI format 0_0 transmissions, without any restrictions at the base station (e.g., at the gNB). Signaling overhead is reduced by at least 25% compared to Alternative Option 1, which provides the same PUCCH / R-PUCCH capabilities.

[0231] Alternative Option 3 Currently, during the initial access process, PUCCH resources are determined using the PUCCH Resource Indicator (PRI)IE of DCI 0_0 in scheduling Msg 4 and the allocated control channel element (CCE) carrying DCI 0_0. As described in 3GPP (Revision 15 / 16), if the UE provides HARQ-ACK information in the PUCCH transmission in response to the detection of DCI-formatted scheduled PDSCH reception or semi-persistent scheduled (SPS) PDSCH release, the UE will have index r PUCCH ,0≤r PUCCH PUCCH resources with a value of ≤15 are determined as Where N CCR n is the number of CCEs in the CORESET received by the PDCCH in DCI format, as described in Clause 10.1. CCR,0 It is the index of the first CCE used for PDCCH reception, and Δ PRI It is the value of the PUCCH resource indicator field in the DCI format.

[0232] Based on the above, in some implementations, resources can be fully shared between the PUCCH and the dual-slot R-PUCCH. For example, a Δ can be introduced for the PUCCH. PRI ≤3 (i.e., 0, 1, 2, or 3) and Δ for R-PUCCH PRI A constraint of >3 (i.e., 4, 5, 6, or 7) is used to allocate resources between PUCCH and R-PUCCH. Constraint Δ PRI≤3 (e.g., equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3) effectively restricts the PUCCH resources used for legacy UEs to a contiguous PRB at one edge of the initial BWP. Correspondingly, for redcapUEs, Δ PRI A value greater than 3 (e.g., equal to 4, 5, 6, or 7) results in the PRB used for R-PUCCH being restricted to the PRB set at the other edge of the initial UL BWP. The start symbols for the first and second hops can be defined respectively to accommodate the switching gap of R-PDCCH as follows:

[0233]

[0234]

[0235] Figure 10 An example of a specific implementation of Alternative Scheme 3 is provided, in which 4-symbol PUCCH format 1 is configured for PUCCH transmission during the initial access phase. Reference Figure 10 By limiting Δ PRI ≤3 (e.g., equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3), only PUCCH index r PUCCH <8 is used and mapped to the 4 PRBs reserved for non-redcap (traditional) UEs. The base station can use Δ after, in an earlier step, for example, based on detecting a dedicated PRACH resource reserved for a redcap UE to identify the redcap UE device. PRI A coding state of ≥4 allows for refinement of the R-PUCCH for redcap UEs within non-overlapping 4-RBs. It should be noted that frequency hopping for the R-PUCCH can still be performed on dual time slots n and n+k to accommodate handover gaps. Compared to alternative schemes 1 and 2, alternative scheme 3 does not sacrifice base station performance regarding Δ from a system perspective. PRI The scheduling constraints used increase the overhead of PUCCH resources.

[0236] FH—Third Method

[0237] TDM-based resource allocation for R-PUCCH and PUCCH within a time slot is feasible for 2-symbol or 4-symbol PUCCH, but not for 10-symbol or 14-symbol configurations (such as...). Figure 7 The 10-symbol and 14-symbol configurations shown may not be feasible. Therefore, a third method may include mapping the R-PUCCH to RBs that do not overlap with the RBs of the PUCCH in the frequency domain.

[0238] Therefore, the starting sign of R-PUCCH in different hops can be determined as follows (similar to alternative scheme 2 of the second method above):

[0239] as well as

[0240]

[0241] Individual PRB offset It can be configured as part of an SIB1 message to provide flexibility to the gNB. Alternatively, it can be... Explicitly determined as: Where K is hard-coded in the specification, and N CS This is the total number of initial CS indices configured by the SIB1 message. Figure 11 An example of resource determination in 10-symbol R-PUCCH format is provided, assuming N CS =2 and K=16. Correspondingly, according to this method,

[0242] FH—Fourth Method

[0243] The fourth method may include interleaving R-PUCCH resources in a TDM manner to avoid time-domain segmentation caused by RF retuning. For example, if the switching gap is X symbols, where X = 2, 3, or 4, then 2-symbol R-PUCCH or 4-symbol R-PUCCH resources can be interleaved in a TDM manner to avoid time-domain segmentation caused by RF retuning. For example, an "X1" time-interleaved R-PUCCH can be defined as spanning all symbols until the first symbol of the PUCCH is in the same time slot. Figure 12 An example of an interleaved 2-symbol R-PUCCH is provided, assuming a switching interval of X = 3 symbols and two CS indices per PRB. Reference Figure 12 Four time-interleaved resources with paired symbol indices <4,8>, <5,9>, <6,10>, and <7,11> are available for the R-PUCCH to span symbol indices #4 to #11. Thus, two PRBs (one at each edge of the initial UL BWP) are sufficient to provide sixteen (16) R-PUCCH resources for the initial access procedure.

[0244] FH—Fifth Method

[0245] According to the fifth method, under certain specific conditions, such as the shared initial UL BWP size In this case, frequency hopping of R-PUCCH can be disabled by default.

[0246] FH—Sixth Method

[0247] According to the sixth method, certain symbols in the first hop and / or certain symbols in the second hop can be disconnected for certain PUCCH formats (e.g., the symbols can be unused or can be specified as not used) to create a switching gap of a specific or specified length. For example, for a 10-symbol or 14-symbol PUCCH format, the last symbol in the first hop... Symbol and the first of the second jump The symbol can be broken to create a symbol with length. The switching interval. Figure 13 An example of this method is provided, assuming a 10-symbol PUCCH format 0 is used for a redcap UE, where frequency hopping is enabled. (Reference) Figure 13 Based on this method, assume The symbols can be disconnected at the end of the first hop and at the beginning of the second hop to create a switching gap for RF retuning. Therefore, only three (3) symbols are retained per hop (3 / 5 = 60% of the effective resources), which can lead to a decrease in PUCCH detection performance compared to ordinary / conventional / non-redcap NR devices.

[0248] FH—Seventh Method

[0249] According to the seventh method, a set of redcap-specific initial UL BWPs can be explicitly configured in a system information block (e.g., SIB1), thereby limiting the BW to a maximum of BWs supported by the redcap device. Redcap The value of ) can be used instead of configuring multiple redcap-specific initial UL BWPs with different frequency offsets Δ. offset Predefined BW Redcap (For example, 20MHz) is provided in SIB1 to create a set of redcap-specific initial UL BWPs.

[0250] Timing of handling PRACH

[0251] In some implementations, when the frequency gap is greater than BW Redcap In some cases, certain constraints may be considered to create a gap for the redcap device to perform RF retuning between PRACH transmission and subsequent PDCCH monitoring for RAR reception. In some situations, when RF retuning is required, the RAR window may begin at the first symbol of the earliest CORESET (e.g., for a type 1-PDCCH CSS set) on which the UE is configured to receive PDCCH, and this RAR window is at least... The first symbol is followed by the last symbol corresponding to the PRACH timing of the PRACH transmission. Figure 14An example of RAR window determination for a redcap UE is provided when the frequency gap between the selected PRACH in the initial UL BWP and the CORESET with a Type 1 monitoring opportunity (MO) is greater than 20 MHz. Reference Figure 14 The first type 1 MO for RAR monitoring after PRACH transmission 1430 is MO 1410, which is the start symbol for RAR of non-redcap (or standard or conventional) UEs. However, for redcap UEs, this MO 1410 is invalid during the handover gap. Therefore, the RAR window 1440 for redcap UEs can begin from MO 1420, which occurs later than the end symbol of the handover gap.

[0252] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0253] Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, in some embodiments, the invention can be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the invention can be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. In still other embodiments, the invention can be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0254] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory memory element) may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system performs a method, such as any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0255] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium (or memory elements), wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and wherein the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset or any combination of such subsets of any method embodiments described herein). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0256] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for performing wireless communication, the method comprising: This enables a device with reduced capabilities relative to the second device to perform initial wireless uplink communication on the initial uplink bandwidth portion (BWP) shared with the second device, wherein the physical resource block (PRB) index for transmitting the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) included in the initial wireless uplink communication includes a first PRB index used in the first frequency hopping and a second PRB index used in the second frequency hopping, wherein the first PRB index is determined to be one of the following, and the second PRB index is determined to be the other of the following: The offset is added to a function defined as rounding down the result of dividing the PUCCH resource index by the total number of initial cyclic shift (CS) indices, and The bandwidth (BW) of the initial uplink BWP is reduced by each of the offset, the function, and the value 1; The offset is configured specifically for the device in question, and the second device does not use the offset. The initial uplink BWP's BW minus twice the offset is less than or equal to the maximum BW supported by the device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The initial wireless uplink communication is performed using frequency resources within the initial uplink BWP and within the maximum BW supported by the device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the frequency resources are configured based on the PRB index.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a separate PRB offset is used to determine the resources used for frequency hopping.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the offset is explicitly configured in the PUCCH common resource information element (IE) of the system information block (SIB).

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: PUCCH transmission is performed using specific resources, which are time-division multiplexed with the PUCCH resources used by the second device within the initial uplink BWP when the device and the second device share the initial uplink BWP.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the time-division multiplexed PUCCH resources are reserved specifically for the PUCCH transmissions by the device within the initial uplink BWP.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein at least a first portion of the particular resource is shared with the second device during the first frequency hopping, and wherein a second portion of the particular resource is reserved for use by the device during the second frequency hopping.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the length of the PUCCH transmission is defined based on the number of PUCCH orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols transmitted during the PUCCH transmission.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the quantity is indicated to the device via: Information elements (IEs) in System Information Blocks (SIBs); or An index to a row in a hard-coded table, the row comprising a set of predefined OFDM symbols corresponding to the appropriate PUCCH format used for the PUCCH transmission.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a first portion of the PUCCH OFDM symbol is transmitted during a first frequency hopping period, and the remaining portion of the PUCCH OFDM symbol is transmitted during a second frequency hopping period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the PUCCH OFDM symbol is located in a first time slot, and the second portion of the PUCCH OFDM symbol is located in a second time slot, wherein the gap between the last PUCCH OFDM symbol in the first time slot and the first PUCCH OFDM symbol in the second time slot is greater than the switching gap.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the value of the start symbol in the first frequency hopping is: Signaling notification to the device in the first System Information Block (SIB); or It is determined implicitly, at least in part, based on the following: The value of the start symbol of the second SIB broadcast transmitted by the PUCCH for the second device, wherein the PUCCH transmission performed by the second device is in the initial uplink BWP; and The length of the PUCCH emitted by the device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein for the PUCCH transmission performed by the device, the first start symbol of the first frequency hopping and the second start symbol of the second frequency hopping are different from each other.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the specific resource is shared between the device and the second device for a corresponding transmission of the PUCCH performed by the device and a corresponding transmission of another PUCCH performed by the second device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the specific resource is partitioned between PUCCH resources for the device and PUCCH resources for the second device by using different corresponding PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) values ​​for the device and the second device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the PRI value for the device is less than or equal to a first value and the PUCCH resource is restricted to a contiguous PRB at one edge of the initial uplink BWP, and the PRI value for the second device is greater than the first value and the PUCCH resource for the second device is mapped to a set of PRBs at another edge of the initial uplink BWP.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the specific resource for the device is mapped to an RB that does not overlap in the frequency domain with a resource block (RB) of the resource used by the second device to perform the device’s own PUCCH transmission in the initial uplink BWP.

19. The method of claim 6, wherein the specific resources for the device are interleaved within time slots, thereby eliminating time-domain segmentation caused by radio frequency tuning.

20. The method of claim 6, further comprising: The PUCCH transmission is performed via at least a first frequency hopping and a second frequency hopping, wherein certain symbols of the first frequency hopping and certain symbols of the second frequency hopping are disconnected to create a switching gap of a specified length between the first frequency hopping and the second frequency hopping.

21. The method of claim 6, wherein the specific resource is included in a single time slot, the single time slot further including time-division multiplexed resources for an initial uplink transmission performed by the second device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a redcap device and the second device is a non-redcap device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a set of initial uplink BWPs specific to the redcap device is configured in a system information block (SIB), wherein the corresponding BW of the BWP in the set of initial uplink BWPs is not greater than the maximum BW supported by the redcap device.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a plurality of different frequency offsets are configured in a system information block (SIB) to create a corresponding redcap-specific initial uplink BWP set based on the maximum BW supported by the device and the different frequency offsets.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the random access response (RAR) window is configured to begin at the first symbol of the earliest control resource set, the device is configured to receive a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the earliest control resource set, and the RAR window is provided for the device to monitor the PDCCH after a random access procedure corresponding to the RAR.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the earliest control resource set is located at least a specified number of symbols after the last symbol of the associated Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) timing.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the specified number of values ​​is hard-coded or reported by the device via a UE capability report by selecting a value from a set of values ​​configured via RRC signaling.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the specified number of values ​​is determined to create a gap between the center frequency of the PRACH timing and the center frequency of the associated CORESET that is greater than the gap required to perform the RF retuning operation of the device when the maximum BW supported by the device is achieved.

29. An apparatus comprising: A radio circuit configured to enable wireless communication of the device; as well as An apparatus communicatively coupled to the radio circuit and configured to interoperate with the radio circuit to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. A non-transitory memory element for storing instructions, said instructions being executable by a processor to enable a device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 28.

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