User equipment, base station apparatus, method of a user equipment and method of a base station apparatus.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- BR112019019174
- Authority / Receiving Office
- BR · BR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-25
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Abstract
Description
1 / 61 User equipment, base station apparatus, method of a user equipment and method of a base station apparatus. RELATED ORDERS
[001] This application relates to and claims priority over provisional patent application U.S. No. 62 / 476,309, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AN ENHANCED SCHEDULING REQUEST FOR 5G NR, filed March 24, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD
[002] The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for an improved escalation request for NR 5G (5th generation new radio technology). BACKGROUND
[003] Wireless communication devices have become smaller and more powerful to meet consumer needs and improve portability and convenience. Consumers have become dependent on wireless communication devices and have come to expect reliable service, expanded coverage areas, and greater functionality. A wireless communication system can provide communication for multiple wireless communication devices, each of which can be serviced by a base station. A base station can be a device that communicates with wireless communication devices.
[004] With the advancement of wireless communication devices, improvements in the capacity, speed, flexibility, and / or efficiency of communication have been sought. However, improving the capacity, speed, flexibility, and / or efficiency of communication can present certain problems. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 6 / 139 2 / 61
[005] For example, wireless communication devices can communicate with one or more devices using a communication framework. However, the communication framework used may offer only limited flexibility and / or efficiency. As illustrated by this discussion, systems and methods that increase communication flexibility and / or efficiency can be beneficial. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[006] Figure 1 is an illustrative block diagram of an implementation of one or more gNBs (base stations) and one or more UEs (user equipment) in which systems and methods for an improved scheduling request (SR) can be implemented;
[007] Figure 2 is a call flowchart illustrating a scheduling procedure for dynamic scheduling in LTE technology;
[008] Figure 3A is an example that illustrates a variable frame structure in 5G NR;
[009] Figure 3B is an example that illustrates a variable size interval in 5G NR;
[0010] Figure 3C is an example illustrating the periodicity of PUCCH variable in 5G NR;
[0011] Figure 4 is an illustrative example of a transmission of SR that uses a priority indication based on time-division multiplexing (TDM);
[0012] Figure 5 is an illustrative example of a transmission of SR that uses a priority indication based on frequency division multiplexing (FDM);
[0013] Figure 6A is an illustrative example of a transmission of SR that uses a priority indication based on FDM and TDM; Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 7 / 139 3 / 61
[0014] Figure 6B is an example of bandwidth adaptations in 5G NR systems;
[0015] Figure 7 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses a TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths;
[0016] Figure 8 is an illustrative example of a transmission of SR that uses a priority indication based on FDM and TDM for different bandwidths and services;
[0017] Figure 9 is an illustrative example of a transmission of SR that uses a priority indication based on FDM and TDM for different bandwidths and numerologies (e.g., bandwidth part, BWP - Bandwidth Part);
[0018] Figure 10 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses a priority indication based on FDM and TDM for different bandwidths and beams;
[0019] Figure 11 is an illustrative block diagram of a gNB implementation;
[0020] Figure 12 is a block diagram illustrating an implementation of a UE;
[0021] Figure 13 illustrates various components that can be used in a UE;
[0022] Figure 14 illustrates various components that can be used in a gNB;
[0023] Figure 15 is an illustrative block diagram of an implementation of an UE in which systems and methods for enhanced scheduling requests can be implemented;
[0024] Figure 16 is an illustrative block diagram of a gNB implementation in which systems and methods for enhanced scheduling requests can be implemented; Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 8 / 139 4 / 61
[0025] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method for a user device (UE); and
[0026] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method for a base station (gNB) device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] A user equipment (UE) is described. The UE includes a receiving circuit configured to receive, from a base station (gNB) device, one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) messages that include one or more uplink control physical channel configurations (PUCCH) indicating one or more PUCCH resources. Each PUCCH resource corresponds to one or more bandwidth parts (BWP) and one or more logical channels.
[0028] The UE may also include a transmit circuit configured to transmit to the base station device one or more scheduling requests based on any one or more of: one or more SR configurations, one or more PUCCH configurations, and / or one or more BWP configurations.
[0029] The UE may also include a receive circuit configured to receive from the base station device one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) messages that include one (or more) bandwidth portion identifiers (BWPs) indicating one or more BWPs. The BWP configuration may be used to indicate the uplink frequency location, the uplink bandwidth (BW) size, and the numerology.
[0030] The UE may also include a transmission circuit configured to transmit, to the base station device, a scheduling request on one or more BWPs indicated by one (or more) BWP identifiers. The UE may also include a transmission circuit configured to transmit, to the base station device Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 9 / 139 5 / 61 base, one (or more) escalation request in one or more BWPs based on the BWP configuration.
[0031] A base station (gNB) device may include a transmission circuit configured to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) messages that include one or more uplink control physical channel (PUCCH) configurations indicating one or more PUCCH resources. Each PUCCH resource corresponds to one or more bandwidth parts (BWP) and one or more logical channels.
[0032] The gNB may also include a receiving circuit configured to receive, from the user equipment, one (or more) escalation request based on any one or more of: one (or more) SR configuration, one or more PUCCH configurations and / or one (or more) BWP configuration.
[0033] A gNB may include a transmission circuit configured to transmit, to a user's equipment, one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) messages that include one (or more) bandwidth portion identifiers (BWPs) indicating one or more BWPs. The BWP configuration may be used to indicate the uplink frequency location, the uplink bandwidth (BW) size, and the numerology.
[0034] The gNB may also include a receiving circuit configured to receive, from the user equipment, one (or more) escalation request on one or more BWPs indicated by one (or more) BWP identifier. The gNB may also include a receiving circuit configured to receive, from the user equipment, an escalation request on one or more BWPs based on the BWP configuration.
[0035] A method of communication from a user device Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 10 / 139 6 / 61 is also described. The method involves receiving, from a base station device, one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) messages that include one or more uplink control physical channel configurations (PUCCH) indicating one or more PUCCH resources. Each PUCCH resource corresponds to one or more bandwidth parts (BWP) and one or more logical channels.
[0036] A method of communication from a base station device is also described. The method includes transmitting to a user device one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) message that includes one (or more) bandwidth identifier (BWP) indicating one or more BWPs, and one or more BWP settings for each BWP identifier.
[0037] The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP - 3rd The Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), also known as 3GPP, is a collaborative agreement that aims to define globally applicable technical specifications and technical reports for third- and fourth-generation wireless communication systems. 3GPP may define specifications for next-generation networks, systems, and mobile devices.
[0038] 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the name given to a project to improve the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standard for phones or mobile devices to handle future requirements. In one aspect, UMTS has been modified to provide support and specification for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).
[0039] At least some aspects of the systems and methods disclosed here can be described in relation to the consortium standards. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 11 / 139 7 / 61 3GPP, LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), and also with respect to other standards (e.g., 3GPP versions 8, 9, 10, 11, and / or 12). However, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited in this respect. At least some aspects of the systems and methods disclosed herein may be used in other types of wireless communication systems.
[0040] A wireless communication device can be an electronic device used to communicate voice and / or data to a base station which, in turn, can communicate with a network of devices (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the Internet, etc.). In the description of the systems and methods of the present invention, a wireless communication device may alternatively be called a mobile station, user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber station, mobile terminal, remote station, user terminal, terminal, subscriber unit, a mobile device, etc. Examples of wireless communication devices include cell phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops, netbooks, e-readers, wireless modems, etc. In the 3GPP specifications, a wireless communication device is generally called a UE.However, since the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to 3GPP standards, the terms UE and wireless communication device may be used interchangeably in the present invention to mean the more generic term wireless communication device. A UE may also be more generically referred to as a terminal device.
[0041] In the 3GPP specifications, a base station is typically called a Node B (NB), evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), Home enhanced or evolved Node B (HeNB), or some other similar term. As the scope of Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 12 / 139 8 / 61 The present disclosure should not be limited to 3GPP standards; the terms base station, Node B, eNB, and HeNB may be used interchangeably in the present invention to mean the more general term base station. Furthermore, the term base station may be used to denote an access point. An access point may be an electronic device that provides access to a network (e.g., Local Area Network (LAN), Internet, etc.) for wireless communication devices. The term communication device may be used to denote either a wireless communication device or a base station. An eNB or a gNB may also be more generically referred to as a base station device.
[0042] It should be noted that, as used herein, a cell may be any communication channel specified by regulatory or standardization agencies to be used for the Advanced International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) system, and its entirety or a subset may be adopted by 3GPP in the form of licensed bands (e.g., frequency bands) to be used for communication between an eNB and a UE. It should also be noted that in the general description of E-UTRA and E-UTRAN, as used herein, a cell may be defined as a combination of downlink and, optionally, uplink resources. The link between the carrier frequency of the downlink resources and the carrier frequency of the uplink resources may be indicated in the system information transmitted on the downlink resources.
[0043] Configured cells are those cells on which the The UE is aware of and has permission from an eNB to transmit or receive information. Configured cell(s) may be server cell(s). The UE may receive system information and perform measurements. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 13 / 139 9 / 61 required in all configured cells. One or more cells configured for a radio connection may include a primary cell and / or none, one or more secondary cells. Activated cells are those configured cells for which the UE is transmitting and receiving. That is, activated cells are those cells for which the UE monitors the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and, in the case of a downlink transmission, those cells for which the UE decodes a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Deactivated cells are those configured cells for which the UE does not monitor the transmit PDCCH. It should be noted that a cell can be described in terms of different dimensions. For example, a cell may have temporal, spatial (e.g., geographic), and frequency characteristics.
[0044] Fifth-generation (5G) cellular communications (also called New Radio, New Radio Access Technology, or simply NR by 3GPP) envision the use of time / frequency / space resources to enable enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services, as well as services similar to massive machine-to-machine communication (mMTC). For services to efficiently use time / frequency / space resources, it would be useful to have the ability to flexibly scale services across these media so that the medium can be used as effectively as possible, given the conflicting needs of URLLC, eMBB, and mMTC. An NR base station can be called a gNB (next-generation B node). A gNB can also be more generically called a base station device. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 14 / 139 10 / 61
[0045] The systems and methods described herein provide various features to improve the operation of the scheduling request (SR) mechanism for a 5G NR UE and gNB. Time-division and frequency-division multiplexing mechanisms can be used to enable the gNB's radio resource management (RRM) scheduler to determine SR priority for classifying uplink (UL) transmission grants and / or resources. In this mechanism, an LTE SR mechanism can be used in the UE where a bit is used to indicate whether the UE needs a transmission grant or not. The 5G NR UE with enhanced SR can determine the correct time and / or frequency to send the SR on an uplink control physical channel (PUCCH) where each time and / or frequency indicates a specific traffic and / or service characteristic and / or logical channel group.
[0046] Several examples of the systems and methods disclosed herein are now described with reference to the Figures, where similar reference numbers may indicate functionally similar elements. The systems and methods described and illustrated generally in the Figures of the present invention could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different implementations. Thus, the more detailed description of various implementations presented below, as represented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope as claimed, but is merely representative of the systems and methods.
[0047] Figure 1 is an illustrative block diagram of an implementation of one or more gNBs 160 and one or more UEs 102 in which systems and methods for an improved scheduling request (SR) can be implemented. The one or more UEs 102 communicate with one or more gNBs 160 using one or more physical antennas 122a-n.For example, a UE 102 transmits electromagnetic signals to the gNB 160 and receives electromagnetic signals from it. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 15 / 139 11 / 61 gNB 160 using one or more physical antennas 122a-n. gNB 160 communicates with UE 102 using one or more physical antennas 180a-n.
[0048] UE 102 and gNB 160 may use one or more channels and / or one or more signals 119, 121 to communicate with each other. For example, UE 102 may transmit information or data to gNB 160 using one or more uplink channels 121. Examples of uplink channels 121 include a shared physical channel (e.g., PUSCH (shared uplink physical channel)), and / or a control physical channel (e.g., PUCCH (uplink control physical channel)), etc. One or more gNBs 160 may also transmit information or data to one or more UEs 102 using one or more downlink channels 119, for example. Examples of downlink channels 119 include a shared physical channel (e.g., PDSCH (downlink shared physical channel)), and / or a control physical channel (PDCCH (downlink control physical channel) etc. Other types of channels and / or signals may be used.
[0049] Each of the one or more UEs 102 may include one or more transceivers 118, one or more demodulators 114, one or more decoders 108, one or more encoders 150, one or more modulators 154, a data buffer 104 and a UE operations module 124. For example, one or more reception and / or transmission paths may be implemented in UE 102. For convenience, only one transceiver 118, decoder 108, demodulator 114, encoder 150 and modulator 154 are illustrated in UE 102, although multiple parallel elements (e.g., transceivers 118, decoders 108, demodulators 114, encoders 150 and modulators 154) may be implemented.
[0050] Transceiver 118 may include one or more receivers 120 and Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 16 / 139 12 / 61 one or more transmitters 158. One or more receivers 120 can receive signals from gNB 160 using one or more antennas 122a-n. For example, receiver 120 can receive signals and convert them to a lower frequency to produce one or more received signals 116. One or more received signals 116 can be provided to a demodulator 114. One or more transmitters 158 can transmit signals to gNB 160 using one or more physical antennas 122an. For example, one or more transmitters 158 can convert to a higher frequency and transmit one or more modulated signals 156.
[0051] The demodulator 114 can demodulate one or more received signals 116 to produce one or more demodulated signals 112. The one or more demodulated signals 112 can be supplied to the decoder 108. The UE 102 can use the decoder 108 to decode signals.Decoder 108 can produce decoded signals 110, which may include a signal decoded by UE 106 (also called a first UE 106 decoded signal). For example, the first UE 106 decoded signal may comprise received payload (main load) data, which may be stored in a data buffer 104. Another signal included in the decoded signals 110 (also called a second UE 110 decoded signal) may comprise overload data and / or control data. For example, the second UE 110 decoded signal may provide data that can be used by the UE 124 operations module to perform one or more operations.
[0052] In general, the UE 124 operations module can enable UE 102 to communicate with one or more gNBs 160. The UE 124 operations module can include one or more UE 126 escalation request modules.
[0053] The SR function serves to indicate to UE 102 that it needs an uplink grant, because it has data to Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 17 / 139 13 / 61 transmit, but no uplink grant. The SR can be a single-bit indication triggered in the media access control (MAC) and transmitted on the PUCCH channel. The UE 102 can be configured with an SR configuration to transmit the SR. If the UE 102 does not have UL resources assigned to it on which it could send an SR, the UE 102 can instead send the RS using a random access procedure.
[0054] Here, SR can correspond to traffic characteristics, logical channel, group of logical channels, amount of data available, information related to numerology and / or duration of the transmission time interval (TTI) and / or data priority.
[0055] The periodicity of SR can be {1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80} ms. After SR transmission, UE 102 can monitor PDCCH and, upon receiving a UL grant, UL-SCH (uplink shared channel) transmission can occur 4 subframes later. SR periodicity is a major contributor to overall latency from data arrival to UL-SCH transmission unless kept very short. There is a trade-off between SR periodicities and capacity. With a short SR periodicity in the system, fewer UE 102s can be configured with SR compared to longer SR periodicities, which allows more UE 102s to be configured with SR.
[0056] Short latency in NR technology can be important for supporting services like URLLC. This can impact SR design. SR design in a multi-numerology / TTI duration configuration also influences latency. Regarding NR technology, some considerations for SR latency and periodicity include: major design changes related to SR latency and periodicity compared to LTE technology; the impact caused by Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 18 / 139 14 / 61 NR latency requirements; the impact caused by a multiple numerology / TTI duration configuration; and the impact caused by other functions designed to reduce latency (e.g., concession-free transmissions and SPS (semi-persistent scheduling)).
[0057] The function of the Buffer Status Report (BSR - Buffer) In LTE technology, the Status Report (BSR) is used by UE 102 to inform the eNB of the amount of data available on UE 102. The eNB can then use this information to adjust the UL lease size. Logical channels are grouped into Logical Channel Groups (LCGs). A BSR is activated if data becomes available on one LCG and all other LCGs have no data, or if data belonging to a logical channel with a higher priority than all other LCGs becomes available, or if there is space in the MAC Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU) to send a BSR instead of performing padding. There may be two timers that, upon expiration, activate the BSR. A BSR contains information about the amount of data available per logical channel group. The BSR is carried as a MAC Control Element (MAC CE) in a MAC PDU.
[0058] Like SR, the BSR design for NR technology can be affected by the multiple numerology / TTI duration configuration supported in NR technology. The systems and methods described here provide mechanisms for BSR in NR technology.
[0059] Uplink scaling is a key feature to meet a wide range of use cases, including enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine-to-machine (Massive MTC) communication, mission-critical machine-to-machine (MTC) communication, and additional requirements. In LTE technology, the Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 19 / 139 15 / 61 escalation requests (SRs) are used to request UL-SCH resources for new transmissions when UE 102 does not have a valid lease. If SRs are not configured for UE 102, it may initiate a random access procedure to get escalated in UL communication.
[0060] Here, the SRs include only one bit of information and indicate only that UE 102 needs a UL grant. And, after receiving the SR, gNB 160 does not know which logical channel (associated with a given Quality of Service (QCI) class identifier) has data available for transmission, or the amount of data available for transmission on UE 102. Furthermore, it should be noted that the TTI numerology / duration must be transmitted in the grant. This implies that gNB 160 can also be informed of which TTI numerology / duration is desired by UE 102 for the next transmission. In summary, in NR technology, a precise grant cannot be provided to UE 102 based solely on the one-bit LTE-type information from the SR. It should be noted that the scheduling request in LTE saves physical layer resources but does not provide sufficient information for efficient grant allocation in NR technology.
[0061] Buffer Status Reports (BSRs), on the other hand, carry more detailed information compared to SRs. A BSR indicates the buffer size for each LCG. However, a BSR requires a grant for transmission and therefore it may take longer for gNB 160 to receive the grant, since it may be preceded by an SR. The interaction between SR, BSR and grant is exemplified in Figure 2.
[0062] The LTE SR / BSR structure can be improved. In one approach, the LTE SR / BSR scheme can be reused in NR technology as a baseline. NR must support a Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 20 / 139 16 / 61 wide diffusion of use cases that have different requirements. In some use cases (e.g., critical MTC and URLLC), NR has more stringent latency requirements than has been considered for LTE until now. Furthermore, services like eMBB can benefit from the improvements of SR and BSR.
[0063] In NR technology, SR / BSR modifications aim to report the UE buffer status (e.g., buffer priority and size) as well as desired TTI numerology / duration within existing time constraints. It is assumed that a mapping of the Logical Channel (LCH) to the LCG for TTI numerology / duration makes it possible to infer which TTI numerology / duration to use, once the LCG is informed. Therefore, no explicit TTI numerology / duration signaling is necessary in the SR / BSR if an LCG (or LCHs) is present in the SR / BSR. Considering the limitations identified above, it is possible to improve the SR with more information bits to indicate more information or improve the BSR.
[0064] A possible improvement is to extend the SR to not only indicate whether data is available or not. With more bits used in the SR, it would be possible to provide more detailed information, such as the type of LCG that has available data, and / or the amount of available data associated with the LCG. Knowing the type of LCG, a gNB 160 can allocate leases for the traffic that needs to be scheduled. This allows for more accurate priority handling. By indicating the amount of available data associated with the LCG that needs a lease with UE 102, the gNB 160 can provide UE 102 with a more appropriate lease size for preferential TTI numerology / duration, for example.
[0065] As the numerology / duration of TTI can be derived from the LCG, situations where UE 102 has data for transmission in, for example, a short TTI, but receives Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 21 / 139 17 / 61 a concession in a long TTI. The number of bits by which this SR should be extended is a matter of how to strike a good balance between issues of a larger L1 control channel (e.g., overhead, design complexity, etc.) and the gain obtained in terms of UP latency reduction (user plane). Therefore, more efficient priority handling can be achieved by extending additional bits to the SR.
[0066] BSR can also be improved. With regard to grant-free transmission of BSR, to avoid the delay caused by the allocation of BSR grants, grant-free transmission of BSR can be supported without sending an SR. This can be a viable opportunity in low and medium load situations and in cells serving relatively few UEs (assets) 102.
[0067] Similar grant-free mechanisms are also expected to be introduced, which may cause delays in critical use cases such as URLLC. For the purposes of fast BSR transmission, a dedicated resource allocation per UE 102 can be used. If grant-free transmissions are supported, it would be efficient to send one BSR per logical channel group (also called a short BSR in LTE). In this way, only the BSR intended for high-priority traffic can be authorized to use the grant-free channel. For efficiency reasons, the grant-free resources allocated per UE 102 can be large enough to include only the BSR. The grant-free resources should also be usable for data transfer if there are no pending BSRs for transmission. Therefore, the delay in BSR grant allocation can be reduced with grant-free transmission of BSRs.
[0068] Enhanced BSR activation is also described here. In Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 22 / 139 With 18 / 61 LTE technology, some of the existing rules for enabling BSRs may be overly restrictive. For example, UE 102 may be allowed to transmit a BSR when new data is available in the buffer with a higher priority than existing data, whereas UE 102 is not allowed to send a BSR if the new data has the same or lower priority than existing data. This can lead to an information mismatch between UE 102 and gNB 160, resulting in a long and unnecessary scaling delay until UE 102 can flush its transmission buffer. In this case, a simple solution is to remove the above restriction (i.e., allow UE 102 to send the BSR when new data is available, regardless of its priority). The network can configure this feature considering the balance between the increased overhead of BSR transmission and the need for accurate buffer information estimation.In this way, the scheduling delay can be reduced by allowing a UE 102 to send the BSR based on the arrival of new data, regardless of the priority of its associated logical channel.
[0069] As with SR, gNB 160 needs to know which numerology / TTI duration is preferred or which data is desired. Since it can be assumed that a mapping from LCH to LCG for TTI numerology / duration will make it possible to infer which numerology / TTI duration to use once the LCG indicated in BSR is provided, no additional information is needed in BSR.
[0070] SR improvements enable fast transmission of reports without grant allocation at Layer 2. However, this would incur higher control channel overhead and greater design complexity. It is also more difficult to guarantee transmission reliability, given that more bits of information are carried. BSR improvements potentially achieve the same level of performance as SR improvements in terms of reducing UP latency (plan). Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 23 / 139 19 / 61 of users). Although enhanced SR requires the network to allocate dedicated resources to each UE 102, it may have a risk of over-provisioning resources in a case where there is a large number of UE 102s connected.
[0071] In some cases, if SR improvements are adopted, BSR improvements may not be necessary and vice versa. Therefore, it is highly relevant to make further comparisons with different improvements.
[0072] To efficiently utilize SCH resources, a scheduling function is used in MAC media access control. An overview of the scheduler is given in terms of scheduler operation, scheduler decision signaling, and measurements to support scheduler operation. The MAC in an NR 160 gNB may include dynamic resource schedulers that allocate physical layer resources to the DL-SCH and ULSCH transport channels. Different schedulers operate for the DL-SCH and ULSCH channels.
[0073] The scheduler must take into account the traffic volume and QoS requirements of each UE 102 and associated radio carriers when sharing resources between UE 102s. Only UE grants can be used for granting the right to transmit on ULSCH. As a logical channel can be mapped to one or more TTI numerologies / durations, the grant can be limited to certain logical channels mapped with certain numerologies so that only logical channels are allowed to transmit upon receiving that grant. Schedulers can allocate resources taking into account the radio conditions on UE 102 identified through measurements made on gNB 160 and / or reported by UE 102.
[0074] In the uplink, an NR 160 gNB can dynamically allocate resources (e.g., physical resource blocks). Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 24 / 139 20 / 61 (PRBs) and modulation and coding schemes (MCSs) to UEs 102 in each TTI via the temporary cellular radio network identifier (C-RNTI) in the PDCCH(s). Within each scaling period, the scaling entity may assign a grant associated with a set of TTI numerologies / durations for each scalable UE 102.
[0075] Measurement reports are required to enable the scheduler to operate in both uplink and downlink. These include transport volume and radio environment measurements of a UE. Uplink buffer state reports (BSRs) and scheduling request (SR) reports are required to provide support for QoS-accounted packet scheduling.
[0076] The escalation request (SR) as a first-layer signaling message can be used to request UL resources for new transmissions when UE 102 does not have any valid grants. An SR can be transmitted via a PUCCH-type channel in the case where there are dedicated resources assigned to UE 102, or via a random access procedure in the case where UE 102 does not have dedicated resources assigned to it or where UE 102 is out of sync with the network.
[0077] Buffer State Reports (BSRs) refer to data that is temporarily stored for a Logical Channel Group (LCG) on UE 102. Uplink buffer state reports are transmitted using MAC signaling. Before a BSR transmission, UE 102 needs to have a valid lease. The scheduling entity needs to be aware of information that includes: an indication that a UE 102 has data to transmit; buffer size for each logical channel (group); priority indication for each logical channel (group); and / or an indication of a set of Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 25 / 139 21 / 61 numerologies / TTI durations associated with each logical channel (group). For each UE 102, the above information can be reported by an SR or a BSR.
[0078] As described above, in LTE, UL scheduling is primarily based on the scheduling request (SR) and buffer state report (BSR) received from UEs 102. The SR is an indication for the eNB to provide a UL grant to transmit the BSR and does not contain information about the amount of data. Information about the amount of data for each channel in the Logical Channel Group (LCG) can be provided in the BSR.
[0079] In NR technology, UL scaling based on SR / BSR can be used for eMBB. For URLLC communication, in addition to grantless transmission, UL-based SR / BSR scheduling can also be implemented. In LTE, when a scheduling request (SR) is activated, UE 102 indicates to the eNB that it has data in the buffer to be transmitted. The eNB provides a default UL grant that is used by UE 102 to transmit the data and / or the BSR. It may be that the grant provided is sufficient to transmit all the data. However, it is also likely that the grant will not be sufficient and UE 102 will need to request another grant using the BSR. The consequence of this process is an additional delay in the case where UE 102 would have been able to transmit all the data if the first UL grant had been slightly larger. Furthermore, there is no indication of SR priority. Enabling gNB 160 to know the priority of the SR would help the gNB 160 scheduler prioritize UL resources among the UEs 102.
[0080] In LTE, until the eNB receives a BSR, the eNB has no information about whether UE 102 has a large or small amount of data, and also whether UE 102 has high-priority data. For delay-sensitive use cases, it may be beneficial for the SR to be Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 26 / 139 22 / 61 improved to carry more information about the characteristics of the data being queued in the UE buffer. This is because UE 102 may be able to transmit all data in the first UL grant it receives without waiting for the next UL grant received based on a BSR.
[0081] NR technology needs to support a variety of services. In addition to eMBB services, NR technology also supports URLLC services that require ultra-low latency. Even within eMBB services, there are services that are more stringent on delays than others and may have a higher priority. There may also be a Radio Resource Control (RRC) / NAS Non-Access Stratum signaling that requires higher priority than the normal data transmission of other UEs 102. Therefore, it may be beneficial for the gNB scheduler to know the SR priority so that gNB 160 prioritizes UL resources among the UEs 102.
[0082] For the eNB scheduler to schedule UL resources directly from the received SR, it needs to know the characteristics of the UL data contained in the LCG. Therefore, it is beneficial for the gNB scheduler to know the LCG associated with the UL data. An SR with more information about traffic characteristics / services can be beneficial for better UL scheduling in the network. However, in the current LTE SR format, there are no extra bits of information except the presence or absence of an SR.
[0083] In LTE technology, there are two types of BSR formats that can be reported to the eNB. The first is the short / truncated BSR format where the buffer state of a group of logical channels can be reported. The second is the long BSR format where data from all groups of logical channels is reported. In LTE technology, there are four LCGs. In NR technology, more LCGs can be defined to provide greater detail on the priorities of Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 27 / 139 23 / 61 data depending on the number of logical channels or types of services to be supported.
[0084] One disadvantage of the current method is that it is not flexible enough to transmit the BSR corresponding to two (max-1) LCGs. It is also not possible to identify the TTIs or service for which the BSR is being reported. Such identification can be useful for better UL scheduling decisions across the network.
[0085] In LTE side-link operation, each side-link logical channel group is defined by a ProSe (Proximity-based applications and services) destination. A ProSe destination with the highest priority is selected for UL scheduling by the network. Therefore, the side-link BSR format is different from the pre-existing LTE BSR format.
[0086] In NR technology, it is also possible to define more logical channel groups than in LTE for the BSR to help the network better prioritize user data. This requires a change in the BSR's CE (media access control element) MAC format, which can be done efficiently if it is defined in terms of logical channel or logical channel groups.
[0087] In LTE, only four Logical Channel Groups (LCGs) are defined to prioritize data. In NR technology, for greater detail in data priorities that reflect the various services and numerologies that a UE is supporting, a larger number of LCGs might be needed in NR. In this case, a new MAC CE for BSR needs to be designed to accommodate all data corresponding to multiple LCGs. The MAC CE could include one or more LCG IDs of the data.
[0088] Another option for improving BSR could be to transmit the BSR corresponding to each logical channel. In NR, it is likely that one Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 28 / 139 A 24 / 61 logical channel can be associated with a TTI or a service in a UE 102. It may be possible for data in one logical channel to be more important or have higher priority than data in another logical channel. This can be decided based on a mapping function between the logical channel and the TTI duration or QoS flow profile. For this purpose, a new MAC CE can be defined to indicate the logical channel associated with the buffer index in the BSR.
[0089] There will be a variety of use cases that have quite different QoS requirements. UL scaling is an essential functionality at the MAC layer. However, in pre-existing LTE, the UL SR grant / UL BSR grant / data scaling procedure is too complex to support the wide range of use cases, especially for some latency-tolerant services.
[0090] As described in connection with Figure 2, the scheduling request (SR) is used to request a UL grant for BSR when UE 102 has a new transmission. In LTE, the SR consists of a single bit of information, which causes it to lack the ability to provide accurate UE buffer information. Compared to the SR, buffer state reports (BSR) can carry more bits to provide more detailed information, but at the cost of additional delay. Both the SR and BSR have their own advantages and disadvantages.
[0091] Possible paths could include SR enhancements and BSR enhancements. Given the wide range of use cases in NR technology, some cases may need enhancements and others may not. Thus, enhancements must be flexible enough to be configured by gNB 160. Therefore, the network can configure or restrict the use of SR / BSR enhancements for certain cases (e.g., services / radio condition / network resource, etc.). Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 29 / 139 25 / 61
[0092] SR improvements can be described in different categories. One category involves using more bits in the SR, which would allow for more detailed information to be provided, just as the BSR does. Additional bits could include the type of LCG that has data available and / or the amount of data available associated with the LCG. In this way, gNB 160 can obtain more information from the SR about the UE buffer state to provide an appropriate UL grant. Another category involves introducing a shorter time period per URLLC to support fast scaling.
[0093] In LTE technology, the existing rules for activation of BSRs are overly strict. For example, a proper normal BSR might be activated when the data belongs to a logical channel with a higher priority than the priorities of the logical channels belonging to any LCG and for which data is already available for transmission, or when there is no data available for transmission for any of the logical channels belonging to an LCG. Whereas UE 102 is not allowed to activate a BSR if the new data has the same or lower priority than the existing data. This can lead to a buffer information disparity between UE 102 and eNB 160. Some improvements could be considered to speed up BSR activation to reduce the disparity.
[0094] In pre-existing LTE technology, the BSR MAC control elements consist of: a short BSR format and a truncated BSR format (e.g., an LCG ID field and a corresponding buffer size field); or a long BSR format (e.g., four buffer size fields, corresponding to LCG IDs).
[0095] After receiving the BSR, the eNB can only obtain information about the amount of data available to Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 30 / 139 26 / 61 transmission via LCG in UL buffers. However, it still cannot identify the specific information of each logical channel associated with the LCG. In general, the new feature in terms of numerology is introduced in NR technology. The EU BSR with additional numerology / LCH information can be considered to indicate a high-priority BSR.
[0096] Furthermore, gNB 160 can make an exact resource allocation if UE 102 can report a BSR with an accurate value. Therefore, the BSR can indicate accurate buffer size information. In this way, gNB 160 can assign an accurate UL grant accordingly, with the purpose of decreasing the following probability of resource segmentation or waste.
[0097] As seen throughout this discussion, improvements to the escalation request for NR can be beneficial. The systems and methods described here provide several features to improve the operation of the escalation request (SR) mechanism for a UE 102 and a gNB 160 5G NR.
[0098] Time-division multiplexing and frequency-division multiplexing mechanisms are used to enable a gNB RRM scheduler to determine SR priority for classifying UL transmission grants / resources. In this mechanism, the same LTE SR mechanism can be used in UE 102 where a bit is used to indicate whether UE 102 needs a transmission grant. The 5G NR 102 UE with enhanced SR can determine the correct time and / or frequency to send the SR in PUCCH where each time and / or frequency indicates a specific traffic and / or service characteristic and / or logical channel group. Figure 4 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission using a priority indication based on time-division multiplexing (TDM). Figure 5 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission using a priority indication based on Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 31 / 139 27 / 61 Frequency division multiplexing (FDM). Figure 6A is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses a priority indication based on FDM and TDM.
[0099] The approaches described here can be duplicated to indicate SR configurations for different information (e.g., BWP, bandwidth requirements, different services, different numerologies, different beams, etc.). Figure 7 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission using a TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths. Figure 8 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission using an FDM and TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths / BWP and services. Figure 9 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission using an FDM and TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths and numerologies (here called BWP). Figure 10 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission using an FDM and TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths / BWP and beams.
[00100] The UE operations module 124 can provide information 148 to one or more receivers 120. For example, the UE operations module 124 can tell receivers 120 when they should receive retransmissions.
[00101] The UE operations module 124 can provide information 138 to the demodulator 114. For example, the UE operations module 124 can inform the demodulator 114 about an expected modulation pattern for transmissions coming from gNB 160.
[00102] The UE operations module 124 can provide information 136 to the decoder 108. For example, the UE operations module 124 can inform the decoder 108 about an expected encoding for transmissions by gNB 160. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 32 / 139 28 / 61
[00103] The UE operations module 124 can provide information 142 to the encoder 150. The information 142 can include data to be encoded and / or instructions for encoding. For example, the UE operations module 124 can instruct the encoder 150 to encode transmission data 146 and / or other information 142. The other information 142 can include PDSCH HARQACK information.
[00104] Encoder 150 can encode transmission data 146 and / or other information 142 provided by the UE operations module 124. For example, encoding data 146 and / or other information 142 may involve error detection and / or correction encoding, mapping data to space, time and / or frequency features for transmission purposes, multiplexing, etc. Encoder 150 can provide encoded data 152 to the modulator 154.
[00105] The UE operations module 124 can provide information 144 to the modulator 154. For example, the UE operations module 124 can inform the modulator 154 about a modulation type (e.g., constellation mapping) to be used for transmissions to gNB 160. The modulator 154 can modulate the encoded data 152 to provide one or more modulated signals 156 to the one or more transmitters 158.
[00106] The UE operations module 124 can provide information 140 to one or more transmitters 158. This information 140 can include instructions for one or more transmitters 158. For example, the UE operations module 124 can instruct one or more transmitters 158 on when to transmit a signal to the gNB 160. For example, one or more transmitters 158 can transmit during a UL subframe. One or more transmitters 158 can convert to a higher frequency and transmit the modulated signals 156 to one or more gNBs 160. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 33 / 139 29 / 61
[00107] Each of the one or more gNBs 160 may include one or more transceivers 176, one or more demodulators 172, one or more decoders 166, one or more encoders 109, one or more modulators 113, a data buffer 162, and a gNB operations module 182. For example, one or more reception and / or transmission paths may be implemented in a gNB 160. For convenience, only one transceiver 176, decoder 166, demodulator 172, encoder 109, and modulator 113 are illustrated in the gNB 160, although multiple parallel elements (e.g., transceivers 176, decoders 166, demodulators 172, encoders 109, and modulators 113) may be implemented.
[00108] Transceiver 176 may include one or more receivers 178 and one or more transmitters 117. The one or more receivers 178 may receive signals from UE 102 using one or more physical antennas 180a-n.For example, receiver 178 can receive and convert signals to a lower frequency to produce one or more received signals 174. The one or more received signals 174 can be provided to a demodulator 172. The one or more transmitters 117 can transmit signals to the UE 102 using one or more physical antennas 180a-n. For example, the one or more transmitters 117 can convert to a higher frequency and transmit one or more modulated signals 115.
[00109] Demodulator 172 can demodulate one or more received signals 174 to produce one or more demodulated signals 170. The one or more demodulated signals 170 can be supplied to decoder 166. gNB 160 can use decoder 166 to decode signals. Decoder 166 can produce one or more decoded signals 164 and 168. For example, a first signal decoded by eNB 164 may comprise received payload data (main load), which can be stored in a buffer. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 34 / 139 30 / 61 of data 162. A second decoded signal from eNB 168 may comprise overload data and / or control data. For example, the second signal 168 decoded by the eNB may provide data (e.g., PDSCH HARQ-ACK information) that can be used by the gNB operations module 182 to perform one or more operations.
[00110] In general, the gNB 182 operations module can enable the gNB 160 to communicate with one or more UEs 102. The gNB 182 operations module can include one or more escalation request modules 194 of a gNB. The gNB 194 escalation request module can perform escalation request operations as described in the present invention.
[00111] gNB operations module 182 can provide information 188 to demodulator 172. For example, gNB operations module 182 can inform demodulator 172 about an expected modulation pattern for transmissions from one or more UEs 102.
[00112] gNB operations module 182 can provide information 186 to decoder 166. For example, gNB operations module 182 can inform decoder 166 about an expected encoding for transmissions from one or more UEs 102.
[00113] gNB operations module 182 can provide information 101 to encoder 109. Information 101 can include data to be encoded and / or instructions for encoding. For example, gNB operations module 182 can instruct encoder 109 to encode information 101, including transmission data 105.
[00114] Encoder 109 can encode transmission data 105 and / or other information included in the information 101 provided by Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 35 / 139 31 / 61 gNB operations module 182. For example, encoding data 105 and / or other information included in information 101 may involve error detection and / or correction encoding, mapping data to space, time and / or frequency resources for transmission purposes, multiplexing, etc. Encoder 109 may provide encoded data 111 to modulator 113. Transmission data 105 may include network data to be transmitted to UE 102.
[00115] gNB operations module 182 can provide information 103 to modulator 113. This information 103 may include instructions for modulator 113. For example, gNB operations module 182 can inform modulator 113 about a modulation type (e.g., constellation mapping) to be used for transmissions to UEs 102. Modulator 113 can modulate the encoded data 111 to provide one or more modulated signals 115 to one or more transmitters 117.
[00116] The gNB operations module 182 can provide information 192 to one or more transmitters 117. This information 192 can include instructions for one or more transmitters 117. For example, the gNB operations module 182 can instruct one or more transmitters 117 on when to transmit (or not transmit) a signal to the UEs 102. The one or more transmitters 117 can convert to a higher frequency and transmit the one or more modulated signals 115 to one or more UEs 102.
[00117] It should be noted that an uplink subframe can be transmitted from gNB 160 to one or more UEs 102 and that an uplink subframe can be transmitted from one or more UEs 102 to gNB 160. Furthermore, both gNB 160 and the one or more UEs 102 can transmit data in a special standard subframe. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 36 / 139 32 / 61
[00118] It should also be noted that one or more of the elements or parts thereof included in one or more eNBs 160 and one or more UEs 102 may be implemented in hardware. For example, one or more of these elements or parts thereof may be implemented as an integrated circuit, circuits or hardware components, etc. It should also be noted that one or more of the functions or methods described herein may be implemented in and / or executed using hardware. For example, one or more of the methods described herein may be implemented in and / or executed using a chipset, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) or integrated circuit, etc.
[00119] Figure 2 is an illustrative call flowchart of a scheduling procedure for dynamic scheduling in LTE technology. When UE 202 has new data, UE 202 can send a scheduling request (SR) to eNB 260. eNB 260 can respond to the SR by sending a grant to UE 202. eNB 260 provides a standard UL grant that is used by UE 202 to transmit the data and / or the BSR.
[00120] In response to the BSR, eNB 260 sends another grant. UE 202 then sends the remaining data to eNB 260.
[00121] A BSR indicates the buffer size for each LCG. However, the BSR requires a grant for transmission and therefore it may take longer for the eNB 260 to receive the grant, since it is preceded by an SR. It may be that the grant provided is sufficient to transmit all the data. However, as seen in Figure 2, it is also likely that the grant will not be sufficient and the UE 202 will need to request another grant using the BSR. The consequence of this process is an additional delay in the case where the UE 202 would have been able to transmit all the data if the first UL grant had been slightly larger. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 37 / 139 33 / 61
[00122] As shown in Figure 2, the complex signaling interaction process between UL SR grant / UL BSR grant / data results in latency, processing, and signaling overhead. Because the uses of SR and BSR are limited, they cannot provide better QoS for various services in NR.
[00123] Figure 3A is an example illustrating a variable frame structure in 5G NR.
[00124] Figure 3B is an example that illustrates a variable-size interval in 5G NR.
[00125] Figure 3C is an illustrative example of the periodicity of PUCCH variable in 5G NR.
[00126] Figure 4 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses a priority indication based on time-division multiplexing (TDM). A gNB 460 can communicate with a 5G UE NR 402.
[00127] The SR escalation request can be used to, at least, request resources from an uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) (i.e., an initial transmission) for a new transmission and / or retransmission. For the sake of simplicity, in some implementations, it may be assumed that the new transmission and / or retransmission described herein are included in the transmission (i.e., ULSCH transmission and / or PUSCH transmission).
[00128] As shown in Figure 4, the gNB 460 can configure uplink physical channel resources used for SR transmission. For example, the gNB 460 can configure uplink control physical channel resources (i.e., PUCCH resources) used for SR transmission. Here, PUCCH resources can be used for the transmission of uplink control information (UCI). UCIs can include a Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 38 / 139 34 / 61 positive acknowledgment or a negative acknowledgment of a hybrid automatic retry request (HARQ-ACK), channel status information (CSI - Uplink Control Information) and / or SR.
[00129] In addition, uplink physical channel resources other than PUCCH resources can be defined for SR transmission (and / or UCI transmission). For example, uplink physical channel resources can be defined that are used only for SR transmission, and the gNB 460 can configure uplink physical channel resources used only for SR transmission. For the sake of simplicity, in some implementations, it can be assumed that the uplink physical channel resources used for SR transmission described here are included in the PUCCH resources.
[00130] In one example, the gNB 460 can configure one or more PUCCH features by using a radio feature control message (RRC message). Here, the RRC message can be included in an upper layer signal. The gNB 460 can transmit the RRC message including one or more pieces of information used to configure a periodicity (i.e., an interval), an offset (i.e., an offset value), an index of the PUCCH features, and / or one (or more) position of the PUCCH features (e.g., time features, frequency features, and / or code features).
[00131] The PUCCH resources used for SR transmission can be configured based on periodicity, offset, PUCCH resource index, and / or one (or more) PUCCH resource positions. Here, for the sake of simplifying the description, in some implementations, it can be assumed that the configuration used to set the periodicity, offset, PUCCH resource index, and / or one (or more) PUCCH resource positions here Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 39 / 139 35 / 61 described is included in an SR configuration. In this way, the UE 402 can transmit the SR based on the SR configuration. The UE 402 can transmit the SR on the PUCCH based on the SR configuration.
[00132] The gNB 460 can transmit the RRC message including one or more SR configurations. As an example, Figure 4 shows that the gNB 460 configures, using one or more SR configurations, three PUCCH features: PUCCH-1, PUCCH-2, and PUCCH-3. For example, the gNB 460 can configure, using a first SR configuration, PUCCH-1. The gNB 460 can configure, using a second SR configuration, PUCCH-2. The gNB 460 can configure, using a third SR configuration, PUCCH-3.
[00133] Each of the one or more SR settings can correspond to one or more pieces of information indicated (e.g., expressed) by the one (or more) SR bit. For example, each of the one or more SR settings can correspond to a priority. In one implementation, each of the one or more PUCCH features configured based on the SR setting (or settings) can correspond to a priority. In another implementation, each of the one or more subframes (or intervals, or mini-intervals, or symbols) configured based on the SR setting (or settings) for SR transmission can correspond to a priority. Here, the priority can include a transmission priority that corresponds to the SR bit (or bits) (i.e., the transmitted SR).
[00134] Priority may include a priority of ULSCH resources that are requested for transmission. For example, PUCCH-1 (or the first SR configuration) may correspond to a high priority (represented in Figure 4 by a star), PUCCH-2 (or the second SR configuration) may correspond to a medium priority (represented in the Figure by a triangle), and PUCCH-3 (or the third Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 40 / 139 36 / 61 SR configuration) may correspond to a low priority (represented in Figure 4 by a diamond).
[00135] Here, a portion of the SR settings (e.g., periodicity, offset value, and / or position(s) of PUCCH features) can be defined by a subframe level, an interval level, a mini-interval level, and / or a symbol level. Specifically, one (or more) instances for SR transmission can be defined by a subframe level, an interval level, a mini-interval level, and / or a symbol level.
[00136] In one example, a periodicity of a mini-interval (and / or a symbol), an offset of a mini-interval (and / or a symbol), and / or one (or more) positions of a mini-interval (and / or a symbol) for PUCCH-1 (i.e., the high-priority PUCCH feature) can be configured based on the first SR configuration. Additionally, a periodicity of an interval, an offset of an interval, and / or one (or more) positions of an interval for PUCCH-2 (i.e., the medium-priority PUCCH feature) can be configured based on the second SR configuration. Furthermore, a periodicity of a subframe, an offset of a subframe, and / or one (or more) positions of a subframe for PUCCH-3 (i.e., the low-priority PUCCH feature) can be configured based on the third SR configuration. Specifically, a duration of time for the instance (or instances) to transmit SR data can correspond to a priority.
[00137] Based on the SR configuration and / or priority, the UE 402 can transmit the SR (one or more bits of SR) in a corresponding PUCCH. For example, in the case of high priority, the UE 402 can select (determine) PUCCH-1, and use PUCCH-1 to transmit the SR (that is, PUCCH-1 can be used as a PUCCH resource for SR transmission). Furthermore, in the case of priority Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 41 / 139 37 / 61 average, UE 402 can select (determine) PUCCH-2, and use PUCCH-2 to transmit the SR (i.e., PUCCH-2 can be used as a PUCCH resource for SR transmission). Additionally, in the case of low priority, UE 402 can select (determine) PUCCH-3, and use PUCCH-3 to transmit the SR (i.e., PUCCH3 can be used as a PUCCH resource for SR transmission).
[00138] Here, for example, a one-bit SR (e.g., '0' indicating a negative value and / or '1' indicating a positive value) can be transmitted. Furthermore, an on / off switch can be used for SR transmission. Specifically, UE 402 can transmit the SR in a case where UL-SCH capabilities are requested, and may not transmit the SR in a case where UL-SCH capabilities are not requested. Furthermore, a multi-bit SR can be transmitted.
[00139] Additionally, the SR can be transmitted together with the HARQ-ACK and / or the CSI on the PUCCH. For example, the SR can be multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK and / or the CSI on the PUCCH. Furthermore, the SR can be transmitted on the first PUCCH and the HARQ-ACK and / or CSI can be transmitted on the second PUCCH (i.e., simultaneous transmission of multiple PUCCHs).
[00140] The gNB 460 can transmit information in the RRC message indicating whether simultaneous transmission of multiple PUCCHs is permitted or not. For example, the gNB 460 can transmit the RRC message including information indicating whether simultaneous transmission of HARQ-ACK and SR in multiple PUCCHs is permitted or not. Furthermore, the gNB 460 can transmit the RRC message including information indicating whether simultaneous transmission of HARQ-ACK and CSI in multiple PUCCHs is permitted or not. Additionally, the gNB 460 can transmit the RRC message including information indicating whether simultaneous transmission of SR is permitted or not. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 42 / 139 38 / 61 and CSI in multiple PUCCHs is permitted or not.
[00141] Figure 5 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses a priority indication based on frequency division multiplexing (FDM). A gNB 560 can communicate with a UE value of 5G NR 502 on the available resources (i.e., frequencies) to send an SR.
[00142] Here, the SR transmission explained by Figure 5 can be performed (occurs) in a subframe that is configured for SR transmission (e.g., based on the SR configuration). In one example, the SR transmission explained by Figure 5 can be performed (occurs) in a case where the SR transmission coincides in time with the HARQ-ACK transmission. In another, the SR transmission explained by Figure 5 can be performed (occurs) in a case where the HARQ-ACK transmission coincides with a subframe configured for UE 502 for SR transmission (e.g., based on the SR configuration).
[00143] As shown in Figure 5, the gNB 560 can configure, using the RRC message, one or more PUCCH resources (for example, 2 sets of PUCCH resources, and each set can include three (or four) PUCCH resources). Furthermore, the gNB 560 can indicate, using Downlink Control Information (DCI, DCI format), one or more PUCCH resources from among the one or more PUCCH resources configured using the RRC message. Here, for example, DCI can be used to scale a shared physical downlink channel (i.e., PDSCH).
[00144] In addition, the PDSCH can be scaled to a subframe, a range, a mini-range, and / or a symbol. For example, a first DCI can be defined for scaling the PDSCH to a subframe. Furthermore, it can be Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 43 / 139 39 / 61 defines a second DCI used for PDSCH scheduling at an interval, a mini-interval, and / or a symbol. Additionally, the DCI can be transmitted on a downlink physical control channel (i.e., PDCCH, first PDCCH). Furthermore, the DCI can be transmitted on a downlink physical channel (second PDCH) different from the PDCCH. For example, a value of a DCI field (2-bit DCI field) can be used to indicate one or more PUCCH features from among the one or more PUCCH features configured using the RRC message.
[00145] Here, for the sake of simplifying the description, in some implementations, it can be assumed that the PUCCH resources configured using the RRC message described here are a set 'A' of PUCCH resources. Furthermore, also for the sake of simplifying the description, in some implementations, it can be assumed that the PUCCH resources indicated in the set 'A' of PUCCH resources, using the DCIs described here, are a set 'B' of PUCCH resources.
[00146] In one example, a value from the first DCI field (e.g., the 2-bit DCI field) can be used to indicate the 'B' set of PUCCH features in a case where a value from the second DCI field (e.g., the 1-bit DCI field) can be set to a predetermined value (e.g., the 1-bit field is set to the value '1'). In another example, the second DCI field (e.g., a 1-bit DCI field) can be a field used to indicate (request) HARQ-ACK transmission (e.g., indicating (requesting) HARQ-ACK transmission in PUCCH).
[00147] UE 502 can transmit HARQ-ACK (e.g., in PUCCH) based on the value of the second DCI field. HARQ-ACK can match the scaled PDSCH using the DCI that includes the value of the second field. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 44 / 139 40 / 61
[00148] In addition, the SR can be transmitted together with the HARQ-ACK which corresponds to the scaled PDSCH using the DCI which includes the value of the second field. That is, UE 502 can determine the 'B' set of PUCCH features to transmit the HARQ-ACK (the HARQ-ACK and / or the SR). In addition, UE 502 can determine the 'B' set of PUCCH features to transmit the HARQ-ACK and / or the SR.
[00149] For example, as shown in Figure 5, the gNB 560 can configure, using the RRC message, a value for the first PUCCH feature (e.g., an F1 index of the first PUCCH feature), a value for the second PUCCH feature (e.g., an F2 index of the second PUCCH feature), and a value for the third PUCCH feature (e.g., an F3 index of the third PUCCH feature). Furthermore, the gNB 560 can configure, using the RRC message, a first transmission time (e.g., a first time offset, k1), a second transmission time (e.g., a second time offset, k2), and a third transmission time (e.g., a third time offset, k3). In one implementation, K1=n+3, K2=n+4, K3=n+5, where n is the subframe in which a PDCCH is transmitted.
[00150] In Figure 5, PUCCH-F1-k1, PUCCH-F2-k2, PUCCH-F3-k3 can be included in the first set of PUCCH features within the 'A' set of PUCCH features. The first set of PUCCH features can correspond to a first value of the DCI field (e.g., '00' from the 2-bit DCI field). Furthermore, PUCCHF4-k2, PUCCH-F5-k2, PUCCH-F6-k2 can be included in the second set of PUCCH features within the 'A' set of PUCCH features. The second set of PUCCH features can correspond to a second value of the DCI field (e.g., '01'). Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 45 / 139 41 / 61 of the 2-bit DCI field).
[00151] Furthermore, each of the one or more PUCCH features included in the first set of PUCCH features may correspond to one or more pieces of information indicated (expressed) by the one or more bits of SR. Additionally, each of the one or more PUCCH features included in the second set of PUCCH features may correspond to one or more pieces of information indicated (expressed) by the one or more bits of SR.
[00152] In one example, each of the one or more PUCCH features included in each PUCCH feature set may correspond to a priority. For example, PUCCH-F1-k1 included in the first PUCCH feature set may correspond to high priority. PUCCH-F2-k2 included in the first PUCCH feature set may correspond to medium priority. PUCCH-F3-k3 included in the first PUCCH feature set may correspond to low priority.
[00153] The PUCCH-F4-k2 included in the second set of PUCCH features may correspond to high priority (as indicated by a star in Figure 5). Additionally, the PUCCH-F5-k2 included in the second set of PUCCH features may correspond to medium priority (as indicated by a triangle in Figure 5). Furthermore, the PUCCH-F6-k2 included in the second set of PUCCH features may correspond to low priority (as indicated by a diamond in Figure 5).
[00154] For example, the gNB 560 can transmit the DCI which includes the field defined with a value of '01' (that is, the value '01' to which the DCI field is mapped). The UE 502 can transmit, based on the SR configuration, the DCI field value and / or priority, the SR (the one or more bits of SR) in a corresponding PUCCH (that is, in the PUCCH with a corresponding PUCCH feature value, and / or in Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 46 / 139 42 / 61 a corresponding transmission time). For example, in a high priority case, UE 502 can select (i.e., determine) PUCCH-F4-k2 (i.e., the 'F4' value of PUCCH resource and / or the transmission time 'k2') and use PUCCH-F4-k2 to transmit the SR (e.g., transmission of HARQ-ACK and SR using PUCCHF4-k2 can be performed).
[00155] In a medium priority case, UE 502 can select (i.e., determine) PUCCH-F5-k2 (i.e., the 'F5' PUCCH resource value and / or the 'k2' transmission time) and use PUCCH-F5-k2 to transmit the SR (e.g., HARQ-ACK and SR transmission using PUCCH-F5-k2 can be performed). In a low priority case, UE 502 can select (i.e., determine) PUCCH-F6-k2 (i.e., the 'F6' PUCCH resource value and / or the 'k2' transmission time) and use PUCCH-F6-k2 to transmit the SR (e.g., HARQ-ACK and SR transmission using PUCCH-F6-k2 can be performed).
[00156] In addition, priority may correspond to the DCI (e.g., detected DCI, detected DCI format, first PDCCH and / or second PDCH). For example, UE 502 may transmit, based on the detection of the first DCI, the first DCI format and / or the first PDCCH, the RS on the PUCCH (e.g., the SR indicating low priority). Furthermore, for example, UE 502 may transmit, based on the detection of the second DCI, the second DCI format and / or the second PDCH, the SR on the PUCCH (the SR indicating medium priority). Additionally, for example, UE 502 may transmit, based on the detection of the third DCI, the third DCI format and / or the third PDCH, the SR on the PUCCH (the SR indicating high priority).
[00157] Here, for example, a one-bit SR (e.g., '0' indicating a negative value and / or '1' indicating a positive value) can Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 47 / 139 43 / 61 can be transmitted. Additionally, an on / off switch can be used for SR transmission. Specifically, the UE 502 can transmit the SR in a case where UL-SCH capabilities are requested, and may not transmit the SR in a case where UL-SCH capabilities are not requested. Furthermore, a multi-bit SR can be transmitted.
[00158] Additionally, the SR can be transmitted together with the HARQ-ACK and / or the CSI on the PUCCH. For example, the SR can be multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK and / or the CSI on the PUCCH. Furthermore, the SR can be transmitted on the first PUCCH and the HARQ-ACK and / or CSI can be transmitted on the second PUCCH (i.e., simultaneous transmission of multiple PUCCHs).
[00159] Figure 6A is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses a priority indication based on FDM and TDM. A gNB 660 can communicate with a 5G UE NR 602.
[00160] As described above, the gNB 660 can transmit the RRC message including one or more SR configurations. And, for example, each of the one or more SR configurations can correspond to a priority. In addition, for example, each of the subframes (or intervals, or mini-intervals, or symbols) configured based on the one or more SR configurations for SR transmission can correspond to a priority.
[00161] Additionally, as described above, gNB 660 can transmit the RRC message including the information used to configure the 'A' set of PUCCH features, and the DCI indicating the 'B' set of PUCCH features between the 'A' set of PUCCH features. For example, the three (or four) PUCCH feature values can be configured using the RRC message, and the PUCCH value between the three (or four) PUCCH feature values can be indicated using the DCI (e.g., the DCI field value). Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 48 / 139 44 / 61 UE 602 can determine the PUCCH value from one of three (or four) PUCCH resource values.
[00162] Here, for example, in Figure 6A, the priority of a subframe corresponding to k1 (e.g., a first subframe configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority (represented by a star) and / or medium priority (represented by a triangle). Furthermore, in Figure 6A, the priority of a subframe corresponding to k3 (e.g., a second subframe configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority, medium priority, and / or low priority (represented by a diamond).Additionally, one or more values in the DCI field can be set to '00' and / or '01' to indicate the availability of two different PUCCH configuration combinations (i.e., 2 different transmission times, K1 and K3, and for each there are 3 different frequencies, F1, F2, F3) to indicate different attributes (6 in this case) relating to the requested bandwidth. For example, K1 represents a smaller bandwidth and F3 represents a higher priority.
[00163] The UE 602 can transmit, based on the SR configuration, one or more values of the DCI field, and / or the priority, the SR (one or more bits of SR) in a corresponding PUCCH. For example, in a high priority case, the UE 602 can select (determine) PUCCH-F1-k1 and / or PUCCH-F4-k3 and use PUCCH-F1-k1 and / or PUCCH-F4-k3 to transmit the SR (for example, the transmission of HARQ-ACK and SR using PUCCH-F1-k1 and / or PUCCH-F4k3 can be performed). In one implementation, K1=n+3, K2=n+4, K3=n+5, where n is the subframe in which a PDCCH is transmitted.
[00164] In a medium priority case, UE 602 can select (determine) PUCCH-F2-k1 and / or PUCCH-F5-k3 and use PUCCH-F2 Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 49 / 139 45 / 61 kl and / or the PUCCH-F5-k3 to transmit the SR (for example, transmission of HARQ-ACK and SR using the PUCCH-F2-k1 and / or the PUCCH-F5k3 can be performed).
[00165] In a low priority case, UE 602 can select (determine) PUCCH-F6-k3 and use PUCCH-F6-k3 to transmit the SR (for example, HARQ-ACK and SR transmission using PUCCH-F6-k3 can be performed). Here, because the priority of the subframe corresponding to k1 is not configured as low priority, UE 602 may not select PUCCH-F3-k1 for SR transmission. That is, UE 602 can transmit the SR on PUCCH resources for which the corresponding priority is configured for a specific bandwidth.
[00166] UE 602 can transmit the SR on PUCCH resources in a subframe for which the corresponding priority is configured. Specifically, as described above, for example, UE 602 may not select low-priority PUCCH resources if the subframe (and / or PUCCH resources) is not configured for SR transmission indicating low priority. In that case, UE 602 can only select high-priority and / or medium-priority PUCCH resources.
[00167] Here, for example, a one-bit SR (e.g., '0' indicating a negative value and / or '1' indicating a positive value) can be transmitted. Additionally, an on / off switch can be used for SR transmission. Specifically, the UE 602 can transmit the SR in a case where UL-SCH resources are requested, and it can choose not to transmit the SR in a case where UL-SCH resources are not requested. Furthermore, a multi-bit SR can be transmitted. Additionally, the SR can be transmitted along with the HARQ-ACK and / or the CSI in the PUCCH. For example, the SR can be multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK and / or the CSI in the PUCCH. Furthermore, the SR can be Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 50 / 139 46 / 61 transmitted on the first PUCCH and the HARQ-ACK and / or CSI can be transmitted on the second PUCCH (i.e., simultaneous transmission of multiple PUCCHs).
[00168] In Figures 4 to 6A, priority is described. However, other information besides priority is not excluded from this disclosure. For example, priority can be replaced by a type of traffic characteristic and / or a type of traffic service. Specifically, high priority can be replaced by a first type of traffic characteristic and / or a first type of traffic service. Furthermore, medium priority can be replaced by a second type of traffic characteristic and / or a second type of traffic service. Additionally, low priority can be replaced by a third type of traffic characteristic and / or a third type of traffic service.
[00169] In another example, priority can be replaced by a logical channel type and / or a logical channel group (LCG) type. Specifically, high priority can be replaced by a first logical channel type and / or a first LCG type. Furthermore, medium priority can be replaced by a second logical channel type and / or a second LCG type. Additionally, low priority can be replaced by a third logical channel type and / or a third LCG type.
[00170] In another example, priority can be replaced by a quantity of data (the amount of data (bits) available) associated with that logical channel (or LCG). Specifically, high priority can be replaced by the first quantity of available data associated with that logical channel (or LCG). Furthermore, medium priority can be replaced by the second quantity of available data associated with that logical channel (or LCG). Additionally, low priority can be replaced by the third quantity of... Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, p. 51 / 139 47 / 61 data points are available associated with this logical channel (or LCG).
[00171] In another example, priority can be replaced by a buffer size (the buffer size associated with that logical channel (or LCG)). Specifically, high priority can be replaced by a first buffer size. Furthermore, medium priority can be replaced by a second buffer size. Additionally, low priority can be replaced by a third buffer size.
[00172] Furthermore, in another example, priority can be replaced by a service type. Specifically, high priority can be replaced by a first service type. Additionally, medium priority can be replaced by a second service type. Furthermore, low priority can be replaced by a third service type.
[00173] In another example, priority can be replaced by a numerology (e.g., a subcarrier spacing for transmission) and / or a transmission time interval (TTI) duration. Specifically, high priority can be replaced by a first numerology (e.g., 15 kHz subcarrier spacing) and / or a first TTI (e.g., 1 ms). Medium priority can be replaced by a second numerology (e.g., 30 kHz subcarrier spacing) and / or a second TTI (e.g., 0.5 ms). Low priority can be replaced by a third numerology (e.g., 60 kHz subcarrier spacing) and / or a second TTI (e.g., 0.25 ms). Here, the numerology and / or TTI can be defined for the one (or more) logical channel with pending data.
[00174] Figure 6B is an example illustrating bandwidth adaptation in a 5G NR system. With bandwidth adaptation (BA), the reception and transmission bandwidth are adjusted using a specific numbering system so that if a UE does not need to be as large... Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 52 / 139 48 / 61 as to the cell bandwidth and whether it can be adjusted: the width can be instructed to change (e.g., reduce during a period of low activity to save energy); the location can move in the frequency domain (e.g., to increase scaling flexibility); and the subcarrier spacing can be instructed to change (e.g., to enable different services). A subset of the total cell bandwidth and its numerologies within a cell is called a bandwidth portion (BWP), and the BA is obtained by configuring the UE with one (or more) BWP and informing the UE which of the configured BWPs is currently the active BWP. Figure 6B illustrates a scenario where 3 different BWPs are configured: BWP1 with a width of 40 MHz and subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz; BWP2 with a width of 10 MHz and subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz; BWP3 with a bandwidth of 20 MHz and a subcarrier spacing of 60 kHz.To enable BA and specific SR transmission for that BWP, gNB can configure the UE with a pair (or pairs) of UL and / or DL BWP, as shown in Figure 7. Each bandwidth / BWP is unambiguously identified by gNB (i.e., BW1, BW2, etc.) using RRC signaling.
[00175] Figure 7 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses a TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths. A gNB 760 can communicate with a 5G UE NR 702.
[00176] The procedures described in connection with Figure 4 can be used. However, in this case, instead of prioritizing UL-SCH resources, the RRC message can configure a bandwidth for a given PUCCH.
[00177] Priority may include a bandwidth / BWP for transmission. For example, PUCCH-1 (or the first configuration of Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 53 / 139 49 / 61 SR) can correspond to a high bandwidth (represented in Figure 7 by a star), PUCCH-2 (or the second SR configuration) can correspond to a medium bandwidth (represented in the Figure by a triangle), and PUCCH-3 (or the third SR configuration) can correspond to a low bandwidth (represented in Figure 7 by a rhombus).
[00178] Figure 8 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses an FDM and TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths / BWP and services. A gNB 860 can communicate with a 5G UE NR 802. Different frequencies can indicate different priorities, different times can indicate different services (e.g., URLLC).
[00179] The procedures described in connection with Figure 6A can be used. However, in this case, instead of a priority of UL-SCH resources, the RRC message can configure a service and a bandwidth / BWP for a given PUCCH.
[00180] Here, for example, in Figure 8, the service and bandwidth / BWP of a subframe corresponding to k1 (e.g., a first subframe configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority (represented by a star) and / or medium priority (represented by a triangle). Furthermore, in Figure 8, the service and bandwidth of a subframe corresponding to k3 (e.g., a second subframe configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority, medium priority, and / or low priority (represented by a diamond). Additionally, the value (or values) of the DCI field can be set to '00' and / or '01'. In one implementation, K1=n+3, K2=n+4, K3=n+5, where n is the subframe in which a PDCCH is transmitted. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 54 / 139 50 / 61
[00181] Figure 9 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses an FDM and TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths and numerologies (i.e., BWP). A gNB 960 can communicate with a 5G UE NR 902. Different frequencies indicate different bandwidths and a different time indicates a different numerology (BWP).
[00182] The procedures described in connection with Figure 6A can be used. However, in this case, instead of a priority of UL-SCH resources, the RRC message can configure a numerology and a bandwidth / BWP for a given PUCCH.
[00183] Priority can be replaced by a numerology (e.g., a subcarrier spacing for transmission) and / or a transmission time interval (TTI) duration. In one example, high priority can be replaced by a first numerology (e.g., 15 kHz subcarrier spacing) and / or a first TTI (e.g., 1 ms). Furthermore, medium priority can be replaced by a second numerology (e.g., 30 kHz subcarrier spacing) and / or a second TTI (e.g., 0.5 ms). Additionally, low priority can be replaced by a third numerology (e.g., 60 kHz subcarrier spacing) and / or a third TTI (0.25 ms). Here, the numerology and / or the TTI can be defined for one (or more) logical channels with pending data.
[00184] In Figure 9, the numerology and bandwidth (BWP) of a subframe corresponding to k1 (e.g., a first subframe configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority (represented by a star) and / or medium priority (represented by a triangle). Additionally, in Figure 9, the numerology and bandwidth (BWP) of a subframe corresponding to k3 (e.g., a second subframe) Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 55 / 139 51 / 61 configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority, medium priority, and / or low priority (represented by a diamond). Additionally, the value (or values) of the DCI field can be set to '00' and / or '01'. In one implementation, K1=n+3, K2=n+4, K3=n+5, where n is the subframe in which a PDCCH is transmitted.
[00185] Figure 10 is an illustrative example of an SR transmission that uses an FDM and TDM-based priority indication for different bandwidths and beams. A gNB 1060 can communicate with a 5G UE NR 1002.
[00186] The procedures described in connection with Figure 6A can be used. However, in this case, instead of a UL-SCH resource priority, the RRC message can configure a beam and a bandwidth / BWP for a given PUCCH.
[00187] Priority can be replaced by a beam. In one example, high priority can be replaced by a first beam. Furthermore, medium priority can be replaced by a second beam. Additionally, low priority can be replaced by a third beam (e.g., 60 kHz subcarrier spacing) and / or a third TTI (0.25 ms). Here, beam can be defined as a beamforming.
[00188] In Figure 10, the beamwidth and bandwidth / BWP of a subframe corresponding to k1 (e.g., a first subframe configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority (represented by a star) and / or medium priority (represented by a triangle). Furthermore, in Figure 10, the beamwidth and bandwidth / BWP of a subframe corresponding to k3 (e.g., a second subframe configured for SR transmission) can be configured based on the SR configuration as high priority, medium priority Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 56 / 139 52 / 61 and / or low priority (represented by a diamond). Additionally, the value (or values) of the DCI field can be set to '00' and / or '01'. In one implementation, K1=n+3, K2=n+4, K3=n+5, where n is the subframe in which a PDCCH is transmitted.
[00189] Figure 11 is an illustrative block diagram of a gNB 1160 implementation. The gNB 1160 may include an upper-layer processor 1123, a DL transmitter 1125, a UL receiver 1133, and one or more antennas 1131. The DL transmitter 1125 may include a PDCCH transmitter 1127 and a PDSCH transmitter 1129. The UL receiver 1133 may include a PDCCH receiver 1135 and a PDSCH receiver 1137.
[00190] The upper-layer processor 1123 can manage physical layer behaviors (DL transmitter and UL receiver behaviors) and provide upper-layer parameters to the physical layer. The upper-layer processor 1123 can obtain transport blocks from the physical layer. The upper-layer processor 1123 can send / receive upper-layer messages, such as an RRC message and a MAC message to / from the upper layer of a UE. The upper-layer processor 1123 can provide PDSCH transmitter transport blocks and provide PDCCH transmitter transmission parameters related to the transport blocks.
[00191] The DL 1125 transmitter can multiplex downlink physical channels and downlink physical signals (including a backup signal) and transmit them through transmit antennas 1131. The UL 1133 receiver can receive uplink physical channels and multiplexed uplink physical signals through receive antennas 1131 and demultiplex them. The PUCCH 1135 receiver can provide uplink control information to the upper-layer processor 1123. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 57 / 139 53 / 61 UCI. The PUSCH 1137 receiver can provide the upper-layer processor with 1123 received transport blocks.
[00192] Figure 12 is an illustrative block diagram of an implementation of a UE 1202. The UE 1202 may include an upper-layer processor 1223, a UL transmitter 1251, a DL receiver 1243, and one or more antennas 1231. The UL transmitter 1251 may include a PUCCH transmitter 1253 and a PUSCH transmitter 1255. The DL receiver 1243 may include a PDCCH receiver 1245 and a PDSCH receiver 1247.
[00193] The upper-layer processor 1223 can manage physical layer behaviors (UL transmitter and DL receiver behaviors) and provide upper-layer parameters to the physical layer. The upper-layer processor 1223 can obtain transport blocks from the physical layer. The upper-layer processor 1223 can send / receive upper-layer messages, such as an RRC message and a MAC message to / from the upper layer of a UE. The upper-layer processor 1223 can provide the transport blocks of the PUSCH transmitter and provide the UCI of the PUCCH transmitter 1253.
[00194] The DL 1243 receiver can receive downlink physical channels and multiplexed downlink physical signals via receiving antennas 1231 and demultiplex them. The PDCCH 1245 receiver can provide the upper layer processor 1223 downlink control information (DCI). The PDSCH 1247 receiver can provide the upper layer processor 1223 received transport blocks.
[00195] It should be noted that the names of the physical channels described here are examples. Other names, such as NRPDCCH, NRPDSCH, NRPUCCH and NRPUSCH, GPDCCH, GPDSCH, GPUCCH and GPUSCH (next-generation G), or similar, may be used. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 58 / 139 54 / 61
[00196] Figure 13 illustrates various components that can be used in a UE 1302. The UE 1302 described in connection with Figure 13 can be implemented according to the UE 102 described in connection with Figure 1. The UE 1302 includes a processor 1303 that controls the operation of the UE 1302. The processor 1303 can also be called the central processing unit (CPU). The memory 1305, which may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a combination of both, or any type of device capable of storing information, provides instructions 1307a and data 1309a to the processor 1303. A portion of the memory 1305 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). Instructions 1307b and data 1309b may also reside in the processor 1303.Instructions 1307b and / or data 1309b loaded into processor 1303 may also include instructions 1307a and / or data 1309a from memory 1305 that were loaded for execution or processing by processor 1303. Instructions 1307b may be executed by processor 1303 to implement the methods described above.
[00197] The UE 1302 also includes a compartment containing one or more transmitters 1358 and one or more receivers 1320 to enable the transmission and reception of data. The transmitter (or transmitters) 1358 and receiver (or receivers) 1320 may be combined into one or more transceivers 1318. One or more antennas 1322a-n are attached to the compartment and electrically coupled to the transceiver 1318.
[00198] The various components of the UE 1302 are coupled together by a bus system 1311, which may include a power bus, a control signal bus, and a status signal bus, in addition to a data bus. However, for clarity, the various buses are illustrated in Figure 13 as the Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 59 / 139 55 / 61 bus system 1311. The UE 1302 may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) 1313 for use in signal processing. The UE 1302 may also include a communication interface 1315 that enables the user to access the functions of the UE 1302. The UE 1302 illustrated in Figure 13 is a functional block diagram rather than a listing of specific components.
[00199] Figure 14 illustrates various components that can be used in a gNB 1460. The gNB 1460 described in connection with Figure 14 can be implemented according to the gNB 160 described in connection with Figure 1. The gNB 1460 includes a processor 1403 that controls its operation. The processor 1403 can also be called the central processing unit (CPU). The memory 1405, which may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a combination of both, or any type of device capable of storing information, provides instructions 1407a and data 1409a to the processor 1403. A portion of the memory 1405 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). Instructions 1407b and data 1409b may also reside in the processor 1403.The 1407b instructions and / or 1409b data loaded into the 1403 processor may also include the 1407a instructions and / or 1409a data from memory 1405 that were loaded for execution or processing by the 1403 processor. The 1407b instructions may be executed by the 1403 processor to implement the methods described above.
[00200] The gNB 1460 also includes a compartment containing one or more transmitters 1417 and one or more receivers 1478 to enable the transmission and reception of data. The transmitter (or transmitters) 1417 and receiver (or receivers) 1478 may be combined into one or more transceivers 1476. One or more antennas 1480a-n are attached to the compartment and electrically coupled to the Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 60 / 139 56 / 61 transceiver 1476.
[00201] The various components of the gNB 1460 are coupled together by a bus system 1411 which may include a power bus, a control signal bus and a status signal bus, in addition to a data bus. However, for clarity, the various buses are illustrated in Figure 14 as the bus system 1411. The gNB 1460 may also include a digital signal processor (PSD) 1413 for use in signal processing. The gNB 1460 may also include a communication interface 1415 which provides the user with access to the functions of the gNB 1460. The gNB 1460 illustrated in Figure 14 is a functional block diagram rather than a listing of specific components.
[00202] Figure 15 is an illustrative block diagram of an implementation of a UE 1502 in which systems and methods for enhanced scheduling requests can be implemented. The UE 1502 includes transmission media 1558, reception media 1520, and control media 1524. The transmission media 1558, reception media 1520, and control media 1524 can be configured to perform one or more of the functions described in connection with Figure 1 above. Figure 13 above illustrates an example of a real device structure of Figure 15. Several other structures can be implemented to perform one or more of the functions of Figure 1. For example, a PSD can be implemented by software.
[00203] Figure 16 is an illustrative block diagram of an implementation of a gNB 1660 in which systems and methods for improved scheduling request (SR) can be implemented. The gNB 1660 includes transmission media 1617, reception media 1678, and control media 1682. The transmission media 1617, reception media 1678, and control media 1682 can Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 61 / 139 57 / 61 can be configured to perform one or more of the functions described in connection with Figure 1 above. Figure 14 above illustrates an example of a real device structure from Figure 16. Several other structures can be implemented to perform one or more of the functions in Figure 1. For example, a PSD can be run by software.
[00204] Figure 17 is an illustrative flowchart of a communication method 1700 of a user equipment (UE) 102. The UE 102 can receive 1702, from a base station (gNB) device 160, one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) message that includes one or more uplink control physical channel configurations (PUCCH) indicating one or more PUCCH resources. Each PUCCH resource can correspond to one or more bandwidth portions (BWP) and one or more logical channels. The UE 102 can transmit 1704, to the gNB 160, one (or more) scheduling request based on any one or more of: one or more SR configurations, one (or more) PUCCH configuration and / or one (or more) BWP configuration. UE 102 can receive 1706, from gNB 160, one (or more) radio resource control messages that include one (or more) bandwidth portion identifiers (BWPs) indicating one (or more) BWPs.The BWP configuration can be used to indicate the uplink frequency location, the uplink BW bandwidth size, and the numerology. UE 102 can transmit 1708, to gNB 160, a scheduling request on one or more BWPs indicated by the one (or more) BWP identifier and the BWP configuration. UE 102 can transmit 1710, to gNB 160, a scheduling request on one or more BWPs based on the BWP configuration.
[00205] Figure 18 is an illustrative flowchart of a method of Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 62 / 139 58 / 61 communication 1800 from a base station device (gNB) 160. The gNB 160 can transmit 1802, to a user equipment (UE) 102, one (or more) radio resource control (RRC) message that includes one (or more) bandwidth identifier (BWP) indicating one or more BWPs, and one or more BWP configurations for each BWP identifier. The gNB 160 can receive 1804, from UE 102, a scheduling request on the one or more BWPs indicated by the one (or more) BWP identifier and the BWP configuration. gNB 160 can transmit 1806, to UE 102, one (or more) radio resource control messages that include a BWP configuration used to indicate the uplink frequency location, the uplink bandwidth (BW) size, and the numerology.
[00206] The term computer-readable media refers to any available media that can be accessed by a computer or processor. The term computer-readable media, as used herein, may denote computer- and / or processor-readable media that is non-transient and tangible. By way of example, and without limitation, computer-readable or processor-readable media may comprise RAM / ROM / EEPROM memories, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other means that can be used to transport or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or processor.The terms magnetic disk and optical disk, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray® disc, with magnetic disks typically playing data magnetically, while optical discs play data. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 63 / 139 59 / 61 optically with lasers.
[00207] It should be noted that one or more of the methods described herein may be implemented in and / or executed using hardware. For example, one or more of the methods described herein may be implemented in and / or executed using a chipset, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI), or integrated circuit, etc.
[00208] Each of the methods disclosed herein comprises one or more steps or actions for the execution of the described method. The steps and / or actions of the methods may be interchangeable and / or combined into a single step without departing from the scope of the implementations. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is required for the proper functioning of the method being described, the order and / or use of specific steps and / or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the implementations.
[00209] It should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the exact configuration and components illustrated above. Various modifications, alterations, and variations may be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein, without departing from the scope of the embodiments.
[00210] A program executed on the gNB 160 or UE 102 according to the systems and methods described is a program (a program to make a computer operate) that controls a CPU and similar devices in order to perform the function according to the systems and methods described. Then, the information that is processed in these devices is temporarily stored in RAM while it is being processed. After that, the information is stored in various read-only memories (ROMs) or hard disk drives (HDDs) and, whenever necessary, is read by the CPU to be modified or written. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 64 / 139 60 / 61 As a recording medium on which the program is stored, it can be any of the following: a semiconductor (e.g., ROM memory, a non-volatile memory card, and the like), an optical storage medium (e.g., a DVD, an MO, an MD, a CD, a BD, and the like), a magnetic storage medium (e.g., a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, and the like), and the like. Furthermore, in some cases, the function according to the systems and methods described above is performed by executing the loaded program, and additionally, the function according to the systems and methods described is performed in conjunction with an operating system or other application programs, based on an instruction from the program.
[00211] Furthermore, in a case where the programs are commercially available, the program stored on a portable recording medium can be distributed, or the program can be transmitted to a server computer that connects via a network such as the internet. In this case, a storage device on the server computer is also included. Additionally, some or all of the gNB 160 and UE 102, according to the systems and methods described above, can be built as a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI), which is a typical integrated circuit. Each functional block of the gNB 160 and UE 102 can be built into an integrated circuit, and some or all functional blocks can be integrated into an integrated circuit. Furthermore, circuit integration techniques are not limited to LSI, and an integrated circuit for the functional block can be implemented with a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor.Furthermore, should an integrated circuit technology emerge that replaces LSI with advancements in semiconductor technology, it will also be possible to use an integrated circuit to which this technology is applied. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 65 / 139 61 / 61
[00212] In addition, each functional block or several features of the base station device and terminal device used in each of the aforementioned embodiments may be implemented or executed by a circuit, which is typically an integrated circuit or a plurality of integrated circuits. The circuit set designed to perform the functions described in this descriptive report may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (PSD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or general-purpose integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, distinct gates or transistor logic, or a distinct hardware component, or a combination of these items. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or, alternatively, it may be a conventional processor, a controller, a microcontroller, or a state machine.The general-purpose processor, or each circuit described above, can be configured by a digital circuit or by an analog circuit. Furthermore, when a manufacturing technology for an integrated circuit emerges that replaces current integrated circuits due to advances in semiconductor technology, the integrated circuit resulting from that technology can also be used. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page 66 / 139
Claims
1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. User equipment (102) characterized in that it comprises: a receiving unit (120) configured to receive, from a base station device (160), a radio resource control message(s), RRC, comprising more than one scheduling request configuration, SR, bandwidth portion identifier(s) (BWP) indicating one or more BWPs, and one or more BWP configurations used to indicate uplink frequency location, uplink BW size and numerology; and a transmitting unit (158) configured to transmit, to the base station device (160), SR on an uplink control physical channel, PUCCH, based on the one or more BWPs indicated by the BWP identifier(s);where each SR configuration is associated with a set of PUCCH features for SR across different frequency domain bandwidths and corresponds to the following: one or more logical channel groups, LCG, one or more priorities, and one or more subcarrier spacings.
2. Base station apparatus (160) characterized in that it comprises: a transmission unit (117) configured to transmit, to a user equipment (102), a radio resource control message(s), RRC, comprising more than one scheduling request configuration, SR, bandwidth portion identifier(s) (BWP) indicating one or more BWPs, and one or more BWP configurations used to indicate uplink frequency location, link BW size Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page.67 / 139 2 / 3 ascending and numerology; and receiving unit (178) configured to receive, from user equipment (102), SR on an uplink physical control channel, PUCCH based on one or more BWPs indicated by the BWP identifier(s); wherein each SR configuration is associated with a set of PUCCH features for SR across different frequency domain bandwidths and corresponds to the following: one or more logical channel groups, LCG, one or more priorities, and one or more subcarrier spacings.
3. User Equipment Method (102), the method characterized in that it comprises the steps of: receiving, from a base station device (160), a radio resource control message(s), RRC, comprising more than one scheduling request configuration, SR, bandwidth portion identifier(s) (BWP) indicating one or more BWPs, and one or more BWP configurations used to indicate uplink frequency location, uplink BW size and numerology; and transmitting, to the base station device (160), SR on an uplink control physical channel, PUCCH, based on the one or more BWPs indicated by the BWP identifier(s);where each SR configuration is associated with a set of PUCCH features for SR across different frequency domain bandwidths and corresponds to the following: one or more logical channel groups, LCG, one or more priorities, and one or more subcarrier spacings.
4. Method of a base station apparatus (160) Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page.68 / 139 3 / 3 characterized in that it comprises the steps of: transmitting, to a user equipment (102), a radio resource control message(s), RRC, comprising more than one scheduling request configuration, SR, bandwidth portion identifier(s) (BWP) indicating one or more BWPs, and one or more BWP configurations used to indicate uplink frequency location, uplink BW size and numerology; and receiving, from the user equipment (102), SR on an uplink control physical channel, PUCCH based on the one or more BWPs indicated by the BWP identifier(s); wherein each SR configuration is associated with a set of PUCCH resources for SR across different frequency domain bandwidths and corresponds to the following: one or more logical channel groups, LCG, one or more priorities, and one or more subcarrier spacings. Petition 870250079663, dated 05 / 09 / 2025, page.69 / 139.