Methods for allocating and configuring scheduling request resource, network node, and wireless device

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for configuring devices with overlapping PUCCH resources to transmit scheduling requests. A network node can transmit a scheduling request configuration message that indicates the PUCCH resources, including a periodicity parameter that is shorter than the PUCCH length. A wireless device can configure the PUCCH resources according to the configuration message and transmit a scheduling request.

Description

/ 29 METHODS FOR ALLOCATION AND CONFIGURATION OF SCHEDULING REQUEST RESOURCES, NETWORK NODE, AND WIRELESS DEVICE Cross-reference to related orders

[001] This application claims the benefit of the US Provisional Application. 62 / 521.183 filed on June 16, 2017, the full contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[002] The present description generally refers to wireless communications and wireless communication networks. Introduction

[003] The architecture for New Radio (NR) (also known as 5G (or Next Generation) is being discussed in standardization bodies such as 3GPP. Figure 1 illustrates an example of a 100 wireless network that can be used for wireless communications. The 100 wireless network includes user equipment (UEs) 102A-102B and a plurality of network nodes, such as radio access nodes 104A-104B (e.g., eNBs, gNBs, etc.) connected to one or more network nodes 106 (such as core network nodes) via an interconnection network 115. The 100 network can use any suitable implementation scenarios. Each of the UEs 102 in the coverage area 108 may be able to communicate directly with the radio access node 104A via a wireless interface. In some embodiments, the UEs 102 may also be able to communicate with each other via D2D communication.

[004] As an example, UE 102A can communicate with radio access node 104A via a wireless interface. That is, UE 102A can transmit wireless signals to and / or receive wireless signals from radio access node 104A. The wireless signals may contain voice traffic, data traffic, control signals and / or any other suitable information. In some embodiments, an associated wireless signal coverage area Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 11 / 64 / 29 with a radio access node 104A can be referred to as a cell 108. 108 is the service cell and 110 is another neighboring cell that can also allow communication, but to which UE 102A is not currently connected.

[005] The 115 interconnection network may refer to any interconnection system capable of transmitting audio, video, signals, data, messages, etc., or any combination thereof. The 115 interconnection network may include all or part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a public or private data network, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a local, regional or global communication or computer network, such as the Internet, a wired or wireless network, a corporate intranet, or any other suitable communication link, including combinations thereof.

[006] In some embodiments, network node 106 may be a central network node 106, which manages the establishment of communication sessions and various other functionalities for UEs 102. Examples of central network nodes 106 may include mobile switching center (MSC), MME, service communication port (SGW), packet data network communication port (PGW), operation and maintenance (O&M), operations support system (OSS), SON, positioning node (e.g., Mobile Local Service Enhanced Center, E-SMLC), MDT node, etc. UEs 102 may exchange certain signals with the central network node using the accessless stratum layer. In accessless stratum signaling, signals between UEs 102 and central network node 106 may be transparently passed through the radio access network. In some configurations, 104 radio access nodes can interface with one or more network nodes through an internode interface.

[007] NR wireless communication systems are designed to expand the scenarios and applications of use in relation to current generations of mobile networks. “Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications” (URLLC) Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 12 / 64 / 29, with strict latency and reliability requirements, was agreed upon as a key scenario for NR. URLLCs demand ultra-high distribution reliability of 99.999% (five nines) or even higher, with distribution latency limited to as low as one millisecond.

[008] The Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) can have different formats, depending on the lengths and payload sizes. According to discussions in the standardization bodies, there can be short PUCCH formats with a length of 1 to 2 symbols and long PUCCH formats with a length of more than 2 symbols (e.g., 4-14 symbols in length).

[009] For the short 2-symbol PUCCH, it was agreed to base the design on a frequency-hopping one-symbol PUCCH copy / repeat. In the long PUCCH format structure, it was agreed to base the long PUCCH design for 1-2 bit UCI on the LTE PUCCH Format 1 / 1a / 1b to enable high multiplexing capacity. It is understood that LTE supports PUCCH Format 1 / 1a / 1b for 1- and 2-bit payload sizes enabling multiplexing of up to 36 users. However, multiplexing 36 transmissions in PUCCH Format 1 / 1a / 1b over the same temporal frequency resource is, in practice, often limited by interference and therefore realistic multiplexing capacity is expected to be reduced.

[0010] Based on the LTE PUCCH Format 1 / 1a / 1b which is based on block-time domain spreading across DFTS-OFDM symbols, the long PUCCH for 1-2 bits in NR has the following structure:

[0011] Frequency hopping is supported.

[0012] The Demodulated Reference Symbol(s) (DMRS) is / are formed as follows: DMRS for a PUCCH is a cyclic shift of a base DMRS sequence. The orthogonal cover code (OCC) in the time domain is used for the jump DMRS symbols when applicable.

[0013] Data symbols are formed as follows: O(s) Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 13 / 64 / 29 bit(s) UCI ​​modulated(s) is / are multiplied by a cyclic shift of a base sequence. OCC in the time domain is used for the jump data symbols when applicable.

[0014] Figure 2 illustrates an example of the long PUCCH structure. Note that different DMRS symbol patterns per jump are possible. Figure 2 shows an example of the 4- and 7-symbol long PUCCH structure for 1-2 bit UCI, where a fixed position in the time domain is used for the DMRS symbols, for example, each other symbol starting with the first symbol in the interval. For illustrative purposes, it is also considered that the PUCCH position in a long interval of 14 symbols is at the end of the interval.

[0015] In order for the UE to indicate to the network that it has data in its temporary storage and wishes to schedule it for transmission on an uplink (UL), it can transmit a “Scheduling Request” (SR) to the network. The SR is defined as a specific PUCCH format, and is designed so that multiple UEs can transmit SRs simultaneously, and therefore simultaneously indicate that they wish to be scheduled to the network, using the same resources.

[0016] However, it may happen that the network side fails to detect an SR, which can occur when the UE is experiencing weak coverage conditions or when its transmission is masked by an interfering transmission from a strong UE that is in a neighboring cell. According to the URLLC target presented by 3GPP TR 38.913, a packet should be distributed with BLER 10-5 at a limited one-way latency of 1 ms. Therefore, it is important that the SR be transmitted with sufficiently high reliability from the outset.

[0017] Another aspect is the periodicity at which an SR can be sent to the network. Consider, for example, that the SR is configured with a periodicity of 5 ms, and consider the current LTE TTI of 1 ms, then a UE can only request UL resources on every fifth transmission opportunity, leading to an implicit delay of, at most, 5 ms in the worst case. Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 14 / 64 / 29 regarding synchronization between packet arrival at UE temporary storage and SR transmission. The waiting time until detection introduces extra delay, which, in turn, can induce undesirable latency for UL data. Summary of the Invention

[0018] It is an objective of the present description to avoid or mitigate at least one disadvantage of the previous technology.

[0019] In some aspects of the present description, systems and methods are provided for configuring UEs with overlapping PUCCH resources to transmit scheduling requests.

[0020] In a first aspect, a method is provided for allocating scheduling request resources, performed by a network node. The method comprises allocating Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resources on at least one wireless device for uplink transmissions. A configuration message is transmitted to a first wireless device, indicating the PUCCH resources to transmit scheduling requests. The configuration message includes a PUCCH length and a periodicity, where the periodicity is less than the PUCCH length. A first scheduling request is received from the first wireless device.

[0021] In another aspect, a network node is provided comprising a circuit system that includes a processor and memory. The memory contains the instructions executable by the processor according to which the network node becomes operational to allocate the resources of the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) on at least one wireless device for uplink transmissions. The network node transmits, to a first wireless device, a configuration message indicating the PUCCH resources to transmit scheduling requests, the configuration message including a PUCCH length and a periodicity, wherein the periodicity is less than the PUCCH length. Network nodes receive, starting from the first Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 15 / 64 / 29 wireless device, a first scheduling request.

[0022] In another aspect, a method is provided for configuring the scheduling request feature, performed by a wireless device. The method comprises receiving a configuration message that indicates the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resources for transmitting scheduling requests. The configuration message includes a PUCCH length and a periodicity, where the periodicity is less than the PUCCH length. The wireless device's PUCCH resources are configured according to the configuration message. A scheduling request is transmitted using the configured PUCCH resources.

[0023] In another aspect, a wireless device is provided comprising a circuit system that includes a processor and a memory. The memory contains the instructions executable by the processor according to which the wireless device becomes operational to receive a configuration message indicating the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resources for transmitting scheduling requests, the configuration message including a PUCCH length and a periodicity, wherein the periodicity is less than the PUCCH length. The wireless device configures the PUCCH resources of the wireless device according to the configuration message. The wireless device transmits a scheduling request using the configured PUCCH resources.

[0024] In some modes, the PUCCH length may indicate a number of symbols that will be used to transmit scheduling requests. In some modes, the PUCCH length may be a long PUCCH format of four or more symbols. The periodicity is less than or equal to three symbols.

[0025] In some modes, the configuration message may additionally include at least one frequency resource for transmitting scheduling requests. The configuration message may include Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, p. 16 / 64 / 29, additionally the frequency shift information.

[0026] In some modes, the configuration message may additionally include a start periodicity that defines a time when a PUCCH transmission can be initiated.

[0027] In some embodiments, the network node may transmit a second configuration message to a second wireless device. In some embodiments, the network node may receive a second scheduling request from a second wireless device, where the first and second scheduling requests overlap in at least one of the time and frequency features.

[0028] The various aspects and modalities described herein may be combined alternatively, optionally and / or in addition to one another.

[0029] Other aspects and features of the present description will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reviewing the following description of the specific embodiments together with the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] The modalities of the present description will now be described, by way of example only, in relation to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates an example of a wireless network; Figure 2 illustrates an example of a long PUCCH structure; Figure 3 illustrates an example of a long PUCCH allocation; Figure 4 illustrates a first example of the overlapping allocation modality in PUCCH; Figure 5 illustrates an example of receiving overlapping PUCCH transmissions; Figure 6 illustrates a second example of the overlapping allocation modality in PUCCH; Figure 7 illustrates a third example of the overlapping allocation modality in PUCCH; Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 17 / 64 / 29, figure 8 illustrates a fourth example of the overlapping allocation modality in PUCCH; Figure 9 is an example of a signaling diagram; Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method that can be performed on a network node; Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method that can be performed on a wireless device; Figure 12 is a block diagram of an example of the wireless device; Figure 13 is a block diagram of an example of a wireless device with modules; Figure 14 is a block diagram of an example of a network node; and Figure 15 is a block diagram of an example of a network node with modules. Detailed Description

[0031] The modalities presented below represent the information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the modalities. By reading the following description in light of the figures in the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the description and will recognize the applications of these concepts not specifically addressed here. It is understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the description.

[0032] In the following description, numerous specific details are presented. However, it is understood that the modalities can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of the description. Those skilled in the art, with the description included, will be able to implement the appropriate functionality without undue experimentation.

[0033] References in the specification to “a modality”, “some Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 18 / 64 / 29 “modality”, “an example of the modality”, etc., indicate that the described modality may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each modality may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same modality. Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with a modality, it is understood that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such a feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other modality(ies), whether or not explicitly described.

[0034] In some modality(ies), the non-limiting term “user equipment” (UE) is used and may refer to any type of wireless device that can communicate with a network node and / or with another UE in a cellular or mobile or wireless communication system.Examples of UEs include a target device, device-to-device (D2D) type UE, machine-type UE or machine-to-machine (M2M) communication capable UE, digital personal assistant, tablet, mobile terminal, smartphone, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, ProSe UE, V2V UE, V2X UE, MTC UE, eMTC UE, FeMTC UE, Cat 0 UE, Cat M1 UE, narrowband IoT type UE (NB-IoT), Cat NB1 UE, etc. Examples of UE embodiments are described in more detail below in relation to Figure 12.

[0035] In some embodiments, the non-limiting term “network node” is used and may correspond to any type of radio access node (or radio network node) or any network node that can communicate with a UE and / or another network node in a cellular or mobile or wireless communication system. Examples of network nodes are NodeB, MeNB, SeNB, a network node belonging to MCG or SCG, base station (BS), multi-standard radio access node (MSR), such as MSR BS, eNodeB, network controller, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), relay, donor node control relay, base transceiver station (BTS), access point (AP), points of Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, p. 19 / 64 / 29 transmission, transmission nodes, RRU, RRH, nodes in the distributed antenna system (DAS), central network node (e.g., MSC, MME, etc.), O&M, OSS, Self-Organizing Network (SON), positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC), MDT, test equipment, etc. Examples of network node modalities are described in more detail below in relation to Figure 14.

[0036] In some embodiments, the term “radio access technology” (RAT) refers to any RAT, for example, UTRA, E-UTRA, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), WiFi, Bluetooth, next-generation RAT (NR), 4G, 5G, etc. Any of the first and second nodes may be able to support a single or multiple RATs.

[0037] The term “radio node” used here can be used to denote a UE or a network node.

[0038] In some embodiments, a UE can be configured to operate in carrier aggregation (CA), which implies the aggregation of two or more carriers in at least one of the DL and UL directions. With CA, a UE can have multiple service cells, where the term “service” used here means that the UE is configured with the corresponding service cell and can receive from, and / or transmit data to, the network node in the service cell, for example, in the PCell or any of the SCells. Data is transmitted or received via physical channels, for example, PDSCH in DL, PUSCH in UL, etc. A component carrier (CC), also interchangeably called a carrier or aggregated carrier, PCC or SCC, is configured on the UE by the network node using upper-layer signaling, for example, by sending the RRC configuration message to the UE. The configured CC is used by the network node to serve the UE in the service cell (e.g., in PCell, PSCell, SCell, etc.).) of the configured CC. The configured CC is also used by the UE to perform one or more radio measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, etc.) on the cells operating on the CC, e.g., PCell, SCell, or PSCell and neighboring cells.

[0039] In some modes, a UE may also operate in Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 20 / 64 / 29 dual connectivity (DC) or multi-connectivity (MC). Multi-carrier or multi-carrier operation can be any of AC, DC, MC, etc. The term "multi-carrier" can also be interchangeably referred to as a band combination.

[0040] The term “radio measurement” used herein may refer to any measurement performed on radio signals. Radio measurements may be absolute or relative. Radio measurements may be, for example, intra-frequency, inter-frequency, CA, etc. Radio measurements may be unidirectional (e.g., DL or UL or in any direction on a side link) or bidirectional (e.g., RTT, Rx-Tx, etc.). Some examples of radio measurements: synchronization measurements (e.g., propagation delay, TOA, synchronization advance, RTT, RSTD, Rx-Tx, etc.), angle measurements (e.g., angle of arrival), channel power or quality-based measurements (e.g., path loss, received signal power, RSRP, received signal quality, RSRQ, SINR, SNR, interference power, total interference plus noise, RSSI, noise power, CSI, CQI, PMI, etc.), cell detection or cell identification, RLM, SI reading, etc.The measurement can be performed on one or more links in each direction, for example, relative RSTD or RSRP, or based on signals from different TPs of the same cell (shared).

[0041] The term “signaling” as used herein may include any of: high-layer signaling (e.g., via RRC or similar), lower-layer signaling (e.g., via a physical control channel or a broadcast channel), or a combination thereof. Signaling may be implicit or explicit. Signaling may additionally be point-to-point broadcast, selective broadcast, or broadcast. Signaling may also be directly to another node or via a third node.

[0042] The term “time resource” as used herein may correspond to any type of physical resource or radio resource expressed in terms of length of time. Examples of time resources include: symbol, Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, p. 21 / 64 / 29 time periods, subframe, radio frame, TTI, interleaving time, etc. The term “frequency resource” may refer to a sub-band within a channel bandwidth, subcarrier, carrier frequency, frequency band. The term “time and frequency resources” may refer to any combination of time and frequency resources.

[0043] Some examples of UE operation include: UE radio measurement (see the term “radio measurement” explained), bidirectional measurement with UE transmission, cell detection or identification, beam detection or identification, reading system information, channel reception and decoding, any UE operation or activity involving at least the reception of one or more radio signals and / or channels, cell change or (re)selection, beam change or (re)selection, a mobility-related operation, a measurement-related operation, a radio resource management (RRM)-related operation, a positioning procedure, a synchronization-related procedure, a synchronization-related procedure, a UE location tracking procedure, a time-tracking-related procedure, a synchronization-related procedure, an MDT-type procedure, a measurement collection-related procedure,a procedure related to CA, activation / deactivation of the service cell, configuration / deconfiguration of CC, etc.,

[0044] As discussed, the short PUCCH format is beneficial in terms of low-latency processing. However, for highly reliable SR transmission, a long PUCCH format with more than 2 symbols, for example, four long PUCCH symbols, may be necessary. Conventionally, this can lead to alignment latency, since the SR periodicity cannot be less than the duration of the long PUCCH. A solution to this potential problem is to allocate multiple long PUCCH resources to different frequency resources, i.e., frequency multiplexing. However, this may not be resource-efficient. Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 22 / 64 / 29

[0045] Figure 3 illustrates an example of long PUCCH format allocation. In this example, the PUCCH length is 4 symbols and the periodicity is also 4 symbols. This PUCCH format also uses frequency hopping, for example, a first frequency is used for symbols 1 and 2, a second frequency is used for symbols 3 and 4. In this example, if a packet arrives for transmission after the position of the first symbol, the UE must wait until the beginning of the next 4-symbol PUCCH to transmit an SR.

[0046] Some embodiments of the present description include allocating the overlapping PUCCH resources to a UE to send an SR, in such a way that more frequent and highly reliable SR resources can be configured.

[0047] It will be noticed that some of the non-limiting examples described here will be illustrated using a long PUCCH format of 4 symbols; however, they can generally be applied to any length of PUCCH format. As discussed, current editions of the standard support PUCCH format 0 (PUCCH length of 1-2 symbols) and PUCCH format 1 (PUCCH length of 4-14 symbols), but any supported symbol length can be considered.

[0048] The network configures a UE with PUCCH resources for SR and / or HARQ feedback. The reference configuration includes a PUCCH pattern (length, frequency resources) and a periodicity (P). Furthermore, the network can also configure: a start periodicity to indicate at which times T the PUCCH pattern can be started, and a frequency hopping indicator to indicate at which frequency resource the PUCCH pattern should be started. As an example, 0 can always indicate the same frequency resource, and 1 can indicate a shifting resource, depending on the start times T relative to the periodicity P.

[0049] For example, a configuration message, such as the Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 23 / 64 / 29, the SchedulingRequestResourceConfig information element can determine the physical layer resources in PUCCH to which the UE can send a scheduling request. The configuration message can include parameters such as SR-periodicity, SR-Offset, and / or periodicityAndOffset to provide the UE with the appropriate PUCCH configuration. Periodicity and / or offset values ​​can be given in a number of symbols or a number of intervals.

[0050] Figure 4 illustrates a first mode, in which the overlapping PUCCH allocations follow the same temporal frequency shift / hopping order, that is, the first two consecutive symbols are transmitted in frequency band “a” and the last two consecutive symbols shift to a different frequency band “b”. The shift can be configured to be any number of OFDM symbols. In this example, the PUCCH length is 4 symbols and the periodicity is 1 symbol (for example, the second allocation is 1 symbol later, at starting position 2). In this way, with this PUCCH allocation, a UE has the opportunity to transmit an SR starting at either position 1 or position 2.

[0051] In this example, if a packet arrives for transmission after the position of the first symbol, the UE can transmit an SR at position 2, as opposed to waiting until the time of the next position 1. A benefit of this mode is that the SR can be allocated to every K OFDM symbols, where K is any integer value greater than or equal to one.

[0052] According to the modality in Figure 4, a first UE can send an SR with PUCCH at position 2. However, a second UE can have a long PUCCH format allocated with the starting position 1. Figure 5 illustrates an example, from the perspective of an access node, of receiving overlapping SR transmissions from two UEs. The first UE, for example, in Figure 4, transmits an SR starting at position 2, resulting in an overlap with the allocation starting at position 1 for a second UE. Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 24 / 64 / 29

[0053] The first modality is based on the orthogonality between a long PUCCH offset from the first UE and a long PUCCH not offset from the second UE being maintained by virtue of a different cyclic offset being applied to each OFDM symbol (both DMRS and modulated UCI) in a 4-symbol long PUCCH. This also holds true for different patterns of the DMRS symbol by jumping.

[0054] In the case where the OCC in the time domain is also applied in the UTI and DMRS symbols, the multiplexing capacity may be affected depending on the offset size. There are two main cases: 1) If the SR opportunity period aligns with the frequency hopping limit in the PUCCH (e.g., one SR opportunity every 2 symbols for the long 4-symbol PUCCH), then the multiplexing capacity is not affected. 2) If the SR opportunity period does not align with the frequency hopping limit (as in the example in Figure 4), the OCC may be affected and the multiplexing capacity may be reduced.

[0055] Figure 6 illustrates a second overlapping allocation mode in the PUCCH. The example in Figure 6 is a variation of the first mode in which the frequency hopping structure in the PUCCH can also be modified. In this case, the PUCCH that has the allocation for starting position 1 starts at frequency “a” and the PUCCH that has the allocation for starting position 2 starts at another frequency, frequency “b”.

[0056] Figure 7 illustrates a third allocation modality in the superimposed PUCCH. The example in Figure 7 is a variation of the first modality, and the periodicity is 2 symbols (for example, the second allocation is 2 symbols later, at the starting position 3). In this example, the allocation in the superimposed PUCCH follows the same absolute temporal frequency allocation as in the original PUCCH format shown in Figure 3.

[0057] In the third mode, there are temporal frequency resources that are not affected by these long-shifted PUCCH allocations and, thus, it can be more resource-efficient compared to the first mode, since the free resources can be used for other purposes. Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, p. 25 / 64 / 29 transmission. Furthermore, it does not suffer from the loss of orthogonality of the OCC if applied.

[0058] Meanwhile, due to DMRS location and coherent scanning reasons, the first two consecutive OFDM symbols must be together in the same frequency band. Therefore, the offset in this example must be a multiple of two OFDM symbols. The shortest SR period is two OFDM symbols and therefore can be considered worse than the first mode in terms of alignment delay.

[0059] As a generalization, for the long PUCCH with length of X symbols and frequency hopping at the x_1st symbol, the alignment delay (i.e., the SR period) lies between x_1 symbols and X-x_1 symbols.

[0060] Figure 8 illustrates a fourth allocation mode in the superimposed PUCCH, including a long 5-symbol PUCCH where the allocation at the starting position is at positions 1, 3, 6, 8, 11. The periodicity and frequency jump in this example are similar to those in Figure 7.

[0061] In this way, the orthogonality of the long PUCCH format is not lost if they are partially overlapping. The partially overlapping long PUCCH resources for the UE to send the SR are allocated in such a way that more frequent SRs can be allocated without sacrificing reliability.

[0062] Figure 9 is an example of the signaling diagram according to the modalities of the present description. Access node 104A transmits the SR configuration messages to UE1 102A and UE2 102B (steps 201, 202) to configure the UEs with the PUCCH resources for SR and / or HARQ feedback. The configuration message(s) 201 / 202 may include one or more parameters indicating the PUCCH pattern (length, frequency resources), the PUCCH periodicity, the allocation for the start position and / or the frequency hopping indicator, etc., as discussed herein. Access node 104A may allocate resources for Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 26 / 64 / 29 configure UEs 102A and 102B to transmit the SRs that overlap in time and / or frequency resources.

[0063] Access node 104A receives at least one SR 203 message from UE1 102A. Access node 104A receives at least one SR 204 message from UE2 102B. Received SR 203 / 204 messages may be overlapping or partially overlapping. Received SR 203 / 204 messages may be in long PUCCH format. Access node 104A can decode received SR 203 / 204 messages.

[0064] It will be noticed that one or more of the steps described can be performed simultaneously and / or in a different order.

[0065] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method that can be performed on a network node, such as access node 104. The method may include: Step 310: Allocate PUCCH resources to at least one wireless device for uplink transmissions.

[0066] Step 320: Transmit a configuration message indicating the PUCCH capabilities for transmitting scheduling requests to a first wireless device, such as the UE 102. The configuration message may include parameters such as at least one PUCCH length and a periodicity. The periodicity may be shorter than the PUCCH length. The PUCCH length may indicate a number of symbols (OFDM) that will be used to transmit scheduling requests. The periodicity may indicate a number of symbols in which the next SR opportunity is allocated. In some modes, the PUCCH length may be a long PUCCH format of four or more symbols, and thus the periodicity may be less than or equal to three symbols.

[0067] In some modes, the configuration message may include additional parameter(s) indicating the frequency resource(s) for transmitting scheduling requests. The configuration message may additionally include offset / hop information. Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 27 / 64 / 29 frequency.

[0068] Step 330: Receive an initial scheduling request from the first wireless device. The scheduling request may be received through the allocated PUCCH resources.

[0069] In some embodiments, a second configuration message may be transmitted to a second wireless device. A second scheduling request may subsequently be received from the second wireless device, where the first and second scheduling requests overlap in at least one of the time and frequency features.

[0070] It will be noticed that one or more of the steps shown can be performed simultaneously and / or in a different order. Also, the steps illustrated in dashed lines are optional and can be omitted in some modalities.

[0071] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method that can be performed on a wireless device, such as the UE 102. The method may include: Step 410: Receive a configuration message indicating the PUCCH resources to transmit scheduling requests. The configuration message can be received from a network node, such as access node 104. The configuration message can include parameters such as at least a PUCCH length and a periodicity. The periodicity can be shorter than the PUCCH length.

[0072] Step 420: Configure the PUCCH wireless device features according to the configuration message.

[0073] Step 430: Transmit a scheduling request using the configured PUCCH resources.

[0074] It will be noticed that one or more of the steps shown can be performed simultaneously and / or in a different order. Also, the steps illustrated in dashed lines are optional and can be omitted in Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 28 / 64 / 29 some modalities.

[0075] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an example of a wireless device, such as the UE 102, according to certain embodiments. The UE 102 may include a transceiver 501, a processor 502, a memory 503, and a communication interface 504. In some embodiments, the transceiver 501 facilitates the transmission of wireless signals to and the reception of wireless signals from the access node 104 (e.g., by means of transmitter(s) (Tx), receiver(s) (Rx), and antenna(s)). The processor 502 executes the instructions to provide some or all of the above-described functionalities as being provided by the UE 102, and the memory 503 stores the instructions executed by the processor 502. In some embodiments, the processor 502 and the memory 503 form a processing circuit system.The 504 communication interface can communicate signals to network components such as a communication port, a switch, a router, the Internet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), core network nodes, or radio network controllers, etc.

[0076] The 502 processor may include any suitable combination of hardware to execute instructions and manipulate data to perform some or all of the functions described in the UE 102, such as the functions of the UE 102 described above. In some embodiments, the 502 processor may include, for example, one or more computers, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microprocessors, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or other logic.

[0077] 503 memory is generally operable for storing instructions, such as a computer program, software, an application that includes one or more logic, rules, algorithms, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions capable of being executed by a processor. Examples of 703 memory include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., a hard disk), Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 29 / 64 / 29 removable storage media (e.g., a Compact Disc (CD) or a Digital Video Disc (DVD)) and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transient, computer-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the UE 102 processor 502.

[0078] Other embodiments of the UE 102 may include additional components, beyond those shown in Figure 12, which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the UE's functionalities, including any of the above-described functionalities and / or any additional functionalities (including any functionality necessary to support the above-described solution). By way of example only, the UE 102 may include input devices and circuits, output devices, and one or more timing units or circuits that may be part of the processor. Input devices include the mechanisms for data input into the UE 102. For example, input devices may include input mechanisms such as a microphone, input elements, a display, etc. Output devices may include mechanisms for transmitting data in audio, video, and / or hard copy format.For example, output devices may include a speaker, a display, etc.

[0079] In some embodiments, UE 102 may comprise a series of functional units or modules configured to implement the UE functionalities described above. With regard to Figure 13, in some embodiments, UE 102 may comprise a PUCCH module 510 to configure PUCCH resources and a scheduling request module 520 to transmit a scheduling request message according to the configured PUCCH resources.

[0080] It will be noticed that the various modules can be implemented as a combination of hardware and software, for example, the processor, memory and transceiver(s) of the UE 102 shown in Figure 12. Some embodiments may also include additional modules. Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 30 / 64 / 29 to support additional and / or optional functionalities.

[0081] Figure 14 is a block diagram of an exemplary network node 104, according to certain embodiments. The network node 104 may include one or more of a transceiver 601, a processor 602, a memory 603, and a communication interface 604. In some embodiments, the transceiver 601 facilitates the transmission of wireless signals to and the reception of wireless signals from the UE 102 (for example, by means of transmitter(s) (Tx), receiver(s) (Rx), and antenna(s)). The processor 602 executes the instructions to provide some or all of the above-described functionalities as being provided by a network node 104, and the memory 603 stores the instructions executed by the processor 602. In some embodiments, the processor 602 and the memory 603 form a processing circuit system.The 604 network interface communicates signals to secondary network components, such as a communication port, a switch, a router, the Internet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), core network nodes, or radio network controllers, etc.

[0082] The 602 processor may include any suitable combination of hardware to execute instructions and manipulate data to perform some or all of the functions described for network node 104, such as those described above. In some embodiments, the 602 processor may include, for example, one or more computers, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microprocessors, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or other logic.

[0083] Memory 603 is generally operable for storing instructions, such as a computer program, software, an application that includes one or more logic, rules, algorithms, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions capable of being executed by a processor. Examples of memory 603 include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., a disk). Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 31 / 64 / 29 hard), removable storage media (for example, a Compact Disc (CD) or a Digital Video Disc (DVD)) and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transient, computer-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information.

[0084] In some embodiments, the communication interface 604 is communicatively coupled to the processor 602 and may refer to any suitable operable device capable of receiving input to the network node 104, sending output from the network node 104, performing suitable input or output processing or both, communicating with other devices, or any combination thereof. The communication interface 604 may include appropriate hardware (e.g., port, modem, network interface card, etc.) and software, including protocol conversion and data processing capabilities, for communicating over a network.

[0085] Other network node 104 configurations may include additional components, beyond those shown in Figure 9, which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the above-described functionalities and / or any additional functionalities (including any functionality necessary to support the above-described solutions). The various different types of network nodes may include components that have the same physical hardware but are configured (e.g., programmatically) to support different radio access technologies, or may represent partially or entirely different physical components.

[0086] In some embodiments, network node 104, which may be, for example, an access node, may comprise a series of modules configured to implement the network node 104 functionalities described above. With respect to Figure 15, in some embodiments, the network node may comprise a configuration module 610 to allocate and configure PUCCH resources for at least one wireless device and a processing module 620 for processing the scheduling request(s). Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 32 / 64 / 29

[0087] It will be noticed that the various modules can be implemented as a combination of hardware and software, for example, the processor, memory and transceiver(s) of network node 104 shown in figure 14. Some embodiments may also include additional modules to support additional and / or optional functionalities.

[0088] Processors, interfaces, and memory similar to those described in relation to Figures 12 and 14 may be included in other network nodes (such as the central network node 106). Other network nodes may optionally include or not include a wireless interface (such as the transceiver described in Figures 12 and 14).

[0089] Some embodiments may be represented as a software product stored on machine-readable media (also referred to as computer-readable media, processor-readable media, or computer-usable media that has computer-readable program code embedded therein). Machine-readable media may be any suitable tangible media that includes magnetic, optical, or electrical storage media, including a floppy disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), a memory device (volatile or non-volatile), or similar storage mechanism.Machine-readable media may contain various instruction sets, code sequences, configuration information, or other data which, when executed, cause the processing circuit system (e.g., a processor) to perform the steps in a method according to one or more modalities. Those skilled in the art will realize that other instructions and operations necessary to implement the described modalities may also be stored on the machine-readable media. Software running from the machine-readable media may interface with the circuit system to perform the described tasks.

[0090] The above-described modalities are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations may be made in Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 33 / 64 / 29 modalities in particular by those versed in the technique without departing from the scope of the description. Glossary

[0091] This description may include one or more of the following abbreviations: 1x RTT CDMA2000 Radio Transmission Technology 1x 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project ABS Near-Blank Subframe ACK Acknowledgment ADC Analog-to-Digital Conversion AGC Automatic Gain Control ANR Automatic Neighbor Relations AP Access Point ARQ AWGN Automatic Repeat Request Additive White Gaussian Noise Band BCCH Broadcast Control Channel BCH Broadcast Channel BLER Block Error Rate BS Base Station BSC Base Station Controller BTS Transceiver Base Station CA Carrier Aggregation CC Component Carrier CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU CDMA Code Division Multiplexing Access CFI Control Format Indicator CG Cell Group CGI Global Cell Identifier CP Cyclic Prefix CPICH Ec / No Power received per chip divided by power density in CPICH Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, p. 34 / 64 / 29 CPICH Common Pilot Channel CQI C-RNTI Cell RNTI Channel Quality Information CRS Cell-Specific Reference Signal CSG Closed Subscriber Group CSI Channel Status Information DAS Distributed Antenna System DC Dual Connectivity DCCH Dedicated Control Channel DCI Downlink Control Information DFT Discrete Fourier Transform DL Downlink DL-SCH Downlink Shared Channel DMRS Demodulation Reference Signal DRX Discontinuous Reception DTCH Dedicated Traffic Channel DTX Discontinuous Transmission DUT Device Under Test EARFCN Evolved Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number ECCE Enhanced Control Channel Element ECGI Evolved CGI E-CID Enhanced Cell ID (positioning method) eMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband eNB E-UTRAN NodeB or Evolved NodeB ePDCCH Control Channel in Enhanced Physical Downlink E-SMLC Evolved Mobile Local Service Center E-UTRA Evolved UTRA E-UTRAN UTRANEvolved FDD Frequency Division Duplex FDM Frequency Division Multiplexing Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 35 / 64 / 29 FFT Fast Fourier Transform FS Frame Structure GERAN Radio Access Network GSM EDGE GSM Global System for Mobile Communications HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HD-FDD FDD Semiduplex HO High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) High-Speed ​​Packet Access (LCMS) Mobility State Criticality Level (LPP) LTE Positioning Protocol (LTLE) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) M2M Machine-to-Machine (MAC) Media Access Control (MBMS) Multimedia Broadcast Selective Broadcast Services (MBSFN) Near-Blank Subframe (MBSFN) MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Selective Broadcast Service Individual Frequency Network (MCG) Master Cell Group (MDT) Drive Test Minimization (MeNB) Master eNode (Master B) MIB Master Information Block (MIB) Mobility Management Entity (MPDCCH) Physical Downlink Control Channel (MTC) Maximum Reception Synchronization Difference (MRTD) MSC Mobile Switching Center MSR Multi-Standard Radio MTCMachine-Type Communication NACK Negative Acknowledgment NDI Next Data Indicator NPBCH Narrowband Physical Broadcast Channel Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 36 / 64 / 29 NPDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel in Narrowband NR New Radio O&M Operation and Maintenance OCC Orthogonal Coverage Code OCNG Channel Noise Generator OFDMA OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access OSS Operations Support System OTDOA Observed Time of Arrival Difference PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel PCC Primary Component Carrier P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Channel PCell Primary Cell PCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator Channel PCG Primary Cell Group PCH Call Channel PCI Physical Cell Identity PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PDU Protocol Data Unit PGW Packet Communication Port PHICH Indication Channel HARQ Physical PLMN Public Terrestrial Mobile Network PMI Precoder Matrix Indicator PRACH Physical Random Access Channel ProSe ServiceProximity PRS Positioning Reference Signal PSC Primary Service Cell PSCell Primary Cell PSS Primary Synchronization Signal Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, page 37 / 64 / 29 PSSS Primary Side Link Synchronization Signal PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation RACH Random Access Channel RAT Radio Access Technology RB RF Resource Block Radio Frequency RLM Radio Link Management RNC Radio Network Controller RNTI Temporary Radio Network Identifier RRC Radio Resource Control RRH Remote Radio Head RRM Radio Resource Management RRU Remote Radio Unit RSCP Received Signal Code Power RSRP Received Reference Signal Power RSRQ Received Reference Signal Quality RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator RSTD Reference Signal Time Difference SC Individual Carrier SCC Secondary Component Carrier SCell Secondary Cell SCG Secondary Cell Group SCH Synchronization Channel SDU Service Data Unit SeNB eNodeB Secondary SF Subframe SFN Number ofSGW System Panel, SI Service Communication Port, System Information Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, p. 38 / 64 / 29 SIB System Information Block SINR Signal-to-Noise Ratio SNR Signal-to-Noise Ratio SPS Semi-Persistent Scheduling SON Self-Organizing Network SR Scheduling Request SRS Probing Reference Signal SSC Secondary Service Cell SSS Secondary Synchronization Signal SSSS Secondary Side Link Synchronization Signal TA Synchronization Advance TAG Synchronization Advance Group TDD Time Division Duplex TDM Time Division Multiplexing TTI Transmission Time Interval Tx Transmitter UARFCN Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number UMTS UE User Equipment UL Uplink UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System URLLC Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network V2I Vehicle to Infrastructure V2P Vehicle to Pedestrian V2X Vehicle to X WCDMA Wide Area CDMA WLAN Wireless Local Area Network Petition 870190131053, dated 10 / 12 / 2019, pp. 39 / 64

Claims

1 / 6 CLAIMS 1. Method for allocating scheduling request resources, performed by a network node (104, 104A, 104B), characterized in that the method comprises: allocating (310) the resources of the Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, in at least one wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) for uplink transmissions; transmitting (320), to a first wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), a configuration message indicating the PUCCH resources to transmit scheduling requests, the configuration message including a PUCCH length and a scheduling request periodicity, wherein the scheduling request periodicity is less than the PUCCH length; and receive (330), from the first wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), a first scheduling request.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of the PUCCH indicates a number of symbols that will be used to transmit scheduling requests.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of the PUCCH is a long PUCCH format of four or more symbols.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the scheduling request periodicity is less than or equal to three symbols.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes at least one frequency feature for transmitting scheduling requests.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the configuration message additionally includes frequency shift information.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes a start scheduling request periodicity that defines a time at which a PUCCH transmission can be initiated.

8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it further comprises transmitting a second configuration message to a second wireless device (102, 102A, 102B).

9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises receiving a second scheduling request from a second wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), wherein the first and second scheduling requests overlap in at least one of the time and frequency features.

10. Network node (104, 104A, 104B), characterized in that it comprises a circuit system that includes a processor (602) and a memory (603), the memory (603) containing the instructions executable by the processor (602) according to which the network node (104, 104A, 104B) becomes operational for: allocating the resources of the Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, in at least one wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) for uplink transmissions; transmit, to a first wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), a configuration message indicating the PUCCH capabilities for transmitting scheduling requests, the configuration message including a PUCCH length and a scheduling request periodicity, wherein the scheduling request periodicity is less than Petition 870250109501, dated 11 / 28 / 2025, p.14 / 56 3 / 6 than the length of the PUCCH; and receive, from the first wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), a first scheduling request.

11. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to claim 10, characterized in that the length of the PUCCH indicates a number of symbols that will be used to transmit scheduling requests.

12. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the length of the PUCCH is a long PUCCH format of four or more symbols.

13. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to claim 12, characterized in that the scheduling request periodicity is less than or equal to three symbols.

14. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes at least one frequency resource for transmitting scheduling requests.

15. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to claim 14, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes frequency offset information.

16. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes a start scheduling request periodicity that defines a time at which a PUCCH transmission can be initiated.

17. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that it is additionally operative for transmitting a second configuration message to a second wireless device (102, 102A, 102B). Petition 870250109501, dated 11 / 28 / 2025, page 15 / 56 4 / 6 18. Network node (104, 104A, 104B) according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that it is additionally operative to receive a second scheduling request from a second wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), wherein the first and second scheduling requests overlap in at least one of time and frequency features.

19. Method for configuring the scheduling request feature, performed by a wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), characterized in that the method comprises: receiving (410) a configuration message indicating the Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, features for transmitting scheduling requests, the configuration message including a PUCCH length and a scheduling request periodicity, wherein the scheduling request periodicity is less than the PUCCH length; configuring (420) the PUCCH features of the wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) according to the configuration message; and transmitting (430) a scheduling request using the configured PUCCH features.

20. Method according to claim 19, characterized in that the length of PUUCH indicates a number of symbols that will be used to transmit scheduling requests.

21. Method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes at least one frequency feature for transmitting scheduling requests.

22. Method according to claim 21, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes frequency shift information. Petition 870250109501, dated 11 / 28 / 2025, page 16 / 56 5 / 6 23. A method according to any one of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes a start scheduling request periodicity that defines a time at which a PUCCH transmission can be initiated.

24. Wireless device (102, 102A, 102B), characterized in that it comprises a circuit system that includes a processor (502) and a memory (503), the memory (503) containing the instructions executable by the processor (502) according to which the wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) becomes operational to: receive a configuration message indicating the resources of the Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, to transmit scheduling requests, the configuration message including a PUCCH length and a scheduling request periodicity, wherein the scheduling request periodicity is less than the PUCCH length; configure the PUCCH resources of the wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) according to the configuration message; and transmit a scheduling request using the configured PUCCH resources.

25. Wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) according to claim 24, characterized in that the length of the PUCCH indicates a number of symbols that will be used to transmit scheduling requests.

26. Wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes at least one frequency resource for transmitting scheduling requests.

27. Wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) according to claim 26, characterized in that the configuration message Petition 870250109501, dated 11 / 28 / 2025, page 17 / 56 6 / 6 additionally includes frequency shift information.

28. Wireless device (102, 102A, 102B) according to any one of claims 24 to 27, characterized in that the configuration message additionally includes a start scheduling request periodicity that defines a time at which a PUCCH transmission can be initiated. Petition 870250109501, dated 11 / 28 / 2025, p. 18 / 56

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