METHODS FOR SUPPORTING A SEMI-HYBRID RETRANSMISSION MECHANISM IN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

Description

1 / 33 METHODS FOR SUPPORTING A SEMI-HYBRID RETRANSMISSION MECHANISM IN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS Cross-reference to related patent application(s)

[0001] This disclosure is part of a non-provisional application claiming the benefit of priority under U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 506,392, filed June 6, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical field

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to mobile communications and, more particularly, to support for a semi-hybrid relay mechanism in mobile communications. State of the art

[0003] Unless otherwise indicated in this document, the approaches described in this section do not constitute prior art with respect to the claims listed below and are not admitted as prior art by their inclusion in this section.

[0004] In current network implementations, a base station (BS) is operational to provide radio coverage to a specific geographic area using a plurality of cells that form a radio access network. The BS can support the operations of the plurality of cells, and each cell can be operational to provide services to at least one user equipment (UE) within its radio coverage. Specifically, each cell can provide services to serve one or more UEs within its radio coverage based on at least one downlink control information (DCI), where the radio coverage of one cell can overlap with the radio coverage of another cell(s). Typically, a cell can schedule multiple uplink / downlink (UL / DL) resources (e.g., transport blocks). Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 7 / 49 2 / 33 (TB)) to a UE within its radio coverage via a DCI to conduct UL / DL transmissions.

[0005] In 4th generation (4G) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or 5th generation (5G) New Radio (NR) technology, data reliability is achieved using a combination of the HARQ and ARQ mechanisms. However, there are several disadvantages to both HARQ and ARQ mechanisms. For example, in the HARQ mechanism, acknowledgment (ACK) or non-acknowledgment (NACK) feedback for DL ​​data is transmitted on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), which faces significant reliability issues, one of which is the high false alarm rate (e.g., a NACK may be incorrectly interpreted as an ACK).Furthermore, the limited number of HARQ processes can result in transmission interruptions if all are busy, in which case the HARQ mechanism needs to forgo retransmissions and rely on upper layer(s) (e.g., the radio link control (RLC) layer and / or over-the-top transport protocols) to meet reliability goals. On the other hand, in the ARQ mechanism, retransmissions are triggered based on timers. Because the ARQ mechanism operates on top of the HARQ mechanism, it must first wait for the HARQ procedure to complete before it can be triggered. Thus, the timers need to be modeled based on worst-case HARQ delays to avoid parallel ARQ and HARQ retransmissions of the same data. This is an inflexible design that keeps trying to retransmit the data until it is successfully acknowledged.These retransmissions will continue even if the data is delayed (i.e., has exceeded its delay budget), and there is no way to stop transmitting this data. This results in large windows of unacknowledged data to be managed at the receiver (e.g., up to 131,072 packet data units (PDUs) in NR). Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 8 / 49 3 / 33

[0006] For some emerging traffic scenarios, such as XR (extended reality), a high throughput, low latency requirement is stipulated, aiming to achieve a reliability target within fixed latency limits (e.g., 10 to 30 milliseconds (ms)). Considering that the HARQ mechanism offers low reliability with good latency performance and the ARQ mechanism offers good reliability with low latency performance, the legacy design that uses a combination of the HARQ and ARQ mechanisms will not work well for high throughput, low latency traffic. Therefore, there is a need to provide suitable schemes to address this issue. Summary

[0007] The following summary is merely illustrative and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary is provided to introduce concepts, highlights, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Selected implementations are described in more detail below in the detailed description. Thus, the following summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed object, nor to be used to determine the scope of the claimed object.

[0008] One objective of this disclosure is to propose solutions or schemes that address the aforementioned issue concerning the inefficiency problems of legacy projects that utilize a combination of HARQ and ARQ mechanisms.

[0009] In one aspect, a method may involve an apparatus performing a UL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process to the network node. The method may also involve the apparatus receiving feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission from the network node. The method may further involve the apparatus Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 9 / 49 4 / 33 performing a UL data retransmission from the first TB to the network node using a second TB, in case the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type.

[0010] In one aspect, a method may involve a network node scheduling, for an appliance, at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. The method may involve the network node receiving a UL transmission from the appliance for the HARQ process using the first TB. The method may also involve the network node transmitting feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission to the appliance, where the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type. The method may further involve the network node receiving from the appliance a UL data retransmission from the first TB using a second TB.

[0011] In one aspect, a method may involve a network node scheduling, for an appliance, a DL transmission from at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. The method may involve the network node performing the DL transmission to the appliance for the HARQ process using the first TB. The method may also involve the network node receiving feedback information corresponding to the DL transmission from the appliance, where the feedback information indicates that the DL transmission was unsuccessful. The method may further involve the network node performing a DL retransmission to the data appliance from the first TB using a second TB, if at least one condition is met.

[0012] It is noteworthy that, although the description given here may be in the context of certain radio access technologies, networks and network topologies, such as Long-Term Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 10 / 49 5 / 33 Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, 5th Generation (5G), New Radio (NR), Internet of Things (IoT) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), beyond 5G (B5G) and 6th Generation (6G), the concepts, schemes and any variations / derivations proposed may be implemented in, for and by other types of radio access technologies, networks and network topologies. Thus, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein. Brief description of the figures

[0013] The accompanying figures are included to provide a better understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated into and form part of this disclosure. The figures illustrate implementations of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. It is understandable that the figures are not necessarily to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to the size in a real implementation, in order to clearly illustrate the concept of this disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram that represents an example of a communication environment scenario in which various solutions and schemes, according to the present disclosure, can be implemented.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram that represents an example scenario of the semi-hybrid retransmission mechanism implemented in a protocol stack, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a diagram that represents an example of a transmitter operation scenario applying the semi-hybrid retransmission mechanism, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a diagram that represents an example of Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 11 / 49 6 / 33 scenario of transmitter operations applying the semi-hybrid retransmission mechanism, according to another implementation of this disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a diagram that represents an example of a scenario for sharing HARQ processes and buffers, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a diagram that represents an example of a scenario of improvements in the reliability of HARQ feedback, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example communication system, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example process, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of another example process, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of another example process, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Detailed description of preferred implementations

[0024] Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed objects are disclosed in this document. However, it should be understood that the embodiments and implementations disclosed are merely illustrative of the claimed objects, which may be realized in various ways. This disclosure may, however, be realized in many different ways and should not be interpreted as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations presented here. On the contrary, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided so that the description of this disclosure is complete and comprehensive and fully conveys the scope of this disclosure to those versed in Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 12 / 49 7 / 33 technique. In the following description, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the modalities and implementations presented. Overview

[0025] Implementations according to this disclosure refer to various techniques, methods, schemes and / or solutions related to supporting a semi-hybrid relay mechanism in mobile communications. According to this disclosure, several possible solutions can be implemented separately or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions may be described separately below, two or more of them may be implemented in one combination or another.

[0026] In 4G LTE or 5G NR technology, data reliability is achieved using a combination of HARQ and ARQ mechanisms. As a first step, the HARQ mechanism offers low-level reliability for all TBs, meaning that TBs are recognized and, in case of failures, are retransmitted. TB retransmissions can be soft-combined with the original transmissions to improve decoding confidence. The implication of this is that a TB cannot be altered (in terms of its TB size) between retransmissions. After several HARQ retransmission attempts (typically 4 to 5 retransmissions), the TB is abandoned and then the ARQ mechanism comes into play. With the ARQ mechanism, each packet is associated with a sequence number (SN), and each SN is recognized by the receiver. Upon receiving this feedback, the transmitter attempts to retransmit the unrecognized packets.However, as mentioned earlier, there are several disadvantages to the HARQ and ARQ mechanisms. Thus, legacy designs that use a combination of these mechanisms will not work well for certain emerging traffic types. Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 13 / 49 8 / 33 high low-latency throughput requirement. Accordingly, this disclosure proposes schemes to support a semi-hybrid retransmission mechanism in order to meet the high low-latency throughput requirement of certain emerging traffic scenarios (e.g., XR).

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of scenario 100 of a communication environment in which various solutions and schemes, according to this disclosure, can be implemented. Scenario 100 involves a UE 110 communicating wirelessly with a network 120 (e.g., a wireless network that includes an NTN and a TN) via a terrestrial network node 122 (e.g., an evolved Node-B (eNB), a Next Generation Node-B (gNB), a distributed unit (DU) or a centralized unit (CU) of an eNB / gNB, or a transmit / receive point (TRP)) and / or a non-terrestrial network node 124 (e.g., a satellite). For example, the terrestrial network node 122 and / or the non-terrestrial network node 124 can form an NTN service cell for wireless communication with the UE 110.A terrestrial network (TN) enables data connectivity beyond the coverage of terrestrial cell towers (i.e., TN), and generally refers to a network that utilizes radio frequency (RF) and information processing resources carried on high, medium, or low Earth orbit satellites, or other high-altitude communication platforms, to provide communication services to UEs (e.g., UE 110). In this communication environment, UE 110, network 120, and terrestrial network node 122 and / or non-terrestrial network node 124 may implement various schemes related to supporting a semi-hybrid relay mechanism (also called a standalone HARQ (SHARQ) mechanism) in mobile communications, according to this disclosure, as described below. It is noteworthy that, although the various proposed schemes... Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 14 / 49 9 / 33 can be described individually or separately below; in real-world implementations, some or all of the proposed schemes may be used or implemented together. Naturally, each of the proposed schemes can be used or implemented individually or separately.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a scenario example of the semi-hybrid retransmission mechanism implemented in a protocol stack, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. The legacy design, as shown on the left side of FIG. 2, uses a combination of the ARQ mechanism (e.g., provided in the radio link control (RLC) layer) and the HARQ mechanism (e.g., provided in the medium access control (MAC) layer) to achieve data reliability. On the other hand, as shown on the right side of FIG. 2, a single mechanism, namely the SHARQ mechanism, is introduced to achieve data reliability in the protocol stack of the present disclosure. Thus, by applying the SHARQ mechanism instead of the ARQ and HARQ mechanisms separately, reliable data transfer with better latency and higher efficiency can be achieved, for example, in terms of processing complexity, memory utilization, and power consumption.

[0029] According to a first scheme proposed in this disclosure, the transmitter (e.g., a UE in UL communications, or an eNB / gNB / DU / CU / TRP / satellite in DL communications) can rearrange service data units (SDUs) of MAC without data loss when the TB size needs to be reduced (e.g., due to channel degradation or network congestion, etc.), i.e., the transmitter has on-demand retransmission that offers greater scheduling flexibility and allows for faster retransmissions, favoring delay-sensitive traffic. Specifically, in the case of UL communications, a UE can Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 15 / 49 10 / 33 receive a configured lease (e.g., via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal) or a dynamic lease (e.g., via a DCI) from a network node (e.g., eNB / gNB / DU / CU / TRP / satellite) of a wireless network (e.g., a 5G network), where the configured / dynamic lease indicates the scheduling of a UL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. The UE can perform the UL transmission of the first TB associated with the HARQ process to the network node. The UE can then receive feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission from the network node. In some implementations, the network node can determine the type of retransmission based on channel condition or network load. For example, if channel degradation or network congestion is detected, the network node may determine that the feedback information indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type.Otherwise, if no channel degradation or congestion is detected, the network node may determine that the feedback information indicates a HARQ retransmission type (i.e., retransmit using the first TB and enable soft matching). Following this, the UE may perform a UL retransmission to the data network node from the first TB using a second TB, in case the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful (e.g., a NACK) and indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type. Specifically, the second TB is different in size from the first TB.

[0030] On the other hand, in the case of DL communications, a network node (e.g., eNB / gNB / DU / CU / TRP / satellite) can transmit a configured / dynamic grant to a UE, where the configured / dynamic grant indicates the scheduling of a DL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. The network node can perform the Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 16 / 49 11 / 33 DL transmission to the UE for the HARQ process using the first TB. Then, the network node can receive feedback information corresponding to the DL transmission from the UE, where the feedback information indicates that the DL transmission was unsuccessful (e.g., a NACK). After that, the network node can perform a DL retransmission to the UE of data from the first TB using a second TB, in case at least one condition (e.g., channel degradation or network congestion is detected) is met. Specifically, the second TB is different in size from the first TB.

[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of scenario 300 of transmitter operations applying the semi-hybrid retransmission mechanism, according to an implementation of this disclosure. Scenario 300 involves different transmission (Tx) operations depending on the content of the received HARQ feedback information corresponding to the transmitted TB1, which may include several data blocks (DBs) (denoted as DB1 to DB3 in FIG. 3). In one example, different DBs may be delivered via different logical channels (LCHs). If the received HARQ feedback information includes an ACK (i.e., all SDUs in TB1 successfully delivered), the transmitter (e.g., a UE or a network node such as eNB / gNB / DU / CU / TRP / satellite) may perform a new transmission using a new TB (denoted as TB2 in FIG. 3) and discard TB1.If the received HARQ feedback information includes a NACK (i.e., none of the SDUs on TB1 were successfully delivered) and a HARQ ReTx indication (i.e., an indication to retransmit TB1 and enable soft matching), the transmitter can perform a retransmission using the same TB, i.e., TB1. If the received HARQ feedback information includes a... Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 17 / 49 12 / 33 With a NACK and a non-HARQ ReTx indication” (i.e., an indication to retrieve the SDUs from TB1 to be retransmitted on a new TB1'), the transmitter can retrieve / unroll data from TB1 and perform a retransmission using TB1', which includes a subset of the retrieved / unrolled data from TB1 (e.g., TB1' includes DB1 and DB2). In one example, TB1' is smaller in size than TB1. Additionally, or optionally, the transmitter can store the remaining retrieved / unrolled data from TB1 (e.g., DB3) back in the transmission buffer to be transmitted on a later TB (i.e., in a subsequent UL transmission).

[0032] According to a second scheme proposed in this disclosure, the transmitter (e.g., a UE in UL communications, or an eNB / gNB / DU / CU / TRP / satellite in DL communications) can discard obsolete data, thus avoiding head-of-line blocking (present in the ARQ mechanism) to protect delay-sensitive traffic. Specifically, when retrieving / unwinding data from a previously sent TB for non-HARQ type retransmission, the transmitter can determine if the data exceeds its delay budget (e.g., packet delay budget (PDB) or packet data unit set (PDU) delay budget (PSDB)). If the data exceeds its delay budget, the transmitter can discard that data, i.e., retransmission of that data may no longer be attempted, enabling the transmission of other data that did not exceed their respective delay budgets.In one example, this delay budget can be modeled using the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) discard timer. Upon expiration of the PDCP discard timer for certain data, that data is discarded from the transmission buffer used for its retransmission. In one example, if the budget... Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 18 / 49 13 / 33 delay is defined as infinite, the behavior of the recognized mode (AM) in NR is replicated. In another example, always discarding / deleting data when retrieving it from a TB replicates the behavior of the unrecognized mode (UM). Discarding data can act as a trigger for a buffer status report (BSR), as the size of the buffered data has changed. Additionally, or optionally, discarding data can act as a trigger for a status report in order to inform the receiver about gaps in the sequence number space corresponding to the discarded data.

[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates a scenario 400 example of transmitter operations applying the semi-hybrid retransmission mechanism, according to another implementation of this disclosure. Similar to FIG. 3, in the case of received HARQ feedback information including an ACK or including a NACK and a HARQ ReTx indication, the same transmitter operations apply. However, in the case of received HARQ feedback information including a NACK and a non-HARQ ReTx indication, the transmitter can discard the data (e.g., DB2) that exceeds the delay budget (e.g., PDB) when retrieving / unwinding data from TB1. The transmitter can then perform a retransmission using TB1', which includes a subset of data (e.g., DB1 and DB3) retrieved / unwinded from TB1 and, optionally, new data (e.g., DB4) from the beginning of the transmission buffer.

[0034] According to a third scheme proposed in this disclosure, the transmitter (e.g., a UE in UL communications, or an eNB / gNB / DU / CU / TRP / satellite in DL communications) can share HARQ processes (PIDs) and buffers between carriers (e.g., within the same DU), thus avoiding stalling of HARQ processes, or Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 19 / 49 14 / 33, that is, avoiding the processing required to maintain long RLC delays and enabling efficient data management implementation. Typically, the maximum number of carriers will be used under good channel conditions, and UE does not expect HARQ process lockups to occur. However, under poor channel conditions, more HARQ retransmissions can be predicted, and at the same time, the maximum number of carriers is unlikely to be used under such conditions. That is, HARQ process lockups frequently tend to occur in this situation. Thus, by sharing HARQ processes across carriers, more HARQ processes can be available and a small ARQ window can be replicated (i.e., there is no need for long RLC windows, since there is no lower-layer response time to consider). Furthermore, by sharing HARQ buffers across carriers, restrictions on bytes in transit can be reduced.At peak data rates, a HARQ buffer typically fills quickly but also empties quickly to sustain the maximum rate, whereas at low data rates, the HARQ buffer may fill slowly to delay crashes.

[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a 500 scenario of sharing HARQ processes and buffers, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. The 500 scenario involves multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers that are shared between carriers. As shown in FIG. 5, a large set of HARQ processes is available when these processes are shared between carriers, and the corresponding HARQ process window (e.g., window size = 256 (HARQ processes)) replicates a small ARQ window when compared to a typical ARQ window (e.g., window size = 131,072 (PDUs)). Furthermore, a large HARQ buffer is available when these buffers are shared between carriers. Thus, by sharing Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 20 / 49 15 / 33 processes and HARQ buffers between carriers, more HARQ processes are available to reduce the probability of HARQ process crashes, and more HARQ buffers are available to delay crashes.

[0036] According to a fourth scheme proposed in this disclosure, an additional HARQ status report based on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) is introduced in order to enhance the reliability of HARQ feedback. This would utilize a longer cyclic redundancy check (CRC), which provides stronger protection against misinterpretations of HARQ feedback. For example, HARQ feedback could be sent using a MAC control element (CE) in the PUSCH. In one example, this feedback could be triggered based on certain events (i.e., event-based triggering), for example, based on the use of every nth HARQ process or every nth TB to provide the status of the last N HARQ processes or the last N TBs. In another example, this feedback could be triggered on demand (i.e., demand-based triggering), for example, through an explicit indication or on the last DL data transmission.Alternatively, to improve the reliability of HARQ feedback, the transmitter can be enabled to always report the status of the last N HARQ processes (instead of just the status of the current HARQ process). For example, the reported HARQ codebook can always include the status of the last 4 HARQ processes instead of just 1 HARQ process. That is, the status of a given TB can be repeated more than once. Thus, by applying the fourth scheme proposed in this disclosure, the reliability problem caused by false alarms in PUCCH in legacy HARQ status reports can be solved, and the robustness of status reports similar to legacy RLC can be maintained. Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 21 / 49 16 / 33

[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates a scenario example of 600 enhancements in HARQ feedback reliability, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Part (A) of FIG. 6 represents the PUSCH-based HARQ status report, while part (B) of FIG. 6 represents the event-based triggering of the PUSCH-based HARQ status report (e.g., based on the use of each nth HARQ process to provide the status of the last N HARQ processes). Illustrative implementations

[0038] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a 700 communication system containing an example of a 710 communication device and an example of a 720 network device, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Each of the 710 communication and 720 network devices can perform various functions to implement schemes, techniques, processes, and methods described herein related to supporting a semi-hybrid relay mechanism in mobile communications, including the scenarios / schemes described above, as well as the 800, 900, and 1000 processes described below.

[0039] The 710 communication device may be part of an electronic device, which may be a UE, such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, the 710 communication device may be implemented in a smartphone, a smartwatch, a personal digital assistant, an electronic control unit (ECU) in a vehicle, a digital camera, or a computing device such as a tablet, a laptop, or a notebook. The 710 communication device may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be an IoT, NB-IoT, enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), or IIoT UE, such as a stationary or fixed device, a household appliance, a roadside unit (RSU), a device Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 22 / 49 17 / 33 wired communication or a computing device. For example, the 710 communication device can be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, the 710 communication device can be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuits (ICs), such as, by way of example and without limitation, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors. The 710 communication device may include at least some of the components shown in FIG. 7, such as, for example, a 712 processor.The 710 communication apparatus may also include one or more other components that are not relevant to the schemes proposed in this disclosure (for example, internal power supply, display device and / or user interface device) and, therefore, such components of the 710 communication apparatus are not shown in FIG. 7 nor described below, in the interest of simplicity and brevity.

[0040] The 720 network device may be part of an electronic device, which may be a network node, such as a satellite, a BS, a small cell, a router, or an IoT network gateway. For example, the 720 network device may be implemented in a satellite or in an eNB / gNB / TRP in a 4G / 5G, NR, IoT, NB-IoT, or IIoT network. Alternatively, the 720 network device may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuits (ICs), such as, by way of example and without limitation, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more RISC or CISC processors. The 720 network device may include at least some of the components shown in FIG. 7, such as, for example, Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 23 / 49 18 / 33 example, a 722 processor. The 720 network apparatus may also include one or more other components that are not relevant to the scheme proposed in this disclosure (for example, internal power supply, display device and / or user interface device) and, therefore, such components of the 720 network apparatus are not shown in FIG. 7 nor described below, in the interest of simplicity and brevity.

[0041] In one aspect, each of the 712 and 722 processors may be implemented in the form of one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, although the singular term “a processor” is used in this document to refer to the 712 and 722 processors, each of them may include multiple processors in some implementations and a single processor in others, according to the present disclosure. In another aspect, each of the 712 and 722 processors may be implemented in the form of hardware (and optionally firmware), with electronic components including, by way of example and without limitation, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more varactors configured and arranged to achieve specific purposes, according to the present disclosure.In other words, in at least some implementations, each of the 712 and 722 processors is a special-purpose machine, designed, arranged, and configured to perform specific tasks, including support for a semi-hybrid relay mechanism, in a device (for example, as represented by the 710 communication apparatus) and in a network node (for example, as represented by the 720 network apparatus), according to various implementations of the present disclosure. Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 24 / 49 19 / 33

[0042] In some implementations, the 710 communication device may also include a 716 transceiver coupled to the 712 processor and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, the 716 transceiver may be capable of wirelessly communicating with different types of UEs and / or wireless networks of different radio access technologies (RATs). In some implementations, the 716 transceiver may be equipped with a plurality of antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. That is, the 716 transceiver may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for multi-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communications. In some implementations, the 720 network device may also include a 726 transceiver coupled to the 722 processor. The 726 transceiver may include a transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data.In some implementations, the 726 transceiver may be able to communicate wirelessly with different types of UEs from different RATs. In some implementations, the 726 transceiver may be equipped with a plurality of antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. That is, the 726 transceiver may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for MIMO wireless communications.

[0043] In some implementations, the communication device 710 may also include a memory 714 coupled to the processor 712 and capable of being accessed by it, storing data. In some implementations, the network device 720 may also include a memory 724 coupled to the processor 722 and capable of being accessed by it, storing data. Each of the memories 714 and 724 may include a type of random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM) and / or capacitor-free RAM (Z Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 25 / 49 20 / 33 RAM). Alternatively, or additionally, each of the 714 and 724 memories may include a type of read-only memory (ROM), such as masked ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and / or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). Alternatively, or additionally, each of the 714 and 724 memories may include a type of non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase-change memory.

[0044] Each of the 710 communication and 720 network devices can be a communication entity capable of communicating with each other using various proposed schemes, according to this disclosure. For illustrative purposes and without limitation, a description of the capabilities of the 710 communication device, as a UE, and of the 720 network device, as a network node (e.g., BS / DU / CU / satellite), is provided below.

[0045] According to certain schemes of the present disclosure, the processor 712 of the communication apparatus 710 can perform, through the transceiver 716, a UL transmission from at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process to the network apparatus 720, for the HARQ process using the first TB. Then, the processor 712 can receive, through the transceiver 716, feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission from the network apparatus 720. After that, the processor 712 can perform, through the transceiver 716, a UL data retransmission from the first TB to the network apparatus 720 using a second TB, in the case where the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type.

[0046] In some implementations, the second TB may include a subset of data from the first TB.

[0047] In some implementations, the 712 processor may Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 26 / 49 21 / 33 also store the remaining data from the first TB, which is not part of the subset, in a transmission buffer for a subsequent UL transmission.

[0048] In some implementations, the second TB may have a different size than the first TB. If the second TB is smaller than the first TB, only a subset of the data from the first TB would be included in the second TB. If the second TB is larger than the first TB, some or all of the data from the first TB, along with new data, may be included in the second TB.

[0049] In some implementations, the 712 processor may also discard some of the data from the first TB that exceeds a delay budget.

[0050] In some implementations, multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers can be shared between carriers.

[0051] In some implementations, processor 712 may also receive, via transceiver 716, one or more DL transmissions associated with one or more HARQ processes from network device 720. Additionally, processor 712 may transmit, via transceiver 716, one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to the DL transmission(s) to network device 720 via a PUSCH.

[0052] According to certain schemes of the present disclosure, the processor 722 of the network device 720 can schedule, through the transceiver 726, to the communication device 710, a UL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. Furthermore, the processor 722 can receive, through the transceiver 726, the UL transmission from the communication device 710 to the HARQ process using the first TB. Then, the processor 722 can transmit, through the transceiver... Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 27 / 49 22 / 33 726, feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission to the communication device 710, wherein the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type. After that, the processor 722 can receive, via the transceiver 726, a UL retransmission from the communication device 710 of data from the first TB using a second TB.

[0053] In some implementations, the second TB may include a subset of data from the first TB.

[0054] In some implementations, the second TB may have a different size than the first TB. If the second TB is smaller than the first TB, only a subset of the data from the first TB would be included in the second TB. If the second TB is larger than the first TB, some or all of the data from the first TB, along with new data, may be included in the second TB.

[0055] In some implementations, the 722 processor can also determine that the feedback information indicates the non-HARQ retransmission type in the event that channel degradation or network congestion is detected, or simply when the maximum number of HARQ-type retransmissions has already been attempted for the first TB.

[0056] In some implementations, multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers can be shared between carriers.

[0057] In some implementations, processor 722 may also perform, via transceiver 726, one or more DL transmissions associated with one or more HARQ processes to communication device 710. Additionally, processor 722 may receive, via transceiver 726, one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to the DL transmission(s) from communication device 710. Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 28 / 49 23 / 33 via a PUSH.

[0058] According to certain schemes of the present disclosure, the processor 722 of the network device 720 can schedule, via transceiver 726, to the communication device 710, a DL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. Furthermore, the processor 722 can perform, via transceiver 726, the DL transmission to the communication device 710 for the HARQ process using the first TB. Then, the processor 722 can receive, via transceiver 726, feedback information corresponding to the DL transmission from the communication device 710, wherein the feedback information indicates that the DL transmission was unsuccessful. After that, processor 722 can perform, via transceiver 726, a DL retransmission to data communication device 710 from the first TB using a second TB, if at least one condition is met.

[0059] In some implementations, the condition may include at least one of the following: (i) channel degradation is detected; and (ii) network congestion is detected; and (iii) the maximum number of HARQ-type retransmissions of the first TB has already been attempted.

[0060] In some implementations, the second TB may include a subset of data from the first TB.

[0061] In some implementations, the 722 processor may also store the remaining data from the first TB, which is not part of the subset, in a transmission buffer for a subsequent DL transmission. Alternatively, the 722 processor may discard some of the data from the first TB that exceeds a delay budget.

[0062] In some implementations, the second TB may have a different size than the first TB. In the case of the second TB being Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 29 / 49 If the TB is 24 / 33 smaller than the first TB, only a subset of the data from the first TB would be included in the second TB. If the second TB is larger than the first TB, some or all of the data from the first TB, along with new data, may be included in the second TB.

[0063] In some implementations, multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers can be shared between carriers.

[0064] In some implementations, feedback information may be received in one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to one or more DL transmissions via a PUSCH. Illustrative processes

[0065] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of process 800 according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Process 800 may be an example of the implementation of the above scenarios / schemes, either partial or complete, with respect to support for a semi-hybrid relay mechanism in mobile communications. Process 800 may represent an aspect of the implementation of functionalities of the communication device 710. Process 800 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as illustrated by one or more of blocks 810 to 830. Although illustrated as distinct blocks, several blocks of process 800 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into a smaller number of blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of process 800 may be executed in the order shown in FIG. 8 or, alternatively, in a different order.Process 800 can be implemented by the communication device 710 or by any suitable UE or machine-type device. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 800 is described below in the context of the communication device 710. Process 800 can start on... Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 30 / 49 25 / 33 block 810.

[0066] In 810, process 800 may involve processor 712 of communication device 710 performing, via transceiver 716, a UL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process to the network node (e.g., network device 720). Process 800 may proceed from block 810 to block 820.

[0067] In 820, process 800 may involve processor 712 receiving, via transceiver 716, feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission from the network node. Process 800 may proceed from block 820 to block 830.

[0068] In 830, process 800 may involve processor 712 performing, via transceiver 716, a UL retransmission of data from the first TB to the network node using a second TB, in the case where feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type.

[0069] In some implementations, the second TB may include a subset of data from the first TB.

[0070] In some implementations, process 800 may additionally involve processor 712 storing the remaining data from the first TB, which is not part of the subset, in a transmission buffer for a subsequent UL transmission.

[0071] In some implementations, the second TB may have a different size than the first TB.

[0072] In some implementations, process 800 may additionally involve processor 712 discarding some of the data from the first TB that exceeds a delay budget.

[0073] In some implementations, multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers can be shared between carriers. Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, p. 31 / 49 26 / 33

[0074] In some implementations, process 800 may additionally involve processor 712 receiving, via transceiver 716, one or more DL transmissions associated with one or more HARQ processes from the network node. Additionally, process 800 may involve processor 712 transmitting, via transceiver 716, one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to the DL transmission(s) to the network node via a PUSCH.

[0075] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of process 900 according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Process 900 may be an example implementation of the above scenarios / schemes, either partial or complete, with respect to supporting a semi-hybrid relay mechanism in mobile communications. Process 900 may represent an aspect of the implementation of functionalities of the 720 network device. Process 900 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as illustrated by one or more of blocks 910 to 940. Although illustrated as distinct blocks, several blocks of process 900 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into a smaller number of blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of process 900 may be executed in the order shown in FIG. 9 or, alternatively, in a different order. Process 900 may be implemented by the 720 network device or by any suitable BS / DU / CU or satellite.For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 900 is described below in the context of network device 720. Process 900 can start in block 910.

[0076] In 910, process 900 may involve processor 722 of network appliance 720 scheduling, via transceiver 726, to an appliance (e.g., communication appliance 710) a UL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. Process 900 may Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, page 32 / 49 27 / 33 proceed from block 910 to block 920.

[0077] In 920, process 900 may involve processor 722 receiving, via transceiver 726, the UL transmission from the device to process HARQ using the first TB. Process 900 may proceed from block 920 to block 930.

[0078] In 930, process 900 may involve processor 722 transmitting, via transceiver 726, feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission to the device, wherein the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ retransmission type. Process 900 may proceed from block 930 to block 940.

[0079] In 940, process 900 may involve processor 722 receiving, via transceiver 726, a UL retransmission from the data device from the first TB using a second TB.

[0080] In some implementations, the second TB may include a subset of data from the first TB.

[0081] In some implementations, the second TB may have a different size than the first TB.

[0082] In some implementations, process 900 may additionally involve processor 722 determining that feedback information indicates the non-HARQ retransmission type in the event that channel degradation or network congestion is detected, or the maximum number of HARQ-type retransmissions of the first TB has been attempted.

[0083] In some implementations, multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers can be shared between carriers.

[0084] In some implementations, process 900 may additionally involve processor 722 performing, via transceiver 726, one or more associated DL transmissions. Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, pp. 33 / 49 28 / 33 to one or more HARQ processes for the device. Additionally, process 900 may involve processor 722 receiving, via transceiver 726, one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to DL transmission(s) originating from the device via a PUSCH.

[0085] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of process 1000 according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Process 1000 may be an example of implementing the above scenarios / schemes, either partially or completely, with respect to supporting a semi-hybrid relay mechanism in mobile communications. Process 1000 may represent an aspect of the implementation of network device 720 functionalities. Process 1000 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as illustrated by one or more of blocks 1010 to 1040. Although illustrated as distinct blocks, several blocks of process 1000 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into a smaller number of blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of process 1000 may be executed in the order shown in FIG. 10 or, alternatively, in a different order. Process 1000 can be implemented by the 720 network device or by any suitable BS / DU / CU or satellite.For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 1000 is described below in the context of network device 720. Process 1000 can start in block 1010.

[0086] In 1010, process 1000 may involve processor 722 of network device 720 scheduling, via transceiver 726, to a device (e.g., communication device 710) a DL transmission of at least one first TB associated with at least one HARQ process. Process 1000 may proceed from block 1010 to block 1020.

[0087] In 1020, process 1000 may involve processor 722 performing, via transceiver 726, the Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, pp. 34 / 49 29 / 33 DL transmission to the device for the HARQ process using the first TB. Process 1000 can proceed from block 1020 to block 1030.

[0088] In 1030, process 1000 may involve processor 722 receiving, via transceiver 726, feedback information corresponding to the DL transmission from the device, where the feedback information indicates that the DL transmission was unsuccessful. Process 1000 may proceed from block 1030 to block 1040.

[0089] In 1040, process 1000 may involve processor 722 performing, via transceiver 726, a DL retransmission to the data device from the first TB using a second TB, if at least one condition is met.

[0090] In some implementations, the condition may include at least one of the following: (i) channel degradation is detected; and (ii) network congestion is detected; and (iii) the maximum number of HARQ-type retransmissions of the first TB has already been attempted.

[0091] In some implementations, the second TB may include a subset of data from the first TB.

[0092] In some implementations, process 1000 may additionally involve processor 722 storing the remaining data from the first TB, which is not part of the subset, in a transmission buffer for a subsequent DL transmission. Alternatively, process 1000 may involve processor 722 discarding some of the data from the first TB that exceeds a delay budget.

[0093] In some implementations, the second TB may have a different size than the first TB.

[0094] In some implementations, multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers can be shared between Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, pp. 35 / 49 30 / 33 carriers.

[0095] In some implementations, feedback information may be received in one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to one or more DL transmissions via a PUSCH. Additional notes

[0096] The subject described here sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It should be understood that such represented architectures are merely examples, and that, in fact, many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components that achieves the same functionality is effectively associated so that the desired functionality is achieved. Thus, any two components combined here to achieve a specific functionality can be considered as associated with each other so that the desired functionality is achieved, regardless of architectures or intermediate components.Similarly, any two components thus associated can also be considered as being operationally connected or operationally coupled to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being thus associated can also be considered as operationally coupleable to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operationally coupleable components include, but are not limited to, physically connectable and / or physically interactive components and / or wirelessly interactive and / or connectable components and / or logically interactive and / or logically connectable components.

[0097] Furthermore, with regard to the use of any plural and / or singular terms in this document, those versed in Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, pp. 36 / 49 31 / 33 techniques can convert from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural as appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations may be expressly presented in this document for the sake of clarity.

[0098] Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, in general, the terms used in this document and especially in the appended claims, for example, in the bodies of the appended claims, are generally intended to be open terms, for example, the term including should be interpreted as including, but not limited to, the term having should be interpreted as having at least, the term includes should be interpreted as includes, but not limited to, etc. It will further be understood by those skilled in the art that if a specific number of features introduced in a claim is intended, such intention will be explicitly stated in the claim and, in the absence of such a statement, no such intention is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the appended claims may contain the use of the introductory expressions at least one and one or more to introduce claimed features.However, the use of such expressions should not be interpreted as implying that the introduction of a claim feature by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any claim containing such introduced feature to implementations containing only one such feature, even when the same claim includes the introductory expressions "a or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an," for example, "a" and / or "an" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "a or more," the same applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce claimed features. Furthermore, even if a specific number of... Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, pp. 37 / 49 32 / 33 If a feature introduced in a claim is explicitly stated, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a statement should be interpreted as meaning at least the stated number, for example, the simple mention of “two features,” without other modifiers, means at least two features, or two or more features. Furthermore, in cases where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense that someone skilled in the art would understand the convention, for example, “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include, but not be limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.” In cases where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used...In general, such a construction is intended so that someone skilled in the art would understand the convention, for example, “a system having at least one of A, B, or C would include, but not be limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.” It will further be understood by those skilled in the art that practically any disjunctive word and / or expression presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood as contemplating the possibilities of including one of the terms, any of the terms, or both terms.

[0099] For the foregoing reasons, it will be appreciated that several implementations of this disclosure have been described herein for illustrative purposes and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Thus, the various implementations disclosed herein Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, pp. 38 / 49 33 / 33 are not intended to be limiting, the true scope and spirit of which are indicated by the following claims. Petition 870250095886, dated 10 / 20 / 2025, pp. 39 / 49

Claims

1 / 4 CLAIMS 1. A method characterized in that it comprises: performing, by a processor of an apparatus, a UL transmission of at least one first transport block (TB) associated with at least one hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process to a network node; receiving, by the processor, feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission from the network node; and performing, by the processor, a UL data retransmission from the first TB to the network node using a second TB in the event that the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ type of retransmission.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second TB is different in size from the first TB.

3. Method, according to claim 1, characterized in that the second TB comprises a subset of data from the first TB.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises: storing, by the processor, the remaining data from the first TB, which is not part of the subset, in a transmission buffer for subsequent UL transmission.

5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises: discarding, by the processor, some of the data from the first TB that exceeds a delay budget.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers are shared among carriers.

7. Method, according to claim 1, characterized in Petition 870250090472, dated 10 / 03 / 2025, p. 16 / 20 2 / 4 by the fact that it further comprises: receiving, by the processor, one or more downlink (DL) transmissions associated with one or more HARQ processes from the network node; and transmitting, by the processor, one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to one or more DL transmissions to the network node through a shared physical uplink channel (PUSCH).

8. A method characterized in that it comprises: programming, by a network node processor to an appliance, an uplink transmission (UL) of at least one first transport block (TB) associated with at least one hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process; receiving, by the processor, the UL transmission from the appliance to the HARQ process using the first TB; transmitting, by the processor, feedback information corresponding to the UL transmission to the appliance, wherein the feedback information indicates that the UL transmission was unsuccessful and indicates a non-HARQ type of retransmission; and receiving, by the processor, a UL retransmission from the data appliance of the first TB using a second TB.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the second TB comprises a subset of data from the first TB.

10. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the second TB is different in size from the first TB.

11. Method, according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises: determining, by the processor, the feedback information to indicate the non-HARQ type of retransmission in the event that a channel degradation or network congestion is detected, or a maximum number of a HARQ type of retransmissions of the first TB is attempted.

12. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers are shared between carriers.

13. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises: the processor performing one or more downlink (DL) transmissions associated with one or more HARQ processes to the device; and the processor receiving one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to the one or more DL transmissions from the device via a shared physical uplink channel (PUSCH).

14. A method characterized in that it comprises: programming, by a network node processor to an appliance, a downlink (DL) transmission of at least one first transport block (TB) associated with at least one hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process; performing, by the processor, the DL transmission to the appliance for the HARQ process using the first TB; receiving, by the processor, feedback information corresponding to the DL transmission from the appliance, wherein the feedback information indicates that the DL transmission was unsuccessful; and performing, by the processor, a DL retransmission to the data appliance of the first TB using a second TB if at least one condition is met.

15. Method, according to claim 14, characterized in that the condition comprises at least one of the following: a channel degradation is detected; and a network congestion is detected; and a maximum number of one type of HARQ retransmissions from the first TB is attempted.

16. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the second TB comprises a subset of data from the first TB.

17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that it further comprises: storing, by the processor, the remaining data from the first TB, which is not part of the subset, in a transmission buffer associated with the HARQ process for subsequent DL transmission; or discarding, by the processor, some of the data from the first TB that exceeds a delay budget.

18. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the second TB is different in size from the first TB.

19. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that multiple HARQ processes and multiple HARQ buffers are shared between carriers.

20. Method, according to claim 14, characterized in that feedback information is received in one or more HARQ status reports corresponding to one or more DL transmissions through a shared physical uplink channel (PUSCH). Petition 870250090472, dated 10 / 03 / 2025, pp. 19 / 20

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