Contention window sizing feedback

Abstract

Embodiments of this disclosure relate to apparatus, methods, and computer storage media for contention window size (CWS) adjustment feedback. A first device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, such that the device at least: receives at least one transport block from the second device on a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission from the second device to the first device, the at least one transport block being transmitted in a set of subbands within the predetermined bandwidth portion; generates feedback based on a set of reception states of the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; and sends the feedback to the second device, causing the second device to adjust the contention window size (CWS) for additional transmissions from the second device to the first device. In this manner, feedback corresponding to interference conditions in a specific subband can be provided for CWS adjustment, and signaling overhead is significantly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to a method, device, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for contention window size (CWS) adjustment feedback. Background Art

[0002] As LTE is deployed to the unlicensed 5 GHz spectrum, the harmonious coexistence between Long Term Evolution with License Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) and Wi-Fi becomes a research issue. Listen-before-talk (LBT) scheme is a must for unlicensed spectrum to ensure fairness between different radio access technologies. For NR-Unlicensed (NRU), TR 38.889 defines LBT with random backoff with variable-sized contention windows.

[0003] As is known to all, the LBT process is a mechanism by which the transmitting entity should apply a clear channel assessment (CCA) check before using the channel, and the CCA check time should depend on the random backoff and contention window size. For the CWS adjustment process, NR-U can at least consider HARQ-ACK operation based on code block group (CBG) and operation on wideband carriers (>20MHz) on wideband bandwidth parts (BWP). In a wideband BWP, there may be transport blocks (TBs) scheduled across multiple LBT subbands, and CWS should be adjusted based on the LBT subband. Summary of the invention

[0004] In summary, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a scheme for content window size (CWS) adjustment feedback.

[0005] According to some aspects, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Some further aspects are defined in the dependent claims.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the specific embodiments read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure are presented by way of example and their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 An example communication network is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0009] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a process for CWS adjustment feedback according to an example implementation of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 3 A block diagram illustrating an example of a transport block sent on multiple subbands according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating an example of multiple CBs transmitted on a subband according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example method 500 for CWS adjustment feedback according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example method 600 for CWS adjustment feedback according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 7 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0015] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown according to some implementations of the present disclosure.

[0016] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only to illustrate and help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0018] The terms used herein are used only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms. It will be further understood that when used herein, the terms "include", "currently include", "includes", and / or "currently include" specify the features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0019] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / actions indicated may not occur in the order indicated in the figures. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, two functions or actions shown in succession may actually be performed simultaneously or may sometimes be performed in reverse order.

[0020] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc. In addition, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the communication network can be carried out according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other currently known or future developed protocols.

[0021] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Considering the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned systems. For the purpose of illustration, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the 5G communication system.

[0022] The term "network device" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, a base station (BS), a gateway, a registration management entity, and other suitable equipment in a communication system. The term "base station" or "BS" means a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low power node such as a femto, a pico, and the like.

[0023] The term "terminal device" used herein includes, but is not limited to, "user equipment (UE)" and other suitable terminal devices capable of communicating with network devices. For example, "terminal device" may refer to a terminal, a mobile terminal (MT), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT).

[0024] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0025] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implementation only in analog and / or digital circuits), and

[0026] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable):

[0027] (i) Analog and / or digital hardware circuits and

[0028] A combination of software / firmware, and

[0029] (ii) any portion of a hardware processor with software (including a digital signal processor, software and memory) that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0030] (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, that require software (eg, firmware) for operation but may not have the software present when not required for operation.

[0031] The definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to a particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0032] Figure 1 An example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. The network 100 includes a second device 120 (hereinafter referred to as the network device 120) and first devices 110-1 and 110-2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the first device 110 or individually referred to as the terminal device 110) served by the second network device 120. The service area of ​​the network device 120 is referred to as a cell 102. It will be appreciated that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent any limitation. The network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Although not shown, it will be appreciated that one or more terminal devices may be in the cell 102 and served by the network device 120.

[0033] Communications in network 100 may conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), etc. In addition, communications may be performed according to any generation of communications protocols currently known or developed in the future. Examples of communications protocols include but are not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, and fifth generation (5G) communications protocols.

[0034] As mentioned above, the Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure is a mechanism by which the transmitting entity should apply a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) check before using the channel, and the CCA check time should depend on the random backoff and contention window size. For the CWS adjustment procedure, NR-U can at least consider HARQ-ACK operation and wideband bandwidth part (BWP) operation on wideband carriers (>20MHz).

[0035] In LTE-LAA, CWS is maintained and updated separately for each 20MHz carrier. At least for bands where Wi-Fi is not guaranteed to be free (e.g. by regulation), it is agreed that NR-U LBT can be done in units of 20MHz. The most straightforward solution is to also perform CWS maintenance separately in each 20MHz sub-band. This is especially true for wideband (WB) operation with primary LBT sub-bands.

[0036] In order to perform effective CWS adjustment in NR-U with wideband operation, CWS should be adjusted on an LBT subband (every 20MHz) basis. However, a single data transport block (TB) consisting of a certain number of code blocks (CBs) can be transmitted / scheduled across multiple subbands. Therefore, a single HARQ-ACK for a TB covering multiple LBT subbands is not sufficient for CWS adjustment. The channel utilization / interference on different subbands of the BWP may be different. For example, if there is interference that causes decoding failure of certain code block groups (CBGs) on only one LBT subband, the HARQ-ACK for the entire TB will be "NACK", and thereby the CWS for all LBT subbands on which the TB is transmitted will increase, which may result in unnecessary increased delays in channel access.

[0037] In addition to TB-based HARQ-ACK feedback, NR can also support CBG-based HARQ ACK feedback, where separate HARQ ACK can be provided for separate CBs or CBGs (i.e., parts of TBs). In principle, in the above case, CBG-based HARQ-ACK feedback can also assist CWS adjustment by providing finer granularity for HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0038] However, this approach has certain disadvantages. For example, CB mapping in NR Rel-15 is done first in frequency, which results in a single CB typically spanning multiple 20MHz subbands. This may essentially defeat the purpose of using CBG-based feedback to distinguish interference situations on different subbands.

[0039] Furthermore, the granularity of CBG-based HARQ-ACK feedback is unnecessarily fine (up to 8 CBGs) and CBs are roughly equally distributed among CBGs, which also contradicts the purpose of CWS tuning, where only the granularity of CBs within 20MHz and LBT subbands is of concern. Configuring 8CBGs to better approximate the LBT subband split will result in unnecessary signaling overhead. If CBGs are configured, CBG-based feedback is applied to all transport blocks.

[0040] However, for CWS adjustment, this is unnecessary overhead because the adjustment of CWS depends only on the data received in one or more reference time slots, which can usually be located at the beginning of a downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) burst. Other time slots in the DL / UL burst may not need to be considered in CWS maintenance, so those time slots do not need CBG-based HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0041] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a new type of feedback to support CWS adjustment, especially when one or more TBs are mapped to at least two LBT subbands.

[0042] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a process 200 for configuring authorization operations according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to FIG. Figure 1 Describe process 200. Process 200 may involve Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and the network device 120 are shown.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the network device 120 transmits at least one TB to the terminal device 110 on a predetermined BWP. The at least one transport block is transmitted in a set of subbands or a subset of subbands included in the predetermined bandwidth portion.

[0044] As described above, the network device may allocate a predetermined BWP of broadband for DL ​​transmission of TB from the network device 120 to the terminal device 110, and LBT may be performed in each sub-band of 20 MHz. That is, the predetermined BWP may span a range far beyond the LBT sub-band, i.e., 20 MHz. Therefore, TB may be transmitted in multiple sub-bands in the predetermined BWP.

[0045] Figure 3 A diagram showing an example of TBs transmitted on multiple sub-bands according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] like Figure 3As shown, two TBs 320 and 330 are transmitted in a predetermined BWP. For example, TB 320 including blocks 321, 322, 323, and 342 may be transmitted in subbands 311, 312, 313, and 314 of a predetermined BWP, and each block may be transmitted in a subband. For example, block 321 is transmitted in subband 321. Figure 3 Also shown is another TB 330 transmitted in a predetermined BWP including 331, 332 and 333. In contrast to TB 320 which is transmitted in all subbands of a predetermined BWP, TB 330 is transmitted only in a subset of subbands of three subbands of a predetermined BWP.

[0047] Return to reference Figure 2 , the terminal device 110 may receive TBs in a set of subbands and determine a reception status of at least one transport block for each subband in the set of subbands. That is, for a received TB, the terminal device 110 may determine a set of reception statuses for the transport block, including a reception status for each subband on which the TB is transmitted.

[0048] For example, for Figure 3 As shown in TB, the group of reception states may include a reception state of block 321 in subband 311 , a reception state of block 322 in subband 312 , a reception state of block 323 in subband 313 , and a reception state of block 324 in subband 314 .

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, based on a determined set of reception statuses of transport blocks in a set of subbands, the terminal device 110 generates 220 feedback. The feedback may indicate the reception status of the transport blocks for each subband.

[0050] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may generate a bit sequence, and each bit may indicate whether reception of a transport block in one of a group of subbands is successful.

[0051] For example, for Figure 3 For the TB shown, if blocks 321-323 are successfully received in subbands 311-313, respectively, and block 324 is not successfully received in subband 314, the bit sequence generated by the terminal device 110 can be represented as "1110", where bit "1" can represent "ACK" for receiving the TB, and bit "0" can represent "NACK" for receiving the TB.

[0052] The terminal device 110 may generate feedback based on a bit sequence generated based on a reception status of a transport block in each subband in a set of subbands.

[0053] For a TB transmitted in all subbands in a predetermined BWP, the length of the TB may correspond to the number of subbands in the predetermined BWP. That is, for example, if there are 4 subbands in the predetermined BWP, then the sequence may include 4 bits.

[0054] For TBs transmitted only in some subbands in a predetermined BWP, as an option, the sequence may reflect only the reception status of the subbands on which the TBs are transmitted. Figure 3 As shown in TB 330, if blocks 331 and 332 are successfully received in sub-bands 312 and 313, respectively, and block 333 is not successfully received in sub-band 314, the bit sequence generated by terminal device 110 may be represented as "110".

[0055] As another option, a default value may be assigned to each subband in the predetermined bandwidth portion on which no TB is transmitted. In this case, a sequence may be generated based on the reception state and the default value. For example, if the default value is specified as "1", the sequence of TB 330 may be "1110", where the first "1" is the default value. Alternatively, the default value may also be specified as "0".

[0056] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a reference time interval, such as a reference time slot 340 on a predetermined bandwidth portion for determining the reception status of a TB. The reference time slot may be a time slot in a UL or DL ​​burst. A UL / DL burst may refer to a group of contiguous resources used for UL / DL transmission. For example, the reference time slot may be the first or last time slot in a UL or DL ​​burst. In alternative embodiments, the time slot may also be a mini-time slot or a sub-time slot. An indication of a reference time slot for the network device 120 may be obtained from previous signaling.

[0057] As described above, a TB may include a plurality of CBGs consisting of one or more CBs. In this determined reference time slot 340, the terminal device 110 may select one or more CBGs in at least one transmission block in the reference time slot. Figure 4 A diagram showing an example of multiple CBs transmitted on a subband according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, in subband 311, there are multiple CBGs (e.g., CBG 411) and each CBG may include multiple CBs (e.g., CB 431 is one of the five CBs of the CBG). In some embodiments, a CBG may also be only one CB. It should be understood that one or more TBs may be sent in a subband within a reference time slot. In order to determine the interference state in a subband (e.g., subband 311), only the CBGs or CBs in this subband may be considered. For example, Figure 4As shown, CBG 412 may be transmitted on two subbands, namely subbands 311 and 312. Therefore, CBG 412 may not be considered for determining the reception status in subband 311. In some example embodiments, in reference time slot 340, a CBG or CB of a certain TB may be selected for determining the reception status in subband 311. Figure 4 Also shown is an embodiment where CBs are mapped to subband first, frequency second, time third, and the time direction is reversed between adjacent transmit subbands.

[0059] The terminal device 110 may determine the reception status based on the successful reception rate of CBGs in a subband or based on the successful reception rate of CBs in a subband. The successful reception rate may indicate how many CBGs or CBs have been successfully received in the subband. If the terminal device 110 determines that the successful reception rate of CBGs in a subband or the successful reception rate of CBs in a subband exceeds a threshold reception rate, the terminal device 110 may determine successful reception of a transport block in the subband.

[0060] For example, if all CBs or CBGs in the reference time slot 340 are "ACK", the terminal device 110 can determine successful reception. Alternatively, if a certain percentage of CBs or CBGs in the reference time slot 340 are "ACK", the terminal device 110 can determine successful reception. As an option, if at least one CB or CBG in the reference time slot 340 is "ACK", the terminal device 110 can determine successful reception.

[0061] As an option, the terminal device 110 may also include more than one bit sequence as feedback. For example, the terminal device 110 may generate a first bit sequence corresponding to the first TB in the reference time slot, and generate a second bit sequence corresponding to the second TB in the reference time slot. Both the first bit sequence and the second bit sequence may be considered as feedback.

[0062] return Figure 2 , the terminal device 110 sends 230 feedback to the network device 120.

[0063] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may send feedback to network device 120 in response to receipt of the TB from terminal device 110 .

[0064] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 reports the feedback to the network device along with the HARQ-ACK feedback corresponding to at least one TB or TB candidate in the reference time slots after the timing for the HARQ that schedules the DL data transmission block by the K1 value in the DL assignment. Assuming that the reference time slots are known to the terminal device 110, when the terminal device 110 is triggered to report HARQ-ACK feedback for at least one TB or TB candidate in these time slots, the terminal device 110 will also include the CWS adjusted feedback in the report.

[0065] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may send feedback at a timing specified by the network device 120. The timing and presence of the CWS adjustment feedback may be specified in a DL assignment that schedules DL data in a reference time slot from the network device 120. For example, there may be a 1-bit indicator in the DL assignment to inform the terminal device 110 that, for a given DLTB, the CWS adjustment feedback should also be included in the UCI (in addition to the normal HARQ-ACK feedback).

[0066] In some example embodiments, the feedback is transmitted with a HARQ-ACK codebook associated with, for example, the last transmission TB sent in a reference slot of the terminal device 110. That is, the CWS adjustment feedback is not reported with other HARQ-ACK codebooks associated with earlier TBs in the reference slot.

[0067] Now back to Figure 3 In some example embodiments, for TBs 320 and 330 transmitted in reference time slot 340, CWS adjustment feedback is determined based on the code blocks in TBs 320 and 330. After the terminal device 110 determines the CWS adjustment feedback based on the above mechanism, it reports the CWS adjustment feedback together with the HARQ-ACK feedback in resources of other time slots (e.g., block 351).

[0068] In some example embodiments, if the terminal device 110 determines CWS adjustment feedback based only on TB 320, the CWS adjustment feedback is multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK feedback for TB 320. In this example, a one-to-one correspondence is clearly present between the CWS adjustment feedback timing and the corresponding HARQ-ACK timing. For example, in block 351, the CWS adjustment feedback may be reported together with the HARQ-ACK.

[0069] In some example embodiments, CWS adjustment feedback is also determined based on the code blocks in TBs 320 and 330. However, at block 352, the CWS adjustment feedback may be multiplexed with only the HARQ-ACK CB determined by the DCI scheduling TB 330. Alternatively, the CWS adjustment feedback may be multiplexed with both HARQ-ACK feedbacks (i.e., blocks 351 and 352) at the expense of increased overhead.

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, after receiving feedback from the terminal device 110, the network device 120 adjusts 240 the CWS for further transmissions from the second device to the first device based on the feedback.

[0071] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may determine the reception status of a transport block for each subband in a predetermined BWP. If network device 120 determines successful reception of a transport block in a subband, network device 120 may reset the CWS for the subband. Otherwise, network device 120 may increase the CWS for the subband.

[0072] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may obtain a bit sequence from the feedback to determine the reception status of the transport blocks in each subband.

[0073] As mentioned above, the feedback may include more than one sequence. In this case, the bits in each sequence corresponding to the same subband may be considered to determine the reception status of the transport block in this subband.

[0074] In this way, feedback corresponding to the interference situation of a certain subband can be provided for CWS adjustment, and signaling overhead can be significantly reduced.

[0075] Will refer to Figure 5 to Figure 6 Further details of example embodiments according to the present disclosure are described.

[0076] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 for configuring authorization operations according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 500 may be implemented in the following manner: Figure 1 For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to the terminal device 110. Figure 1 Method 500 is described.

[0077] At 510 , terminal device 110 receives at least one transport block from network device 120 over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission from network device 120 to terminal device 110 , the at least one transport block being sent in a set of subbands of the predetermined bandwidth portion.

[0078] At 520, the terminal device 110 generates feedback based on a set of reception statuses of at least one transport block in a set of subbands.

[0079] In certain example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine at least one reference time interval over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission. The terminal device 110 may further determine whether there is at least one transport block received in the at least one reference time interval, and if the terminal device 110 determines reception of at least one transport block in the at least one reference time interval, the terminal device 110 may generate feedback.

[0080] In certain example embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive an indication of at least one reference from network device 120 and determine at least one reference time interval based on the indication.

[0081] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may generate a bit sequence based on reception status in a group of subbands, each bit indicating whether reception of a transport block in a subband in the group of subbands is successful. Terminal device 110 may further generate feedback based on the bit sequence.

[0082] In certain example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may assign a default value for a subband in a predetermined bandwidth portion where no transport block is transmitted, and generate a bit sequence based on the reception status and the default value.

[0083] In certain example embodiments, terminal device 110 may select one or more code block groups from at least one transport block transmitted in the same subband in at least one reference time interval, and determine a successful reception rate of the selected code block groups. If terminal device 110 determines that the successful reception rate exceeds a threshold reception rate, terminal device 110 may determine successful reception of at least one transport block.

[0084] At 530 , terminal device 110 sends feedback to network device 120 , causing network device 120 to adjust a contention window size (CWS) for further transmissions from network device 120 to terminal device 110 .

[0085] In some example embodiments, the feedback is sent from the terminal device 110 to the network device 120 together with a response to the reception of the at least one transport block. In some example embodiments, the response comprises a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment of the at least one transport block.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive an indication of a timing for the feedback configuration from the second device, and send feedback about the timing based on the indication. In some example embodiments, the timing for the feedback configuration is a timing corresponding to a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement of at least one transport block.

[0087] Figure 6A flowchart of an example method 600 for configuring authorization operations according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 600 may be performed in a manner such as Figure 1 The network device 120 is shown as being implemented. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to Figure 1 Method 600 is described.

[0088] At 610 , network device 120 sends at least one transport block to terminal device 110 over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission from network device 120 to terminal device 110 , the at least one transport block being sent in a set of subbands of the predetermined bandwidth portion.

[0089] In certain example embodiments, network device 120 may determine at least one reference time interval in the transmission. Network device 120 may also generate an indication of the at least one reference time interval and send the indication to terminal device 110.

[0090] At 620, the network device 120 receives feedback from the terminal device 110, the feedback being generated based on a set of reception statuses of at least one transport block in a set of subbands.

[0091] In certain example embodiments, the feedback is sent together with a response to the receipt of at least one transport block from the terminal device 110 to the network device 120. In certain example embodiments, the response comprises a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment of the at least one transport block.

[0092] In certain example embodiments, network device 120 sends an indication of timing for feedback configuration to terminal device 110 and receives feedback regarding the timing based on the indication.

[0093] At 630 , network device 120 adjusts a contention window size (CWS) for additional transmissions from network device 120 to terminal device 110 based on the feedback.

[0094] In certain example embodiments, network device 120 may determine a set of reception states for at least one transport block in a set of subbands based on the feedback. If network device 120 determines successful reception of at least one transport block in a first subband of the set of subbands, network device 120 may reset the CWS for the first subband. If network device 120 determines unsuccessful reception of at least one transport block in a second subband of the set of subbands, network device 120 may increase the CWS for the second subband.

[0095] In certain example embodiments, network device 120 may obtain a bit sequence from the feedback, each bit indicating whether reception of at least one transport block in one of a group of subbands is successful, and determine a group of reception states based on each bit of the bit sequence.

[0096] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 500 (for example, implemented at terminal device 110) may include an apparatus for performing the steps of method 500. The apparatus may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the apparatus may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0097] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for receiving at least one transport block from a second device over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission from the second device to the first device, the at least one transport block being sent in a set of subbands in the predetermined bandwidth portion; means for generating feedback based on a set of reception states of the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; and means for sending feedback to the second device so that the second device adjusts a contention window size (CWS) for additional transmissions from the second device to the first device.

[0098] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 600 (e.g., implemented at network device 120) may include means for performing the steps of method 600. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0099] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for sending at least one transport block to a first device over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission from a second device to the first device, the at least one transport block being sent in a set of subbands in the predetermined bandwidth portion; means for receiving feedback from the first device, the feedback being generated based on a set of reception states of the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; and means for adjusting a contention window size (CWS) for additional transmissions from the second device to the first device based on the feedback.

[0100] Figure 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 The terminal device 110 shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, device 700 includes one or more processors 710 , one or more memories 720 coupled to processor 710 , and one or more transmitters and / or receivers (TX / RX) 740 coupled to processor 710 .

[0101] The TX / RX 740 is used for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0102] Processor 710 may be of any type suitable for use in a local technology network, and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock of a synchronized master processor.

[0103] The memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist over the duration of a power outage.

[0104] Computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions executed by associated processor 710. Program 730 may be stored in ROM 1020. Processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 720.

[0105] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 730, so that the device 700 may execute the reference Figures 2 to 6 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software.

[0106] In some embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device 700 (e.g., in the memory 720) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 8 An example of a computer readable medium 800 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 730 stored thereon.

[0107] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other illustrations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the boxes, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0108] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as those included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real processor or a virtual processor to implement the above referenced Figures 2 to 6 The methods 500 and 600 are described. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functions of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0109] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device so that when the program code is executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram are implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0110] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable an apparatus, device or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0111] The computer readable medium may be a machine readable signal medium or a machine readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine readable storage media would include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0112] In addition, although operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a continuous order, or performing all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific example implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular implementation. Certain features described in the context of separate implementations may also be combined in a single implementation. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented separately in multiple implementations or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0113] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device for communication, include: means for receiving at least one transport block from a second device over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission to the first device, the at least one transport block being transmitted in a set of subbands of the predetermined bandwidth portion; means for generating at least one feedback based on a set of reception statuses of the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; as well as means for sending the at least one feedback to the second device, wherein the at least one feedback is configured to cause the second device to adjust a contention window size for further transmissions from the second device to the first device, wherein the at least one feedback is configured to: for successful reception of the at least one transport block in a subband of the set of subbands, reset the contention window size for the subbands in the set of subbands, and for unsuccessful reception of the at least one transport block in the subband of the set of subbands, increase the contention window size.

2. The first device according to claim 1, further comprising: include: means for determining at least one reference time interval over said predetermined portion of bandwidth for said transmission; means for determining whether there is said at least one transport block received in said at least one reference time interval; as well as for generating the at least one feedback in response to determining reception of the at least one transport block in the at least one reference time interval.

3. The first device according to claim 2, further comprising: include: means for receiving an indication of the at least one reference time interval from the second device; as well as Means for determining said at least one reference time interval based on said indication.

4. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: include: means for generating a bit sequence based on the reception status in the group of subbands, each bit indicating whether reception of the transport block in one of the group of subbands is successful; as well as Means for generating the at least one feedback based on the bit sequence.

5. The first device according to claim 4, further comprising: include: means for assigning a default value for a subband in the predetermined bandwidth portion in which no transport block is transmitted; as well as means for generating the bit sequence based on the reception status and the default value.

6. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: include: means for selecting one or more code block groups from said at least one transport block transmitted in the same subband in said at least one reference time interval; means for determining a successful reception rate of the selected code block group; as well as Means for determining the successful reception of the at least one transport block in response to determining that the successful reception rate exceeds a threshold reception rate.

7. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one feedback is sent together with a response to the reception of the at least one transport block from the second device to the first device.

8. The first device of claim 7, wherein the response comprises a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment of the at least one transport block.

9. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: include: means for receiving from the second device an indication of a timing configured for the at least one feedback; as well as Means for sending at least one feedback regarding the timing based on the indication.

10. The first device according to claim 9, wherein the timing configured for the feedback is a timing corresponding to a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement of the at least one transport block.

11. The first device according to claim 1, further comprising: include: means for determining a set of reception statuses of said at least one transport block in said set of subbands; as well as Means for determining successful reception of the at least one transport block in a subband in the set of subbands in response to a particular percentage of code blocks or groups of code blocks being successfully received.

12. A second device for communication, include: means for sending at least one transport block to a first device over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission to the first device, the at least one transport block being sent in a set of subbands of the predetermined bandwidth portion; means for receiving at least one feedback from the first device, the feedback generated based on a set of reception statuses of the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; as well as means for adjusting at least one contention window size for further transmissions from the second device to the first device based on the at least one feedback; means for determining a set of reception states for the at least one transport block in the set of subbands based on the at least one feedback; means for resetting the at least one contention window size for the subband in response to determining successful reception of the at least one transport block in a subband of the set of subbands; as well as means for increasing the at least one contention window size for the subband in response to determining unsuccessful reception of the at least one transport block in the subband of the set of subbands.

13. A method for communication, include: sending, from a second device to a first device, at least one transport block over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission to the first device, the at least one transport block being sent in a set of subbands of the predetermined bandwidth portion; receiving feedback from the first device, the feedback generated based on a set of reception statuses of the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; adjusting a contention window size for additional transmissions from the second device to the first device based on the feedback; determining a set of reception states for the at least one transport block in the set of subbands based on the feedback; responsive to determining successful reception of the at least one transport block in a first subband of the set of subbands, resetting the contention window size for the first subband; as well as In response to determining unsuccessful reception of the at least one transport block in a second subband of the set of subbands, increasing the contention window size for the second subband.

14. A method for communication, include: receiving, by the first device from a second device, at least one transport block over a predetermined bandwidth portion for transmission to the first device, the at least one transport block being sent in a set of subbands of the predetermined bandwidth portion; generating, by the first device, at least one feedback based on a set of reception statuses of the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; as well as The at least one feedback is sent by the first device to the second device, wherein the at least one feedback is configured to cause the second device to adjust a contention window size for additional transmissions from the second device to the first device, wherein the at least one feedback is configured to: for successful reception of the at least one transport block in a subband of the set of subbands, reset the contention window size for the subbands in the set of subbands, and for unsuccessful reception of the at least one transport block in the subband of the set of subbands, increase the contention window size.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: include: The first device determines a set of reception states for the at least one transport block in the set of subbands; as well as The first device determines successful reception of the at least one transport block in a subband in the set of subbands in response to a particular percentage of code blocks or groups of code blocks being successfully received.

Images