Apparatus for use in a user equipment

Abstract

The present application relates to an apparatus for use in a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and a processor circuit coupled with the RF interface, wherein the processor circuit, when the UE operates in a licensed spectrum or an unlicensed spectrum: receives a downlink control information (DCI) comprising a first indication field for triggering a one-shot HARQ-ACK feedback for a HARQ-ACK process; and transmits, via the RF interface, the one-shot HARQ-ACK feedback.

Description

[0001] Priority requirements

[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 041,704, filed June 19, 2020, and U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 063,144, filed August 7, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication, and more particularly to apparatus used in user equipment (UE). Background Technology

[0004] The fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) specification is designed to support a variety of vertical services and use cases, including enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services. The latency and reliability performance achievable by 5G NR communication systems is key to supporting use cases with more stringent requirements. To expand the applicability of 5G NR communication systems across various vertical services, the 5G NR specification has evolved to support use cases in diverse scenarios, including entertainment, factory automation, transportation, and power distribution. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Embodiments of this disclosure will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example rather than limitation, wherein similar reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0006] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a method used in a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0007] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is shown in the case of forming two PDSCH groups.

[0008] Figure 3 A schematic diagram is shown of a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback in the case of providing a non-numerical K1 to the UE.

[0009] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is shown when a non-digital K1 is provided to the UE.

[0010] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is shown in the case of generating a HARQ-ACK codebook based on PDSCH groups.

[0011] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another method used in a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of yet another method used in a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of repeated variations of PUCCH according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of repeated PUCCH discarding according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a network according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a wireless network according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 12 A block diagram is shown of components according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure that are capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and performing any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terminology commonly used by those skilled in the art to convey the essence of this disclosure to them. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many alternative embodiments can be implemented using portions of the described aspects. Specific figures, materials, and configurations are given for illustrative purposes to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified to avoid obscuring the illustrative embodiments.

[0019] Furthermore, the various operations are described sequentially as a plurality of discrete operations in a manner most conducive to understanding the illustrative embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed as implying that these operations are necessarily sequentially related. In particular, these operations do not need to be performed in the order presented.

[0020] The phrases “in an embodiment,” “in one embodiment,” and “in some embodiments” are used repeatedly throughout this document. These phrases do not typically refer to the same embodiment; however, they may refer to the same embodiment. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonyms. The phrases “A or B” and “A / B” mean “(A), (B), or (A and B).”

[0021] In scenarios including entertainment, factory automation, transportation, and power distribution, a major limiting factor for 5G NR communication systems is spectrum availability. To mitigate this issue, a proposal is made to implement URLLC / Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) operations using unlicensed spectrum in controlled environments.

[0022] Identifying areas where 5G NR communication systems can be enhanced when operating in unlicensed spectrum is crucial. One challenge is that 5G NR communication systems must comply with the regulatory requirements for sub-6GHz bands (where a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) process is necessary to acquire the medium before transmission can commence), while still ensuring that URLLC / IIoT operations meet the reliability and latency requirements of the aforementioned use cases. In practice, when implementing URLLC / IIoT operations in unlicensed spectrum, the LBT process and its inherent randomness can introduce additional latency and reliability losses due to medium contention when LBT fails.

[0023] To adapt to different scenarios and the use of LBT processes, 5G NR communication systems require some modifications to effectively support URLLC / IIoT operations in unlicensed and / or licensed spectrum.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a method used in a UE according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, when the UE operates in licensed or unlicensed spectrum, method 100 includes: S102, receiving downlink control information (DCI), the DCI including a first indication field, the first indication field being used to trigger a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback for the HARQ-ACK process; and S104, sending a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0025] In some embodiments, a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback may include: HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions; HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for DL ​​SPS transmissions that have been dropped; HARQ-ACK feedback information for all HARQ-ACK processes regardless of the HARQ-ACK processes assigned to DL SPS transmissions; or HARQ-ACK feedback information for a set of HARQ-ACK processes specified by the access node (AN) that sent the DCI.

[0026] In some embodiments, method 100 may further include: determining the presence of a first indication field in the DCI based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the AN transmitting the DCI.

[0027] In some embodiments, multiple PDSCH groups can be formed from the prior physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) sent from the AN transmitting DCI to the UE, wherein a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is triggered for the multiple PDSCH groups, and the PDSCH group is associated with one of the following options: a set of DL SPS configurations, a set of HARQ-ACK processes, and DL SPS configurations.

[0028] In some embodiments, the DCI may further include a second indication field for indicating one or more PDSCH groups, wherein HARQ-ACK feedback information for the one or more PDSCH groups should be provided in a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback. In one option, the second indication field may include a bitmap of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, and each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for the corresponding PDSCH group should be provided in a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback. In another option, the second indication field may include a bit for indicating whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for all PDSCH groups or a subset of these PDSCH groups should be provided in a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback, and a set of bits for indicating that HARQ-ACK feedback information for one or more PDSCH groups should be provided in a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0029] In some embodiments, method 100 may further include: receiving a prior DCI, the prior DCI including a PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator (K1) field having a non-numeric value; and in response to the K1 field having a non-numeric value, providing HARQ-ACK feedback information for the SPS PDSCH scheduled by the prior DCI in a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0030] In some embodiments, method 100 may further include: determining the presence of a K1 field with a non-numeric value in the prior DCI based on an RRC message from the AN that sent the prior DCI. Alternatively, the prior DCI may further include additional bits for indicating the presence of a K1 field with a non-numeric value in the prior DCI.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the UE operates in unlicensed spectrum, the DCI may further include a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and at least one of the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 being linearly related to the length of a fixed frame period (FFP), or the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 having an upper bound.

[0032] In some embodiments, when the UE operates in unlicensed spectrum, method 100 may further include: sending a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback in a slot or symbol of the FFP or in a slot or symbol of each uplink (UL) burst in the FFP, wherein one or more physical downlink shared channels (PDSCH) have initially been sent in the FFP.

[0033] In some embodiments, when the UE operates in unlicensed spectrum, a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes HARQ-ACK feedback information for PDSCHs in the same FFP or different FFPs, where one or more of these PDSCHs were originally transmitted.

[0034] Specifically, method 100 involves one or more of the following enhancements to the HARQ-ACK process:

[0035] Enhancement of the HARQ-ACK process

[0036] For the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) with HARQ-ACK feedback information, the UE determines the PUCCH resource based on the PUCCH resource indicator field in the last DCI format 1_0 or DCI format 1_1, which indicates the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field value for the same time slot used for PUCCH transmission. If the PUCCH resource determined based on the last DCI format 1_0 or DCI format 1_1 overlaps with any semi-static configured downlink (DL) symbol or synchronization signal block (SSB) symbol, the PUCCH transmission is discarded. Alternatively, the UE can discard the PUCCH transmission without waiting for a later DCI that might update the PUCCH resource in the time slot each time it identifies a PUCCH resource whose DCI indication overlaps with a semi-static DL symbol or SSB symbol. In the latter case, the UE does not wait for PUCCH coverage and cancels the PUCCH transmission once an overlap is identified.

[0037] Enhancement of the HARQ-ACK process in the licensed spectrum: One-time HARQ-ACK feedback

[0038] In one embodiment, a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback can be supported to retrieve any discarded HARQ-ACK feedback. If any HARQ-ACK feedback is discarded, the AN (e.g., gNB) can trigger all HARQ-ACK feedback for the preceding DL SPS transmission. In this regard, the AN can request: i) HARQ-ACK feedback only for the HARQ process used for the DL SPS transmission, or ii) HARQ-ACK feedback only for the HARQ-ACK process used for the DL SPS transmission that was discarded, or iii) HARQ-ACK feedback for all HARQ-ACK processes regardless of the HARQ-ACK process assigned to the DL SPS transmission, or iv) HARQ-ACK feedback for a set of HARQ-ACK processes specified, configured, or indicated by the AN.

[0039] One-time HARQ-ACK feedback can be triggered by DCI format 1_1 and / or DCI format 1_2 via an explicit indicator field (i.e., a first indicator field, e.g., a 1-bit field). The presence of this indicator field in DCI format 1_1 and / or DCI format 1_2 can be determined based on an RRC message from the AN, which semi-statically enables / disables one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0040] In one example of this embodiment, the UE can be configured to report HARQ feedback information only for each HARQ-ACK process, or to report HARQ-ACK feedback information and New Data Indicator (NDI) for each HARQ-ACK process. In the first case (not reporting NDI related to the preceding SPS PDSCH), the UE can report a NACK (negative acknowledgment) for the relevant HARQ-ACK process. Conversely, if NDI related to the preceding SPS PDSCH is reported, the UE can report the actual HARQ-ACK feedback information related to the latest PDSCH transmission of the relevant HARQ-ACK process.

[0041] In one embodiment, for operations within the licensed spectrum, to reduce feedback overhead and make the HARQ-ACK process more reliable, multiple PDSCH groups can be formed when configuring HARQ-ACK retransmission for the UE based on a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback. These PDSCH groups can be associated with one of the following options: i) a set of DL SPS configurations, which, for example, can be selected to have the same period or priority; ii) a set of HARQ-ACK processes; iii) a specific DL SPS configuration (in which case a 1:1 relationship can exist between the PDSCH groups and the DL SPS configurations). In one example of this embodiment, the number of PDSCH groups can be fixed, configurable via higher-layer signaling, or directly related to the number of active DL SPS configurations.

[0042] In one example of this embodiment, when a one-time HARQ-ACK is triggered, the AN can also indicate, via DCI format 1_1 or DCI format 1_2, whether the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is triggered for a single PDSCH group, a group of PDSCH groups, or all PDSCH groups. In the latter case, in one example, this explicit indication can be accomplished as follows:

[0043] A bitmap, consisting of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, where each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback for the corresponding PDSCH group should be provided in a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback. In this case, if all bits of the bitmap are "1" (or "0"), it indicates that HARQ-ACK feedback for all PDSCH groups has been triggered. In one embodiment, instead of a dedicated indication field for triggering one-time HARQ-ACK feedback, this information can be combined with the bitmap. Figure 1 Encoding: If all bits of the bitmap are "0" (or "1"), it implies that no one-time HARQ-ACK feedback has been triggered; if at least one bit of the bitmap is "1" (or "0"), it means that a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback has been triggered.

[0044] • One bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback should be provided for all PDSCH groups or only for a subset of them (e.g., a single PDSCH group), and a set of bits indicates one or more PDSCH groups for which HARQ-ACK feedback should be provided in a single HARQ-ACK feedback. For example, in the case where only two PDSCH groups are formed (e.g., group 1 and group 2), the first bit is used to indicate whether HARQ-ACK feedback should be provided for both group 1 and group 2 in a single HARQ-ACK feedback, while the second bit is used to indicate whether HARQ-ACK feedback should be provided for group 1 or group 2 in a single HARQ-ACK feedback. If the first bit indicating whether HARQ-ACK feedback should be provided for both group 1 and group 2 in a single HARQ-ACK feedback is set to trigger HARQ-ACK feedback for both groups, the information carried by the second bit will be ignored, or the second bit will not be expected / carried.

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is shown in the case of forming two PDSCH groups. Figure 2 In this context, it is assumed that three DL SPS configurations can be active, and the first PDSCH group (i.e., group 1) is associated with DL SPS configurations 1 and 2, while the second PDSCH group (i.e., group 2) is associated with DL SPS configuration 3.

[0046] Enhancement of the HARQ-ACK process in unlicensed spectrum: One-time HARQ-ACK feedback

[0047] In one embodiment, a one-time HARQ-ACK response can be triggered by DCI format 1_2 via an explicit indicator field (i.e., a first indicator field, e.g., a 1-bit field). The presence of this indicator field in DCI format 1_2 can be determined based on an RRC message from the AN, which semi-statically enables / disables one-time HARQ-ACK response.

[0048] In one embodiment, DCI format 1_2 may include an additional indication field (e.g., an additional 1-bit field) indicating whether a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback should be triggered for all prior PDSCHs or a subset of those PDSCHs. The presence of this additional indication field in DCI format 1_2 can be determined based on the RRC message.

[0049] In one embodiment, if two PDSCH groups are formed from prior PDSCHs sent to the UE, the PDSCH can be associated with one of the two PDSCH groups, and DCI format 1_2 may include an additional 1-bit field indicating which of the two PDSCH groups the HARQ-ACK feedback information should be provided for in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback. The presence of this 1-bit field in DCI format 1_2 can be determined based on the RRC message.

[0050] Enhancement of the HARQ-ACK process in licensed or unlicensed spectrum: Non-digital K1

[0051] In one embodiment, a non-digital K1 can be provided to the UE in the licensed spectrum. In the example of this embodiment, the non-digital value K1 can be provided to the UE only for HARQ-ACK feedback information in response to the SPS PDSCH. In this case, if the non-digital value is signaled to the UE, it indicates that the timing of the HARQ-ACK feedback information for the relevant PDSCH will be provided by the subsequent DCI, which will indicate the value of K1 and trigger a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0052] In one embodiment, for operation in licensed or unlicensed spectrum, an additional RRC parameter can be introduced, which allows non-digital K1 to be enabled / disabled semi-statically. Alternatively, additional bits can be introduced in both DCI format 1_1 and DCI format 1_2, allowing non-digital K1 to be enabled / disabled more dynamically.

[0053] In one embodiment, to reduce feedback overhead and make the HARQ-ACK process more reliable, multiple PDSCH groups can be formed. Each PDSCH group can be associated with one of the following options: i) a set of DL SPS configurations, which can be selected, for example, to have the same period or priority; ii) a set of HARQ-ACK processes; iii) a specific DL SPS configuration (in which case a 1:1 relationship can exist between the PDSCH group and the DL SPS configuration). In one embodiment, the number of PDSCH groups can be fixed, configurable via higher-layer signaling, or directly related to the number of active DL SPS configurations.

[0054] In one embodiment, once the value of K1 is provided to the UE, the AN can indicate whether a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is for a single PDSCH group, a set of PDSCH groups, or all PDSCH groups. In the latter case, in one example, this explicit indication can be accomplished using a bitmap of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, and each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for the corresponding PDSCH group should be provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback. In this case, if all bits of the bitmap are "1" (or "0"), it can be indicated that HARQ-ACK feedback information for all PDSCH groups has been triggered.

[0055] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is shown in the case of forming two PDSCH groups and providing a non-digital K1 to the UE.

[0056] Currently, when implementing URLLC operation in unlicensed spectrum, when using a semi-static channel access procedure, the fixed frame period (FFP) is defined as the period during which the initiating device is authorized to initiate transmission upon successful LBT, and the initiating device is authorized to transmit on the currently operating channel within the current FFP to one or more associated responding devices. That is, uplink (UL) and HARQ scheduling must be performed so that UL and HARQ will need to follow (the one they are scheduled to) and occur within that FFP. To overcome this limitation, certain enhancements are required for this type of channel access when using a semi-static channel access procedure.

[0057] In one embodiment, if a semi-static channel access procedure is supported, one of the following options can be supported (the DCI includes a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field in addition to the K1 field, which provides an index to the time slot offset K2):

[0058] 1. In one embodiment, the values ​​of K1 and / or K2 are correctly configured by the AN to prevent cross-FFP scheduling - the values ​​of K1 and / or K2 are linearly related to the length of the FFP;

[0059] 2. In one embodiment, the above enhancements to the HARQ-ACK process may be used, except that the values ​​of K1 and / or K2 are bounded to prevent cross-FFP scheduling;

[0060] 3. In one embodiment, a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is always sent in a specific time slot or symbol of the FFP or in a specific time slot or symbol of each UL burst in a valid FFP (e.g., the first time slot of the UL burst). Figure 4An example of this embodiment is shown, in which a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is associated with a non-digital K1 and occurs at the end of a UL burst. In this embodiment, the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is only available and effective for those time slots that meet the minimum processing time.

[0061] 4. In one embodiment, each PDSCH in a PDSCH group is associated with a group index, and the AN can assign different values ​​to different PDSCH groups at different times. In one embodiment, the AN can trigger HARQ-ACK feedback messages for one or more PDSCH groups within the same FFP, but it can also trigger HARQ-ACK feedback messages for previous PDSCH groups belonging to different FFPs and / or the same FFP, if needed. Figure 5 This situation is illustrated. Since it's impossible to schedule HARQ-ACK feedback for the three PDSCHs with group index = 1 and C-DAI = 1 / 2 / 3 within an FFP, a non-numeric K1 can be used to schedule these three PDSCHs with group index = 1 and C-DAI = 1 / 2 / 3. Thus, the PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK transmission in the next FFP is not scheduled, i.e., there is no cross-FFP scheduling of PUCCH resources. The PDSCH with C-DAI = 4 / 5 in the next FFP is allocated with group index 1. The UE can then deduce the PUCCH resource U2 for HARQ-ACK transmission in the next FFP based on the DCI of the two PDSCHs with C-DAI = 4 / 5. HARQ-ACK feedback for all five PDSCHs with group index = 1 and C-DAI = 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 is transmitted on PUCCH resource U2. If the HARQ-ACK transmission fails in PUCCH resource U1 for the PDSCH with group index = 0 and C-DAI = 1 / 2, the DCI scheduling the PDSCH with C-DAI = 4 / 5 can instruct the UE to report HARQ-ACK feedback information for both group 0 and group 1. That is, HARQ-ACK feedback information is reported on PUCCH resource U2 for the seven PDSCHs with group indices of 0 and 1.

[0062] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another method used in a UE according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 6 As shown, when the UE operates in an unlicensed spectrum, method 600 includes: S602, generating a PUCCH; and S604, repeatedly transmitting the PUCCH three or more times in the time domain.

[0063] In some embodiments, PUCCH is continuously transmitted within the same Channel Occupancy Time (COT).

[0064] Specifically, method 600 involves enhancing the PUCCH repetition of the HARQ-ACK process in unlicensed spectrum.

[0065] In one embodiment, for operations in unlicensed spectrum, more repetitions of the PUCCH are introduced to enhance the reliability of the HARQ-ACK process. For example, 3 and / or 4 and / or 5 and / or 6 and / or 7 and / or 8 and / or 16 repetitions of the PUCCH are supported. In this case, the PUCCH repetitions can be performed continuously within the same COT to support URLLC services on unlicensed spectrum and reduce any latency caused by the LBT process (if there is a gap greater than 16 µs between repetitions).

[0066] In one embodiment, a PUCCH may be sent more than three times only if it is indicated to have or configured with priority index 1 (i.e., high priority).

[0067] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of yet another method used in a UE according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Figure 7 As shown, method 700 may include: S702, generating PUCCH; S704, repeatedly sending PUCCH in a back-to-back manner.

[0068] In some embodiments, the PUCCH is sent with a given number of repetitions, wherein the number of repetitions is provided semi-statically and associated with the resource configuration of the PUCCH, or is provided as part of the DCI for scheduling the PUCCH.

[0069] In some embodiments, for repetitions other than the first repetition of PUCCH, the start symbol of the repetition is calculated based on S0+k*L while reusing the length of the first repetition, where S0 is the start symbol of the first repetition, k is the repetition index starting from 0 and ending at K_PUCCH-1, L is the length of PUCCH, and K is the total number of repetitions.

[0070] In some embodiments, a fixed interval exists between any two repetitions of the PUCCH, and this fixed interval depends on the subcarrier space (SPS) in the frequency domain or is provided by an RRC message from the SN that schedules the PUCCH.

[0071] In some embodiments, when a repeated start symbol and length cause a crossing of a time slot boundary, a PUCCH is sent in the next time slot.

[0072] In some embodiments, when the PUCCH is provided in a sub-slot configuration, the PUCCH is transmitted back-to-back.

[0073] In some embodiments, method 700 may further include: discarding the PUCCH repetition when it conflicts with a downlink (DL) symbol or other symbols that are not permitted for PUCCH mapping.

[0074] In some embodiments, method 700 may further include: applying codebook compression to a set of HARQ-ACK feedback information mapped to PUCCH for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions, wherein the set of HARQ-ACK feedback information is converted into 1-bit HARQ-ACK feedback through logical operations.

[0075] Specifically, method 700 involves enhancing the PUCCH repetition of the HARQ-ACK process in the licensed spectrum.

[0076] In one embodiment, back-to-back repetition can be introduced for PUCCHs in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum, wherein the PUCCH may consist of only a short PUCCH (PF0 or PF2), or both a short PUCCH and a long PUCCH (PF1 or PF3), and the long PUCCH may be limited by a symbol length of Y, where Y may be, for example, 7 or another value from 4 to 14. Back-to-back repetition is implemented in the following manner:

[0077] - Configure the repetition count K_PUCCH for a given PUCCH resource or PUCCH resource configuration. The repetition count can be provided semi-statically and associated with a given PUCCH resource configuration index, or it can be provided as part of the DCI for scheduling PUCCHs, for example, for HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0078] - The first repetition may be the same as in the case of a single PUCCH format, while the repetition of PUCCH is performed back-to-back, that is, the length of the first repetition is reused and the start symbol is calculated according to S0+k*L, where S0 is the start symbol of the first repetition, k is the repetition index starting from 0 and ending at k_PUCCH-1, and L is the length of PUCCH. Figure 8 The upper diagram shows two repetitions.

[0079] - Alternatively, PUCCH repetition can be performed with intervals of Z symbols, where Z can be fixed (depending on SCS) or provided by RRC messages. For example, Z can be 0, 0, 1, and 2 symbols for 15, 30, 60, and 120 kHz, respectively.

[0080] - In addition, when the repeating start symbol and length cause the crossing of time slot boundaries, the repeating can continue in the next time slot in a back-to-back manner, subject to the conflict and priority order of the repeating symbols.

[0081] In one embodiment, back-to-back repetition of PUCCH is configured only when PUCCH is provided in a sub-slot configuration, so that from the perspective of PUCCH resource mapping, the slot is reinterpreted as a length of 2, 4, or 7 symbols.

[0082] In one embodiment, if a PUCCH repetition conflicts with a DL symbol or other symbols that are not permitted for PUCCH mapping, the PUCCH repetition can be discarded, while other repetitions that do not conflict with DL symbols or other symbols that are not permitted for PUCCH mapping can still be sent. This is in Figure 9 As shown in the image.

[0083] In one embodiment, if each PUCCH conflicts with a separate PUSCH, the PUCCH conflict with the PUSCH can be resolved by repeating it on a per-repetition basis. If K_c repetitions of the PUCCH conflict with one actual repetition of the PUSCH, the PUCCH can be multiplexed onto the PUSCH, and the coding rate used for uplink control information (UCI) calculation can be scaled by a factor of K_c relative to one repetition of the PUCCH multiplexed onto the PUSCH.

[0084] In one embodiment, a set of HARQ-ACK feedback messages mapped to the PUCCH for DL ​​SPS transmissions can be configured to enable codebook compression. This set of HARQ-ACK feedback messages mapped to the PUCCH is converted to a 1-bit HARQ-ACK by applying logical OR; that is, if at least one ACK is multiplexed, an ACK (positive acknowledgment) is sent, otherwise a NACK is sent. Alternatively, logical AND can be applied; that is, if all feedback messages in the set of HARQ-ACK feedback messages are ACKs, an ACK is sent, otherwise a NACK is sent. Whether compression, logical AND, and logical OR are applied are all configurable.

[0085] System and Implementation

[0086] Figure 10-11 Various systems, devices, and components are shown that can implement multiple aspects of the disclosed embodiments.

[0087] Figure 10 Schematic diagrams of a network 1000 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. The network 1000 can operate in a manner consistent with the 3GPP technical specifications of Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 5G / NR systems. However, exemplary embodiments are not limited in this respect, and the described embodiments can be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems, etc.

[0088] Network 1000 may include UE 1002, which may include any mobile or non-mobile computing device designed to communicate with Radio Access Network (RAN) 1004 via an over-the-air connection. UE 1002 may be, but is not limited to, smartphones, tablets, wearable computing devices, desktop computers, laptops, in-vehicle infotainment devices, in-vehicle entertainment devices, dashboards, head-up displays, in-vehicle diagnostic devices, dashboard mobile devices, mobile data terminals, electronic engine management systems, electronic / engine control units, electronic / engine control modules, embedded systems, sensors, microcontrollers, control modules, engine management systems, network devices, machine-to-machine (M2M) or device-to-device (D2D) devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc.

[0089] In some embodiments, network 1000 may include multiple UEs that are directly coupled to each other via secondary link interfaces. The UEs may be M2M / D2D devices that communicate using physical secondary link channels (e.g., but not limited to physical secondary link broadcast channel (PSBCH), physical secondary link discovery channel (PSDCH), physical secondary link shared channel (PSSCH), physical secondary link control channel (PSCCH), physical secondary link basic channel (PSFCH), etc.).

[0090] In some embodiments, UE 1002 can also communicate with access point (AP) 1006 via an over-the-air connection. AP 1006 can manage wireless local area network (WLAN) connections and can be used to offload some / all network traffic from RAN 1004. The connection between UE 1002 and AP 1006 can be consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, wherein AP 1006 can be Wireless Fibre Channel. Router. In some embodiments, UE 1002, RAN 1004, and AP 1006 may utilize cellular WLAN aggregation (e.g., LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) / Lightweight IP (LWIP)). Cellular WLAN aggregation may involve RAN 1004 configuring UE 1002 to utilize both cellular radio resources and WLAN resources.

[0091] RAN 1004 may include one or more access nodes, such as Access Node (AN) 1008. AN 1008 can terminate the air interface protocol of UE 1002 by providing access layer protocols including Radio Resource Control (RRC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and L1 protocol. In this way, AN 1008 enables data / voice connectivity between Core Network (CN) 1020 and UE 1002. In some embodiments, AN 1008 may be implemented in discrete devices or as one or more software entities running on a server computer (as part of, for example, a virtual network, which may be referred to as a Distributed RAN (CRAN) or a virtual baseband unit pool). AN 1008 may be referred to as a Base Station (BS), Next Generation Base Station (gNB), RAN Node, Evolved Node B (eNB), Next Generation eNB (ng eNB), Node B (NodeB), Roadside Unit (RSU), TRxP, Transmit / Receive Point (TRP), etc. AN1008 can be a macro cell base station or a low-power base station, used to provide micro cells, pico cells, or other similar cells with smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macro cells.

[0092] In embodiments where RAN 1004 includes multiple ANs, they can be coupled to each other via an X2 interface (if RAN 1004 is an LTE RAN) or an Xn interface (if RAN 1004 is a 5G RAN). In some embodiments, the X2 / Xn interfaces, which can be separated into control / user plane interfaces, can allow ANs to transmit and handover, data / context transfer, mobility, load management, interference coordination, and other related information.

[0093] The AN of RAN 1004 can manage one or more cells, cell groups, component carriers, etc., to provide an air interface for network access to UE 1002. UE 1002 can simultaneously connect to multiple cells provided by the same or different ANs of RAN 1004. For example, UE 1002 and RAN 1004 can use carrier aggregation to allow UE 1002 to connect to multiple component carriers, each component carrier corresponding to a primary cell (Pcell) or a secondary cell (Scell). In a dual-connectivity scenario, the first AN can be the primary network node providing the primary cell group (MCG), and the second AN can be the secondary network node providing the secondary cell group (SCG). The first / second AN can be any combination of eNB, gNB, ng eNB, etc.

[0094] RAN 1004 can provide an air interface on both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. To operate in unlicensed spectrum, nodes can use Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), enhanced LAA (eLAA), and / or further enhanced LAA (feLAA) mechanisms based on PCell / Scell ​​carrier aggregation (CA) technology. Before accessing unlicensed spectrum, nodes can perform medium / carrier sensing operations based on, for example, a Listen-After-Speak (LBT) protocol.

[0095] In a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenario, UE 1002 or AN 1008 can be or act as a roadside unit (RSU), which can refer to any transportation infrastructure entity used for V2X communication. The RSU can be implemented in or by a suitable AN or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE. An RSU implemented in or by a UE can be referred to as a "UE-type RSU"; an RSU implemented in or by an eNB can be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU"; an RSU implemented in or by a next-generation NodeB (gNB) can be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU," and so on. In one example, the RSU is a computing device coupled to radio frequency circuitry located on the roadside, providing connectivity support to passing vehicle UEs. The RSU may also include internal data storage circuitry for storing intersection map geometry, traffic statistics, media, and applications / software for sensing and controlling ongoing vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The RSU can provide very low-latency communication required for high-speed events such as collision avoidance, traffic warnings, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the RSU can provide other cellular / WLAN communication services. RSU components can be enclosed in a weatherproof enclosure suitable for outdoor installation and may include a network interface controller to provide wired connectivity (e.g., Ethernet) to traffic signal controllers or backhaul networks.

[0096] In some embodiments, RAN 1004 may be LTE RAN 1010, which includes an evolved Node B (eNB), such as eNB 1012. LTE RAN 1010 can provide an LTE air interface with the following characteristics: a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 15 kHz; a single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) waveform for uplink (UL) and a cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CP-OFDM) waveform for downlink (DL); turbo codes for data and TBCC for control, etc. The LTE air interface may rely on Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) for CSI acquisition and beam management; rely on Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) / Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) for PDSCH / PDCCH demodulation; and rely on Cell Reference Signal (CRS) for cell search and initial acquisition, channel quality measurement, and channel estimation, and rely on channel estimation for coherent demodulation / detection at the UE. The LTE air interface can operate on a sub-6 GHz band.

[0097] In some embodiments, RAN 1004 may be a next-generation (NG)-RAN 1014 with a gNB (e.g., gNB 1016) or a gn-eNB (e.g., ng-eNB 1018). gNB 1016 can connect to a 5G-enabled UE using a 5G NR interface. gNB 1016 can connect to the 5G core via an NG interface, which may include an N2 interface or an N3 interface. ng-eNB 1018 can also connect to the 5G core via an NG interface, but can connect to the UE via an LTE air interface. gNB 1016 and ng-eNB 1018 can connect to each other via an Xn interface.

[0098] In some embodiments, the NG interface can be divided into two parts: the NG user plane (NG-U) interface and the NG control plane (NG-C) interface. The former carries traffic data between the nodes of UPF 1048 and NG-RAN 1014 (e.g., the N3 interface), while the latter is the signaling interface between the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 1044 and the nodes of NG-RAN 1014 (e.g., the N2 interface).

[0099] NG-RAN 1014 can provide a 5G-NR air interface with the following features: Variable Subcarrier Spacing (SCS); Cyclic Prefix-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CP-OFDM) for downlink (DL), CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM for UL; Polarity, Repetition, Simplex, and Reed-Muller codes for control, and Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes for data. The 5G-NR air interface can rely on Channel State Reference Signals (CSI-RS) and PDSCH / PDCCH Demodulation Reference Signals (DMRS) similar to those used in the LTE air interface. The 5G-NR air interface may not use Cell Reference Signals (CRS), but can use Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) Demodulation Reference Signals (DMRS) for PBCH demodulation; Phase Tracking Reference Signals (PTRS) for PDSCH phase tracking; and Tracking Reference Signals for time tracking. The 5G-NR air interface can operate on the FR1 band, which includes the sub-6GHz band, or the FR2 band, which includes the 24.25GHz to 52.6GHz band. The 5G-NR air interface can include synchronization signals and PBCH blocks (SSBs), where an SSB is an area of ​​the downlink resource grid that includes the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and PBCH.

[0100] In some embodiments, the 5G-NR air interface can use the bandwidth portion (BWP) for various purposes. For example, the BWP can be used for dynamic adaptation of the SCS. For instance, UE 1002 can be configured with multiple BWPs, each configured with a different SCS. When a BWP is indicated to UE 1002 for a change, the transmitted SCS also changes. Another use case for BWPs relates to power saving. Specifically, multiple BWPs with different numbers of frequency resources (e.g., PRBs) can be configured for UE 1002 to support data transmission under different traffic load scenarios. A BWP containing fewer PRBs can be used for data transmission with lower traffic loads, while allowing power saving at UE 1002 and, in some cases, at gNB 1016. A BWP containing more PRBs can be used for scenarios with higher traffic loads.

[0101] RAN 1004 is communicatively coupled to CN 1020, which includes network elements, to provide various functions supporting data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 1002). Components of CN1020 can be implemented in a single physical node or in different physical nodes. In some embodiments, Network Function Virtualization (NFV) can be used to virtualize any or all of the functions provided by the network elements of CN1020 onto physical computing / storage resources such as servers, switches, etc. A logical instance of CN 1020 can be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instance of a portion of CN 1020 can be referred to as a network subslice.

[0102] In some embodiments, CN 1020 may be LTE CN 1022, or may be referred to as EPC. LTE CN 1022 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 1024, a Serving Gateway (SGW) 1026, a Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN) 1028, a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 1030, a Proxy Gateway (PGW) 1032, and a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 1034, as shown in the figure. These components are coupled to each other through interfaces (or "reference points"). The functions of the elements of LTE CN 1022 can be briefly described below.

[0103] MME 1024 enables mobility management functions to track the current location of UE 1002, thereby facilitating paging, bearer activation / deactivation, handover, gateway selection, authentication, and other functions.

[0104] The SGW 1026 can terminate the S1 interface toward the RAN and route data packets between the RAN and the LTE CN 1022. The SGW 1026 can serve as a local mobility anchor for handover between RAN nodes and can also provide anchoring for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include lawful interception, charging, and some policy enforcement.

[0105] SGSN 1028 can track the location of UE 1002 and perform security functions and access control. Additionally, SGSN 1028 can perform EPC inter-node signaling for mobility between different RAT networks; PDN and S-GW selection specified by MME 1024; MME selection for handover, etc. The S3 reference point between MME 1024 and SGSN 1028 enables the exchange of user and bearer information for 3GPP indirect network access mobility in idle / active states.

[0106] The HSS 1030 may include a database for network users, containing subscription-related information that supports network entities in handling communication sessions. The HSS 1030 can provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / addressing resolution, location dependencies, etc. An S6a reference point between the HSS 1030 and the MME 1024 enables the transmission of subscription and authentication data for authenticating / authorizing user access to the LTE CN 1020.

[0107] PGW 1032 can terminate the SGi interface toward a data network (DN) 1036, which may include an application / content server 1038. PGW 1032 can route data packets between the LTE CN 1022 and the data network 1036. PGW 1032 can be coupled to SGW 1026 via an S5 reference point to facilitate user plane tunneling and tunnel management. PGW 1032 may also include nodes for policy enforcement and charging data collection (e.g., PCEF). Additionally, the SGi reference point between PGW 1032 and the data network 1036 can be, for example, an external public or private PDN or an internal packet data network for providing IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services. PGW 1032 can be coupled to PCRF 1034 via a Gx reference point.

[0108] PCRF 1034 is the policy and charging control element of LTE CN 1022. PCRF 1034 can be communicatively coupled to application / content server 1038 to determine appropriate Quality of Service (QoS) and charging parameters for service flows. PCRF 1032 can provide relevant rules to PCEF (via Gx reference point) with appropriate Service Flow Template (TFT) and QoS Class Identifier (QCI).

[0109] In some embodiments, CN 1020 may be a 5G core network (5GC) 1040. 5GC 1040 may include an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 1042, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 1044, Session Management Function (SMF) 1046, User Plane Function (UPF) 1048, Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 1050, Network Open Function (NEF) 1052, Network NF Storage Function (NRF) 1054, Policy Control Function (PCF) 1056, Unified Data Management (UDM) 1058, and Application Function (AF) 1060, as shown in the figure. These functions are coupled to each other through interfaces (or "reference points"). The functions of the components of 5GC 1040 can be briefly described below.

[0110] The AUSF 1042 can store data for UE 1002 authentication and handle authentication-related functions. The AUSF 1042 facilitates a common authentication framework for various access types. In addition to communicating with other components of the 5GC 1040 via a reference point, as shown in the figure, the AUSF 1042 can also demonstrate an interface based on Nausf services.

[0111] AMF 1044 allows other functions of 5GC 1040 to communicate with UE 1002 and RAN 1004 and subscribe to notifications about mobility events for UE 1002. AMF 1044 can handle registration management (e.g., registering UE 1002), connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception of AMF-related events, and access authentication and authorization. AMF 1044 can provide the transmission of Session Management (SM) messages between UE 1002 and SMF 1046 and acts as a transparent broker for routing SM messages. AMF 1044 can also provide the transmission of SMS messages between UE 1002 and the SMSF. AMF 1044 can interact with AUSF 1042 and UE 1002 to perform various security anchoring and context management functions. Furthermore, AMF 1044 can be the termination point of the RANCP interface, which may include or be the N2 reference point between RAN 1004 and AMF 1044; AMF 1044 can serve as the termination point for NAS (N1) signaling and perform NAS encryption and integrity protection. AMF 1044 can also support NAS signaling with UE 1002 via the N3 IWF interface.

[0112] SMF 1046 can be responsible for SM (e.g., tunnel management and session establishment between UPF 1048 and AN 1008); UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization); selection and control of UP functions; configuring flow control at UPF 1048 to route traffic to appropriate destinations; termination of interfaces to policy control functions; control of policy enforcement, charging, and QoS as a part; lawful interception (for SM events and interfaces to the LI system); termination of the SM portion of NAS messages; downlink data notification; initiating AN-specific SM information (sent to AN 1008 on N2 via AMF 1044); and determining the SSC mode of the session. SM can refer to the management of PDU sessions, and a PDU session or "session" can refer to the PDU connectivity service that provides or enables PDU exchange between UE 1002 and data network 1036.

[0113] The UPF 1048 can be used as an anchor point for mobility within and between RATs, an external PDU session point interconnecting with the data network 1036, and a branch point supporting multi-homed PDU sessions. The UPF 1048 can also perform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane portion of policy rules, lawful packet interception (IP collection), traffic usage reporting, QoS processing for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), uplink traffic authentication (e.g., SDF-to-QoS flow mapping), transport-level packet marking in uplink and downlink, and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 1048 may include an uplink classifier to support traffic flow routing to the data network.

[0114] The NSSF 1050 can select a set of network slice instances to serve UE 1002. If needed, the NSSF 1050 can also determine the allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and the mapping to the subscribed individual NSSAI (S-NSSAI). The NSSF 1050 can also determine the set of AMFs to be used to serve UE 1002 based on appropriate configuration and possibly by querying the NRF 1054, or determine a list of candidate AMFs. The selection of a set of network slice instances for UE 1002 can be triggered by the AMF 1044 (to which UE 1002 registers by interacting with the NSSF 1050), resulting in a change of AMF. The NSSF 1050 can interact with the AMF 1044 via the N22 reference point; and can communicate with another NSSF in the access network via the N31 reference point (not shown). Furthermore, the NSSF 1050 can expose an interface based on NNSSF services.

[0115] The NEF 1052 can securely expose services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions to third parties, internal exposure / re-exposure, AFs (e.g., AF1060), edge computing, or fog computing systems. In these embodiments, the NEF 1052 can authenticate, authorize, or restrict AFs. The NEF 1052 can also translate information exchanged with the AF 1060 and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 1052 can translate between AF service identifiers and internal 5GC information. The NEF 1052 can also receive information from other NFs based on their exposed capabilities. This information can be stored as structured data at the NEF 1052 or stored at a data storage NF using a standardized interface. The NEF 1052 can then re-expose the stored information to other NFs and AFs, or use it for other purposes such as analytics. Additionally, the NEF 1052 can expose interfaces based on Nnef services.

[0116] NRF 1054 supports service discovery, receiving NF discovery requests from NF instances and providing information about discovered NF instances to them. NRF 1054 also maintains information about available NF instances and the services they support. As used herein, the terms "instantiation," "instance," etc., can refer to the creation of an instance, and an "instance" can refer to the concrete occurrence of an object, such as during program code execution. Furthermore, NRF 1054 can demonstrate interfaces based on NRF services.

[0117] The PCF 1056 can provide policy rules to control plane functions to execute them, and can also support a unified policy framework to manage network behavior. The PCF 1056 can also implement a front-end to access subscription information related to policy decisions in the UDR of the UDM 1058. In addition to communicating with functions via reference points as shown in the figure, the PCF 1056 also demonstrates an interface based on Npcf services.

[0118] UDM 1058 can process subscription-related information to support network entities in handling communication sessions and can store subscription data for UE 1002. For example, subscription data can be transmitted via the N8 reference point between UDM 1058 and AMF 1044. UDM 1058 can include two parts: an application front-end and a User Data Record (UDR). The UDR can store policy data and subscription data for UDM 1058 and PCF 1056, and / or structured data and application data for exposure (including PFDs for application detection and application request information for multiple UEs 1002) for NEF 1052. UDR 221 can expose a Nudr service-based interface to allow UDM 1058, PCF 1056, and NEF 1052 to access specific sets of stored data, as well as to read, update (e.g., add, modify), delete, and receive notifications of relevant data changes in the subscription UDR. UDM may include UDM-FE (UDM front-end), which is responsible for handling credentials, location management, subscription management, etc. Several different front-ends can provide services to the same user in different transactions. The UDM-FE accesses subscription information stored in the UDR and performs authentication credential processing, user identification processing, access authorization, registration / mobility management, and subscription management. In addition to communicating with other NFs via reference points as shown in the figure, the UDM 1058 can also demonstrate interfaces based on Nudm services.

[0119] The AF 1060 can provide application impact on service routing, provide access to NEF, and interact with the policy framework for policy control.

[0120] In some embodiments, 5GC 1040 can enable edge computing by selecting an operator / third-party service that is geographically close to the point where UE 1002 connects to the network. This can reduce latency and load on the network. To provide edge computing implementation, 5GC 1040 can select a UPF 1048 close to UE 1002 and perform traffic routing from UPF 1048 to data network 1036 via the N6 interface. This can be based on UE subscription data, UE location, and information provided by AF 1060. In this way, AF 1060 can influence UPF (re)selection and service routing. Based on operator deployment, when AF 1060 is considered a trusted entity, the network operator can allow AF 1060 to interact directly with the relevant NF. In addition, AF 1060 can expose an interface based on Naf services.

[0121] Data network 1036 can represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third-party services that can be provided by one or more servers (including, for example, application / content server 1038).

[0122] Figure 11 A wireless network 1100 according to various embodiments is schematically illustrated. The wireless network 1100 may include a UE 1102 that communicates wirelessly with an AN 1104. The UE 1102 and the AN 1104 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with components of the same name described elsewhere herein.

[0123] UE 1102 can be communicatively coupled to AN 1104 via connection 1106. Connection 1106 is shown as an air interface to enable communication coupling and can operate at millimeter wave or sub-6 GHz frequencies according to cellular communication protocols such as LTE or 5G NR.

[0124] UE 1102 may include a host platform 1108 coupled to a modem platform 1110. Host platform 1108 may include application processing circuitry 1112, which may be coupled to protocol processing circuitry 1114 of modem platform 1110. Application processing circuitry 1112 may run various applications for UE 1102 to process source / receive application data. Application processing circuitry 1112 may also implement one or more layer operations to send / receive application data to / from a data network. These layer operations may include transport (e.g., UDP) and Internet (e.g., IP) operations.

[0125] Protocol processing circuitry 1114 can implement one or more layer operations to facilitate the transmission or reception of data via connection 1106. Layer operations implemented by protocol processing circuitry 1114 may include, for example, Media Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), RRC, and Non-Access Stratum (NAS) operations.

[0126] The modem platform 1110 may further include digital baseband circuitry 1116, which can implement one or more layer operations "below" the layer operations performed by protocol processing circuitry 1114 in the network protocol stack. These operations may include, for example, one or more of the following PHY operations: HARQ-ACK function, scrambling / descrambling, encoding / decoding, layer mapping / demapping, modulation symbol mapping, received symbol / bit metric determination, multi-antenna port precoding / decoding. These functions may include one or more of the following: space-time, space-frequency, or spatial coding, reference signal generation / detection, preamble sequence generation and / or decoding, synchronization sequence generation / detection, blind decoding of control channel signals, and other related functions.

[0127] The modem platform 1110 may further include transmitting circuitry 1118, receiving circuitry 1120, RF circuitry 1122, and RF front-end (RFFE) circuitry 1124, which may include or be connected to one or more antenna panels 1126. In short, transmitting circuitry 1118 may include a digital-to-analog converter, a mixer, an intermediate frequency (IF) component, etc.; receiving circuitry 1120 may include an analog-to-digital converter, a mixer, an IF component, etc.; RF circuitry 1122 may include a low-noise amplifier, a power amplifier, a power point tracking component, etc.; and RFFE circuitry 1124 may include filters (e.g., surface acoustic wave filters), switches, antenna tuners, beamforming components (e.g., phased array antenna components), etc. The selection and arrangement of components such as the transmitting circuit 1118, receiving circuit 1120, RF circuit 1122, RFFE circuit 1124, and antenna panel 1126 (collectively referred to as the "transmit / receive assembly") can be specific to implementation details, such as whether the communication is time division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency division multiplexing (FDM), at mmWave or below 6 GHz frequencies, etc. In some embodiments, the transmit / receive assembly can be arranged in multiple parallel transmit / receive chains and can be arranged in the same or different chips / modules, etc.

[0128] In some embodiments, the protocol processing circuit 1114 may include one or more instances of control circuitry (not shown) to provide control functions for the transmitting / receiving components.

[0129] UE reception can be established via and through antenna panel 1126, RFFE circuit 1124, RF circuit 1122, receiving circuit 1120, digital baseband circuit 1116, and protocol processing circuit 1114. In some embodiments, antenna panel 1126 can receive transmissions from AN 1104 by receiving beamforming signals received by a plurality of antennas / antenna elements of one or more antenna panels 1126.

[0130] UE transmission can be established via and through protocol processing circuitry 1114, digital baseband circuitry 1116, transmission circuitry 1118, RF circuitry 1122, RFFE circuitry 1124, and antenna panel 1126. In some embodiments, the transmission component of UE 1102 can apply spatial filtering to the data to be transmitted to form a transmission beam transmitted by the antenna elements of antenna panel 1126.

[0131] Similar to UE 1102, AN 1104 may include a host platform 1128 coupled to modem platform 1130. Host platform 1128 may include application processing circuitry 1132 coupled to protocol processing circuitry 1134 of modem platform 1130. Modem platform may also include digital baseband circuitry 1136, transmit circuitry 1138, receive circuitry 1140, RF circuitry 1142, RFFE circuitry 1144, and antenna panel 1146. Components of AN 1104 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with their counterparts in UE 1102. In addition to performing data transmission / reception as described above, components of AN 1104 may perform various logical functions, including, for example, Radio Network Controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management, and packet scheduling.

[0132] Figure 12 This is a block diagram illustrating components capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and performing any or more methods discussed herein, according to some example embodiments. Specifically, Figure 12 A schematic diagram of hardware resource 1200 is shown, which includes one or more processors (or processor cores) 1210, one or more memory / storage devices 1220, and one or more communication resources 1230, wherein each of these processors, memory / storage devices, and communication resources can be communicatively coupled via bus 1240 or other interface circuitry. For embodiments utilizing node virtualization (e.g., Network Functions Virtualization (NFV)), a hypervisor 1202 can be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / subslices to utilize hardware resource 1200.

[0133] Processor 1210 may include, for example, processor 1212 and processor 1214. Processor 1210 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP) such as a baseband processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor (including those discussed herein), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0134] The memory / storage device 1220 may include main memory, disk storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage device 1220 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile, non-volatile, or semi-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, etc.

[0135] Communication resource 1230 may include an interconnect or network interface controller, component, or other suitable device for communicating with one or more peripheral devices 1204 or one or more databases 1206 or other network elements via network 1208. For example, communication resource 1230 may include wired communication components (e.g., for coupling via USB, Ethernet, etc.), cellular communication components, near field communication (NFC) components, etc. (or Low-energy components Components and other communication components.

[0136] Instructions 1250 may include software, programs, application programs, applets, or other executable code for causing at least any one of processors 1210 to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Instructions 1250 may reside wholly or partially within processor 1210 (e.g., in the processor's cache), memory / storage device 1220, or any suitable combination thereof. Furthermore, any portion of instructions 1250 may be transferred from any combination of peripheral device 1204 or database 1206 to hardware resource 1200. Therefore, the memory of processor 1210, memory / storage device 1220, peripheral device 1204, and database 1206 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0137] The following paragraphs describe examples of various embodiments.

[0138] Example 1 includes an apparatus for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and processor circuitry coupled to the RF interface, wherein, when the UE operates in licensed or unlicensed spectrum, the processor circuitry: receives downlink control information (DCI) including a first indication field for triggering a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback for a HARQ-ACK process; and transmits the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback via the RF interface.

[0139] Example 2 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes: HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions; HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for DL ​​SPS transmissions that have been dropped; HARQ-ACK feedback information for all HARQ-ACK processes regardless of the HARQ-ACK processes assigned to DL SPS transmissions; or HARQ-ACK feedback information for a set of HARQ-ACK processes specified by the access node (AN) that sent the DCI.

[0140] Example 3 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: determine the presence of the first indication field in the DCI based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from an access node (AN) that transmits the DCI.

[0141] Example 4 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein multiple PDSCH groups are formed from prior physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) sent from the access node (AN) that transmits the DCI to the UE, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is triggered for the multiple PDSCH groups.

[0142] Example 5 includes the apparatus described in Example 4, wherein the PDSCH group in the PDSCH group is associated with one of the following options: a set of DL SPS configurations, a set of HARQ-ACK processes, and a DL SPS configuration.

[0143] Example 6 includes the apparatus described in Example 4, wherein the DCI further includes a second indication field for indicating one or more PDSCH groups, wherein HARQ-ACK feedback information for the one or more PDSCH groups should be provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0144] Example 7 includes the apparatus described in Example 6, wherein the second indication field includes a bitmap consisting of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, and each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for the corresponding PDSCH group should be provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0145] Example 8 includes the apparatus described in Example 6, wherein the second indication field includes a bit for indicating whether HARQ-ACK feedback information should be provided for all PDSCH groups or a subset of these PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback, and a set of bits for indicating that HARQ-ACK feedback information should be provided for one or more PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0146] Example 9 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: receive a prior DCI, the prior DCI including a PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator (K1) field having a non-numeric value; and, in response to the K1 field having a non-numeric value, provide HARQ-ACK feedback information for a semi-static scheduling (SPS) PDSCH scheduled by the prior DCI in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0147] Example 10 includes the apparatus described in Example 9, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: determine the presence of the K1 field having the non-numeric value in the prior DCI based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the access node (AN) that transmitted the prior DCI.

[0148] Example 11 includes the apparatus described in Example 9, wherein the prior DCI further includes additional bits for indicating the presence of the K1 field having the non-numeric value in the prior DCI.

[0149] Example 12 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and at least one of the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 being linearly related to the length of a fixed frame period (FFP).

[0150] Example 13 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 having upper bounds.

[0151] Example 14 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured, when the UE is operating in the unlicensed spectrum, to: transmit the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback in a slot or symbol of a fixed frame period (FFP) or in a slot or symbol of each uplink (UL) burst in the FFP, wherein one or more physical downlink shared channels (PDSCH) have initially been transmitted in the FFP.

[0152] Example 15 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes HARQ-ACK feedback information for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in the same Fixed Frame Period (FFP) or different FFPs, the different FFPs including one or more FFPs in which the PDSCH was originally transmitted.

[0153] Example 16 includes an apparatus for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and processor circuitry coupled to the RF interface, wherein, when the UE is operating in an unlicensed spectrum, the processor circuitry: generates a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); and repeatedly transmits the PUCCH more than three times in the time domain via the RF interface.

[0154] Example 17 includes the apparatus described in Example 16, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted continuously within the same Channel Occupancy Time (COT).

[0155] Example 18 includes an apparatus for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and processor circuitry coupled to the RF interface, wherein the processor circuitry: generates a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); and repeatedly transmits the PUCCH in a back-to-back manner via the RF interface.

[0156] Example 19 includes the apparatus of Example 18, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted with a given number of repetitions, wherein the number of repetitions is provided semi-statically and associated with the resource configuration of the PUCCH, or is provided as part of downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling the PUCCH.

[0157] Example 20 includes the apparatus of Example 18, wherein, for repetitions other than the initial repetition of the PUCCH, the length of the initial repetition is reused while the start symbol of the repetition is calculated according to S0 + k * L, where S0 is the start symbol of the initial repetition, k is the repetition index starting from 0 and ending at K_PUCCH-1, L is the length of the PUCCH, and K_PUCCH is the total number of repetitions.

[0158] Example 21 includes the apparatus of Example 18, wherein a fixed gap exists between any two repetitions of the PUCCH, the fixed gap depending on the subcarrier spacing (SPS) in the frequency domain or provided by a radio resource control (RRC) message from the access node (AN) scheduling the PUCCH.

[0159] Example 22 includes the apparatus described in Example 20, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted in the next time slot when the repeated start symbol and length cause a crossing of the time slot boundary.

[0160] Example 23 includes the apparatus described in Example 18, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted back-to-back when it is provided in a sub-slot configuration.

[0161] Example 24 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 18 to 23, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: discard the repeat of the PUCCH when the repeat of the PUCCH conflicts with a downlink (DL) symbol or other symbols that are not permitted for PUCCH mapping.

[0162] Example 25 includes the apparatus described in Example 18, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: apply codebook compression to a set of HARQ-ACK feedback information mapped to the PUCCH for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions, wherein the set of HARQ-ACK feedback information is converted into 1-bit HARQ-ACK feedback using logical operations.

[0163] Example 26 includes a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive downlink control information (DCI) including a first indication field for triggering a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback for a HARQ-ACK process; and transmit the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback via the RF interface.

[0164] Example 27 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes: HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions; HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for DL ​​SPS transmissions that have been dropped; HARQ-ACK feedback information for all HARQ-ACK processes regardless of the HARQ-ACK processes allocated to DLSPS transmissions; or HARQ-ACK feedback information for a set of HARQ-ACK processes specified by the access node (AN) that sent the DCI.

[0165] Example 28 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: determine the presence of the first indication field in the DCI based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from an access node (AN) that transmitted the DCI.

[0166] Example 29 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein a plurality of PDSCH groups are formed from prior physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) sent from the access node (AN) that transmits the DCI to the UE, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is triggered for the plurality of PDSCH groups.

[0167] Example 30 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 29, wherein the PDSCH group in the PDSCH group is associated with one of the following options: a set of DL SPS configurations, a set of HARQ-ACK processes, and a DL SPS configuration.

[0168] Example 31 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 29, wherein the DCI further includes a second indication field for indicating one or more PDSCH groups, wherein HARQ-ACK feedback information for the one or more PDSCH groups should be provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0169] Example 32 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 31, wherein the second indication field includes a bitmap consisting of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, and each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for the corresponding PDSCH group should be provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0170] Example 33 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 31, wherein the second indication field includes a bit for indicating whether HARQ-ACK feedback information should be provided for all PDSCH groups or a subset of these PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback, and a set of bits for indicating that HARQ-ACK feedback information should be provided for one or more PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0171] Example 34 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: receive a prior DCI, the prior DCI including a PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator (K1) field having a non-numeric value; and, in response to the K1 field having the non-numeric value, provide HARQ-ACK feedback information for a semi-static scheduling (SPS) PDSCH scheduled by the prior DCI in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0172] Example 35 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 34, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: determine the presence of the K1 field having the non-numeric value in the prior DCI based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the access node (AN) that sent the prior DCI.

[0173] Example 36 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 34, wherein the prior DCI further includes additional bits for indicating the presence of the K1 field having the non-numeric value in the prior DCI.

[0174] Example 37 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and at least one of the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 being linearly related to the length of a fixed frame period (FFP).

[0175] Example 38 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a time slot offset K2, and the values ​​of the K1 field and the time slot offset K2 having upper bounds.

[0176] Example 39 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the instructions further cause the one or more processors, when the UE is operating in the unlicensed spectrum, to transmit the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback in a slot or symbol of a fixed frame period (FFP) or in a slot or symbol of each uplink (UL) burst in the FFP, wherein one or more physical downlink shared channels (PDSCH) have initially been transmitted in the FFP.

[0177] Example 40 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 26, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes HARQ-ACK feedback information for the same fixed frame period (FFP) or different FFPs, the different FFPs including one or more FFPs in which the PDSCH was originally transmitted.

[0178] Example 41 includes a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: generate a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and repeatedly transmit the PUCCH more than three times in the time domain when a user equipment (UE) is operating in an unlicensed spectrum.

[0179] Example 42 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 41, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted continuously during the same Channel Occupancy Time (COT).

[0180] Example 43 includes a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: generate a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH); and repeatedly transmit the PUCCH in a back-to-back manner via a radio frequency (RF) interface.

[0181] Example 44 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 43, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted with a given number of repetitions, wherein the number of repetitions is provided semi-statically and associated with the resource configuration of the PUCCH, or is provided as part of downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling the PUCCH.

[0182] Example 45 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 43, wherein, for repetitions other than the initial repetition of the PUCCH, the length of the initial repetition is reused while the start symbol of the repetition is calculated according to S0+k*L, where S0 is the start symbol of the initial repetition, k is the repetition index starting from 0 and ending at K_PUCCH-1, L is the length of the PUCCH, and K_PUCCH is the total number of repetitions.

[0183] Example 46 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 43, wherein a fixed gap exists between any two repetitions of the PUCCH, the fixed gap depending on the subcarrier spacing (SPS) in the frequency domain or provided by a radio resource control (RRC) message from the access node (AN) scheduling the PUCCH.

[0184] Example 47 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 45, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted in the next time slot when the repeating start symbol and length cause a crossing of a time slot boundary.

[0185] Example 48 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 43, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted back-to-back when provided in a sub-slot configuration.

[0186] Example 49 includes any one of Examples 43 to 48, a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to discard the PUCCH repetition when the PUCCH repetition conflicts with a downlink (DL) symbol or other symbols that are not permitted for PUCCH mapping.

[0187] Example 50 includes the computer-readable storage medium of Example 43, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: apply codebook compression to a set of HARQ-ACK feedback information mapped to the PUCCH for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions, wherein the set of HARQ-ACK feedback information is converted into 1-bit HARQ-ACK feedback using logical operations.

[0188] Example 51 includes a method for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising, when the UE is operating in licensed or unlicensed spectrum: receiving downlink control information (DCI), the DCI including a first indication field for triggering a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback for a HARQ-ACK process; and sending the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0189] Example 52 includes the method described in Example 51, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes: HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions; HARQ-ACK feedback information only for HARQ-ACK processes used for DL ​​SPS transmissions that have been dropped; HARQ-ACK feedback information for all HARQ-ACK processes regardless of the HARQ-ACK processes assigned to DL SPS transmissions; or HARQ-ACK feedback information for a set of HARQ-ACK processes specified by the access node (AN) that sent the DCI.

[0190] Example 53 includes the method of Example 51, further comprising: determining the presence of the first indication field in the DCI based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from an Access Node (AN) transmitting the DCI.

[0191] Example 54 includes the method of Example 51, wherein multiple PDSCH groups are formed from the prior physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) sent from the access node (AN) that sends the DCI to the UE, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is triggered for the multiple PDSCH groups.

[0192] Example 55 includes the method described in Example 54, wherein the PDSCH group in the PDSCH group is associated with one of the following options: a set of DL SPS configurations, a set of HARQ-ACK processes, and a DL SPS configuration.

[0193] Example 56 includes the method described in Example 54, wherein the DCI further includes a second indication field for indicating one or more PDSCH groups, wherein HARQ-ACK feedback information for the one or more PDSCH groups should be provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0194] Example 57 includes the method described in Example 56, wherein the second indication field includes a bitmap consisting of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, and each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for the corresponding PDSCH group should be provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0195] Example 58 includes the method of Example 56, wherein the second indication field includes a bit for indicating whether HARQ-ACK feedback information should be provided for all PDSCH groups or a subset of these PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback and a set of bits for indicating that HARQ-ACK feedback information should be provided for one or more PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0196] Example 59 includes the method of Example 51, further comprising: receiving a prior DCI, the prior DCI including a PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator (K1) field having a non-numeric value; and in response to the K1 field having the non-numeric value, providing HARQ-ACK feedback information for a semi-static scheduling (SPS) PDSCH scheduled by the prior DCI in the one-off HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0197] Example 60 includes the method of Example 59, further comprising: determining the presence of a K1 field having the non-numeric value in the prior DCI based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from an access node (AN) that transmitted the prior DCI.

[0198] Example 61 includes the method of Example 59, wherein the prior DCI further includes additional bits for indicating the presence of the K1 field having a non-numeric value in the prior DCI.

[0199] Example 62 includes the method of Example 51, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and at least one of the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 being linearly related to the length of a fixed frame period (FFP).

[0200] Example 63 includes the method described in Example 51, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 having upper bounds.

[0201] Example 64 includes the method of Example 51, further comprising, when the UE is operating in the unlicensed spectrum: transmitting the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback in a slot or symbol of a fixed frame period (FFP) or in a slot or symbol of each uplink (UL) burst in the FFP, wherein one or more physical downlink shared channels (PDSCH) have initially been transmitted in the FFP.

[0202] Example 65 includes the method of Example 51, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes HARQ-ACK feedback information for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in the same fixed frame period (FFP) or different FFPs, the different FFPs including one or more FFPs in which the PDSCH was originally transmitted.

[0203] Example 66 includes a method for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising, when the UE is operating in an unlicensed spectrum: generating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); and retransmitting the PUCCH more than three times in the time domain.

[0204] Example 67 includes the method of Example 66, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted continuously within the same Channel Occupancy Time (COT).

[0205] Example 68 includes a method for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising: generating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); and repeatedly transmitting the PUCCH in a back-to-back manner.

[0206] Example 69 includes the method of Example 68, wherein the PUCCH is sent with a given number of repetitions, wherein the number of repetitions is provided semi-statically and associated with the resource configuration of the PUCCH, or is provided as part of downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling the PUCCH.

[0207] Example 70 includes the apparatus of Example 68, wherein, for repetitions other than the initial repetition of the PUCCH, the length of the initial repetition is reused while the start symbol of the repetition is calculated according to S0 + k * L, where S0 is the start symbol of the initial repetition, k is the repetition index starting from 0 and ending at K_PUCCH-1, L is the length of the PUCCH, and K_PUCCH is the total number of repetitions.

[0208] Example 71 includes the method of Example 68, wherein a fixed gap exists between any two repetitions of the PUCCH, the fixed gap depending on the subcarrier spacing (SPS) in the frequency domain or provided by a radio resource control (RRC) message from the access node (AN) scheduling the PUCCH.

[0209] Example 72 includes the method of Example 70, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted in the next time slot when the repeated start symbol and length cause a crossing of a time slot boundary.

[0210] Example 73 includes the method described in Example 68, wherein when the PUCCH is provided in a sub-slot configuration, the PUCCH is transmitted in a back-to-back manner.

[0211] Example 74 includes the method of any one of Examples 68 to 73, further comprising: discarding the PUCCH repetition when the PUCCH repetition conflicts with a downlink (DL) symbol or other symbols that are not permitted for PUCCH mapping.

[0212] Example 75 includes the method of Example 68, further comprising: applying codebook compression to a set of HARQ-ACK feedback information mapped to the PUCCH for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmissions, wherein the set of HARQ-ACK feedback information is converted into 1-bit HARQ-ACK feedback using logical operations.

[0213] Example 76 includes a user equipment (UE) including means for implementing the method of any one of Examples 51 to 75.

[0214] While certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description, various alternative and / or equivalent embodiments or implementations that achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the illustrated and described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, the embodiments described herein are clearly limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising: Radio frequency (RF) interface; as well as Processor circuitry, coupled to the RF interface, wherein the processor circuitry is used to: when the UE operates in licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Receive downlink control information (DCI), the DCI including a first indication field, the first indication field being used to trigger a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback for the HARQ-ACK process; and The one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is sent via the RF interface, wherein, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes HARQ-ACK feedback information for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in the same fixed frame period (FFP) or in different FFPs, the different FFPs including one or more FFPs in which the PDSCH was originally sent.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes: HARQ-ACK feedback information is only for the HARQ-ACK process used for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmission; HARQ-ACK feedback information only for the HARQ-ACK process used for dropped DL SPS transmissions; HARQ-ACK feedback information for all HARQ-ACK processes, independent of the HARQ-ACK process allocated to DL SPS transmission; or HARQ-ACK feedback information for a set of HARQ-ACK processes specified by the access node (AN) that sends the DCI.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor circuit is further used for: The presence of the first indication field in the DCI is determined based on the Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the Access Node (AN) that sent the DCI.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple PDSCH groups are formed from the prior PDSCH sent from the access node (AN) that sends the DCI to the UE, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is triggered for the multiple PDSCH groups.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The PDSCH group is associated with one of the following options: a set of DL SPS configurations, a set of HARQ-ACK processes, and a DL SPS configuration.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The DCI further includes a second indication field for indicating one or more PDSCH groups, wherein HARQ-ACK feedback information for the one or more PDSCH groups is provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The second indication field includes a bitmap consisting of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, and each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for the corresponding PDSCH group is provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The second indication field includes a bit for indicating whether HARQ-ACK feedback information is provided for all PDSCH groups or a subset of these PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback, and a set of bits for indicating that HARQ-ACK feedback information is provided for one or more PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor circuit is further used for: Receive prior DCI, the prior DCI including a PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator (K1) field with a non-numeric value; and In response to the K1 field having the non-numeric value, HARQ-ACK feedback information for the semi-static scheduling (SPS) PDSCH scheduled by the prior DCI is provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The processor circuit is further used for: The presence of the K1 field with the non-digital value in the prior DCI is determined based on the Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the Access Node (AN) that sent the prior DCI.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The prior DCI further includes additional bits for indicating the presence of the K1 field having the non-numeric value in the prior DCI.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, When the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and at least one of the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 being linearly related to the length of the FFP.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, When the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the DCI further includes a PDSCH-to-HARQ_Feedback Timing Indicator (K1) field and a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) field, the TDRA field providing an index to a slot offset K2, and the values ​​of the K1 field and the slot offset K2 having upper bounds.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is further configured to, when the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum: The one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is sent in the time slot or symbol of the FFP or in the time slot or symbol of each uplink (UL) burst in the FFP.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to operate in a user equipment (UE) in a licensed or unlicensed spectrum: Receive downlink control information (DCI), the DCI including a first indication field, the first indication field being used to trigger a one-time HARQ-ACK feedback for the HARQ-ACK process; and The one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is sent via the radio frequency (RF) interface, wherein, When the UE operates in the unlicensed spectrum, the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes HARQ-ACK feedback information for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in the same fixed frame period (FFP) or in different FFPs, wherein the different FFPs include one or more FFPs in which the PDSCH was originally transmitted.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein, The one-time HARQ-ACK feedback includes: HARQ-ACK feedback information is only for the HARQ-ACK process used for downlink semi-static scheduling (DL SPS) transmission; HARQ-ACK feedback information only for the HARQ-ACK process used for dropped DL SPS transmissions; HARQ-ACK feedback information for all HARQ-ACK processes, independent of the HARQ-ACK process allocated to DL SPS transmission; or HARQ-ACK feedback information for a set of HARQ-ACK processes specified by the access node (AN) that sends the DCI.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein, When the instruction is executed by the one or more processors, it further prompts the one or more processors to: The presence of the first indication field in the DCI is determined based on the Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the Access Node (AN) that sent the DCI.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein, Multiple PDSCH groups are formed from the prior PDSCH sent from the access node (AN) that sends the DCI to the UE, wherein the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback is triggered for the multiple PDSCH groups.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein, The PDSCH group is associated with one of the following options: a set of DL SPS configurations, a set of HARQ-ACK processes, and a DL SPS configuration.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein, The DCI further includes a second indication field for indicating one or more PDSCH groups, wherein HARQ-ACK feedback information for the one or more PDSCH groups is provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

21. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein, The second indication field includes a bitmap consisting of N bits, where N is the total number of PDSCH groups, and each bit indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback information for the corresponding PDSCH group is provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein, The second indication field includes a bit for indicating whether HARQ-ACK feedback information is provided for all PDSCH groups or a subset of these PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback, and a set of bits for indicating that HARQ-ACK feedback information is provided for one or more PDSCH groups in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

23. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein, When the instruction is executed by the one or more processors, it further prompts the one or more processors to: Receive prior DCI, the prior DCI including a PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator (K1) field with a non-numeric value; and In response to the K1 field having the non-numeric value, HARQ-ACK feedback information for the semi-static scheduling (SPS) PDSCH scheduled by the prior DCI is provided in the one-time HARQ-ACK feedback.

24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein, When the instruction is executed by the one or more processors, it further prompts the one or more processors to: The presence of the K1 field with the non-digital value in the prior DCI is determined based on the Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the Access Node (AN) that sent the prior DCI.

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