Applicability of LTE-M Subcarrier Punching Coexisting with NR

Abstract

In one aspect, a network device transmits using a first carrier that has a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that data for one or more subcarriers among the predetermined number of subcarriers corresponding to a partial overlap of resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier is not transmitted. In another aspect, a wireless device receives using a first carrier that has a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that when decoding the received signal, one or more subcarriers among the predetermined number of subcarriers corresponding to a partial overlap of resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier are discarded.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 887,616, filed Aug. 15, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of wireless network communications, and more particularly, to the deployment of LTE-M coexisting with New Radio (NR). Background Art

[0004] Machine-Type Communication (MTC) is widely used in many applications such as vehicle tracking, user and home security, banking, remote monitoring, and smart grids. According to some reports, by 2023, there will be 3.5 billion wide-area devices connected to cellular networks. To support these devices, members of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) have standardized radio access technologies specifically supporting low-bandwidth, low-power-consuming devices. This technology (which is based on the fourth-generation technology called Long-Term Evolution (LTE)) is called LTE-M. Network support for LTE-M (also known as LTE-MTC or eMTC) is rapidly spreading, and it is expected that in the next few years, a large number of devices will be connected to the network, thus addressing a wide range of LTE-M use cases.

[0005] Due to the design that enables the battery life of LTE-M devices to last up to 10 years, many of these devices will still provide services several years after deployment. During the lifetime of these deployed LTE-M devices, many networks will experience a migration from fourth-generation LTE radio access to fifth-generation (5G) radio access technology called New Radio (NR). Smooth migration without causing service interruption to the deployed Internet of Things (IoT) devices is extremely important for mobile network operators. In addition, there is a great need for a migration solution that ensures excellent radio resource utilization efficiency and excellent coexistence performance between LTE-M and NR.

[0006] NR resources in the frequency domain and time domain can be configured to embed LTE-M within an NR carrier. Figure 1 The arrangement of an LTE-M carrier within an NR transmission band is shown. In the frequency domain, LTE-M specific physical signals and channels are transmitted within an LTE-M narrowband. The LTE-M narrowband spans six Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), where each PRB includes 12 subcarriers. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention provide for better coexistence of a first carrier and a second carrier when the first carrier is transmitted to fall within the bandwidth of the second carrier. The first carrier and the second carrier may be different radio access technologies, or belong to the same radio access technology but use different configurations or modes, resulting in overlapping subcarriers. In the following described non-limiting embodiments, the first carrier is an LTE-M carrier transmitted within the bandwidth occupied by a second NR carrier.

[0008] More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention address the problem of misalignment of the downlink PRB grid between NR and LTE-M to ensure effective coexistence between the two systems. Embodiments include methods for LTE-M subcarrier puncturing, where LTE-M subcarriers that exceed the NR PRB boundary can be punctured to improve NR resource utilization. Additionally, various methods are aimed at minimizing the number of outlying LTE-M subcarriers that are punctured. Subcarrier puncturing can be selectively applied to different physical channels and resource allocations. Finally, methods are disclosed on how such subcarrier puncturing can be effectively signaled.

[0009] These embodiments can be applied to both network nodes and wireless devices. Some methods may require standardization changes, while some methods can be implemented without standardization implications.

[0010] Advantages of the embodiments include effective deployment of LTE-M in coexistence with NR, while considering the trade-off between LTE-M performance and NR resource utilization. LTE-M subcarrier puncturing addresses one of the key aspects of NR / LTE-M coexistence related to the misalignment of PRBs between NR and LTE-M.

[0011] The embodiments described herein provide methods for network devices operating according to a novel framework for deploying LTE-M within an NR carrier.

[0012] According to some embodiments, a method for communicating in a wireless communication network includes: using a first carrier to transmit a signal, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier. This transmission is performed in such a way that data for each subcarrier corresponding to the partial overlap of the first carrier's resource blocks with the second carrier is not transmitted.

[0013] According to other embodiments, a method for communicating in a wireless communication network includes: receiving a signal using a first carrier, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier. This receiving includes: when decoding the received signal, discarding each subcarrier among the predetermined number of subcarriers that corresponds to a partial overlap of the first carrier with a resource block of the second carrier.

[0014] Other aspects of the invention relate to an apparatus, a network node, a base station, a wireless device, a user equipment (UE), a network device, an MTC device, a computer program product or a computer-readable storage medium corresponding to the method outlined above, and the functional implementation of the apparatus and UE outlined above.

[0015] Of course, the invention is not limited to the above features and advantages. Those skilled in the art will recognize other features and advantages after reading the following detailed description and viewing the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 An example of NR and LTE-M coexistence is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 An example of peripheral subcarriers in NR and LTE-M coexistence is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 Peripheral LTE-M subcarriers (on the low side of the LTE-M carrier) due to misalignment of PRBs between NR and LTE-M are shown;

[0019] Figure 4 Peripheral LTE-M subcarriers (on the right side of the LTE-M carrier) due to misalignment of PRBs between NR and LTE-M are shown;

[0020] Figure 5 The positions of the NR channel grids for an even and an odd number of PRBs are shown;

[0021] Figure 6 The narrowband positions within a 5 MHz LTE carrier with 25 PRBs according to some embodiments are shown;

[0022] Figure 7 A situation where the LTE-M (1.4 MHz) PRBs on the low side of the DC subcarrier are aligned with the NR PRB grid according to some embodiments is shown;

[0023] Figure 8 A scheme for puncturing LTE-M resource elements (REs) according to some embodiments is shown;

[0024] Figure 9AA flow chart illustrating a method in a network device transmitting a signal according to some embodiments;

[0025] Figure 9B A flow chart illustrating a method in a network device receiving a signal according to some embodiments;

[0026] Figure 10 A block diagram of a network device as a network node according to some embodiments is shown;

[0027] Figure 11 A block diagram of a network device as a wireless device according to some embodiments is shown;

[0028] Figure 12 schematically illustrates a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to some embodiments;

[0029] Figure 13 is a general block diagram of a host computer communicating with a user device over a partially wireless connection via a base station according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 and Figure 17 is a flow chart illustrating an example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device;

[0031] Figure 18 is a block diagram illustrating a functional implementation of a network node according to some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 19 is a block diagram illustrating a functional implementation of a wireless device according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of embodiments of the concepts of the present invention are shown. However, the concepts of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure exhaustive and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the concepts of the present invention to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be defaulted to being present / used in another embodiment. Any two or more embodiments described herein may be combined with each other. The embodiments are described with respect to LTE-M and NR, but may be applicable to other radio access technologies (RATs) in which the technology or selection may be relevant.

[0034] As described above, the first carrier (e.g., an LTE-M carrier) can be transmitted within the bandwidth occupied by the second carrier (e.g., an NR carrier). An example thereof is shown in Figure 1 . Generally speaking, if the LTE-M carrier can be arranged at any position, this will meet its channel raster requirements. However, considerations for effective coexistence between NR and LTE-M include mutual interference, or preventing inter-carrier interference (ICI) by ensuring sub-carrier grid alignment between NR and LTE-M. Another consideration includes NR resource utilization, or minimizing the amount of NR resources that need to be reserved for LTE-M. This is important because the reserved NR resources are not used for NR services.

[0035] Due to the presence of DC sub-carriers in downlink LTE (or LTE-M), perfect PRB alignment between LTE-M and NR is not always achieved despite sub-carrier grid alignment. In the case of misaligned PRBs, seven NR PRBs must be reserved to accommodate an LTE-M carrier with six PRBs. This is shown in Figure 2 . Therefore, misalignment of the PRB grid between NR and LTE-M results in the use of additional NR resource blocks.

[0036] To improve NR resource utilization, it would be beneficial to ensure that the LTE-M downlink narrowband overlaps with six NR resource blocks (instead of seven) while still coexisting with LTE-M. In this regard, a promising technique is to "puncture" the peripheral LTE-M sub-carriers that exceed the boundary of the six NR PRBs reserved for LTE-M. In other words, the LTE-M sub-carriers that fall within the seventh NR PRB can be punctured. The term "puncture" is used herein for sub-carriers to indicate that the information transmitted on the resource elements (REs) belonging to the sub-carrier is invalid for that information. In other words, puncturing includes not using the sub-carrier for transmission. The data scheduled for the punctured sub-carrier is not transmitted and can simply be discarded.

[0037] The sub-carriers punctured for the LTE-M signal may or may not be used to carry other information, such as NR services scheduled on the same sub-carrier. At the receiving side, when decoding the received LTE-M signal, those punctured sub-carriers will be discarded.

[0038] Figure 2 An example of peripheral sub-carriers in the coexistence of NR and LTE-M is shown. The term "peripheral sub-carriers" used herein may refer to sub-carriers of the first carrier (resource block group) having a predetermined number and one or more of which only partially overlap with the resource blocks of the second carrier (resource block group).

[0039] In one example, LTE-M is scheduled within an LTE-M narrowband (six PRBs). Depending on the position of the LTE-M narrowband relative to the NR PRB grid, LTE-M can overlap with six or seven NR PRBs. That is, the number of peripheral LTE-M subcarriers depends on the position of the LTE-M narrowband. Depending on the specific set of NR PRBs reserved for LTE-M, the peripheral LTE-M subcarriers can be located at the lower end (also known as the lower left side) or the upper end (right side) of the frequency range for the LTE-M carrier, as Figure 3 and 4 shown.

[0040] Figure 3 Shows the peripheral LTE-M subcarriers (on the left side of the LTE-M carrier) due to the misalignment of PRBs between NR and LTE-M. Figure 4 Shows the peripheral LTE-M subcarriers (on the right side of the LTE-M carrier) due to the misalignment of PRBs between NR and LTE-M. For example, in Figure 3 , NR PRBs #2 to #7 (a total of six NR PRBs) are reserved for LTE-M. The peripheral subcarriers are located within PRB #1. In Figure 4 , NR PRBs #1 to #6 (a total of six NR PRBs) are reserved for LTE-M. In this case, the peripheral subcarriers are located within PRB #7.

[0041] Generally speaking, in the case of coexistence of NR and LTE-M, the number of peripheral LTE-M subcarriers depends on the following factors: the position of the LTE-M carrier within NR (such as the position of the LTE-M narrowband); the specific set of PRBs used to schedule LTE-M transmissions; and the set of NR PRBs reserved for LTE-M (the peripheral subcarriers can be on the right or left side of the LTE-M carrier / PRB).

[0042] Obviously, puncturing the LTE-M subcarriers will result in performance loss because the number of resources available for LTE-M is reduced. This performance loss of the LTE-M UE depends on the number of peripheral subcarriers being punctured and the number of PRBs allocated to this UE. To limit the LTE-M resource loss caused by potential subcarrier puncturing, the maximum number of peripheral LTE-M downlink subcarriers should be restricted. Although puncturing the peripheral LTE-M subcarriers is beneficial in terms of NR resource utilization, it will degrade the LTE-M performance. Therefore, it is beneficial to consider subcarrier puncturing only for a small number of LTE-M downlink subcarriers. Therefore, whether to puncture the peripheral LTE-M subcarriers depends on the number of peripheral LTE-M subcarriers. Based on the information about the number of peripheral subcarriers, the coexistence efficiency between LTE-M and NR systems can be improved. Meanwhile, by effectively adjusting the position of LTE-M and efficient scheduling, the number of peripheral subcarriers can be minimized.

[0043] Note that although the term "LTE-M carrier" is used, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein may relate to any set of PRBs allocated for LTE-M services. Therefore, this set may relate to, for example: the central six PRBs in an LTE (or LTE-M) system including DC subcarriers, or the PRBs located within a so-called narrowband (which is a set of six consecutive PRBs), or any other (usually 6 or 24) set of PRBs configured for LTE-M services in any given subframe.

[0044] In addition, puncturing itself can be applied to a subset of PRBs related to MPDCCH or PDSCH transmission.

[0045] The embodiments described herein relate to network devices that transmit and receive using the LTE-M system position within a 5G NR carrier, but there are some considerations. The focus may be on the FDD settings and 15 kHz OFDM subcarrier spacing (SCS) for both NR and LTE-M. In addition, LTE-M narrowbands can be considered. Other considerations include the NR grid that defines a subset of NR RF reference frequencies, which can be used to identify the RF channel positions in the uplink and downlink. The NR RF reference frequencies of the RF channels are mapped to resource elements (such as subcarriers) on the carrier. Similarly, the LTE / LTE-M grid defines a subset of LTE / LTE-M RF reference frequencies, which can be used to identify the RF channel positions in the uplink and downlink. The LTE / LTE-M channel grid is located in the middle of the LTE / LTE-M carrier, on the DC subcarrier in the downlink. One NR PRB in the frequency domain includes twelve subcarriers. The number of NR resource blocks is represented by N nr is denoted, N nrRelated to the NR system bandwidth according to the following table:

[0046] NR System Bandwidth (MHz) 5 10 15 20 25 30 <![CDATA[The number of NR PRBs (N nr )]]> 25 52 79 106 133 160

[0047] Table 1: Number of NR resource blocks for various system bandwidths with 15 kHz SCS

[0048] As can be seen, for system bandwidths of 5, 15, and 25 MHz, the number of NR PRBs is odd. For bandwidths of 10, 20, and 30 MHz, the number of NR PRBs is even. Other considerations include that the index of the NR resource blocks ranges from 0 to (N nr - 1). For an NR carrier with an even number of PRBs (N nr ), the channel raster is located on the first subcarrier of the PRB, with an index of For an NR carrier with an odd number of PRBs, the channel raster is located on the seventh subcarrier of the PRB, with an index of (N nr - 1) / 2. Here, this PRB is referred to as the middle NR PRB. Figure 5 Shows the positions of the NR channel rasters for even and odd numbers of PRBs.

[0049] Minimize the number of peripheral LTE-M subcarriers within the NR carrier

[0050] In some embodiments, LTE-M (CatM1) is scheduled within an LTE-M narrowband (six PRBs). For each LTE system bandwidth, there is a different set of LTE-M narrowbands that can be used to schedule LTE-M transmissions (see Tables 2 and 3). For example, Figure 6 Shows the position of the LTE-M narrowband (NB) within a 5 MHz LTE system bandwidth.

[0051] Note that although the center of the LTE carrier is on the 100 kHz channel raster, the center of the LTE-M narrowband is not necessarily located on the channel raster. In fact, only for a 1.4 MHz LTE system bandwidth, the narrowband center is aligned with the LTE center on the DC subcarrier. It should be noted that the signals and channels necessary for cell search and acquisition of basic system information (SI) (i.e., PSS, SSS, and PBCH) are common to LTE and are thus located at the center of the LTE system bandwidth (around the DC subcarrier) and aligned with the 100 kHz channel raster. In the case of a 1.4 MHz LTE system bandwidth, only the center of one narrowband is at the center of the carrier. This narrowband includes the DC subcarrier and thus has a total of 73 subcarriers (i.e., six PRBs + one DC subcarrier).

[0052]

[0053] Table 2: LTE-M narrowbands

[0054]

[0055]

[0056] Table 3: Narrowband Positions within an LTE Carrier

[0057] Figure 6 Shows the positions of LTE-M narrowbands (NBs) within a 5 MHz LTE carrier with 25 PRBs. Depending on the position of a particular LTE-M narrowband, the LTE-M narrowband can overlap with six or seven NR PRBs. That is, the number of peripheral LTE-M subcarriers depends on the specific position of the LTE-M narrowband. In some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology, LTE-M transmissions are scheduled on the LTE-M narrowband with the fewest number of peripheral LTE-M subcarriers (relative to NR). In other embodiments, the position of the LTE-M / LTE carrier relative to the NR carrier is adjusted such that the number of peripheral subcarriers is minimized. In other embodiments, PRB alignment between NR and LTE-M is achieved by scheduling LTE-M on the LTE-M narrowband located below the DC subcarrier. In some embodiments, puncturing of peripheral subcarriers is only applied to the outermost PRBs (left or right) in the narrowband in which the UE is configured to operate.

[0058] In one example, NR and LTE have the same system bandwidth and their channel grids are located at the same position. LTE-M is scheduled within the LTE-M narrowband. To avoid having any peripheral LTE-M subcarriers, the LTE-M signal can be scheduled within the following narrowbands:

[0059]

[0060] Table 4: Optimal Narrowbands for Scheduling LTE-M to Avoid Any Peripheral Subcarriers.

[0061] In some embodiments, LTE / LTE-M has a 1.4 MHz system bandwidth (one narrowband). For NR system bandwidths of 10 MHz, 20 MHz, 30 MHz, to ensure the minimum number of peripheral subcarriers, the LTE-M center can be arranged based on the following formula:

[0062] F nr,raster = F lte,raster + 300q [kHz], for q = 3n

[0063] where n is an integer, where F nr,raster and F lte,raster are the frequencies of the NR channel grid and the LTE channel grid. q is an integer and is selected based on the NR frequency range and the position of the LTE carrier.

[0064] In the case of NR and LTE coexistence, to meet the grid constraints and sub - carrier orthogonality, the NR channel grid relative to the LTE channel grid can be given by the following formula:

[0065] F nr,raster = F lte,raster + 300q [kHz]

[0066] This means that relative to the LTE - M channel grid, the NR channel grid can be shifted by a factor of 20 sub - carriers (i.e., 0, 20, 40, 60,...) or by a factor of 300 kHz. For example, for q = 0, the NR grid and the LTE grid will be aligned, which means that the NR and LTE channel grids are at the same position. Depending on the value of q (i.e., the relative position of NR and LTE), the LTE system bandwidth, and the narrow - band position, the number of peripheral LTE - M sub - carriers can vary.

[0067] In some embodiments, one peripheral LTE - M sub - carrier on the right side of the LTE - M narrow - band is punctured. For NR system bandwidths: 5 MHz, 15 MHz, 25 MHz. To ensure the minimum number of peripheral sub - carriers, the LTE - M center can be arranged based on the following formula:

[0068] F nr,raster = F lte,raster + 300q [kHz], for q = 3n + 1, where n is an integer.

[0069] In other embodiments, two peripheral LTE - M sub - carriers on the left (lower frequency) side of the LTE - M narrow - band are punctured.

[0070] Puncturing of peripheral LTE - M sub - carriers based on resource allocation

[0071] Above, the discussion on sub - carrier puncturing mainly considered sub - carrier puncturing for the case of LTE - M using six PRBs (one narrow - band). For example, this applies to cases such as common control signaling, system information transmission, etc. However, LTE - M allows dynamic use of PRBs for both control signaling using the MTC physical control channel (MPDCCH) and data transmission using the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). In short, some basic flexibility in LTE - M downlink resource usage in this regard can be described as follows.

[0072] For MPDCCH, the UE is configured to monitor MPDCCH transmissions in an MPDCCH-PRB set that includes two, four, or six consecutive PRBs within a narrowband, where the sets of size 2 and 4 are located at the edges of the narrowband. In the frequency domain, the MPDCCH transmissions can utilize all or part of the resource elements within the MPDCCH-PRB set. Specifically, for so-called localized transmissions, the MPDCCH transmissions can be located in 1 / 4, 1 / 2, 1, 2, 4, or 6 PRBs, regardless of the set of the MPDCCH-PRB set. This is in contrast to so-called distributed transmissions, in which case the MPDCCH transmissions always occupy the resource elements within the entire MPDCCH-PRB set.

[0073] For PDSCH, any number of adjacent PRBs from one to six adjacent PRBs arranged arbitrarily within a narrowband can be used to allocate PDSCH transmissions for Rel-13 LTE-M UEs. (In this document, "Rel-13", "Rel-14", "Rel-15", etc. refer to versions 13, 14, and 15 of the 3GPP specifications.) For LTE-M UEs of category M2 (which were introduced in LTE Rel-14), resource allocation is performed such that the above allocation for Rel-13 LTE-M UEs can be repeated in up to four adjacent narrowbands. Thus, when the allocation within one narrowband is less than six PRBs, any repetition in adjacent narrowbands will result in gaps of unallocated PRBs. In Rel-15, the possibility of allocating PDSCH in a more flexible manner was introduced, such that the allocation is not limited to being confined within a single narrowband but can be extended beyond the narrowband boundaries.

[0074] Given the above scheduling flexibility for MPDCCH and PDSCH, multiple embodiments can be envisioned. In one embodiment, puncturing of the outermost subcarriers is applied to the outermost PRBs of the PRB set allocated to the UE. For MPDCCH transmissions, this will typically apply to the two, four, or six PRBs within the configured MPDCCH-PRB set. As an example, when the MPDCCH-PRB set includes two or four PRBs, one or more of the outermost subcarriers associated with these PRBs are punctured, even when these subcarriers are within the narrowband where the MPDCCH is transmitted. Additionally or alternatively, puncturing is applied to the outermost subcarriers of the subset of PRBs within the monitored MPDCCH-PRB set that are used for the transmission of a particular MPDCCH candidate. Similarly, for PDSCH transmissions, one or more of the outermost subcarriers associated with the PRBs used for the scheduled PDSCH transmission are punctured. By following this more dynamic subcarrier puncturing scheme, PRBs that belong to the narrowband but are not used for MPDCCH or PDSCH transmissions can instead be used to schedule NR transmissions.

[0075] In some embodiments, MPDCCH and PDSCH are scheduled on PRBs with a minimum offset (i.e., a minimum number of peripheral subcarriers) relative to the NR PRB grid. For example, in certain cases, the LTE-M PRBs to the left of the DC subcarriers are aligned with the NR PRB grid, as Figure 7 shown. By using these PRBs for LTE-M MPDCCH and PDSCH, a minimum number of NR PRBs need to be reserved.

[0076] In some embodiments, puncturing is dynamically enabled based on the number of peripheral subcarriers and the number of PRBs allocated to the corresponding LTE-M channel / signal (taking into account the potential performance loss due to puncturing). Figure 7 The case where the LTE-M (1.4 MHz) PRBs to the left of the DC subcarriers are aligned with the NR PRB grid is shown.

[0077] Subcarrier puncturing method

[0078] Depending on the scenario and the relative positions of NR and LTE-M, six or seven NR PRBs should be reserved semi-statically for LTE-M narrowband in the downlink. When six NR PRBs are reserved, the peripheral LTE-M subcarriers (excluding CRS) should be punctured, and LTE-M transmissions are made within these six reserved PRBs. In the case of puncturing, the eNB can avoid transmitting on the peripheral LTE-M downlink subcarriers without even notifying legacy UEs to LTE-M (i.e., backward compatibility).

[0079] In some embodiments, information about the punctured subcarriers is explicitly transmitted from the network to the UE. In other embodiments, the UE is made aware of the puncturing scheme in other ways, e.g., as indicated by a standardized document. This information can be explicit (e.g., in terms of explicitly indicating that subcarriers are punctured) or implicit (e.g., in terms of rules to be applied to determine how and when to apply puncturing). Information about puncturing can be applied to all transmissions or selectively applied to a subset of transmissions, as indicated by the various embodiments provided above. This includes cases where puncturing is applied differently to different physical channels or signals and different resource allocations.

[0080] In some embodiments, information about puncturing is transmitted semi-statically from the network to the UE via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. This RRC signaling can be broadcast to all UEs in the system information or can be sent using dedicated RRC signaling.

[0081] In some embodiments, information regarding puncturing is conveyed in a more dynamic manner. For example, a Media Access Control (MAC) element can be used to notify the UE that the use of puncturing for all or part is being activated or deactivated. On an even more dynamic scale, Dynamic Downlink Control Information (DCI) signaling can be used to indicate whether puncturing for a specified RE, e.g., as Figure 8 shown. This allows for the efficient use of the NR PRB for LTE-M when the NR PRB is not being used by an NR UE. In such cases, RE puncturing can be avoided to maintain LTE-M performance.

[0082] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the set of subcarriers that can be punctured is signaled semi-statically via RRC signaling. In other embodiments, dynamic DCI signaling can be used to indicate whether puncturing for a specified RE (i.e., subcarrier) is enabled. Figure 8 An example scenario for puncturing LTE-M REs according to some embodiments is shown.

[0083] Embodiments described herein for puncturing LTE-M subcarriers can be implemented in a network node, such as an eNodeB or any equivalent thereof. In some of these embodiments, the puncturing operation corresponds to rendering invalid an LTE-M transmission that would otherwise occur on the punctured subcarriers. These subcarriers can then be used by the same network node or a different network node for, e.g., transmitting NR signals.

[0084] Embodiments for puncturing LTE-M subcarriers can be implemented in a wireless device, such as a User Equipment (UE), a wireless terminal, an LTE-M device, a Machine-Type Communication (MTC) device, or any equivalent thereof. In some of these embodiments, the puncturing operation occurs when the wireless device receives a data transmission, where the portion of the signal corresponding to the punctured subcarriers is discarded. Decoding of the data transmission is performed considering only the information transmitted on the non-punctured subcarriers. To do this, the wireless device needs information regarding which subcarriers are being punctured. Such information can be conveyed to the wireless device in a variety of ways, as described above.

[0085] Embodiments have been described with respect to puncturing LTE-M subcarriers that overlap with subcarriers used for NR. This is only used as an example scenario and does not exclude other systems. In some embodiments, puncturing instead occurs on NR resources and the LTE-M resources remain unchanged. In other embodiments, the puncturing outlined herein is alternatively applied to cases where one or both of the LTE-M or NR systems are replaced by another radio access technology. The embodiments described herein can be used alone or in combination.

[0086] Figure 9AIllustrated is method 900 for a network device that is transmitting a signal according to one or more techniques described herein. Method 900 includes transmitting using a first carrier, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that data for one or more subcarriers corresponding to a partial overlap of a resource block of the first carrier with the second carrier is not transmitted (block 902). It should be clear that this means that for each subcarrier corresponding to this partial overlap, data is not transmitted in the signal using the first carrier, such that these subcarriers are not removed from the second carrier.

[0087] Figure 9B Illustrated is method 910 for a network device that is transmitting. Method 910 includes receiving a signal carried by a first carrier, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that when decoding the received signal, one or more subcarriers corresponding to a partial overlap of a resource block of the first carrier with the second carrier are discarded (block 912). In other words, receiving the signal includes discarding each subcarrier corresponding to the partial overlap among the predetermined number of subcarriers. It will be understood that this is done because data is not transmitted in these subcarriers of the signal of the first carrier, and any data in these subcarriers may belong to the second carrier and thus be for a different device.

[0088] Some variations and details of embodiments of method 900 are described below. Equivalent variations and details also apply to embodiments of method 910. In some embodiments, the partial overlap of a resource block of the first carrier with the second carrier occurs at the outermost resource block of the first carrier. In some embodiments, the partial overlap of a resource block of the first carrier with the second carrier occurs at the end resource block of a suitable subset of resource blocks of the first carrier.

[0089] In method 900 (or 910), the resource blocks of the first carrier may be scheduled (e.g., by a transmitting base station) to limit the impact of any one of the one or more predetermined subcarriers that are not decoded or do not have their data transmitted. The resource blocks of the first carrier are scheduled in a narrowband of the first carrier below the direct current (DC) subcarrier of the first carrier.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first carrier is positioned within the second carrier (e.g., by a transmitting base station) such that only one subcarrier corresponds to the partial overlap and is not decoded or does not have its data transmitted. In other embodiments, the first carrier is positioned within the second carrier such that only two subcarriers of the first carrier correspond to the partial overlap and are not decoded or do not have their data transmitted.

[0091] The first carrier can be a Long-Term Evolution - Machine-Type Communication (LTE-M) carrier, and the second carrier is a New Radio (NR) carrier.

[0092] In some embodiments, the center of the LTE-M carrier is positioned within the NR carrier such that:

[0093] F_(nr,raster) = F_(lte,raster) + 300q [kHz], for q = 3n,

[0094] where n is an integer, F_(nr,raster) is the NR channel raster frequency, F_(lte,raster) is the LTE channel raster frequency, and q is an integer selected based on the NR frequency range and the position of the LTE-M carrier.

[0095] In Figure 9A and Figure 9B In various embodiments or examples of the method shown, the resource blocks of the LTE-M carrier can be scheduled within any of the following LTE-M narrowbands:

[0096]

[0097] In some embodiments, one or more LTE-M subcarriers not used for LTE-M transmission or reception are restricted to the LTE-M subcarriers associated with the Machine-Type Communication Physical Downlink Control Channel (MPDCCH) resource blocks in the LTE-M subcarriers. In other embodiments, one or more LTE-M subcarriers not used for LTE-M transmission or reception can be restricted to the LTE-M subcarriers associated with the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) resource blocks.

[0098] In additional embodiments, the resource blocks of the LTE-M carrier below the direct current (DC) subcarrier of the LTE-M carrier are aligned with the NR resource blocks, and / or transmission or reception depends on aligning the subcarriers in LTE-M and NR on the same grid and on the grid arrangement.

[0099] Embodiments of method 900 and / or 910 can also include transmitting or receiving information related to subcarriers corresponding to partially overlapping and / or subcarriers not decoded or not having their data transmitted. Thus, for example, a transmitting base station can notify a receiving UE that specific subcarriers are not used for downlink signals, and thus these subcarriers should be discarded when decoding the signal. As another example, the base station can notify a UE scheduled for uplink transmission that specific subcarriers should not be used, so that the UE knows to omit transmission on these subcarriers.

[0100] Embodiments of the described method may also include the following features: wherein the radio access technology (RAT) of the first carrier is different from the RAT of the second carrier, and / or wherein the first carrier and the second carrier belong to the same radio access technology but use different configurations or modes, resulting in overlapping subcarriers.

[0101] When communicating with other devices or nodes, the network device may utilize the LTE-M carrier center position coexisting with the NR bandwidth as described above. Examples of such network devices include network nodes and wireless devices as described below.

[0102] A method can be used to determine the position of the LTE-M carrier to be arranged within the NR carrier to ensure orthogonality between NR and LTE-M. To this end, it is necessary to identify the position of the LTE-M carrier where the NR and LTE-M subcarriers can be aligned. In particular, it is necessary to identify the possible positions of the LTE-M carrier center where subcarrier grid alignment can be achieved and the number of NR RBs in the transmission band can be minimized. For various NR bands with a specific number of RBs (or carrier bandwidths), the possible positions of the LTE-M carrier center will be determined, as well as the number of NR RBs that need to be reserved to accommodate the coexistence of NR and LTE-M.

[0103] Figure 10 An example network node 30 is shown, which may be configured to perform one or more of these disclosed techniques. The network node 30 may be an evolved Node B (eNodeB), Node B, or gNB. Although Figure 10 the network node 30 is shown, the operations may be performed by other types of network access nodes, including radio network nodes such as base stations, radio base stations, base transceiver stations, base station controllers, network controllers, NR BSs, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), relay nodes, access points, radio access points, remote radio units (RRUs), remote radio heads (RRHs), or multi-standard BSs (MSR BSs). In some cases, the network node 30 may also be a core network node (e.g., MME, SON node, coordination node, positioning node, MDT node, etc.), or even an external node (e.g., a third-party node, a node outside the current network), etc. The network node 30 may also include test equipment.

[0104] In the non-limiting embodiments described below, the network node 30 will be described as being configured to operate as a cellular network access node in an LTE network or an NR network. In some embodiments, the technology may be implemented in the RRC layer. The RRC layer may be implemented by one or more network nodes in a cloud environment, so some embodiments may be implemented in a cloud environment.

[0105] Those skilled in the art will readily understand how each type of node can be adapted to perform one or more of the methods and signaling procedures described herein, for example, by modifying and / or adding appropriate program instructions for execution by the processing circuitry 32.

[0106] The network node 30 facilitates communication between wireless terminals (such as UEs), other network access nodes, and / or the core network. The network node 30 may include a communication interface circuitry 38 that includes circuitry for communicating with other nodes in the core network, radio nodes, and / or other types of nodes in the network to provide data and / or cellular communication services. The network node 30 communicates with wireless devices using the antenna 34 and the transceiver circuitry 36. The transceiver circuitry 36 may include a transmitter circuitry, a receiver circuitry, and associated control circuitry that are jointly configured to transmit and receive signals according to a radio access technology to provide cellular communication services.

[0107] The network node 30 also includes one or more processing circuitry 32 that are operationally associated with the transceiver circuitry 36 and, in some cases, with the communication interface circuitry 38. The processing circuitry 32 includes one or more digital processors 42, such as one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any combination thereof. More generally, the processing circuitry 32 may include fixed circuitry, or programmable circuitry that is specifically configured by executing program instructions that implement the functions taught herein, or some combination of fixed circuitry and programmed circuitry. The processor 42 may be multi-core, i.e., having two or more processor cores for enhancing performance, reducing power consumption, and more efficiently handling multiple tasks simultaneously.

[0108] The processing circuit 32 further includes a memory 44. In some embodiments, the memory 44 stores one or more computer programs 46, and optionally stores configuration data 48. The memory 44 provides non - transitory storage for the computer programs 46 and it may include one or more types of computer - readable media, such as disk storage devices, solid - state memory storage devices, or any combination thereof. Here, "non - transitory" means permanent, semi - permanent, or at least temporarily persistent storage, including long - term storage in non - volatile memory and storage in working memory, such as for program execution. As a non - limiting example, the memory 44 includes any one or more of SRAM, DRAM, EEPROM, and FLASH memory, which may be in and / or separate from the processing circuit 32. The memory 44 may also store any configuration data 48 used by the network access node 30. The processing circuit 32 may be configured to perform one or more of the methods and / or signaling procedures detailed below, for example, by using appropriate program code stored in the memory 44.

[0109] According to some embodiments, the processing circuit 32 of the network node 30 is configured to perform the techniques described herein for the network node, including methods 900 and 910. The processing circuit 32 is configured to transmit using a first carrier that has a predetermined number of sub - carriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that data for one or more of the sub - carriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier is not transmitted. The processing circuit 32 is further configured to receive using a first carrier that has a predetermined number of sub - carriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that when decoding the received signal, one or more of the sub - carriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier are discarded.

[0110] Figure 11 A diagram of a wireless device 50 configured to perform the above - described techniques according to some embodiments is shown. The wireless device 50 can be considered to represent any wireless device or terminal that can operate in a network, such as a UE in a cellular network. Other examples may include communication devices, target devices, MTC devices, IoT devices, device - to - device (D2D) UEs, machine - type UEs or UEs capable of machine - to - machine communication (M2M), sensors equipped with UEs, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), tablets, IPAD tablets, mobile terminals, smart phones, laptop - embedded devices (LEEs), laptop - mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, client devices (CPEs), etc.

[0111] The wireless device 50 is configured to communicate with a network node or a base station in a wide-area cellular network via an antenna 54 and transceiver circuitry 56. The transceiver circuitry 56 may include a transmitter circuitry, a receiver circuitry, and associated control circuitry, which are jointly configured to transmit and receive signals according to a radio access technology in order to use cellular communication services. For the purposes of this discussion, such radio access technology may be NR and LTE.

[0112] The wireless device 50 further includes one or more processing circuits 52, which are operationally associated with the radio transceiver circuitry 56. The processing circuits 52 include one or more digital processing circuits, such as one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSPs, FPGAs, CPLDs, ASICs, or any combination thereof. More generally, the processing circuits 52 may include fixed circuitry, or programmable circuitry that is specifically adapted by executing program instructions that implement the functions taught herein, or may include some combination of fixed circuitry and programmed circuitry. The processing circuits 52 may be multi-core.

[0113] The processing circuits 52 further include a memory 64. In some embodiments, the memory 64 stores one or more computer programs 66, and optionally stores configuration data 68. The memory 64 provides non-transitory storage for the computer programs 66 and it may include one or more types of computer-readable media, such as disk storage devices, solid-state memory storage devices, or any combination thereof. As a non-limiting example, the memory 64 includes any one or more of SRAM, DRAM, EEPROM, and FLASH memory, which may be within and / or separate from the processing circuits 52. The memory 64 may also store any configuration data used by the wireless device 50. The processing circuits 52 may be configured to execute one or more methods and / or signaling procedures detailed below, for example, by using appropriate program code stored in the memory 64.

[0114] According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 52 of the wireless device 50 are configured to perform the techniques described herein for a network node, including methods 900 and 910. The processing circuits 52 are configured to transmit using a first carrier, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that data for one or more of the predetermined number of subcarriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier is not transmitted. The processing circuits 52 are further configured to receive using the first carrier, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, such that when decoding the received signal, one or more of the predetermined number of subcarriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier are discarded.

[0115] Figure 12A communication system is shown that includes a telecommunication network 1210 (e.g., a 3GPP-type cellular network), which includes an access network 1211 such as a radio access network and a core network 1214. The access network 1211 includes a plurality of base stations 1212a, 1212b, 1212c, such as NB, eNB, gNB, or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 1213a, 1213b, 1213c. Each base station 1212a, 1212b, 1212c can be connected to the core network 1214 via a wired or wireless connection 1215. A first UE 1291 located in the coverage area 1213c is configured to be wirelessly connected to or paged by the corresponding base station 1212c. A second UE 1292 in the coverage area 1213a can be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 1212a. Although a plurality of UEs 1291, 1292 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to the case where there is a single UE in the coverage area or a single UE is connected to the corresponding base station 1212.

[0116] The telecommunication network 1210 itself is connected to a host computer 1230, which can be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a stand-alone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as processing resources in a server farm. The host computer 1230 can be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or can be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 1221 and 1222 between the telecommunication network 1210 and the host computer 1230 can extend directly from the core network 1214 to the host computer 1230, or can be via an optional intermediate network 1220. The intermediate network 1220 can be one of a public, private, or managed network, or a combination of more than one of them; the intermediate network 1220 (if any) can be a backbone network or the Internet; specifically, the intermediate network 1220 can include two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0117] Overall, Figure 12The communication system enables connectivity between one of the connected UEs 1291, 1292 and the host computer 1230. This connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1250. The host computer 1230 and the connected UEs 1291, 1292 are configured to transmit data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 1250 using the access networks 1211, the core network 1214, any intermediate network 1220, and possibly other infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 1250 can be transparent because the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 1250 passes are unaware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 1212 may not be notified or may not need to be notified of the past routing of the incoming downlink communication of data originating from the host computer 1230 and destined to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 1291. Similarly, the base station 1212 does not need to know the future routing of the outgoing uplink communication from the UE 1291 to the host computer 1230.

[0118] Reference will now be made to Figure 13 to describe example implementations of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the preceding paragraphs. In a communication system 1300, the host computer 1310 includes hardware 1315, which includes a communication interface 1316 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection to interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 1300. The host computer 1310 also includes a processing circuit 1318, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. Specifically, the processing circuit 1318 may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 1310 also includes software 1311, which is stored in or accessible by the host computer 1310 and executable by the processing circuit 1318. The software 1311 includes a host application 1312. The host application 1312 is operable to provide services to remote users such as a UE 1330 connected via an OTT connection 1350 terminating at the UE 1330 and the host computer 1310. When providing services to a remote user, the host application 1312 may provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 1350.

[0119] The communication system 1300 also includes a base station 1320 disposed in a telecommunication system, and the base station 1320 includes hardware 1325 enabling it to communicate with the host computer 1310 and the UE 1330. The hardware 1325 may include a communication interface 1326 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection to interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 1300, and for establishing and maintaining a connection with a coverage area served by the base station 1320 ( Figure 13The radio interface 1327 of at least the radio connection 1370 of the UE 1330 (not shown in ). The communication interface 1326 may be configured to facilitate the connection 1360 with the host computer 1310. The connection 1360 may be direct, or the connection 1360 may pass through the core network of the telecommunication system ( Figure 13 not shown in ) and / or through one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunication system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 1325 of the base station 1320 further includes processing circuitry 1328, which may include one or more programmable processors suitable for executing instructions, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these items (not shown). The base station 1320 also has software 1321 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0120] The communication system 1300 further includes the UE 1330 already mentioned. The hardware 1335 of the UE 1330 may include a radio interface 1337, which is configured to establish and maintain a radio connection 1370 with a base station in the coverage area where the UE 1330 is currently located. The hardware 1335 of the UE 1330 further includes processing circuitry 1338, which may include one or more programmable processors suitable for executing instructions, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these items (not shown). The UE 1330 also includes software 1331 stored in or accessible by the UE 1330 and executable by the processing circuitry 1338. The software 1331 includes a client application 1332. The client application 1332 is operable to provide a service to a human or non - human user via the UE 1330 with the support of the host computer 1310. In the host computer 1310, the executing host application 1312 may communicate with the executing client application 1332 via the OTT connection 1350 terminating at the UE 1330 and the host computer 1310. In providing a service to the user, the client application 1332 may receive request data from the host application 1312 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1350 may convey both request data and user data. The client application 1332 may interact with the user to generate user - provided user data.

[0121] Note that Figure 13 the illustrated host computer 1310, base station 1320, and UE 1330 may be the same as Figure 12 one of the host computers 1230, base stations 1212a, 1212b, 1212c, and one of the UEs 1291, 1292 respectively. That is, the internal working principles of these entities may be as Figure 13 shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology may be Figure 12 the surrounding network topology of .

[0122] In Figure 13 it, the OTT connection 1350 has been abstractly drawn to show the communication between the host computer 1310 and the user equipment 1330 via the base station 1320 without explicitly referring to any intermediate devices and the exact routing of messages via these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, and the network infrastructure can be configured to hide the routing from the UE 1330 or from the service provider operating the host computer 1310 or both. When the OTT connection 1350 is active, the network infrastructure can further make a decision according to which the network infrastructure dynamically changes the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0123] The wireless connection 1370 between the UE 1330 and the base station 1320 is provided according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, e.g., by nodes such as the wireless device 50 and the network node 30 and the corresponding method 400. The embodiments described herein provide an efficient deployment of LTE-M coexisting with NR. More specifically, the embodiments address the issues of subcarrier grid alignment and resource efficiency, which are key issues for NR and LTE-M coexistence. The teachings of these embodiments can be used to improve the data rate, capacity, latency, and / or power consumption of the network and the UE 1330 using the OTT connection 1350.

[0124] A measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors that are improved in one or more embodiments. In response to changes in the measurement results, there may also be optional network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1350 between the host computer 1310 and the UE 1330. The measurement process and / or network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1350 may be implemented in the software 1311 of the host computer 1310 or in the software 1331 of the UE 1330 or in both. In an embodiment, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with communication devices through which the OTT connection 1350 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing values of the monitored quantities exemplified above or providing values of other physical quantities from which the software 1311, 1331 may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1350 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc. The reconfiguration need not affect the base station 1320, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 1320. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling, which facilitates the measurement by the host computer 1310 of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurement may be implemented because the software 1311, 1331 causes the use of the OTT connection 1350 to send messages, especially empty messages or "dummy" messages, during its monitoring of propagation time, errors, etc.

[0125] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example method implemented in a communication system. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be those host computers, base stations, and UEs referred to Figure 12 and Figure 13 described. For the sake of simplicity of the present disclosure, only the reference to Figure 14 is included in this section. In a first step 1410 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step 1411 of the first step 1410, the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In a second step 1420, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In an optional third step 1430, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In an optional fourth step 1440, the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0126] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example method implemented in a communication system. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be those host computers, base stations, and UEs referred to Figure 12 and Figure 13The host computers, base stations, and UEs described. To simplify the present disclosure, only the Figure 15 accompanying drawing references are included in this section. In the first step 1510 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In the second step 1520, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, this transmission may be via a base station. In an optional third step 1530, the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0127] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example method implemented in a communication system. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the Figure 12 and Figure 13 described host computers, base stations, and UEs. To simplify the present disclosure, only the Figure 16 accompanying drawing references are included in this section. In an optional first step 1610 of the method, the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in an optional second step 1620, the UE provides user data. In an optional sub-step 1621 of the second step 1620, the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In another optional sub-step 1611 of the first step 1610, the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, the UE initiates a transmission of the user data to the host computer in an optional third step 1630. In a fourth step 1640 of the method, the host computer receives the user data sent from the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure.

[0128] Figure 17 is a flowchart showing an example method implemented in a communication system. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the Figure 12 and Figure 13 described host computers, base stations, and UEs. To simplify the present disclosure, only the Figure 17 accompanying drawing references are included in this section. In an optional first step 1710 of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In an optional second step 1720, the base station initiates a transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In a third step 1730, the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0129] As discussed in detail above, the techniques described herein (e.g., Figure 9A and 9B as shown in the process flow diagrams of the techniques) can be implemented in whole or in part using computer program instructions executed by one or more processors. It should be understood that the functional implementation of these techniques can be represented in terms of functional modules, where each functional module corresponds to a functional unit of software executed in an appropriate processor or to a functional digital hardware circuit, or to some combination of both.

[0130] Figure 18 FIG. shows an example functional module or circuit architecture of a network node such as network node 30. The functional implementation includes a communication module 1802 that is used to transmit using a first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier such that data for one or more subcarriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with respect to the second carrier among the predetermined number of subcarriers is not transmitted.

[0131] Figure 19 FIG. shows an example functional module or circuit architecture of a wireless device 50 that includes a communication module 1902 that is used to receive using a first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier such that when decoding the received signal, one or more subcarriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with respect to the second carrier among the predetermined number of subcarriers are discarded.

[0132] Example embodiments

[0133] Example embodiments may include, but are not limited to, the examples listed below:

[0134] 1. A method for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising:

[0135] Transmitting using a first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier such that data for one or more subcarriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with respect to the second carrier among the predetermined number of subcarriers is not transmitted.

[0136] 2. A method for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising:

[0137] Receiving using a first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier such that when decoding the received signal, one or more subcarriers corresponding to the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with respect to the second carrier among the predetermined number of subcarriers are discarded.

[0138] 3. The method according to Example Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier occurs at the outermost resource block of the first carrier.

[0139] 4. The method according to Example Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the partial overlap of the resource blocks of the first carrier with the second carrier occurs at the last resource block of a suitable subset of resource blocks of the first carrier.

[0140] 5. The method according to Example Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the resource blocks of the first carrier are scheduled so as to limit the influence of any one of one or more predetermined subcarriers that are not decoded or whose data is not transmitted.

[0141] 6. The method according to Example Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the resource blocks of the first carrier are scheduled in a first carrier narrowband below the direct current (DC) subcarrier of the first carrier.

[0142] 7. The method according to Example Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the first carrier is positioned within the second carrier such that only one subcarrier corresponds to the partial overlap and is not decoded or does not have its data transmitted.

[0143] 8. The method according to Example Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the first carrier is positioned within the second carrier such that only two subcarriers of the first carrier correspond to the partial overlap and are not decoded or do not have their data transmitted.

[0144] 9. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1 - 8, wherein the first carrier is a Long Term Evolution - Machine Type Communication (LTE - M) carrier and the second carrier is a New Radio (NR) carrier.

[0145] 10. The method according to Example Embodiment 9, wherein the center of the LTE - M carrier is positioned within the NR carrier based on the following formula:

[0146] F nr,raster =F lte,raster +300q[kHz], for q = 3n,

[0147] where n is an integer, F nr,raster is the NR channel raster frequency, F lte,raster is the LTE channel raster frequency, and q is an integer that must be selected based on the NR frequency range and the position of the LTE - M carrier.

[0148] 11. The method according to Example Embodiment 9 or 10, wherein the resource blocks of the LTE - M carrier are scheduled within any one of the following LTE - M narrowbands:

[0149]

[0150] 12. The method according to Example Embodiment 9, wherein one or more LTE-M subcarriers not used for LTE-M transmission or reception are restricted to LTE-M subcarriers associated with the MTC physical downlink control channel MPDCCH resource blocks among the LTE-M subcarriers.

[0151] 13. The method according to Example Embodiment 9, wherein one or more LTE-M subcarriers not used for LTE-M transmission or reception are restricted to LTE-M subcarriers associated with the physical downlink shared channel PDSCH resource blocks.

[0152] 14. The method according to Example Embodiment 9, wherein the resource blocks of the LTE-M carrier below the direct current DC subcarrier of the LTE-M carrier are aligned with the NR resource blocks.

[0153] 15. The method according to Example Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein transmission or reception depends on aligning the subcarriers in LTE-M and NR on the same grid and depends on the grid arrangement.

[0154] 16. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-15, further comprising: transmitting or receiving information related to subcarriers corresponding to partial overlap and / or not being decoded or not having their data transmitted.

[0155] 17. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-16, wherein the radio access technology RAT of the first carrier is different from the RAT of the second carrier.

[0156] 18. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-16, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier belong to the same radio access technology but use different configurations or modes, resulting in overlapping subcarriers.

[0157] 19. A network node adapted to perform the method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-18.

[0158] 20. A network node comprising a transceiver circuit and a processing circuit, the processing circuit being operatively associated with the transceiver circuit and configured to perform the method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-18.

[0159] 21. A wireless device adapted to perform the method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-18.

[0160] 22. A wireless device comprising a transceiver circuit and a processing circuit, the processing circuit being operatively associated with the transceiver circuit and configured to perform the method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-18.

[0161] 23. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processing circuit, cause the at least one processing circuit to perform the method according to any one of Example Embodiments 1-18.

[0162] 24. A carrier containing the computer program according to Example Embodiment 23, wherein the carrier is one of an electrical signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer-readable storage medium.

[0163] A1. A communication system comprising a host computer, the host computer comprising:

[0164] a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and

[0165] a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment UE, wherein the cellular network comprises a base station having a radio interface and a processing circuit, and the processing circuit of the base station is configured to perform any operation including Embodiments 14-17.

[0166] A2. The communication system according to the previous embodiment, further comprising: a base station.

[0167] A3. The communication system according to the previous two embodiments, further comprising: a UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

[0168] A4. The communication system according to the previous three embodiments, wherein:

[0169] the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; and

[0170] the UE comprises a processing circuit configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0171] A5. A method implemented in a communication system comprising a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment UE, the method comprising:

[0172] at the host computer, providing user data; and

[0173] at the host computer, initiating a transmission of the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station, wherein the base station performs any step according to any one of Embodiments 14-17.

[0174] A6. The method according to the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the base station, sending the user data.

[0175] A7. The method according to the previous two embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application, and the method further includes: at the UE, executing a client application associated with the host application.

[0176] A8. A user equipment UE configured to communicate with a base station, the UE including a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to execute any one of the previous three embodiments.

[0177] A9. A communication system including a host computer, the host computer including:

[0178] a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and

[0179] a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment UE,

[0180] wherein the UE includes a radio interface and a processing circuit, and the components of the UE are configured to perform any step according to any one of Embodiments 1-13.

[0181] A10. The communication system according to the previous embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes: a base station configured to communicate with the UE.

[0182] A11. The communication system according to the previous two embodiments, wherein:

[0183] the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; and

[0184] the processing circuit of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0185] A12. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment UE, the method including:

[0186] at the host computer, providing user data; and

[0187] at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including a base station, wherein the UE performs any step according to any one of Embodiments 1-13.

[0188] A13. The method according to the previous embodiment, further including: at the UE, receiving the user data from the base station.

[0189] A14. A communication system including a host computer, the host computer including:

[0190] A communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment UE to a base station, wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and a processing circuit, and the processing circuit of the UE is configured to perform any of the steps according to any one of Embodiments 1 - 13.

[0191] A15. The communication system according to the previous embodiment, further comprising: a UE.

[0192] A16. The communication system according to the previous two embodiments, further comprising: a base station, wherein the base station comprises: a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data carried by the transmission from the UE to the base station to a host computer.

[0193] A17. The communication system according to the previous three embodiments, wherein:

[0194] The processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and

[0195] The processing circuit of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data.

[0196] A18. The communication system according to the previous four embodiments, wherein:

[0197] The processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing request data; and

[0198] The processing circuit of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data in response to the request data.

[0199] A19. A method implemented in a communication system comprising a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment UE, the method comprising:

[0200] At the host computer, receiving user data sent from the UE to the base station, wherein the UE performs any of the steps according to any one of Embodiments 1 - 13.

[0201] A20. The method according to the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the UE, providing user data to the base station.

[0202] A21. The method according to the previous two embodiments, further comprising:

[0203] At the UE, executing a client application, thereby providing user data to be sent; and

[0204] At the host computer, executing a host application associated with the client application.

[0205] A22. The method according to the previous three embodiments further includes:

[0206] At the UE, execute a client application; and

[0207] At the UE, receive input data for the client application, where the input data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application,

[0208] wherein the user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data.

[0209] A23. A communication system including a host computer, the host computer including a communication interface configured to receive user data sourced from a transmission from a user equipment UE to a base station, the base station including a radio interface and a processing circuit configured to communicate with the base station and cooperatively perform the operations according to any one of Embodiments 14 - 17.

[0210] A24. The communication system according to the previous embodiment further includes: a base station.

[0211] A25. The communication system according to the previous two embodiments further includes: a UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

[0212] A26. The communication system according to the previous three embodiments, wherein:

[0213] The processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and

[0214] The UE is further configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data to be received by the host computer.

[0215] A27. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment UE, the method including:

[0216] At the host computer, receive user data sourced from a transmission that the base station has received from the UE, where the base station performs any of the steps according to any one of Embodiments 14 - 17.

[0217] A28. The method according to the previous embodiment further includes: at the base station, receive user data from the UE.

[0218] A29. The method according to the previous two embodiments further includes: at the base station, initiate the transmission of the received user data to the host computer.

[0219] Many variations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without materially departing from the principles of the present inventive concept. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present inventive concept. Accordingly, the subject matter disclosed above is considered illustrative and not restrictive, and examples of embodiments are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the present inventive concept. Thus, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the scope of the present inventive concept will be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of this disclosure, which includes the examples of embodiments and their equivalents, and shall not be limited or restricted by the foregoing detailed description.

Claims

1. A method for communication in a wireless communication network, comprising: using a first carrier to transmit (902) a signal, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, wherein the transmission is performed such that data for each subcarrier corresponding to a partial overlap of the first carrier with a resource block of the second carrier among the predetermined number of subcarriers is not transmitted; wherein the method further comprises: scheduling a resource block of the first carrier in a first carrier narrowband below a direct current (DC) subcarrier of the first carrier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the partial overlap of the first carrier with the resource block of the second carrier occurs at an outermost resource block of the first carrier.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the resource block of the first carrier is scheduled to limit the impact of any one of one or more predetermined subcarriers that are not decoded or whose data is not transmitted.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the method comprises: positioning the first carrier within the second carrier such that only one subcarrier corresponds to the partial overlap and is not transmitted.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the method comprises: positioning the first carrier within the second carrier such that only two subcarriers of the first carrier correspond to the partial overlap and their data is not transmitted.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the first carrier is a Long Term Evolution - Machine Type Communication (LTE - M) carrier and the second carrier is a New Radio (NR) carrier.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, the method comprises: positioning the center of the LTE - M carrier within the NR carrier based on the following formula: F nr,raster = F lte,raster + 300q [kHz], for q = 3n where n is an integer, F nr,raster is the NR channel raster frequency, F lte,raster is the LTE channel raster frequency, and q is an integer selected based on the NR frequency range and the position of the LTE-M carrier.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, the method comprises: scheduling a resource block of the LTE - M carrier within any one of the following LTE - M narrowbands:

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein, the method comprises: restricting one or more LTE - M subcarriers not used for LTE - M transmission to LTE - M subcarriers associated with a Machine - Type Communication Physical Downlink Control Channel (MPDCCH) resource block among the LTE - M subcarriers.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein, the method comprises: restricting one or more LTE - M subcarriers not used for LTE - M transmission to LTE - M subcarriers associated with a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) resource block.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein, the method comprises: aligning a resource block of the LTE - M carrier below a DC subcarrier of the LTE - M carrier with an NR resource block.

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the method comprises: performing the transmission depending on aligning subcarriers in LTE - M and NR on the same grid and depending on the grid arrangement.

13. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: Transmit information related to subcarriers that overlap with the corresponding part and whose data is not transmitted.

14. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the radio access technology (RAT) of the first carrier is different from the RAT of the second carrier.

15. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the first carrier and the second carrier belong to the same radio access technology but use different configurations or modes, resulting in overlapping subcarriers.

16. A method for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising: receiving (904) a signal carried by a first carrier, the first carrier having a predetermined number of subcarriers within the bandwidth of a second carrier, wherein the receiving includes: when decoding the received signal, discarding each subcarrier among the predetermined number of subcarriers corresponding to a partial overlap of the resource block of the first carrier with the second carrier; wherein the method further includes: scheduling the resource block of the first carrier in a first carrier narrowband below the direct current (DC) subcarrier of the first carrier.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, the partial overlap of the resource block of the first carrier with the second carrier occurs at the outermost resource block of the first carrier.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the resource block of the first carrier is scheduled to limit the impact of any one of the one or more predetermined subcarriers that are not decoded or whose data is not transmitted.

19. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the method includes: positioning the first carrier within the second carrier such that only one subcarrier corresponds to the partial overlap and is not decoded.

20. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the method includes: positioning the first carrier within the second carrier such that only two subcarriers of the first carrier correspond to the partial overlap and are not decoded.

21. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the first carrier is a Long-Term Evolution for Machine-Type Communication (LTE-M) carrier and the second carrier is a New Radio (NR) carrier.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the method includes: positioning the center of the LTE-M carrier within the NR carrier based on the following formula, F nr,raster = F lte,raster + 300q [kHz], for q = 3n, where n is an integer, F nr,raster is the NR channel raster frequency, F lte,raster is the LTE channel raster frequency, and q is an integer selected based on the NR frequency range and the position of the LTE-M carrier.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the method includes: scheduling the resource block of the LTE-M carrier within any one of the following LTE-M narrowbands:

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the method includes: restricting one or more LTE-M subcarriers not used for LTE-M reception to the LTE-M subcarriers associated with the Machine-Type Communication Physical Downlink Control Channel (MPDCCH) resource block among the LTE-M subcarriers.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The method includes: restricting one or more LTE-M subcarriers not used for LTE-M reception to LTE-M subcarriers associated with physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resource blocks.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the method includes: aligning resource blocks of an LTE-M carrier below a direct current (DC) subcarrier of the LTE-M carrier with NR resource blocks.

27. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the reception depends on aligning subcarriers in LTE-M and NR on the same grid and on the grid arrangement.

28. The method according to claim 16 or 17, further includes: receiving information related to subcarriers corresponding to the partially overlapping and undecoded subcarriers.

29. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the radio access technology (RAT) of the first carrier is different from the RAT of the second carrier.

30. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, the first carrier and the second carrier belong to the same radio access technology but use different configurations or modes, resulting in overlapping subcarriers.

31. A network node (30) includes a transceiver circuit (36) and a processing circuit (32), the processing circuit (32) being operatively associated with the transceiver circuit (36) and configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-30.

32. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processing circuit, cause the at least one processing circuit to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-30.

33. A computer-readable storage medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed on at least one processing circuit, cause the at least one processing circuit to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-30.

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