User Equipment (UE), apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable memory medium for enhancing UCI multiplexing

Abstract

The present invention discloses apparatuses, systems, and methods for enhancing system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impacting (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reports. A base station may request a UE to transmit a CSI report during PDCCH monitoring. The base station may also request the UE to transmit UL-SCH data. At a first transmission opportunity, the UE may transmit a first PUSCH (including UL-SCH data that can be multiplexed onto the first PUSCH). Additionally, at a second (later) transmission opportunity, the UE may transmit a second PUSCH (including a CSI report that can be multiplexed onto the second PUSCH). The second transmission opportunity may be identified as a transmission opportunity that begins at least a specified number of symbols after the first symbol of the first repetition. The specified number of symbols may depend on at least one of the UE uplink processing time capability or the SCS.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to wireless devices, and more particularly to apparatus, systems and methods for wireless devices to enhance UIC multiplexing for URLLC. Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these functions.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) has become the technology of choice for most wireless network operators around the world to provide mobile broadband data and high-speed Internet access to their user base. LTE defines a number of downlink (DL) physical channels classified as transport or control channels to carry information blocks received from the medium access control (MAC) and higher layers. LTE also defines the number of physical layer channels for the uplink (UL).

[0004] For example, LTE defines a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) as a DL transport channel. PDSCH is the primary data bearing channel allocated to users on a dynamic and opportunistic basis. PDSCH carries data in a transport block (TB) corresponding to a MAC protocol data unit (PDU), which is passed from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer once per transmission time interval (TTI). PDSCH is also used to transmit broadcast information such as system information blocks (SIBs) and paging messages.

[0005] As another example, LTE defines the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) as a DL control channel that carries the resource allocation of the UE contained in the downlink control information (DCI) message. Multiple PDCCHs can be transmitted in the same subframe using control channel elements (CCEs), each of which is nine groups of four resource elements called resource element groups (REGs). PDCCH uses quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation, where four QPSK symbols are mapped to each REG. In addition, depending on the channel conditions, 1, 2, 4, or 8 CCEs can be used to ensure sufficient robustness.

[0006] Additionally, LTE defines the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) as a UL channel shared by all devices (User Equipment, UE) in a radio cell to transmit user data to the network. Scheduling of all UEs is under the control of the LTE base station (evolved Node B or eNB). The eNB uses an uplink scheduling grant (DCI format 0) to inform the UE of the resource block (RB) allocation and the modulation and coding scheme to be used. The PUSCH typically supports QPSK and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). In addition to user data, the PUSCH also carries any control information required for decoding, such as the transmission format indicator and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) parameters. The control data is multiplexed with the information data before the Digital Fourier Transform (DFT) spread.

[0007] The next telecommunications standard proposed to exceed the current International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is known as the 5th generation mobile network or 5th generation wireless system, or simply 5G (for 5G New Radio, also known as 5G-NR, also abbreviated as NR). Compared to the current LTE standard, 5G-NR offers higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users, while supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine communication from device to device, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption. Additionally, compared to the current LTE standard, the 5G-NR standard can allow for less restricted UE scheduling. Therefore, efforts are being made to utilize the potentially higher throughput at higher frequencies in the continued development of 5G-NR. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Embodiments relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for enhancing UIC multiplexing such as to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impacting and / or affecting (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting.

[0009] In some embodiments, a wireless device such as a user equipment (UE) device may be configured to receive, for example during PDCCH monitoring, a request from a base station to transmit a refreshed (and / or updated and / or new) channel state information (CSI) report. The base station may also request the UE to transmit (send) uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) data. At a first transmission opportunity, the UE may transmit a first PUSCH. In some embodiments, the UL-SCH data may be multiplexed onto the first PUSCH. Additionally, at a second (or later) transmission opportunity, the UE may transmit a second (or later / additional) PUSCH together with one or more CSI reports, for example, one or more CSI reports may be multiplexed onto the second PUSCH. In some embodiments, the second transmission opportunity may be identified as a transmission opportunity (or repetition) that begins at least a specified number of symbols after the first symbol of the first repetition. In some embodiments, the specified number of symbols may depend on at least one of the UE uplink processing time capability or the subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0010] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to any of a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computing device, a portable media player, and various other computing devices.

[0011] This summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it should be understood that the above features are merely examples and should not be construed in any way as narrowing the scope or essence of the subject matter described herein. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A better understanding of the subject matter may be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A An exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 1B An example of a base station (BS) and an access point communicating with a user equipment (UE) device is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 2 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a WLAN access point (AP) is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a UE is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 4 Shows an exemplary block diagram of a BS according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 5 Shows an example block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 6A Shows an example of the connection between an EPC network, an LTE base station (eNB), and a 5G NR base station (gNB).

[0020] Figure 6B Shows an example of a protocol stack for an eNB and a gNB.

[0021] Figure 7A Shows an example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to a 5G CN.

[0022] Figure 7B Shows an example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access and non-3GPP access to a 5G CN.

[0023] Figure 8 Shows an example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE according to some embodiments.

[0024] Figure 9 Shows an example of a scheduling diagram for 3GPP Release 15 PUSCH slot aggregation.

[0025] Figure 10 Shows an example of a scheduling diagram for authorized 3GPP Release 15 PUSCH configuration.

[0026] Figure 11 and Figure 12 Shows an example of a scheduling diagram for 3GPP Release 16 PUSCH repetition.

[0027] Figure 13 Shows examples of scheduling diagrams for 3GPP Release 15 C SI timeline, 3GPP Release 15 UL-SCH timeline, and 3GPP Release 15 CSI and UL-SCH combined timeline.

[0028] Figure 14 Shows an example of a scheduling diagram for combined CSI and UL-SCH timeline according to some embodiments.

[0029] Figure 15 Shows another example of a scheduling diagram for combined CSI and UL-SCH timeline according to some embodiments.

[0030] Figure 16 Shows an exemplary scheduling diagram for the PUSCH transmission scheme for 3GPP Release 16.

[0031] Figure 17 Shows an exemplary scheduling diagram of the PUSCH transmission scheme according to some embodiments.

[0032] Figures 18 - 21 Shows additional examples of the scheduling diagram of the PUSCH transmission scheme according to some embodiments.

[0033] Figure 22 Shows a block diagram of an example of a method for enhancing system performance without impacting the processing timeline of a UE for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting according to some embodiments.

[0034] Although the features described herein may be subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and the detailed description thereof are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Description

[0035] Terminology

[0036] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0037] Memory medium - Any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include installation media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may also include other types of non-transitory memory or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first computer system executing a program, or may be located in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media located at different positions in, for example, different computer systems connected via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as a computer program) executable by one or more processors.

[0038] Carrier medium - A storage medium as described above and a physical transmission medium, such as a bus, a network, and / or other physical transmission media that convey signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals).

[0039] Programmable hardware element - Includes various hardware devices that include a plurality of programmable function blocks connected via a programmable interconnect. Examples include FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), FPOA (Field Programmable Object Array), and CPLD (Complex PLD). The programmable function blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinational logic components or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic components".

[0040] Computer system - Any of various types of computing systems or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network devices, Internet devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations of devices. Generally, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to cover any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0041] User equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - Any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone TM , Android-based TM phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM , Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ), laptop computers, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), personal digital assistants, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices, etc. Generally, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to cover any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is portable and convenient for the user and capable of wireless communication.

[0042] Base station - The term "base station" has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and at least includes a wireless communication station that is installed at a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0043] Processing element - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that can perform functions in a device such as a user equipment or a cellular network device. Processing elements can include, for example: a processor and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any combination of the above.

[0044] Channel - a medium for transmitting information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that since the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary according to different wireless protocols, the term "channel" used in the present invention can be considered to be used in a manner that conforms to the standards of the type of device to which the term usage refers. In some standards, the channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards can include different definitions of channels. In addition, some standards can define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0045] Frequency band - the term "frequency band" has the full range of its ordinary meaning and at least includes a segment of the spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0046] Automatically - means that an action or operation is performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or a device (e.g., a circuit, a programmable hardware element, an ASIC, etc.) without the action or operation being directly specified or performed through user input. Thus, the term "automatically" is contrasted with a user manually performing or specifying an operation, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process can be initiated by input provided by the user, but the subsequent actions that are "automatically" performed are not specified by the user, i.e., are not "manually" performed, where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a spreadsheet by selecting each field and providing input to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is manually filling out the spreadsheet, even though the computer system must update the spreadsheet in response to the user's actions. The spreadsheet can be filled out automatically by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the spreadsheet and fills out the spreadsheet without any user input specifying the answers to the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the spreadsheet but does not participate in the actual filling of the spreadsheet (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields but they are completed automatically). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0047] About - means close to the correct or exact value. For example, about can mean a value within 1% to 10% of the exact (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "about" can mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, depending on the expectations or requirements of the particular application, the threshold can be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc.

[0048] Concurrent - means parallel execution or implementation, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in at least a partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be achieved using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on corresponding computing elements; or using "weak parallelism", where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., through time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0049] Various components can be described as “configured to” perform one or more tasks. In such an environment, “configured to” is a broad statement that generally means “having” the “structure” to perform one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when a component is not currently performing a task, the component can be configured to perform the task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, “configured to” can be a broad statement that generally means “having” the “circuitry” to perform one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when a component is not currently powered on, the component can be configured to perform the task. Generally, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to “configured to” can include hardware circuitry.

[0050] For ease of description, various components can be described as performing one or more tasks. Such a description should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to”. A component described as configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke the interpretation of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) with respect to that component.

[0051] Figure 1A and Figure 1B - communication system

[0052] Figure 1A A simplified exemplary wireless communication system in accordance with some embodiments is shown. Note that the system of FIG. 1 is only one example of a possible system, and the features of the present disclosure can be implemented in any one of a variety of systems as needed.

[0053] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A that communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, user equipments 106B through user equipments 106N, etc. via a transmission medium. Each user equipment can be referred to herein as a “user equipment” (UE). Thus, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or a UE device.

[0054] Base station (BS) 102A can be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and can include hardware that enables wireless communication with UEs 106A through 106N.

[0055] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station can be referred to as a "cell". The base station 102A and the UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any one of various radio access technologies (RATs), which are also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, the WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, advanced LTE (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), and so on. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0056] As shown in the figure, the base station 102A can also be equipped to communicate with the network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunication network such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and / or the Internet). Thus, the base station 102A can facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network 100. In particular, the cellular base station 102A can provide the UE 106 with various communication capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0057] The base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B... 102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can thus be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to the UEs 106A-N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0058] Therefore, although the base station 102A can act as the "serving cell" of the UEs 106A-N as shown in FIG. 1, each UE 106 may also be capable of receiving signals (and potentially being within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which can be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), and these one or more other cells can be referred to as "neighboring cells". Such cells may also be capable of facilitating communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network 100. Such cells can include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or any various other granularities of cells that provide service area sizes. For example, the base stations 102A to 102B shown in FIG. 1 can be macro cells, while the base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0059] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a "gNB". In some embodiments, the gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a New Radio Communication Core (NRC) network. Additionally, a gNB cell may include one or more Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs). Further, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0060] Note that UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, e.g., WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), UE 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, UE 106 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0061] Figure 1B Shown is a user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 and access point 112 according to some embodiments. UE 106 may be a device having cellular communication capabilities and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer or a tablet, or almost any type of wireless device.

[0062] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein or any part of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0063] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / Advanced LTE, or 5G NR and / or GSM, LTE, Advanced LTE, or 5G Nr using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Generally, the radio component may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains using the foregoing hardware. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of a receive chain and / or a transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0064] In some embodiments, UE 106 may include separate transmit chains and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol it is configured to communicate with. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols and one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include a shared radio component for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM) and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are possible.

[0065] Figure 2 — Block diagram of the access point

[0066] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of an access point (AP) 112 is shown. Note that Figure 2 the block diagram of the AP is only one example of a possible system. As shown, AP 112 may include a processor 204 that can execute program instructions for AP 112. The processor 204 may also be (directly or indirectly) coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuits or devices, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 204 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0067] AP 112 may include at least one network port 270. The network port 270 may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide access to the Internet to a plurality of devices such as UE 106. For example, the network port 270 (or an additional network port) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or an enterprise network. For example, port 270 may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide a connection to an additional network such as the Internet.

[0068] AP 112 may include at least one antenna 234, which may be configured to act as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE 106 via wireless communication circuitry 230. Antenna 234 communicates with wireless communication circuitry 230 via communication link 232. Communication link 232 may include one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or both. Wireless communication circuitry 230 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN (e.g., 802.11). For example, in the case where the AP co-locates with a base station in a small cell, or in other cases where it may be desirable for AP 112 to communicate via various different wireless communication technologies, wireless communication circuitry 230 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including but not limited to 5G NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, etc.

[0069] In some embodiments, as further described below, AP 112 may be configured to perform methods to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impacting (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting, as further described herein.

[0070] Figure 3 —Block diagram of the UE

[0071] Figure 3 An exemplary simplified block diagram of communication device 106 is shown. Note that Figure 3The block diagram of the communication device is only an example of a possible communication device. According to an embodiment, in addition to other devices, the communication device 106 can be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (such as a laptop, notebook or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices. As shown, the communication device 106 can include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, the set of components can be implemented as a system on a chip (SOC), which can include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 can be implemented as separate components or groups of components for various purposes. This set of components 300 can be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0072] For example, the communication device 106 can include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as a microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as a speaker; etc.), a display 360 that can be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuits 330 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuits 329 (e.g., Bluetooth TM and WLAN circuits). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 can include a wired communication circuit (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet, for example.

[0073] The cellular communication circuits 330 can be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 335 and 336 shown. The short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuits 329 can also be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 337 and 338 shown. Alternatively, the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuits 329, in addition to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) being coupled to the antennas 337 and 338 or as an alternative, can be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to the antennas 335 and 336. The short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuits 329 and / or the cellular communication circuits 330 can include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0074] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). Additionally, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain as well as the transmit chain shared with additional radio components, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0075] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to work with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include various elements such as a display 360 (which may be a touchscreen display), a keyboard (which may be a discrete keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touchscreen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of various other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0076] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 having SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 345.

[0077] As shown, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and a display circuit 304. The processor may execute program instructions for the communication device 106, and the display circuit may perform graphics processing and provide a display signal to the display 360. One or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (the MMU may be configured to receive addresses from one or more processors 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or be coupled to other circuits or devices (such as the display circuit 304, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329, cellular communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or the display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0078] As described above, the communication device 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. The communication device 106 can be configured to execute methods to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impacting (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting, as further described herein.

[0079] As described herein, the communication device 106 can include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features of the communication device 106 to send a scheduling profile for power savings to the network. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 302 of the communication device 106 can be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 can be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, the processor 302 of the communication device 106 can be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0080] In addition, as described herein, the processor 302 can include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor 302 can include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor 302. Further, each integrated circuit can include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform one or more of the functions of the processor 302.

[0081] Further, as described herein, the cellular communication circuitry 330 and the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 can each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements can be included in the cellular communication circuitry 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements can be included in the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329. Thus, the cellular communication circuitry 330 can include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuitry 330. Further, each integrated circuit can include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuitry 330. Similarly, the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 can include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329. Further, each integrated circuit can include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329.

[0082] Figure 4 —Block diagram of a base station

[0083] Figure 4 Exemplary block diagram of base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that, Figure 4 The base station is only one example of possible base stations. As shown, base station 102 may include a processor 404 that can execute program instructions for base station 102. The processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuits or devices, and the MMU may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 404 and translate these addresses into locations in a memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0084] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. The network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access to a plurality of devices such as UE device 106 to the telephone network as described above in FIG. 1 and Figure 2 as described.

[0085] The network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured or alternatively configured to be coupled to a cellular network, e.g., the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to a plurality of devices such as UE device 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may be coupled to the telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0086] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a "gNB". In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or connected to an NR Core (NRC) network. Additionally, base station 102 may be regarded as a 5G NR cell and may include one or more Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0087] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly a plurality of antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. The antenna 434 communicates with the radio component 430 via communication link 432. The communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. The radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0088] Base station 102 may be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multi-mode radio component capable of performing communication according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (such as 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0089] As further described subsequently herein, base station 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (such as a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of other components 430, component 432, component 434, component 440, component 450, component 460, component 470, the processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of part or all of the features described herein.

[0090] In addition, as described herein, processor 404 may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 404. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (such as a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 404.

[0091] Furthermore, as described herein, radio component 430 may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio component 430. Therefore, radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio component 430. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (such as a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio component 430.

[0092] Figure 5 : Block diagram of a cellular communication circuit

[0093] Figure 5 Shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely an example of one possible cellular communication circuit. According to an embodiment, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, in addition to other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices.

[0094] The cellular communication circuit 330 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 335a - 335b and 336 shown ([ Figure 3 in). In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G - NR). For example, as Figure 5 shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. The modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as LTE or LTE - A, and the modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as 5G NR.

[0095] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 communicatively coupled to the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front - end 530. The RF front - end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front - end 530 may include a receive circuit (RX) 532 and a transmit circuit (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuit 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front - end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335a.

[0096] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 communicatively coupled to the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include a receive circuit 542 and a transmit circuit 544. In some embodiments, the receive circuit 542 may communicate with a DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335b.

[0097] In some embodiments, a switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. Additionally, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via an antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported via the modem 510), the switch 570 may be switched to a first state that permits the modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported via the modem 520), the switch 570 may be switched to a second state that permits the modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0098] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may be configured to perform methods to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impacting (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting, as further described herein.

[0099] As described herein, the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features or for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operation and various other techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the feature portions described herein.

[0100] In addition, as described herein, the processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, the processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor 512. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor 512.

[0101] As described herein, the modem 520 may include hardware and software components designed to implement the above-described features for transmitting a power saving scheduling profile to a network as well as various other techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or additionally), in combination with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.

[0102] In addition, as described herein, the processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, the processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor 522.

[0103] 5GNR Architecture with LTE

[0104] In some embodiments, fifth generation (5G) wireless communications will initially be deployed concurrently with current wireless communication standards (e.g., LTE). For example, dual connectivity between LTE and 5G New Radio (5G NR or NR) has been specified as part of the initial deployment of NR. Thus, as Figures 6A to 6B shown, the evolved packet core (EPC) network 600 may continue to communicate with current LTE base stations (e.g., eNB 602). In addition, the eNB 602 may communicate with a 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604), and may transfer data between the core network 600 and the gNB 604. Accordingly, the EPC network 600 may be used (or reused), and the gNB 604 may act as additional capacity for user equipment, e.g., for providing increased downlink throughput to a UE. In other words, LTE may be used for control plane signaling, and NR may be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE may be used to establish a connection to the network, and NR may be used for data services.

[0105] Figure 6B The proposed protocol stacks for eNB 602 and gNB 604 are shown. As shown, eNB 602 may include a Media Access Control (MAC) layer 632 that interfaces with Radio Link Control (RLC) layers 622a - 622b. RLC layer 622a may also interface with a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer 612a, and RLC layer 622b may interface with PDCP layer 612b. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in Advanced LTE Release 12, PDCP layer 612a may interface with the EPC network 600 via a Master Cell Group (MCG) bearer, while PDCP layer 612b may interface with the EPC network 600 via a split bearer.

[0106] Additionally, as shown, gNB 604 may include a MAC layer 634 that interfaces with RLC layers 624a - 624b. RLC layer 624a may interface with PDCP layer 612b of eNB 602 via the X2 interface for information exchange and / or coordination (e.g., scheduling UEs) between eNB 602 and gNB 604. Further, RLC layer 624b may interface with PDCP layer 614. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in Advanced LTE Release 12, PDCP layer 614 may interface with the EPC network 600 via a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) bearer. Thus, eNB 602 may be regarded as the Master Node (MeNB), and gNB 604 may be regarded as the Secondary Node (SgNB). In some cases, it may be required that the UE maintain connections to both the MeNB and the SgNB. In such cases, the MeNB may be used to maintain the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection to the EPC, while the SgNB may be used for capacity (e.g., additional downlink and / or uplink throughput).

[0107] 5G Core Network Architecture - Interworking with Wi-Fi

[0108] In some embodiments, access to the 5G Core Network (CN) may be via (or through) cellular connections / interfaces (e.g., via the 3GPP communication architecture / protocol) and non - cellular connections / interfaces (e.g., non - 3GPP access architectures / protocols such as Wi - Fi connections). Figure 7AAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to the 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., UE 106) can access the 5G CN through both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., gNB or base station 604) and an access point such as AP 112. AP 112 can include a connection to the Internet 700 and a connection to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 702 network entity. N3IWF can include a connection to the core access and mobility management function (AMF) 704 of the 5G CN. AMF 704 can include an instance of a 5G mobility management (5G MM) function associated with UE 106. Additionally, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) can also have a connection to AMF 704. Thus, the 5G CN can support unified authentication on both connections and allow UE 106 to register for access simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 112. As shown, AMF 704 can include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., network slice selection function (NSSF) 720, short message service function (SMSF) 722, application function (AF) 724, unified data management (UDM) 726, policy control function (PCF) 728, and / or authentication server function (AUSF) 730). Note that these functional entities can also be supported by the session management function (SMF) 706a and SMF 706b of the 5G CN. AMF 706 can be connected to (or communicate with) SMF706a. In addition, gNB 604 can communicate with (or be connected to) a user plane function (UPF) 708a, which can also communicate with SMF 706a. Similarly, N3IWF 702 can communicate with a UPF 708b, which can also communicate with SMF706b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DN 710a and 710b) and / or the Internet 700 and the IMS core network 710.

[0109] Figure 7BAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which incorporates dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access to the 5G CN as well as non-3GPP access. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., UE 106) can access the 5G CN via both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., gNB or base station 604 or eNB or base station 602) and an access point such as AP 112. AP 112 can include a connection to the Internet 700 as well as a connection to the N3IWF 702 network entity. N3IWF can include a connection to the AMF 704 of the 5G CN. AMF 704 can include an instance of the 5G MM function associated with UE 106. Additionally, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) can also have a connection to AMF 704. Thus, the 5G CN can support unified authentication on both connections and allow UE 106 to register for access simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 112. Additionally, the 5G CN can support dual registration of the UE on both a traditional network (e.g., LTE via base station 602) and a 5G network (e.g., via base station 604). As shown, base station 602 can have connections to a mobility management entity (MME) 742 and a serving gateway (SGW) 744. MME742 can have connections to both SGW 744 and AMF 704. Additionally, SGW 744 can have connections to both SMF 706a and UPF708a. As shown, AMF 704 can include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., NSSF 720, SMSF 722, AF 724, UDM 726, PCF 728, and / or AUSF 730). Note that UDM 726 can also include a home subscriber server (HSS) function, and PCF can also include a policy and charging rules function (PCRF). Note also that these functional entities can also be supported by SMF 706a and SMF 706b of the 5G CN. AMF 706 can be connected to (or communicate with) SMF 706a. Additionally, gNB 604 can communicate with (or be connected to) UPF 708a, which can also communicate with SMF 706a. Similarly, N3IWF 702 can communicate with UPF 708b, which can also communicate with SMF 706b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DN 710a and 710b) and / or the Internet 700 and the IMS core network 710.

[0110] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above network entities can be configured to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impacting (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting, as further described herein.

[0111] Figure 8 Shows an example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE (e.g., UE 106) according to some embodiments. As described above, Figure 8 The baseband processor architecture 800 described in can be implemented on one or more radio components (e.g., radio components 329 and / or 330 described above) or modems (e.g., modems 510 and / or 520) as described above. As shown, the non-access stratum 810 may include a 5G NAS 820 and a legacy NAS 850. The legacy NAS 850 may include a communication connection with a legacy access stratum (AS) 870. The 5G NAS 820 may include communication connections with a 5G AS 840, a non-3GPP AS 830, and a Wi-Fi AS 832. The 5G NAS 820 may include functional entities associated with both access strata. Thus, the 5G NAS 820 may include multiple 5G MM entities 826 and 828 and 5G session management (SM) entities 822 and 824. The legacy NAS 850 may include functional entities such as a short message service (SMS) entity 852, an evolved packet system (EPS) session management (ESM) entity 854, a session management (SM) entity 856, an EPS mobility management (EMM) entity 858, and a mobility management (MM) / GPRS mobility management (GMM) entity 860. In addition, the legacy AS 870 may include functional entities such as an LTE AS 872, a UMTS AS 874, and / or a GSM / GPRS 876.

[0112] Thus, the baseband processor architecture 800 allows for a common 5G-NAS for both 5G cellular and non-cellular (e.g., non-3GPP access). Note that, as shown, 5G MM may maintain separate connection management and registration management state machines for each connection. Additionally, a device (e.g., UE 106) may register to a single PLMN (e.g., 5G CN) using both 5G cellular access and non-cellular access. Furthermore, a device may be in a connected state in one access and in an idle state in another access, and vice versa. Finally, for both accesses, there may be common 5G-MM procedures (e.g., registration, deregistration, identification, authentication, etc.).

[0113] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-described functional entities of the 5G NAS and / or 5G AS may be configured to perform operations for enhancing system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impacting (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting, e.g., as further described herein.

[0114] Enhanced UCI Multiplexing

[0115] In the current specific implementation, time slot aggregation and / or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) repetition can be used to enhance uplink transmission reliability, such as for ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) between a base station and a wireless device as specified by 3GPP Release 15, Release 16, and later. However, in terms of the PUSCH processing timeline in these specifications, in at least some cases, timely Channel State Information (CSI) reporting can be a problem when Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmissions with repetition may prevent CSI reporting.

[0116] In some specific implementations, such as those specified by 3GPP Release 15, PUSCH time slot aggregation (e.g., data transmission scheduling that can span one or more time slots) can be configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling between, for example, a base station and a mobile station. In such specific implementations, each transmission can be a single-layer transmission, and a single Uplink Downlink Control Information (DCI) can trigger the mobile station to transmit within a specified (e.g., k) number of time slots. In some specific implementations, a time slot (or a group of time slots in the case of time slot aggregation) can be pre-loaded with control signals and reference signals to achieve low latency. For example, as Figure 9 shown, multiple time slots can be scheduled (e.g., where each time slot includes one or more symbols, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols), such that Physical Downlink Control Channel signaling (PDCCH) 902 appears at the beginning of the time slot (e.g., in the first symbol and / or first symbol set), and Physical Uplink Control Channel signaling (PUCCH) 908 appears at the end of the time slot (e.g., in the last symbol and / or last symbol set), thereby allowing PUSCH signaling (e.g., PUSCH repetition 904 and PUSCH repetition 906) to appear in the remaining part of the time slot (e.g., the remaining symbols and / or remaining symbol set). As shown, multiple time slots (e.g., time slot n to time slot n + 3) can be scheduled in repetition. In other words, a single DCI can trigger the mobile station to transmit within time slots n to n + 3, where each time slot includes 14 OFDM symbols.

[0117] Additionally, in some specific implementations, such as those specified by 3GPP Release 15, two types of configured grants can be supported. For example, type 1 grant can be defined as a grant in which all transmission parameters are configured by RRC signaling. As another example, type 2 grant can be defined as a grant in which some transmission parameters can be configured by RRC signaling and some transmission parameters can be activated via DCI. In some specific implementations, such as Figure 10 shown, repetition can also be configured via RRC signaling and, in some specific implementations, can be combined with time slot aggregation. Thus, as Figure 10As shown, a time slot can be configured (scheduled) to include a first symbol (or set of symbols) for PDDCH signaling 1002, the last two symbols (or last set of two symbols) for PUCCH signaling 1008, and 4 symbols (or 4 sets of symbols) for PUSCH repetition 1004 (e.g., as configured via RRC signaling).

[0118] Additionally, in some specific implementations, such as specified by 3GPP Release 16, the repetition can occur in a single time slot (e.g., as Figure 11 shown) or across multiple time slots (e.g., as Figure 12 shown). In such specific implementations, each PUSCH repetition transmission can be referenced by a repetition index (e.g., if there is no segmentation of the repetition as shown in Figure 11 , e.g., repetitions 1104 and 1106) or by a repetition index and a segmentation index (e.g., if there is segmentation of the repetition as shown in Figure 12 , e.g., repetitions 1210_1 and 1210_2 instead of repetitions 1204, 1206, 1208, 1212, 1214, 1216, and / or 1218). Thus, in some specific implementations, the repetition version can span time slots.

[0119] In some specific implementations, the number of repetitions can be signaled dynamically to the wireless device via PDCCH, and this number of repetitions can, for example, indicate the number of time slots in which the PUSCH is transmitted a specified number of times for the same transport block. For example, the ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) enhancements introduced in 3GPP Release 16. In some specific implementations, the duration of each repetition counted in OFDM symbols can be less than, equal to, and / or greater than 14.

[0120] In some specific implementations, the PDCCH can trigger the wireless device to transmit PUSCH with different transport blocks in consecutive time slots or in consecutive L symbols. In some specific implementations, the number of OFDM symbols utilized by the first PUSCH or the last PUSCH can be less than the number of OFDM symbols utilized by other PUSCHs, such as encountered in unlicensed spectrum access.

[0121] Furthermore, in some specific implementations, such as specified by 3GPP Release 15, the wireless device can have a specified timeline for certain actions. For example, Figure 13Shows a scheduling diagram for a wireless device to provide channel state information (CSI) reports (e.g., in time slot n), to transmit uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) data (e.g., transmit RRC signaling and / or application data (e.g., in time slot n+1)), and to transmit UL-SCH data and provide one or more CSI reports (e.g., in time slots n+2 and n+3). As shown in time slot n, the CSI timeline may include two orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols (or OFDM symbol sets) received on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (e.g., PDCCH 1302), one OFDM symbol (or OFDM symbol set) for receiving channel measurement resources (CMR) (e.g., CMR 1320), and one OFDM (or OFDM symbol set) for receiving interference measurement resources (IMR) (e.g., IMR 1322). The wireless device may then require 8 OFDM symbols (or symbol sets) to prepare the CSI report (e.g., Z’) to be transmitted on PUSCH 1306. In other words, the wireless device may require 10 OFDM symbols (or symbol sets) to prepare the CSI report (e.g., Z) after receiving on the PDCCH. As shown in time slot n+1, the UL-SCH timeline may include 2 OFDM symbols (or symbol sets) received on the PDCCH, followed by 5 OFDM symbols (or symbol sets) for preparing the UL-SCH data (e.g., Z) to be transmitted on the PUSCH. As shown in time slot n+2 (and continuing to n+3), the CSI+UL-SCH timeline may include 2 OFDM symbols (or symbol sets) received on the PDCCH, followed by one OFDM symbol (or symbol set) each for CMR and IMR. The wireless device may then require 10 OFDM symbols (or symbol sets) after receiving the IMR to prepare one or more CSI reports and UL-SCH data to be transmitted on the PUSCH. In other words, the wireless device may require 12 OFDM symbols (or symbol sets) (e.g., Z+d) to prepare one or more CSI reports and UL-SCH data after receiving on the PDCCH.

[0122] As Figure 13As shown, compared to PUSCH transmissions with CSI reports, PUSCH transmissions without CSI reports can be processed much faster (5 OFDM symbols). Thus, if the base station needs the wireless device to simultaneously transmit one or more fresh (e.g., new / updated) CSI reports and UL-SCH data (e.g., as part of a single scheduling grant), the minimum allowed scheduling time between the PDCCH and the PUSCH becomes much larger compared to not preparing one or more CSI reports. Thus, in some cases, the base station may need to select (and / or balance) between fast UL data transmissions (e.g., omitting one or more CSI reports) and one or more updated / new (e.g., fresh) downlink CSI reports.

[0123] The embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, and mechanisms for a UE (such as UE 106) and a base station (such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604) to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without straining (e.g., tightening) the processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reports of the UE. Some embodiments may be implemented as part of ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) between the base station and the UE. URLLC is a class of cellular communication developed under at least the 3GPP fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) communication (e.g., 3GPP Release 15, 16, and later). According to some embodiments, URLLC may have extremely low latency and high reliability requirements, such as a packet error rate of less than 0.001% under a 1 ms latency bound. However, it should be noted that at least according to some embodiments, although URLLC having a packet error rate of 0.001% under a 1 ms latency bound as a requirement may represent one possible example of a scenario that may require high-reliability low-latency communication, other possible latency and reliability requirements for URLLC may also be possible, and other types of cellular communication may also have very high reliability and low-latency requirements and may thus also benefit from the techniques described herein.

[0124] In some embodiments, PUSCH repetition may be employed such that one or more CSI reports are not multiplexed on the first repetition but rather on a later repetition. For example, Figure 14Shows an example of multiplexing one or more CSI reports on a second repetition. For example, one or more CSI reports triggered by PDCCH 1402 and based on CMR 1420 and IMR 1422 can be multiplexed on repetition 1406 instead of (or in place of) repetition 1404. Note that in some embodiments, the 3GPP Release 15 and / or 16 timeline (and / or the timeline of other 3GPP releases) can be enhanced and / or maintained on a per-repetition basis, so such multiplexing of one or more CSI reports (e.g., on repetition 1406 instead of (or in place of) repetition 1404) may not violate the standardized timeline. In some embodiments, there may be multiple candidate locations (e.g., within the PUSCH repetition) to insert (or multiplex) UL DCI. Thus, in some embodiments, one or more rules can be introduced to determine on which repetition one or more CSI reports can be multiplexed. For example, in some embodiments, for each subcarrier spacing (SCS), the difference between the N2 value and the Z value can be used to identify the earliest possible repetition that meets the imposed minimum timeline, e.g., where the first symbol is at least d” symbols after the first symbol of the first repetition (e.g., as Figure 15 shown). For example, as Figure 15 shown, the first symbol that is d” symbols after the first symbol of repetition 1502 can occur in repetition k. In other words, the earliest possible repetition can be identified as the repetition where the first symbol is at least d” symbols after the PDCCH monitoring. Note that in some embodiments, when the N2 value is different for different UE uplink processing capabilities, d”’ can be based on (and / or depend on) N2 (and / or uplink processing time capability) and / or SCS. In some embodiments, the last repetition can be identified as the repetition on which one or more CSI reports can be multiplexed. In some embodiments, d” can be defined as 5 symbols for 15KHz SCS, 7.5 symbols for 30KHz SCS, and / or 13 symbols for 60KHz SCS.

[0125] In some specific implementations of multi-slot PUSCH or PUSCH with repetitions, the first transmission (e.g., the first slot of the first PUSCH in a multi-slot PUSCH or PUSCH with repetitions) can be designated to carry one or more aperiodic CSI reports, e.g., as Figure 16 shown. As shown, PUSCH Tx1, which is the first PUSCH transmission after PDCCH 1602, can include CSI 1604 (e.g., CSI 1604 can be multiplexed onto PUSCH Tx1). However, to improve throughput, in some embodiments, a later transmission can be designated (and / or) to carry one or more aperiodic CSI reports, e.g., as Figure 17As shown. For example, as shown, PUSCH Tx4, which is not the first PUSCH transmitted after PDCCH 1702, may include CSI 1704 (e.g., CSI 1704 may be multiplexed onto PUSCH Tx4). In some embodiments, using (and / or specifying) a later transmission may potentially provide the UE with more processing time to generate one or more updated CSI reports. In some embodiments, multi-slot transmissions in a PUSCH with repetitions and / or the last slot in the last transmission may be specified. In some embodiments, multi-slot transmissions in a PUSCH with repetitions or the first slot in the first transmission that meets the minimum CSI processing timing (e.g., latency requirement 1) may be specified. In some embodiments, RRC signaling may be used to configure relative slot index / transmission index identifiers (IDs) for CSI multiplexing. In some embodiments, for example, in terms of dynamic grants, the slot index / transmission index for actual CSI multiplexing may be given by the minimum of (K, ID), where K is the number of slot aggregations or the number of PUSCH repetitions. In some embodiments, the UE may autonomously (e.g., without base station / network input) select the PUSCH repetition in which to transmit one or more CSI reports. In such embodiments, the UE may dynamically indicate the repetition to the base station, e.g., by using different demodulation reference signals (DMRS). In some embodiments, the DMRS for the PUSCH repetition multiplexed with one or more CSI reports may be different from the DMRS for the PUSCH repetition with only the UL-SCH channel.

[0126] In some embodiments, to limit the loss of reliability of the PDSCH, the length of the PUSCH repetition carrying one or more CSI reports may be increased to ensure that the coding rate of the PUSCH does not change. Note that this increase may change (or shift) the start position of subsequent repetitions. In some embodiments, as Figure 18 shown, subsequent repetitions may carry only PUSCH transmissions. For example, repetitions after the repetition onto which CSI is multiplexed may carry only PUSCH repetitions. As Figure 18 shown, repetitions 1 and 3 may have a standard (or the same) length, e.g., as measured in symbols and / or symbol sets. However, repetition 2, which includes CSI 1810, may have an increased length to compensate for the multiplexing of CSI 1810. In some embodiments, as Figure 19 shown, subsequent repetitions may carry both PUSCH transmissions and one or more CSI reports. As Figure 19As shown, the repetitions may have a standard length, e.g., as measured in a symbol and / or symbol set. However, repetitions 2 and 3 each including CSI 1910 may have an increased length to compensate for the multiplexing of CSI 1910. Note that this scheme may improve the reliability of one or more CSI reports 1910, e.g., compared to the reliability of CSI 1810. In some embodiments, the number of repetitions of CSI multiplexing may be different from the total number of subsequent CSI repetitions. In some embodiments, this scheme may be implemented while keeping the PUSCH repetition length unchanged.

[0127] In some embodiments, to limit the loss of PDSCH reliability, one or more additional repetitions may be added to the total number of PUSCH repetitions to ensure that the reliability of PUSCH transmission is not negatively affected by the multiplexing of one or more CSI reports, e.g., as Figure 20 shown. As shown, each of repetitions 1 to 4 may have the same length. However, since CSI 2020 is multiplexed onto repetition 2, repetition 4 may be added. In some embodiments, the number of additional repetitions may be fixed (and / or configured, e.g., via RRC configuration), may be modified based on rules (e.g., via the size of one or more CSI reports), and / or may be signaled dynamically in DCI (e.g., via the number of repetitions when CSI is multiplexed).

[0128] In some embodiments, since it is imperative for the UE to send HARQ ACK to the base station as quickly as possible, the HARQ feedback multiplexing of 3GPP Release 15, 16, and / or later may be retained, e.g., HARQ multiplexing within different repetitions / slots for PUSCH. In some embodiments, if the identified nominal repetition in which CSI is multiplexed needs to be segmented (e.g., a smaller segment and a larger segment) to avoid the dilemma of selecting a suitable β for HARQ ACK and a suitable β for CSI, the larger segment of the identified nominal repetition may be selected for CSI multiplexing, e.g., as Figure 21 shown. In other words, to avoid segmentation of CSI 2110, this CSI may be multiplexed onto segment 2 rather than segment 1 of repetition 2. In some embodiments, the number of resource elements (Re) for CSI reporting may also be scaled according to the ratio of the number of available REs in the larger segment to the number of REs available for the nominal repetition.

[0129] Figure 22 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for enhancing system performance without impacting the UE's processing timeline for UL-SCH data and / or CSI reporting according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Figure 22The method shown can also be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figures. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the method operates as follows.

[0130] At 2202, a UE (such as UE 106) may receive a request to transmit a refreshed (and / or updated and / or new) channel state information (CSI) report, for example, during physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring, from a base station (such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604). In some embodiments, the base station may also request the UE to transmit (send) uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) data.

[0131] At 2204, at a first transmission opportunity, the UE may transmit a first PUSCH. In some embodiments, the first PUSCH may be the first repetition of data. In some embodiments, the first PUSCH may be the first scheduled transmission of a multi-slot transmission of a PUSCH (e.g., with or without repetition). In some embodiments, UL-SCH data may be multiplexed onto the first PUSCH. In some embodiments, the first transmission opportunity may occur at least 5 symbols after completion of PDCCH monitoring. In some embodiments, the symbol may be an OFDM symbol.

[0132] At 2206, at a second (or later) transmission opportunity, the UE may transmit a second (or later / additional) PUSCH. In some embodiments, one or more CSI reports may be multiplexed onto the second PUSCH. In some embodiments, the second PUSCH may be the second (or later) repetition of data. In some embodiments, the second PUSCH may be the second (or later) scheduled transmission of a multi-slot transmission of a PUSCH (e.g., with or without repetition). In some embodiments, the second transmission opportunity may occur at least 12 symbols after completion of PDCCH monitoring. In some embodiments, the symbol may be an OFDM symbol. In some embodiments, for example, when the second PUSCH may be an additional repetition of the PUSCH, the length of the PUSCH may be increased to ensure that the coding rate of the PUSCH does not change. In some embodiments, for example, when the second PUSCH may be an additional repetition of the PUSCH, additional PUSCH repetitions may be transmitted to ensure that the reliability of the PUSCH transmission is not negatively affected by the multiplexed one or more CSI reports.

[0133] In some embodiments, the second transmission opportunity may be identified as a transmission opportunity (or repetition) that starts at least a specified number of symbols after the first symbol of the first repetition. In some embodiments, the specified number of symbols may depend on at least one of the UE uplink processing time capability or the subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0134] In some embodiments, the second transmission opportunity may be defined by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling may configure relative slot indices / transmission indices for CSI multiplexing.

[0135] In some embodiments, the second transmission opportunity may be defined by the UE. In such embodiments, the UE may indicate the second transmission opportunity to the base station via the demodulation reference signal (DMRS). In some embodiments, the DMRS for the second transmission opportunity may be different from the DMRS for the first transmission opportunity.

[0136] In some embodiments, the second transmission opportunity may include a first segment that occurs in the first time slot and a second segment that occurs in the second time slot. In such embodiments, one or more CSI reports may be multiplexed onto a larger segment. For example, when the first segment is larger than the second segment, one or more CSI reports may be multiplexed onto the first segment. As another example, when the second segment is larger than the first segment, one or more CSI reports may be multiplexed onto the second segment.

[0137] In some embodiments, the UE may transmit (or retransmit) one or more CSI reports onto a third (or subsequent later) PUSCH transmitted in a third (or subsequent later) transmission opportunity. In some embodiments, when the second PUSCH and the third PUSCH can be additional repetitions of the PUSCH, the length of the PUSCH for the second PUSCH and the third PUSCH may be increased to ensure that the coding rate of the PUSCH does not change.

[0138] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly explained to the user.

[0139] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as an ASIC. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as an FPGA.

[0140] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium may be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, where if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system is caused to execute a method, such as any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0141] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0142] While the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully understood. The present disclosure is intended that the following claims be construed to cover all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising: At least one antenna; At least one radio component, wherein the at least one radio component is configured to perform cellular communication using at least one radio access technology (RAT); One or more processors coupled to the at least one radio component, wherein the one or more processors and the at least one radio component are configured to perform voice and / or data communication; Wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to: Receive a request to transmit uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) data and one or more channel state information (CSI) reports during physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring; Transmit the UL-SCH data at a first transmission opportunity, wherein the first transmission opportunity includes a first repetition of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); Indicate a second transmission opportunity to a base station via a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), wherein the DMRS for the second transmission opportunity is different from the DMRS for the first transmission opportunity, and wherein the second transmission opportunity is after the first transmission opportunity; And Transmit the one or more CSI reports at the second transmission opportunity, wherein the second transmission opportunity includes a second repetition of the PUSCH, and wherein the second repetition of the PUSCH is after the first repetition of the PUSCH.

2. The UE according to claim 1, Wherein the first transmission opportunity occurs after at least 5 symbols of PDCCH monitoring.

3. The UE according to claim 1, Wherein the second transmission opportunity occurs after at least 12 symbols of PDCCH monitoring.

4. The UE according to claim 1, Wherein the one or more CSI reports are multiplexed onto the second repetition of the PUSCH.

5. The UE according to claim 4, Wherein the length of the second repetition of the PUSCH is increased to ensure that the coding rate of the PUSCH does not change.

6. The UE according to claim 4, Wherein an additional repetition of the PUSCH is transmitted to ensure that the reliability of PUSCH transmission is not negatively affected by the multiplexing of the one or more CSI reports.

7. The UE according to claim 1, Wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Transmit the one or more CSI reports at a third transmission opportunity, wherein the third transmission opportunity includes a third repetition of the PUSCH, and wherein the third transmission opportunity is after the second transmission opportunity, and wherein the third repetition of the PUSCH is after the second repetition of the PUSCH.

8. The UE according to claim 7, Wherein the length of the second repetition of the PUSCH and the length of the third repetition of the PUSCH are increased to ensure that the coding rate of the PUSCH does not change.

9. The UE according to claim 1, The second transmission opportunity is identified as a repetition starting after at least a specified number of symbols of the first symbol of the first repetition, where the specified number of symbols depends on at least one of the UE uplink processing time capability or the subcarrier spacing.

10. An apparatus for enhancing UCI multiplexing, the apparatus comprising: a memory; and a processing element communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processing element is configured to: receive, during physical downlink control channel PDCCH monitoring, a request to transmit one or more channel state information CSI reports to a base station; generate an instruction to transmit first physical uplink shared channel PUSCH data at a first transmission opportunity; indicate, via a demodulation reference signal DMRS, a second transmission opportunity to the base station, wherein the DMRS for the second transmission opportunity is different from the DMRS for the first transmission opportunity, and wherein the second transmission opportunity is after the first transmission opportunity; and generate to transmit the one or more CSI reports at the second transmission opportunity, wherein the second transmission opportunity includes a second transmission of a PUSCH, and wherein a second repetition of the PUSCH is after a first repetition of the PUSCH.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second transmission opportunity is defined by radio resource control RRC signaling, and wherein the RRC signaling configures a relative slot index / transmission index for CSI multiplexing.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second transmission opportunity is defined by the apparatus.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second transmission opportunity includes a first segment occurring in a first time slot and a second segment occurring in a second time slot, and wherein when the first segment is greater than the second segment, the one or more CSI reports are multiplexed onto the first segment, and wherein when the second segment is greater than the first segment, the one or more CSI reports are multiplexed onto the second segment.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second transmission opportunity is identified as a transmission opportunity starting after at least a specified number of symbols of the first symbol of the first transmission opportunity.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the specified number of symbols depends on at least one of the UE uplink processing time capability or the subcarrier spacing.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions that can be executed by a processing circuit to cause a user equipment UE: receive, during physical downlink control channel PDCCH monitoring, a request to transmit one or more channel state information CSI reports to a base station; transmit first physical uplink shared channel PUSCH data at a first transmission opportunity; indicate, via a demodulation reference signal DMRS, a second transmission opportunity to the base station, wherein the DMRS for the second transmission opportunity is different from the DMRS for the first transmission opportunity, and wherein the second transmission opportunity is after the first transmission opportunity; and A second transmission of a PUSCH is performed under the second transmission opportunity, where one or more CSI reports are multiplexed onto the PUSCH, and where the second repetition of the PUSCH occurs after the first repetition of the PUSCH.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 16, where the second transmission opportunity is identified as a transmission opportunity that starts at least a specified number of symbols after the first symbol of the first transmission opportunity, and where the specified number of symbols depends on at least one of the UE uplink processing time capability or the subcarrier spacing.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 16, where the first transmission opportunity occurs after monitoring at least 5 symbols of the PDCCH, and where the second transmission opportunity occurs after monitoring at least 12 symbols of the PDCCH.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 16, where, in order to ensure that the reliability of the PUSCH is not changed due to the multiplexing of the one or more CSI reports, the program instructions can further be executed to increase the length of the second repetition of the PUSCH or to perform an additional repetition of the PUSCH.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 16, where the program instructions can further be executed to: perform a third transmission of the PUSCH under a third transmission opportunity, where one or more CSI reports are multiplexed onto the PUSCH, and where the lengths of the second repetition of the PUSCH and the third repetition of the PUSCH are increased to ensure that the coding rate of the PUSCH is not changed, where the third transmission opportunity is after the second transmission opportunity, and where the third repetition of the PUSCH is after the second repetition of the PUSCH.

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