Signaling and configuration of sub-slot based pucch repetition

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) is described. The UE includes a processor configured to determine a radio resource control (RRC) configuration of a sub-slot-based physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition for an ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) transmission. The UE also includes transmit circuitry configured to transmit the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition for the URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates in its entirety to communication systems. More specifically, this disclosure relates to signaling and configuration for repetitive Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) operations based on sub-time slots. Background Technology

[0002] To meet consumer needs and improve portability and convenience, wireless communication devices have become smaller and more powerful. Consumers have become reliant on wireless communication devices and expect reliable service, expanded coverage, and enhanced functionality. Wireless communication systems can provide communication for multiple wireless communication devices, each of which can be served by a base station. A base station can be a device that communicates with wireless communication devices.

[0003] With the development of wireless communication devices, people have been seeking ways to improve communication capacity, speed, flexibility, and / or efficiency. However, improving communication capacity, speed, flexibility, and / or efficiency may bring certain problems.

[0004] For example, a wireless communication device may use a communication structure to communicate with one or more devices. However, the communication structure used may only offer limited flexibility and / or efficiency. As this discussion illustrates, systems and methods that improve communication flexibility and / or efficiency may be advantageous. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one example, a user equipment (UE) includes: a processor configured to determine a radio resource control (RRC) configuration for sub-slot-based physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetitions for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) transmission; and a transmitting circuit configured to transmit sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

[0006] In one example, a base station (gNB) includes: a processor configured to determine a radio resource control (RRC) configuration for sub-slot-based physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetitions for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) transmission; and a receiving circuit configured to receive sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

[0007] In one example, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: determining a radio resource control (RRC) configuration for sub-slot-based physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) transmission; and transmitting sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition for URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

[0008] In one example, a method performed by a base station (gNB) includes: determining a radio resource control (RRC) configuration for sub-slot-based physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetitions for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) transmission; and receiving sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration. Attached Figure Description

[0009] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of a system and method in which signaling and configuration for sub-slot-based Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) repetition can be implemented, including one or more gNBs and one or more UEs.

[0010] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 An example of a sub-slot structure for URLLC PUCCH allocation is shown.

[0011] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 An example of PUCCH resource configuration in each sub-slot is shown.

[0012] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of PUCCH repetition with a sub-timeslot structure.

[0013] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of PUCCH repetition with a sub-timeslot structure.

[0014] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the method for repeating PUCCH according to the first case.

[0015] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the method for repeating PUCCH according to the second case.

[0016] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 This is an additional example diagram illustrating the method for repeating PUCCH according to the second case.

[0017] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the method for repeating PUCCH according to the third case.

[0018] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of gNB.

[0019] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of the UE.

[0020] [ Figure 12 ] Figure 12 The various components that can be utilized in the UE are shown.

[0021] [ Figure 13 ] Figure 13 The various components that can be used in gNB are shown.

[0022] [ Figure 14 ] Figure 14 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of a UE in which a system and method for PUCCH repetition can be implemented.

[0023] [ Figure 15 ] Figure 15 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of a gNB in ​​which a system and method for PUCCH repetition can be implemented. Detailed Implementation

[0024] This invention describes a user equipment (UE). The UE includes a processor configured to determine a radio resource control (RRC) configuration for sub-slot-based physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetitions for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) transmission. The UE also includes a transmit circuit configured to transmit the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for the URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

[0025] The RRC configuration indicates the number of frequency-domain repetitions used for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition. The RRC configuration also indicates the number of time-domain repetitions used for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition.

[0026] This RRC configuration indicates the frequency hopping configuration used for this sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition. Existing inter-slot and intra-slot frequency hopping parameters are reused for different scenarios to provide slot-level, sub-slot-level, or PUCCH resource-level frequency hopping. New parameters are defined to explicitly configure the frequency hopping method at the slot-level, sub-slot-level, or PUCCH resource-level frequency hopping.

[0027] The present invention also describes a base station (gNB). The gNB includes a processor configured to determine an RRC configuration for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission. The gNB also includes receiving circuitry configured to receive sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

[0028] The present invention also describes a method performed by a UE. The method includes determining an RRC configuration for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission. The method also includes transmitting sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

[0029] The present invention also describes a method performed by a gNB. The method includes determining an RRC configuration for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission. The method also includes receiving sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions for URLLC transmission based on the RRC configuration.

[0030] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (also known as "3GPP") is a collaborative agreement aimed at developing globally applicable technical specifications and technical reports for third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation wireless communication systems. 3GPP sets specifications for next-generation mobile networks, systems, and equipment.

[0031] 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the name given to projects designed to improve the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile phone or device standard to meet future needs. In one aspect, UMTS has been modified to provide support and specifications for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

[0032] At least some aspects of the systems and methods disclosed herein can be described in conjunction with 3GPP LTE, LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), and other standards (e.g., 3GPP versions 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17). However, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited in this respect. At least some aspects of the systems and methods disclosed herein can be used in other types of wireless communication systems.

[0033] Wireless communication equipment can be electronic devices used to transmit voice and / or data to a base station, which in turn can communicate with the network of the equipment (e.g., the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the Internet, etc.). In describing the systems and methods herein, wireless communication equipment may alternatively be referred to as a mobile station, UE, access terminal, subscriber station, mobile terminal, remote station, user terminal, terminal, subscriber unit, mobile device, etc. Examples of wireless communication equipment include cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, netbooks, e-readers, wireless modems, etc. In 3GPP specifications, wireless communication equipment is generally referred to as UE. However, since the scope of this disclosure should not be limited to 3GPP standards, the terms "UE" and "wireless communication equipment" are used interchangeably herein to refer to the more general term "wireless communication equipment." UE may also be more generally referred to as a terminal device.

[0034] In 3GPP specifications, base stations are typically referred to as Node B, Evolved Node B (eNB), Home Enhanced or Evolved Node B (HeNB), or some other similar terms. Since the scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the 3GPP standard, the terms “base station,” “Node B,” “eNB,” “gNB,” and / or “HeNB” are used interchangeably herein to refer to the more general term “base station.” Furthermore, the term “base station” can be used to refer to an access point. An access point can be an electronic device that provides access to a network (e.g., a local area network (LAN), the Internet, etc.) for wireless communication equipment. The term “communication equipment” can be used to refer to wireless communication equipment and / or base stations. An eNB can also be more generally referred to as base station equipment.

[0035] It should be noted that, as used herein, a “cell” can be any communication channel that is designated by standardization or regulatory bodies for use with Advanced International Mobile Communications (IMT-Advanced) and all or subset thereof, making it a licensed frequency band (e.g., a frequency band) adopted by 3GPP for communication between the eNB and the UE. It should also be noted that, in the general descriptions of E-UTRA and E-UTRAN, as used herein, a “cell” can be defined as “a combination of downlink resources and optional uplink resources.” The link between the carrier frequencies of the downlink resources and the carrier frequencies of the uplink resources can be indicated in the system information transmitted on the downlink resources.

[0036] "Configured cells" are those cells that the UE is aware of and has been permitted by the eNB to transmit or receive information. A "configured cell" can be a serving cell. The UE can receive system information and perform necessary measurements on all configured cells. "Configured cells" for radio connectivity may include a primary cell and / or zero, one, or more secondary cells. "Active cells" are those configured cells on which the UE is transmitting and receiving. That is, active cells are those on which the UE monitors its Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and, in the case of downlink transmissions, on which the UE decodes its Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). "Deactivated cells" are those configured cells on which the UE does not monitor the transmission of PDCCH. It should be noted that "cells" can be described in different dimensions. For example, a "cell" can have temporal, spatial (e.g., geographical), and frequency characteristics.

[0037] Fifth-generation (5G) cellular communication (also referred to by 3GPP as "New Radio," "New Radio Access Technology," or "NR") envisions the use of time / frequency / spatial resources to enable services such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) communications, ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) services, and massive machine-type communications (MMTC). NR base stations may be called gNBs. gNBs can also be more generally referred to as base stations or base station equipment.

[0038] In 5G NR, different services can be supported through varying Quality of Service (QoS) requirements (e.g., reliability and latency tolerance). For example, eMBB can target high data rates, while URLLC is used to achieve ultra-reliability and low latency. To support ultra-low latency, more than one HARQ-ACK feedback can be configured in a time slot for URLLC services. This paper describes an example of a sub-slot structure for PUCCH repetition used in URLLC. In NR, two or more HARQ-ACK codebooks can be built simultaneously for different service types. The PUCCH used for URLLC HARQ-ACK can be used to transmit HARQ-ACK at the sub-slot level. In some examples, ultra-reliability can be leveraged to enhance the PUCCH used for URLLC HARQ-ACK (e.g., a block error rate (BLER) of 10^-6 instead of a0^-2). Additionally, this paper describes aspects of URLLC PUCCH enhancement with different PUCCH formats, which may include supporting PUCCH repetition in the frequency and / or time domains for URLLC with time slot-level and / or sub-slot-level structures.

[0039] Furthermore, signaling methods and configuration parameters to support sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition are discussed. PUCCH repetition can be used to enhance the reliability of sub-slot-based PUCCH and / or enhance UE coverage areas restricted by PUCCH. For example, methods for RRC configuration to support such PUCCH repetition are described. These methods include the number of repetitions, PUCCH resource allocation methods, and frequency hopping methods and parameters.

[0040] Various examples of the systems and methods disclosed herein will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals indicate elements with similar functions. The systems and methods generally described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in a variety of different specific embodiments. Therefore, the more detailed description of several specific embodiments presented in the drawings below is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, but merely to represent the systems and methods described.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of a system and method for implementing signaling and configuration for sub-timeslot-based Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) repetition, using one or more gNBs 160 and one or more UEs 102. One or more UEs 102 use one or more antennas 122a-n to communicate with one or more gNBs 160. For example, UE 102 uses one or more antennas 122a-n to transmit electromagnetic signals to and receive electromagnetic signals from gNB 160. gNB 160 uses one or more antennas 180a-n to communicate with UE 102.

[0042] UE 102 and gNB 160 can communicate with each other using one or more channels 119 and 121. For example, UE 102 can use one or more uplink channels 121 to transmit information or data to gNB 160. Examples of uplink channels 121 include PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), etc. For example, uplink channel 121 (e.g., PUSCH) can be used to transmit UL data (i.e., transport blocks), MAC PDUs, and / or UL-SCH (Uplink Shared Channel).

[0043] In some examples, UL data may include URLLC data. URLLC data may be UL-SCH data. Here, URLLC-PUSCH (i.e., a shared channel from a different physical uplink from a PUSCH) may be defined to transmit URLLC data. For simplicity, the term “PUSCH” may mean any of the following: (1) PUSCH only (e.g., regular PUSCH, non-URLLC-PUSCH, etc.), (2) PUSCH or URLLC-PUSCH, (3) PUSCH and URLLC-PUSCH, or (4) URLLC-PUSCH only (e.g., not regular PUSCH).

[0044] Furthermore, for example, uplink channel 121 can be used to transmit hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK), channel state information (CSI), and / or scheduling request (SR) signals. HARQ-ACK may include information indicating positive acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK) of DL data (i.e., transport blocks), medium access control protocol data units (MAC PDUs), and / or DL-SCH (downlink shared channel).

[0045] CSI can include information indicating the channel quality of the downlink. SR can be used to request UL-SCH (Uplink Shared Channel) resources for new transmissions and / or retransmissions. For example, SR can be used to request UL resources for transmitting UL data.

[0046] For example, one or more gNBs 160 may also use one or more downlink channels 119 to transmit information or data to one or more UEs 102. Examples of downlink channels 119 include PDCCH, PDSCH, etc. Other types of channels may be used. PDCCH can be used to transmit downlink control information (DCI).

[0047] Each of one or more UEs 102 may include one or more transceivers 118, one or more demodulators 114, one or more decoders 108, one or more encoders 150, one or more modulators 154, a data buffer 104, and a UE operation module 124. For example, one or more receive paths and / or transmit paths may be implemented in UE 102. For simplicity, only a single transceiver 118, decoder 108, demodulator 114, encoder 150, and modulator 154 are shown in UE 102, but multiple parallel elements (e.g., multiple transceivers 118, decoders 108, demodulators 114, encoders 150, and modulators 154) may be implemented.

[0048] Transceiver 118 may include one or more receivers 120 and one or more transmitters 158. One or more receivers 120 may use one or more antennas 122a-n to receive signals from gNB 160. For example, receiver 120 may receive and down-convert signals to generate one or more received signals 116. One or more received signals 116 may be provided to demodulator 114. One or more transmitters 158 may use one or more antennas 122a-n to transmit signals to gNB 160. For example, one or more transmitters 158 may up-convert and transmit one or more modulated signals 156.

[0049] Demodulator 114 can demodulate one or more received signals 116 to generate one or more demodulated signals 112. One or more demodulated signals 112 can be provided to decoder 108. UE 102 can use decoder 108 to decode the signals. Decoder 108 can generate a decoded signal 110, which may include UE-decoded signal 106 (also referred to as first UE-decoded signal 106). For example, first UE-decoded signal 106 may include received payload data, which may be stored in data buffer 104. Another signal included in decoded signal 110 (also referred to as second UE-decoded signal 110) may include overhead data and / or control data. For example, second UE-decoded signal 110 may provide data that UE operation module 124 can use to perform one or more operations.

[0050] Generally, the UE operation module 124 enables the UE 102 to communicate with one or more gNBs 160. The UE operation module 124 may include the UE scheduling module 126.

[0051] In some examples, the UE scheduling module 126 can be used to perform URLLC PUCCH communication with repeating as described herein. The UE 102 can be configured with a sub-slot structure for PUCCH repeating. Different sub-slot structures can be specified, such as a 2-symbol structure, a 3- and 4-symbol structure, and / or a 7-symbol structure, etc. In some examples, the UE 102 can be configured with higher-layer signaling for the sub-slot structure for PUCCH repeating.

[0052] In some methods, sub-slot structures can be configured for UE 102. Additionally or alternatively, URLLC HARQ-ACK PUCCH resources can be configured at the sub-slot level. For example, the PUCCH format can be enhanced to provide a target (e.g., improved) reliability. Besides enhancements to individual PUCCH resources, PUCCHs used for URLLC can be configured to repeat to enhance PUCCH reliability. This document describes some methods for PUCCH repeating for URLLC.

[0053] For sub-slot-based PUCCH, PUCCH repetition can be supported to improve PUCCH reliability. For example, PUCCH formats 0 and 2, as well as PUCCH formats 1, 3, and 4, can support repetition. Some methods may allow PUCCH repetition only for formats 1, 3, and 4. Based on some examples of systems and methods disclosed herein, all PUCCH formats (e.g., formats 0, 2, 1, 3, and 4) can support sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition.

[0054] In some examples, repetition can be configured for the frequency domain with continuous and / or distributed RE allocation mappings. For example, PUCCH repetition can be configured and performed in the frequency domain. Therefore, the PUCCH format can be used with a repetition factor. For example, PUCCH resources can be repeated in the frequency domain based on the configuration. Frequency domain repetition can support continuous and / or distributed mappings.

[0055] In some examples, repetition can be configured for the time domain. For example, PUCCH repetition can be configured and performed in the time domain. In some methods, PUCCH repetition can be performed within sub-slots and / or time slots. In some methods, PUCCH repetition can be transmitted across multiple sub-slots and / or time slots.

[0056] In the first case of time-domain repetition, PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is supported. In some examples, PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries may not be allowed.

[0057] In the second case of time-domain repetition, PUCCH repetition within sub-slots is supported. PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries is permitted within a time slot. In some examples, PUCCH transmission across time slot boundaries may not be supported.

[0058] In the third case of time-domain repetition, PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot may not be supported. A sub-slot-based PUCCH can be transmitted within a sub-slot. In some examples, PUCCH repetition can be performed by PUCCH transmissions across multiple sub-slots.

[0059] If a PUCCH repetition based on a sub-slot might conflict with another PUCCH in the same sub-slot, UCI priorities can be compared. A PUCCH carrying a higher-priority UCI can be transmitted. Other PUCCHs can be discarded. In the case of the same UCI priority, an earlier-starting PUCCH (e.g., an ongoing PUCCH with repetition) can be transmitted. Other PUCCHs can be discarded.

[0060] This article describes various aspects of the PUCCH format in NR. The PUCCH is used to report important uplink control information (UCI), including HARQ-ACK, SR, and Channel State Information (CSI). Although NR Release 15 was primarily designed for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), it specifies several physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) formats for different bit widths, as described below.

[0061] The physical uplink control channel supports multiple formats as shown in Table 1. When configuring frequency hopping for PUCCH formats 1, 3, or 4, the number of symbols in the first hop is [increased / decreased]. Given, among which It is the length of the PUCCH transmission in units of OFDM symbols.

[0062]

[0063] Table 1

[0064] This document describes an example of HARQ-ACK feedback PUCCH allocation for URLLC. UE 102 can be configured with a separate PUCCH resource set for the enhanced PUCCH format from the “normal” PUCCH format (i.e., the PUCCH resource set for URLLC traffic can be configured independently and separately from the eMBB PUCCH resource set). The PUCCH resources for URLLC can be configured with different parameters and / or some different fields than the eMBB resources.

[0065] In NR, multiple PUCCH resource sets can be configured for different payload sizes. Up to 16 PUCCH resources can be configured within each PUCCH resource set. If the number of resources is greater than 4, a subset is formed. In NR, for PUCCH reporting, the PUCCH resource set can first be determined based on the UCI payload size. The ARI field indicates a subset of PUCCH resources within the PUCCH resource set. If more than one PUCCH resource exists in each subset, the PUCCH resources used for UCI reporting can be implicitly determined based on the CCE index of the scheduling DCI. That is, the subset of PUCCH resources used for URLLC or eMBB can be indicated using the ARI field. Additionally, the PUCCH resources used for URLLC or eMBB can be determined based on the CCE index of the scheduling DCI (e.g., the CCE index of the PDCCH scheduling PDSCH transmission).

[0066] URLLC traffic requires extremely high reliability and low latency. HARQ-ACK for URLLC packets should be supported to provide the necessary reliability. Furthermore, HARQ-ACK feedback should be reported immediately after the URLLC transmission.

[0067] To provide target (e.g., improved) reliability for DL ​​URLLC transmissions, it may be necessary to allocate PUCCH resources to allow PDSCH retransmissions. Due to high reliability and low latency requirements, to support URLLC PDSCH retransmissions, one or more HARQ-ACK feedbacks need to be reported within a subframe, and it may be necessary to configure more than one HARQ-ACK reporting PUCCH resource in a subframe or time slot.

[0068] In NR, the sub-slot configuration of the PUCCH used for HARQ-ACK reporting can be configured separately from the PDSCH and PUSCH scheduling for different service types (e.g., URLLC). For the UL sub-slot configuration used for HARQ-ACK feedback on the PUCCH, a different sub-slot configuration can be specified for NR. Figure 2 An example of a sub-slot structure for URLLC PUCCH allocation is shown.

[0069] In one scenario, PUCCH resources can be configured in each sub-slot of the configured sub-slot structure. Multiple sets of PUCCH resources can be configured in each sub-slot. Each PUCCH resource set can be configured for a payload range. Each resource set can contain PUCCH resources with the same or different formats and with the same or different start positions within the sub-slot. In some examples, a single PUCCH resource may not span sub-slot boundaries.

[0070] In some examples, the same PUCCH configuration can be applied to all sub-slots, such as Figure 3 As shown. In the case of different durations of sub-slots (e.g., in the case of 3-symbol and 4-symbol sub-slot structures), the same PUCCH configuration can be determined based on the sub-slots with shorter durations.

[0071] In some examples of sub-slot structures, the NR can support seven 2-symbol sub-slots and two 7-symbol sub-slots. 4-symbol and 3-symbol structures are another example of sub-slot structures, which may be advantageous in some cases. In some approaches, the UE 102 can be configured with multiple sub-slot structures and different sets of PUCCH resources following different sub-slot structure configurations.

[0072] To support different service types, two or more HARQ-ACK codebooks can be built (e.g., concurrently or simultaneously built with partially overlapping time ranges). For URLLC services, sub-slot-based PUCCH can be configured for sub-slot-based HARQ-ACK feedback. In some examples, the same PUCCH resource can be configured across all sub-slots with a configured sub-slot structure.

[0073] In some approaches, PUCCH resources can span sub-slot boundaries. In some examples of NR, a single PUCCH resource may not span a slot boundary. However, different approaches can be taken based on whether the PUCCH resource configured for sub-slot-based HARQ-ACK can span sub-slot boundaries within a slot.

[0074] In methods where PUCCH resources can span one or more sub-slot boundaries, the duration of the PUCCH resources can vary depending on their location. For example, PUCCH resources in earlier sub-slots can have longer durations and span sub-slot boundaries within the same slot. Conversely, PUCCH resources in the last sub-slot within a slot can be shorter and confined to a given sub-slot.

[0075] In some examples, different PUCCH resource durations can be configured in different sub-time slots based on the sub-time slot location within the time slot. Some configurations may be more complex, with little or no benefit. In such cases, PUCCH resources and performance may differ across sub-time slots, and PUCCH resource configurations may not maintain the sub-time slot structure. Therefore, limiting individual PUCCH resources within a sub-time slot may be beneficial. Consequently, for sub-time slot-based PUCCH resource allocation, in some approaches, individual PUCCH resources may not cross sub-time slot boundaries. To achieve results similar to PUCCH duration lengths, PUCCH repetition can be configured across sub-time slots to avoid different PUCCH configurations in different sub-time slots based on the sub-time slot location within the time slot.

[0076] This article describes an example of the use case for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition. To achieve the goal of longer duration and reliability of PUCCH resources across sub-slot boundaries, sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition for URLLC can be considered. Therefore, in addition to enhancements to the configuration of individual PUCCH resources, enhancements to PUCCH repetition can also be supported.

[0077] PUCCH repetition has several beneficial use cases. In some examples, multiple PUCCH transmissions can provide higher reliability through time diversity compared to a single PUCCH transmission of existing or enhanced PUCCH formats. PUCCH repetition can provide faster feedback with finer granularity. For example, gNB 160 can start decoding PUCCH earlier and receive feedback before all PUCCH repetitions are completed. UE 102 can start PUCCH feedback earlier than a fixed start position with no PUCCH resource overlap. Figure 4 An example with a 2-symbol sub-slot structure is shown.

[0078] This paper describes some methods for enhancing PUCCH repetition in sub-slot-based PUCCH. To provide higher reliability for sub-slot-based PUCCH in URLLC, PUCCH repetition can achieve the same performance gain as enhanced PUCCH format.

[0079] This paper describes several methods for frequency domain repetition. In some methods, PUCCH repetition can be configured and performed in the frequency domain. For example, a PUCCH format with a repetition factor (e.g., a traditional PUCCH format) can be configured for URLLC services. For example, existing methods can be used to determine the initial PUCCH resource. The repetition factor determines the number of PUCCH repetitions in the frequency domain. Utilizing the repetition factor can achieve the same results as an enhanced PUCCH resource with multiple physical resource blocks (PRBs) (e.g., for PUCCH format 0 and PUCCH format 1).

[0080] In some examples, two or more resource allocation methods may be supported. In one method, PUCCH repetition may be performed in consecutive RBs from the initial PUCCH transmission. In another method, PUCCH repetition may be performed in distributed resource blocks (RBs) within a bandwidth portion (BWP). Some patterns may be defined and indicated as RB resource allocation.

[0081] This article describes some methods for time-domain repetition. To provide improved (e.g., higher) reliability for URLLC HARQ-ACK, the PUCCH of the URLLC in the time slot and / or sub-time slot can support or enhance time-domain repetition.

[0082] In some methods, PUCCH repetition is supported only for long PUCCH formats 1, 3, and 4. PUCCH repetition is performed at the slot level. The same PUCCH resource configuration is applied in each slot; that is, the PUCCHs in each slot have the same start symbol, duration, and number of PRBs, etc. The number of PUCCH repetitions is configured by RRC signaling with the parameter nrofSlots. When PUCCH repetition is configured, frequency hopping can be further configured. If inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping is performed at each slot according to Listing 1.

[0083]

[0084] List-1

[0085] Among the different methods of PUCCH repetition, in addition to long PUCCH formats 1, 3, and 4, or alternatively, URLLC sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition can support short PUCCH formats 0 and 2. PUCCH repetition can allow multiple PUCCH transmissions of the same UCI report.

[0086] In some methods of PUCCH repetition, only one PUCCH transmission is allowed in a time slot, and repetition is performed through PUCCH transmissions in multiple time slots. For URLLC sub-time slot-based PUCCH repetition, intra-time slot PUCCH repetition is supported, and even intra-sub-time slot repetition is supported.

[0087] Since more than one PUCCH for HARQ-ACK reporting can be supported in a time slot used for URLLC, PUCCH repetition can be supported within the time slot. If the use of sub-time slots is configured, PUCCH repetition can also be supported within sub-time slots and / or time slots. One or more scenarios can be implemented for PUCCH repetition based on sub-time slots.

[0088] In the first case, PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is supported. PUCCH transmissions across sub-slot boundaries may not be allowed. For example, if a sub-slot structure is configured and PUCCH resources are configured within a sub-slot, PUCCH repetition within the sub-slot is possible. In this case, more than one PUCCH transmission can occur within the sub-slot. (Combined) Figure 6 Provide an example of the method for the first case.

[0089] In the second case, PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is supported. PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries may be allowed within a slot, but may not be supported across slot boundaries. In the second case, as an exception, PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries may be allowed for PUCCH repetition. The initial PUCCH transmission may still be restricted to within the sub-slot. Therefore, for a PUCCH configuration, transmission across sub-slot boundaries may not be allowed, and PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries may be allowed for PUCCH transmission during repetition. PUCCH transmission across slot boundaries may not be allowed. Therefore, if a sub-slot boundary is also a slot boundary, PUCCH transmission across sub-slot (and slot) boundaries may not be allowed. Combined Figure 7 and Figure 8 Here is an example of the method for the second case.

[0090] In the third scenario, PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot may not be supported. For example, a single sub-slot-based PUCCH can be transmitted within a sub-slot, and PUCCH repetition can be performed through PUCCH transmissions in one or more sub-slots. For instance, a single PUCCH transmission can be allowed within a sub-slot, and multiple PUCCH transmissions can be performed across multiple sub-slots, with one PUCCH transmission per sub-slot. If there are not enough UL symbols available for the configured PUCCH duration in a sub-slot, no PUCCH transmission may be performed, and PUCCH repetition can be performed in the next available sub-slot. Figure 9Provide an example of the method for the third case.

[0091] The following discussion addresses PUCCH repetition and conflicts with the same UCI type. If a time slot is configured with multiple sub-time slots, PUCCH resources can be configured in all sub-time slots or subsets of sub-time slots.

[0092] In one scenario, PUCCH repetition may not extend to the start symbol of the next configured PUCCH resource of the same UCI type in a later sub-slot. This avoids potential overlap in PUCCH transmissions used for HARQ-ACK reporting. If PUCCH resources are configured in each sub-slot, PUCCH repetition can be limited to the same sub-slot.

[0093] In another scenario, PUCCH repetition can extend beyond the start symbol of the next configured PUCCH resource of the same UCI type in a later sub-slot. A PUCCH transmission configured in a later sub-slot may not be expected to be transmitted for the same UCI type before the ongoing multiple PUCCH transmissions are completed. This can be achieved by using finer-grained PUCCH start positions within the slots to provide a cascading mode with earlier reported PUCCH repetitions.

[0094] However, in another scenario, PUCCH repetition can extend beyond the start symbol of the next configured PUCCH resource of the same UCI type in a later sub-slot. Before completing this ongoing series of PUCCH transmissions, configured PUCCH transmissions of the same UCI type in later sub-slots can be discarded, and no transmissions for the same UCI type are made.

[0095] If a PUCCH repetition might conflict with another PUCCH in a sub-slot, UCI priorities can be compared, and a PUCCH carrying a higher-priority UCI can be transmitted, while other PUCCHs can be discarded. In the case of the same UCI priority, an earlier-starting PUCCH (e.g., a repetitive, ongoing PUCCH) can be transmitted, while other PUCCHs can be discarded.

[0096] The following discusses the RRC configuration for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition. To support PUCCH repetition in both the frequency and time domains, PUCCH configurations can be enhanced for sub-slot-based PUCCH. Sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition can be applied to different UCI types (e.g., sub-slot-based HARQ-ACK or URLLC CSI). Sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition can be configured for all PUCCH formats, not just PUCCH formats 1 / 3 / 4 based on slotted PUCCH.

[0097] Regarding sub-slot-based PUCCH with frequency domain repetition, only one PRB is currently configured for PUCCH formats 0 and 1. To achieve ultra-high reliability, sub-slot-based PUCCH formats 0 and 1 may require more resources. To reuse traditional PUCCH parameters with only one resource block for PUCCH formats 0 and 1, frequency domain repetition can be configured additionally to meet reliability requirements.

[0098] To support PUCCH repetition in the frequency domain, new parameters can be configured for all PUCCH formats with a repetition factor (e.g., formats 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4). For example, the number of repetition parameters can be added to the PUCCH format configuration to determine frequency domain repetition, as shown below. Furthermore, additional parameters on the frequency domain repetition mode can be configured when frequency domain repetition is configured. In the case of continuous frequency domain repetition, PUCCH repetition can be performed in consecutive PRBs from the initial PUCCH PRB allocation. In the case of distributed frequency domain repetition, another parameter can be used to indicate the gap in the number of PRBs between two PUCCH repetition resources in the frequency domain.

[0099] Similarly, to support time-domain repetition, the number of existing time slot parameters can be increased to support repetition within a time slot or sub-time slot. Therefore, new parameters can be used to indicate time-domain repetition of PUCCH transmissions.

[0100] For sub-slot-based PUCCH formats that support more than 2-bit UCI payloads (i.e., PUCCH format 2 / 3 / 4), various methods can be implemented to provide ultra-reliability. In one approach, sub-slot-based PUCCH can be configured with more PRBs and a lower coding rate compared to conventional slot-based PUCCH for eMBB. In this case, all PRBs are contiguous.

[0101] In another approach, sub-slot-based PUCCH can be configured with PRBs and coding rates similar to those of conventional slot-based PUCCH for eMBB, as well as a PUCCH repetition factor in the frequency domain. PUCCH repetition can be configured in a continuous or distributed set of PRBs.

[0102] In another approach, the sub-slot-based PUCCH can be configured with a PRB and coding rate similar to those of a conventional slot-based PUCCH used for eMBB, as well as a PUCCH repetition factor in the time domain.

[0103] In another approach, the sub-slot-based PUCCH can be configured with a PRB and coding rate similar to those of a conventional slot-based PUCCH used for eMBB, as well as a PUCCH repetition factor in both the frequency and time domains.

[0104] Listing 2 shows an example of RRC configuration for frequency repetition count and time repetition count.

[0105]

[0106] List 2

[0107] If only time-domain repetition is supported, the number of time-domain repetitions can be simplified to the number of repetitions. For example, this could be nrofRepetitions in an RRC configuration.

[0108] The document also describes a sub-slot-based PUCCH with time-domain repetition. For time-domain repetition, the frequency hopping method can be configured to provide better frequency diversity, in addition to the number of repetitions. In Rel-15, only one PUCCH can be transmitted in a slot of a specific UCI type (e.g., HARQ-ACK). Two frequency hopping parameters are available in the PUCCH configuration. For PUCCH repetition, inter-slot frequency hopping can be enabled / disabled via the interslotFrequencyHopping parameter in the PUCCH-FormatConfig information element (IE). For a single PUCCH resource, intra-slot frequency hopping can be enabled / disabled via the intraSlotFrequencyHopping parameter in the PUCCH-Resource IE.

[0109] For multi-slot PUCCH transmissions (e.g., PUCCH repetition), if inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied in each slot, and intra-slot frequency hopping is disabled regardless of configuration. Conversely, if inter-slot frequency hopping is disabled, and intra-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied on the slot-based PUCCH resource in each slot of the multi-slot PUCCH transmission. Listing 3 shows an example of the PUCCH-FormatConfig IE. Listing 4 shows an example of the PUCCH-Resource IE.

[0110]

[0111] List-3

[0112]

[0113] List-4

[0114] To support different service types, at least two HARQ-ACK codebooks can be built simultaneously. For slotted HARQ-ACK PUCCH resources used for eMBB services, only one PUCCH is allowed per slot. For URLLC services, more than one PUCCH transmission is allowed per slot for HARQ-ACK feedback. Therefore, for sub-slotted PUCCH duplication, the current frequency hopping configuration is insufficient for several reasons.

[0115] First, more than one PUCCH transmission or repetition can occur within a time slot. If PUCCH repetition is performed across multiple time slots, inter-slot frequency hopping may be sufficient. However, if all PUCCH repetitions are performed within a single time slot, inter-slot frequency hopping offers no benefit. Furthermore, more than one PUCCH transmission or repetition can occur within a sub-slot, and PUCCH transmissions can span sub-slot boundaries.

[0116] Secondly, existing intra-slot frequency hopping only supports one hop position within a single PUCCH resource in a time slot. When multiple sub-slot-based PUCCHs overlap within a time slot, the application of intra-slot frequency hopping becomes ambiguous. For example, the number of hops that may occur in a time slot and the possible hop positions within a time slot are potentially unclear.

[0117] Therefore, for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition, the frequency hopping method should be enhanced to fit the PUCCH allocation. The applicable frequency hopping method may depend on the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition method.

[0118] This paper also describes the frequency hopping configuration for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition. In the first method (Method 1), existing parameters in the PUCCH configuration can be reinterpreted. No new parameters are introduced in this method. The existing parameters interslotFrequencyHopping and intraSlotFrequencyHopping are reinterpreted for sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition. However, for sub-slot-based PUCCH configurations, the same parameters can be reinterpreted differently for different cases. Details are described using the cases provided above.

[0119] In the first case (Case 1), PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is supported, but PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries is not allowed. In the first method (Method 1), inter-slot hopping is hopping between time slots, and intra-slot hopping is hopping within a time slot. Since PUCCH transmission cannot cross time slot boundaries, inter-slot frequency hopping is frequency hopping between time slots. If inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled, if sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition occurs in multiple time slots, frequency hopping occurs at each time slot boundary. Therefore, all sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions in the same time slot are transmitted in the same frequency region within the bandwidth portion (BWP), and PUCCH transmissions in adjacent time slots are transmitted in different frequency regions within the BWP. However, if sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition occurs only in one time slot, frequency hopping will not be applied within that time slot even if inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled.

[0120] If inter-slot frequency hopping is disabled, intra-slot frequency hopping can be further configured. If intra-slot frequency hopping is not enabled, frequency hopping is not used in PUCCH transmissions within a time slot. If intra-slot frequency hopping is enabled, several possible frequency hopping scenarios exist within a time slot.

[0121] In one scenario, if only one PUCCH transmission exists within a sub-slot, frequency hopping is applied within the PUCCH transmission, if applicable. In another scenario, frequency hopping can be applied at each sub-slot. Therefore, PUCCH transmissions within a sub-slot are transmitted at the same frequency position, and frequency hopping is applied between PUCCH transmissions in adjacent sub-slots. However, in another scenario, if more than one PUCCH repetition exists within a sub-slot, frequency hopping can be applied between each PUCCH transmission. However, in yet another scenario, intra-slot frequency hopping occurs only once within the slot (e.g., if there are n PUCCH transmissions within the slot), and frequency hopping is applied after PUCCH transmissions within the slot based on an upper (n / 2) or lower (n / 2) sub-slot.

[0122] In the second method (Method 2), inter-slot hopping is interpreted as hopping between sub-slots rather than between time slots, and intra-slot frequency hopping is hopping within sub-slots. Since PUCCH transmissions cannot cross sub-slot boundaries, inter-slot frequency hopping is reinterpreted as hopping between sub-slots. If inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled, if sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions occur in multiple sub-slots, frequency hopping occurs at each sub-slot boundary. Therefore, all PUCCH repetitions in the same sub-slot are transmitted in the same frequency region within the bandwidth portion (BWP), and PUCCH transmissions in adjacent sub-slots are transmitted in different frequency regions within the BWP. However, if sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions occur only in one sub-slot, frequency hopping is not applied within that sub-slot even if inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled.

[0123] If inter-slot frequency hopping is disabled, intra-slot frequency hopping can be further configured. If intra-slot frequency hopping is not enabled, frequency hopping is not used in PUCCH transmission within a sub-slot. If intra-slot frequency hopping is enabled, several possible frequency hopping scenarios exist within a sub-slot.

[0124] In one scenario, if only one PUCCH transmission exists within a sub-slot, frequency hopping is applied within the PUCCH transmission, if applicable. In another scenario, if more than one PUCCH transmission is repeated within a sub-slot, frequency hopping is applied between each PUCCH transmission. However, in yet another scenario, frequency hopping within a slot occurs only once within the sub-slot (e.g., if there are n PUCCH transmissions within the slot), and frequency hopping is applied after PUCCH transmissions within the slot based on an upper (n / 2) or lower (n / 2) sub-slot.

[0125] In the third method (Method 3), inter-slot hopping is interpreted as hopping between PUCCH transmissions, and intra-slot frequency hopping is hopping within a PUCCH transmission. If inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping occurs between each PUCCH repetition, so adjacent PUCCH transmissions are transmitted in different frequency regions within the BWP. If inter-slot frequency hopping is disabled, intra-slot frequency hopping can be further configured. If intra-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied within a PUCCH transmission, if applicable.

[0126] In the second scenario (Scenario 2), PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is supported, and PUCCH transmission across sub-slots is allowed within a slot, but PUCCH transmission across slot boundaries is not supported. Scenario 2 is similar to Scenario 1 above. However, frequency hopping between sub-slots may not be applicable because PUCCH transmission can cross sub-slot boundaries.

[0127] Therefore, for Method 1 in Case 2, inter-slot hopping is hopping between time slots, and intra-slot hopping is hopping within a time slot. Since PUCCH transmissions cannot cross time slot boundaries, inter-slot frequency hopping is hopping between time slots. If inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled, if sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions occur in multiple time slots, frequency hopping occurs at each time slot boundary. Therefore, all sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions in the same time slot are transmitted in the same frequency region within the bandwidth portion (BWP), and PUCCH transmissions in adjacent time slots are transmitted in different frequency regions within the BWP. However, if sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions occur only in one time slot, frequency hopping will not be applied within that time slot even if inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled.

[0128] If inter-slot frequency hopping is disabled, intra-slot frequency hopping can be further configured. If intra-slot frequency hopping is not enabled, frequency hopping is not used in PUCCH transmissions within a time slot. If intra-slot frequency hopping is enabled, several possible frequency hopping scenarios exist within a time slot.

[0129] In one scenario, if there are more than one repeated PUCCH transmissions in a time slot, frequency hopping is applied between each PUCCH transmission. In another scenario, intra-slot frequency hopping occurs only once within a time slot (e.g., if there are n PUCCH transmissions in a time slot), and frequency hopping is applied after PUCCH transmissions within the time slot based on an upper (n / 2) or lower (n / 2) sub-slot.

[0130] For Method 2 in Case 2, inter-slot hopping is interpreted as hopping between PUCCH transmissions, and intra-slot frequency hopping is hopping within a PUCCH transmission. If inter-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping occurs between each PUCCH repetition, so adjacent PUCCH transmissions are transmitted in different frequency regions within the BWP. If inter-slot frequency hopping is disabled, intra-slot frequency hopping can be further configured. If intra-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied within a PUCCH transmission, if applicable.

[0131] In the third case (Case 3), PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is not supported. Only one sub-slot-based PUCCH can be transmitted in a sub-slot, and PUCCH repetition is performed through PUCCH transmissions across multiple sub-slots. In this case, existing inter-slot hopping parameters can be reinterpreted and reused for inter-slot hopping, and intra-slot hopping can be reinterpreted and reused for intra-slot hopping. Similar behavior can be applied from the slot level to the sub-slot level. Since only one PUCCH transmission exists in a sub-slot, inter-slot hopping is the same as inter-PUCCH transmission hopping.

[0132] If inter-slot frequency hopping is disabled, intra-slot frequency hopping can be further configured. If intra-slot frequency hopping is not enabled, frequency hopping is not used in PUCCH transmissions within sub-slots. If intra-slot frequency hopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied within sub-slot-based PUCCH transmissions, if applicable.

[0133] In the second method (Method 2), a separate parameter for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition configuration can be introduced for frequency hopping. Although reinterpreting the parameters in Method 1 can achieve the desired frequency hopping, different interpretations can be used in different situations. To remove potential ambiguity, new parameters can be defined for specific behaviors.

[0134] For example, new parameters for inter-sub-slot, intra-sub-slot, inter-PUCCH, and intra-PUCCH frequency hopping can be added to the PUCCH format configuration and PUCCH resource configuration. Listing 5 shows an example of PUCCH-FormatConfig. Listing 5 also shows an example of a PUCCH-FormatConfig IE. Listing 6 shows an example of a PUCCH-Resource IE.

[0135]

[0136] List-5

[0137]

[0138] List-6

[0139] Therefore, in Method 2, new parameters can be introduced into the RRC signaling for frequency hopping configuration in PUCCH-FormatConfig. Frequency hopping can be enabled in different orders: between time slots, between sub-time slots, and between PUCCHs. If interSlotFrequencyHopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied at each time slot. No frequency hopping is applied within a time slot. If interSlotFrequencyHopping is enabled, all other frequency hopping parameters are disabled.

[0140] If interSlotFrequencyHopping is disabled or not configured, interSubslotFrequencyHopping can be further configured. If interSubslotFrequencyHopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied at each subslot. No frequency hopping is applied within a subslot. If frequency hopping within a subslot is enabled, interSubslotFrequencyHopping is disabled.

[0141] If interSlotFrequencyHopping and interSubslotFrequencyHopping are disabled or not configured, interPUCCHFrequencyHopping can be further configured. If interPUCCHFrequencyHopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied at each PUCCH transmission. No frequency hopping is applied within the PUCCH resource. If intra-PUCCH frequency hopping is enabled, interPUCCHFrequencyHopping is disabled.

[0142] If interSlotFrequencyHopping, interSlotFrequencyHopping, and interPUCCHFrequencyHopping are disabled or not configured, intraPUCCHFrequencyHopping can be further configured. If intraPUCCHFrequencyHopping is enabled, frequency hopping is applied in each PUCCH transmission, if applicable.

[0143] When there is only one PUCCH in each sub-slot, the inter-sub-slot frequency hopping is the same as the inter-PUCCH frequency hopping, and the intra-sub-slot frequency hopping is the same as the intra-PUCCH frequency hopping. Therefore, only one additional set of parameters should be configured (e.g., only interSubslotFrequencyHopping and intraSubslotFrequencyHopping can be further configured).

[0144] For frequency hopping configuration in PUCCH-Resource, frequency hopping is only effective when inter-slot, inter-sub-slot, and inter-PUCCH hopping are disabled in PUCCHFormat-Config, and the order in which frequency hopping is enabled is different.

[0145] If intraPUCCHFrequencyHopping is enabled, intraSubslotFrequencyHopping and intraSlotFrequencyHopping are ignored. Frequency hopping is performed in each PUCCH repetition.

[0146] If intraPUCCHFrequencyHopping is disabled and intraSubslotFrequencyHopping is enabled, intraSlotFrequencyHopping is ignored. Frequency hopping is performed for each PUCCH transmission within the subslot where PUCCH retransmission occurs. No frequency hopping is performed within a PUCCH transmission, i.e., intraPUCCH frequency hopping is ignored.

[0147] If intraPUCCHFrequencyHopping and intraSubslotFrequencyHopping are disabled, and intraSlotFrequencyHopping is enabled, frequency hopping is performed for each subslot where a PUCCH retransmission occurs. Frequency hopping is not performed for PUCCH transmissions within a subslot, nor is frequency hopping performed within a PUCCH transmission.

[0148] In some examples, if the URLLC PUCCH uses a higher SCS setting than the eMBB service, the symbol duration of the URLLC PUCCH becomes shorter than that of the eMBB service. Time-domain PUCCH repetition can be configured to align symbol boundaries between eMBB and URLLC symbols on the same carrier or band or bandwidth portion. Therefore, the PUCCH for URLLC can be repeated in the time domain to fit the symbol duration of the reference parameters defined by the eMBB service. This avoids overlapping symbols with transmissions that have different parameters.

[0149] For example, if a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS) (e.g., the first SCS) is used as a reference parameter for eMBB, and URLLC uses a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., the second SCS), then four 60 kHz SCS symbols can be transmitted within a symbol with a 15 kHz SCS. If a symbol PUCCH is configured for enhanced PUCCH format 0 or format 2 with a 60 kHz SCS, it can be repeated four times to fit a symbol with 15 kHz. Similarly, if two symbol PUCCHs are configured for enhanced PUCCH format 0 or format 2 with a 60 kHz SCS, they can be repeated twice to fit a symbol with 15 kHz, and so on.

[0150] The UE operation module 124 can provide information 148 to one or more receivers 120. For example, the UE operation module 124 can notify the receiver 120 when to receive a retransmission.

[0151] The UE operation module 124 can provide information 138 to the demodulator 114. For example, the UE operation module 124 can inform the demodulator 114 of the expected modulation pattern for the transmission from the gNB 160.

[0152] The UE operation module 124 can provide information 136 to the decoder 108. For example, the UE operation module 124 can inform the decoder 108 of the expected encoding for a transmission from the gNB 160.

[0153] The UE operation module 124 may provide information 142 to the encoder 150. Information 142 may include data to be encoded and / or instructions for encoding. For example, the UE operation module 124 may instruct the encoder 150 to encode transmission data 146 and / or other information 142. Other information 142 may include PDSCH HARQ-ACK information.

[0154] Encoder 150 can encode transmission data 146 and / or other information 142 provided by UE operation module 124. For example, encoding data 146 and / or other information 142 may involve error detection and / or correction coding, mapping data to spatial, temporal and / or frequency resources for transmission, multiplexing, etc. Encoder 150 can provide the encoded data 152 to modulator 154.

[0155] The UE operation module 124 may provide information 144 to the modulator 154. For example, the UE operation module 124 may inform the modulator 154 of the modulation type (e.g., constellation mapping) to be used for transmission to the gNB 160. The modulator 154 may modulate encoded data 152 to provide one or more modulated signals 156 to one or more transmitters 158.

[0156] The UE operation module 124 may provide information 140 to one or more transmitters 158. This information 140 may include instructions for the one or more transmitters 158. For example, the UE operation module 124 may instruct one or more transmitters 158 when to transmit a signal to a gNB 160. For example, one or more transmitters 158 may transmit during a UL subframe. One or more transmitters 158 may upsample and modulate a signal 156 and transmit the modulated signal to one or more gNBs 160.

[0157] Each of one or more gNBs 160 may include one or more transceivers 176, one or more demodulators 172, one or more decoders 166, one or more encoders 109, one or more modulators 113, a data buffer 162, and a gNB operation module 182. For example, one or more receive paths and / or transmit paths may be implemented in the gNB 160. For simplicity, only a single transceiver 176, decoder 166, demodulator 172, encoder 109, and modulator 113 are shown in the gNB 160, but multiple parallel elements (e.g., multiple transceivers 176, decoders 166, demodulators 172, encoders 109, and modulators 113) may be implemented.

[0158] Transceiver 176 may include one or more receivers 178 and one or more transmitters 117. One or more receivers 178 may use one or more antennas 180a-n to receive signals from UE 102. For example, receiver 178 may receive and down-convert signals to generate one or more received signals 174. One or more received signals 174 may be provided to demodulator 172. One or more transmitters 117 may use one or more antennas 180a-n to transmit signals to UE 102. For example, one or more transmitters 117 may up-convert and transmit one or more modulated signals 115.

[0159] Demodulator 172 can demodulate one or more received signals 174 to generate one or more demodulated signals 170. The one or more demodulated signals 170 can be provided to decoder 166. gNB 160 can use decoder 166 to decode the signals. Decoder 166 can generate one or more decoded signals 164, 168. For example, signal 164 decoded by the first eNB may include received payload data, which may be stored in data buffer 162. Signal 168 decoded by the second eNB may include overhead data and / or control data. For example, signal 168 decoded by the second eNB can provide data (e.g., PDSCH HARQ-ACK information) that gNB operation module 182 can use to perform one or more operations.

[0160] Generally, gNB operation module 182 enables gNB 160 to communicate with one or more UEs 102. gNB operation module 182 may include gNB scheduling module 194. gNB scheduling module 194 can perform operations for PUCCH repetition as described herein.

[0161] gNB operation module 182 can provide information 188 to demodulator 172. For example, gNB operation module 182 can inform demodulator 172 of the expected modulation pattern for transmissions from UE 102.

[0162] gNB operation module 182 can provide information 186 to decoder 166. For example, gNB operation module 182 can inform decoder 166 of the expected encoding for a transmission from UE 102.

[0163] The gNB operation module 182 can provide information 101 to the encoder 109. Information 101 may include data to be encoded and / or instructions for encoding. For example, the gNB operation module 182 may instruct the encoder 109 to encode information 101, including transmission data 105.

[0164] Encoder 109 can encode transmitted data 105 and / or other information included in information 101, provided by gNB operation module 182. For example, encoding transmitted data 105 and / or other information included in information 101 may involve error detection and / or correction coding, mapping data to spatial, temporal, and / or frequency resources for transmission, multiplexing, etc. Encoder 109 can provide encoded data 111 to modulator 113. Transmitted data 105 may include network data to be relayed to UE 102.

[0165] gNB operation module 182 may provide information 103 to modulator 113. This information 103 may include instructions for modulator 113. For example, gNB operation module 182 may inform modulator 113 of the modulation type (e.g., constellation mapping) to be used for transmission to UE 102. Modulator 113 may modulate encoded data 111 to provide one or more modulated signals 115 to one or more transmitters 117.

[0166] gNB operation module 182 may provide information 192 to one or more transmitters 117. This information 192 may include instructions for the one or more transmitters 117. For example, gNB operation module 182 may instruct one or more transmitters 117 when (and when not) to transmit a signal to UE 102. One or more transmitters 117 may upsample and modulate a signal 115 and transmit that modulated signal to one or more UEs 102.

[0167] It should be noted that DL subframes can be transmitted from gNB 160 to one or more UEs 102, and UL subframes can be transmitted from one or more UEs 102 to gNB 160. Furthermore, both gNB 160 and one or more UEs 102 can transmit data in standard special subframes.

[0168] It should also be noted that one or more of the elements or components included in eNB 160 and UE 102 may be implemented in hardware. For example, one or more of these elements or components may be implemented as chips, circuits, or hardware components, etc. It should also be noted that one or more of the functions or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware and / or executed using hardware. For example, one or more of the methods described herein may be implemented in chipsets, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), or integrated circuits, and / or implemented using chipsets, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), or integrated circuits, etc.

[0169] Figure 2 An example of a sub-slot structure for URLLC PUCCH allocation is shown. An example of sub-slot indices 204a-d for a 14-symbol slot is shown.

[0170] Different sub-slot configurations can be specified for NR. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the possible sub-slot structures within the 14-symbol time slots may include one or more of the following: First sub-slot configuration 202a includes seven 2-symbol sub-slots (i.e., 2,2,2,2,2,2,2). Second sub-slot configuration 202b includes {4,3,4,3} symbol sub-slots. Third sub-slot configuration 202c includes {4,3,3,4} symbol sub-slots. Fourth sub-slot configuration 202d includes {7,7} symbol sub-slots.

[0171] In the example, for a 2-symbol sub-slot configuration (e.g., the first sub-slot configuration 202a), there may be 7 sub-slots capable of carrying HARQ-ACK with PUCCH feedback. However, in most cases, 2 to 4 HARQ-ACK feedbacks in a slot are sufficient to meet the target low latency requirements.

[0172] Different subslot configurations can be configured for different parameters with different subcarrier spacing (SCS) settings. For example, for an SCS with 15 kHz, 2-symbol or 3-symbol and 4-symbol subslots can be used to ensure more retransmissions within 1 ms. For an SCS with 60 kHz, 7-symbol subslots are sufficient to ensure retransmissions within 1 ms.

[0173] Figure 3An example of PUCCH resource configuration in each sub-slot is shown. Sub-slot indices 304a-b of a 14-symbol slot are shown.

[0174] The same PUCCH configuration can be applied to all sub-slots, such as Figure 3 The first sub-slot configuration is shown in 302a. The same PUCCH resource configuration can be applied to each sub-slot of a 2-symbol sub-slot.

[0175] In cases of different sub-slot durations (e.g., in the case of a 3-symbol and 4-symbol sub-slot structure in the second sub-slot configuration 302b), the same PUCCH configuration can be determined based on the sub-slots with shorter durations. For example, the same PUCCH resource configuration can be applied in each sub-slot based on the sub-slots with shorter durations. In the example of the second sub-slot configuration 302b, the 3-symbol sub-slots have a shorter duration.

[0176] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of PUCCH repetition with a sub-slot structure. Specifically, Figure 4 An example with a 2-symbol sub-timeslot structure is shown. Sub-timeslot index 404 of the 2-symbol sub-timeslot structure is shown. Examples of initial PUCCH transmission 408 and PUCCH repeat transmission 410 are shown. For example, Figure 4 Example 406 shows a 2-symbol PUCCH that can be repeated twice to achieve the target reliability. PUCCH repetition provides more potential starting points and therefore provides faster feedback.

[0177] Figure 4 Example 412 of a 4-symbol PUCCH is also shown. PUCCH resources can be configured at fewer fixed locations with 4-symbol PUCCHs to provide the same reliability. (For example, a 2-symbol PUCCH) PUCCH repeat transmission 410 can provide faster feedback with the same reliability as the case of non-overlapping PUCCH locations in the time domain.

[0178] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of PUCCH repetition with a sub-slot structure. Specifically, Figure 5 An example with a sub-slot structure having the symbol {4,3,4,3} is shown. Sub-slot index 504 of the {4,3,4,3} symbol sub-slot structure is shown. Examples of initial PUCCH transmission 508 and PUCCH repeat transmission 510 are shown.

[0179] In some examples, PUCCH repeats all symbols in the available sub-slot structure (e.g., fully utilizing available symbols). For example, in Figure 5In the 4-symbol and 3-symbol sub-slot structures, a repeating PUCCH can potentially utilize all available symbols in the sub-slot. In a 4-symbol sub-slot, to utilize all symbols, the UE can be configured with a 2-symbol PUCCH transmission with 2 repeats (e.g., an initial 2-symbol PUCCH transmission with 2 repeats, as shown in Example 514), a 1-symbol PUCCH transmission with 4 repeats, or a 4-symbol PUCCH. In a 3-symbol sub-slot, the UE can be configured with a 1-symbol PUCCH and 3 transmissions (e.g., an initial 1-symbol PUCCH transmission with 2 repeats, as shown in Example 516) to utilize all symbols in the sub-slot.

[0180] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates an example of a method for PUCCH repetition according to the first case. In the first case, PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is supported, but PUCCH transmissions across sub-slot boundaries may not be allowed. For example, if a sub-slot structure is configured and PUCCH resources are configured within the sub-slot, PUCCH repetition can be performed within the sub-slot. In this case, more than one PUCCH transmission can occur within the sub-slot.

[0181] Specifically, Figure 6 An example of a method for PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot is shown. In one method, each PUCCH transmission can use the same configured PUCCH format and duration. Therefore, if the remaining symbols in the sub-slot are less than the configured PUCCH duration, no PUCCH is transmitted, as... Figure 6 The first example 618 is shown. Specifically, the first example shows an initial PUCCH transmission 608 performed in the first 7-symbol sub-slot (7-symbol sub-slot 0), followed by PUCCH repetitions A 610a and B 610b. In this example, PUCCH repetition C 610c is performed in the second 7-symbol sub-slot (7-symbol sub-slot 1). No symbols are used in the first 7-symbol sub-slot because the number of remaining symbols (e.g., 1) is insufficient for PUCCH transmission (e.g., PUCCH repetition). This approach can be advantageous because it simplifies PUCCH configuration and ensures the integrity of each PUCCH transmission.

[0182] In another approach, the final PUCCH transmission may use a configured PUCCH format, potentially truncating symbols based on the available symbols to the next sub-slot. For example... Figure 6As shown in the second example 620, an initial PUCCH transmission 608 is performed in the first 7-symbol sub-slot, followed by PUCCH repetitions A 610a and B 610b. In this example, a truncated version of PUCCH repetition C 610c is transmitted because the number of remaining symbols in the first 7-symbol sub-slot is insufficient for PUCCH transmission (e.g., PUCCH repetition). A truncated PUCCH may not provide the desired performance, especially when the number of remaining symbols is small compared to the initial PUCCH transmission. Therefore, in some examples of PUCCH repetition, a truncated PUCCH transmission may not be beneficial. In combination Figure 6 In both methods described, the number of repetitions within a sub-slot can be limited by the duration of the sub-slot, the duration of the PUCCH transmission, and / or the start symbol of the initial PUCCH transmission.

[0183] In some methods, for PUCCH repetition within a time slot, PUCCH repetition can be performed first in a sub-time slot. If the remaining symbols in the sub-time slot are equal to or less than the configured PUCCH duration and the required number of PUCCH repetitions has not yet been reached, PUCCH repetition can begin with the earliest uplink symbol that satisfies the PUCCH format and duration in the next available sub-time slot. If the required number of PUCCH repetitions has not been reached by the end of the time slot, PUCCH repetition can begin with the earliest uplink symbol that satisfies the PUCCH format and duration in the next available sub-time slot.

[0184] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates an example of a method for PUCCH repetition according to the second scenario. In the second scenario, PUCCH repetition can span sub-slot boundaries within a time slot. For example, PUCCH repetition within a sub-slot can be supported. PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries within a time slot can be allowed, but PUCCH transmission across time slot boundaries may not be supported. In the second scenario, PUCCH transmission across sub-slot boundaries can be allowed for PUCCH repetition.

[0185] In the second case, the PUCCH repetition at the end of a sub-slot can cross the sub-slot boundary and can extend to the next sub-slot within the same sub-slot as the previous sub-slot, such as... Figure 7 As shown, PUCCH repetition can be performed within a time slot using available uplink (UL) symbols, regardless of the sub-slot structure within the time slot. This achieves the same objective as allowing PUCCH resources across sub-slot boundaries.

[0186] Figure 7Example 722 of the method is shown, where, for example, each PUCCH transmission can use the same configured PUCCH format and duration for intra-slot PUCCH repetition. If the remaining symbols in the slot are equal to or less than the configured PUCCH duration, no PUCCH is transmitted, as shown in Example 722. Specifically, Example 722 shows an initial PUCCH transmission 708, followed by intra-slot PUCCH repetitions A 710a and B 710 with two 7-symbol sub-slots. In Example 722, no symbols are used because the number of remaining symbols (or sub-slots) in the slot is insufficient for PUCCH transmission repetition to be performed in the next available slot. Therefore, PUCCH repetition C 710c can be performed in the next slot.

[0187] In another approach, the final PUCCH transmission may use a configured PUCCH format, possibly truncating symbols based on the available symbols until the start symbol position or end of the next configured time slot. Specifically, Example 724 shows an initial PUCCH transmission 708, followed by truncated versions of PUCCH repeats A 710a, B 710, and C 710c, because the remaining number of symbols is insufficient for PUCCH transmissions. Truncated PUCCHs may fail to provide the desired performance, especially when the number of remaining symbols is too small compared to the initial PUCCH transmission. Therefore, in some examples of PUCCH repeats, truncated PUCCH transmissions may not be beneficial. Figure 7 In both methods described, the number of repetitions within a time slot may be limited by the duration of the PUCCH transmission and / or the start symbol of the initial PUCCH transmission.

[0188] Figure 8 This is an additional diagram illustrating a method for PUCCH repetition according to the second case. Specifically, Figure 8 An example is shown where PUCCH repetition may cross sub-slot boundaries but may not. For PUCCH repetition within a slot, PUCCH repetition can be performed in a sub-slot that allows PUCCH transmission across sub-slots during the PUCCH repetition. If the required number of PUCCH repetitions is not reached at the end of the slot, PUCCH repetition may begin with the earliest uplink symbol in the next available sub-slot that satisfies the configured PUCCH format and duration. Figure 8Two examples 826 and 828 are shown with four PUCCH transmissions (e.g., initial PUCCH transmission 808, PUCCH repeat A 810a, PUCCH repeat B 810b, and PUCCH repeat C 810c). The starting position of the initial PUCCH transmission 808 is different in the time slot, and the resulting PUCCH repeats are also different because PUCCH repeats may or may not cross sub-time slot boundaries. In one example 826, a 7-symbol sub-time slot includes initial PUCCH transmission 808, PUCCH repeat A 810a, PUCCH repeat B 810b, and PUCCH repeat C 810c, where PUCCH repeat C 810c crosses a sub-time slot boundary. In another example 828, the 7-symbol sub-slot includes an initial PUCCH transmission 808, a PUCCH repeat A 810a, a PUCCH repeat B 810b, and a PUCCH repeat C 810c, wherein the PUCCH repeat C 810c is transmitted after the slot boundary.

[0189] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates an example of a method for PUCCH repetition according to the third case. The third case may include sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition, with one PUCCH in each sub-slot. For example, a sub-slot-based PUCCH may be transmitted in a sub-slot, and PUCCH repetition may be performed through PUCCH transmissions in one or more sub-slots. For example, a single PUCCH transmission may be allowed within a sub-slot, and multiple PUCCH transmissions may be performed in multiple sub-slots, with one PUCCH transmission in each sub-slot.

[0190] In one approach, if the PUCCH is configured with a sub-slot structure, repeated PUCCH transmissions can use the same PUCCH format as the initial PUCCH transmission, with each sub-slot having the same duration and the same start symbol position. Therefore, the approach can support PUCCH repetition at the sub-slot level. In some examples, this approach may be advantageous if the sub-slot duration is relatively short (e.g., in a 2-symbol sub-slot structure). In some examples of this approach, PUCCH repetition within sub-slots may not be performed.

[0191] Figure 9Examples 930 and 932 are shown, illustrating PUCCH repetitions using the same PUCCH format, duration, and start position in each sub-slot. Specifically, example 930 shows a 7-symbol sub-slot with an initial PUCCH transmission 908 in sub-slot 1. PUCCH repetition A 910a is performed in sub-slot 2, PUCCH repetition B 910b is performed in sub-slot 3, and PUCCH repetition C 910c is performed in sub-slot 4, wherein each of PUCCH repetitions 910a-c uses the same format and the same start position in each of the sub-slots. Another example 932 shows 4-symbol and 3-symbol sub-slots with an initial PUCCH transmission 908 in sub-slot 1. PUCCH repeat A 910a is performed in sub-slot 2, PUCCH repeat B 910b is performed in sub-slot 3, and PUCCH repeat C 910c is performed in sub-slot 4, wherein each of PUCCH repeats 910a-c uses the same format and the same start position in each of the sub-slots.

[0192] In another method, if the PUCCH is configured with a sub-slot structure, the repeated PUCCH transmission can use the same PUCCH format as the initial PUCCH transmission, with the same duration in each sub-slot. In this method, the starting position of the PUCCH repetition in later sub-slots can be different. For example, the earliest available UL symbol of the fitted PUCCH format and duration can be used as the starting position, such as... Figure 9 As shown in Example 934.

[0193] In some examples, PUCCH repetition can be applied to both short PUCCH formats 0 and 2, and long PUCCH formats 1, 3, and 4. In the case of sub-slot-based PUCCH allocation and transmission, the supported PUCCH formats may depend on the sub-slot configuration (e.g., the duration of each sub-slot).

[0194] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating one specific implementation of the gNB 1060. The gNB 1060 can be combined with some examples. Figure 1 The described gNB 1060 is implemented and / or can perform one or more of the functions described herein. The gNB 1060 may include a higher-level processor 1023, a DL transmitter 1025, a UL receiver 1033, and one or more antennas 1031. The DL transmitter 1025 may include a PDCCH transmitter 1027 and a PDSCH transmitter 1029. The UL receiver 1033 may include a PUCCH receiver 1035 and a PUSCH receiver 1037.

[0195] The higher-layer processor 1023 can manage the behavior of the physical layer (the behavior of the UL transmitter and DL receiver) and provide higher-layer parameters to the physical layer. The higher-layer processor 1023 can obtain transport blocks from the physical layer. The higher-layer processor 1023 can send / receive higher-layer messages, such as RRC messages and MAC messages, to / from the higher layers of the UE. The higher-layer processor 1023 can provide transport blocks to the PDSCH transmitter and provide transport parameters related to the transport blocks to the PDCCH transmitter.

[0196] DL transmitter 1025 can multiplex downlink physical channels and downlink physical signals (including reserved signals) and transmit them via transmit antenna 1031. UL receiver 1033 can receive and demultiplex the multiplexed uplink physical channels and uplink physical signals via receive antenna 1031. PUCCH receiver 1035 can provide UCI to higher-layer processor 1023. PUSCH receiver 1037 can provide received transport blocks to higher-layer processor 1023.

[0197] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of UE 1102. UE 1102 can be combined with some examples. Figure 1 The UE 102 described herein is implemented and / or may perform one or more of the functions described herein. UE 1102 may include a higher-level processor 1123, a UL transmitter 1151, a DL receiver 1143, and one or more antennas 1131. The UL transmitter 1151 may include a PUCCH transmitter 1153 and a PUSCH transmitter 1155. The DL receiver 1143 may include a PDCCH receiver 1145 and a PDSCH receiver 1147.

[0198] The higher-layer processor 1123 manages the behavior of the physical layer (the behavior of the UL transmitter and DL receiver) and provides higher-layer parameters to the physical layer. The higher-layer processor 1123 can obtain transport blocks from the physical layer. The higher-layer processor 1123 can send / receive higher-layer messages, such as RRC messages and MAC messages, to / from the higher layers of the UE. The higher-layer processor 1123 can provide transport blocks to the PUSCH transmitter and provide UCI to the PUCCH transmitter 1153.

[0199] DL receiver 1143 can receive and demultiplexed downlink physical channels and downlink physical signals via receiving antenna 1131. PDCCH receiver 1145 can provide DCI to higher-layer processor 1123. PDSCH receiver 1147 can provide received transport blocks to higher-layer processor 1123.

[0200] It should be noted that the names of the physical channels described in this document are examples. Other names may be used, such as "NRPDCCH, NRPDSCH, NRPUCCH, and NRPUSCH", "Next Generation - (G)PDCCH, GPDSCH, GPUCCH, and GPUSCH", etc.

[0201] Figure 12 Various components that can be used with UE 1202 are shown. (Combined) Figure 12 The described UE 1202 can be combined with Figure 1 The UE 102 described herein is implemented. UE 1202 includes a processor 1203 that controls the operation of UE 1202. Processor 1203 may also be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). Memory 1205 (may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a combination of both, or any type of device capable of storing information) provides instructions 1207a and data 1209a to processor 1203. A portion of memory 1205 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). Instructions 1207b and data 1209b may also reside in processor 1203. Instructions 1207b and / or data 1209b loaded into processor 1203 may also include instructions 1207a and / or data 1209a from memory 1205 and loaded for execution or processing by processor 1203. Instruction 1207b may be executed by processor 1203 to implement the methods described above.

[0202] UE 1202 may also include a housing that accommodates one or more transmitters 1258 and one or more receivers 1220 to allow data transmission and reception. Transmitters 1258 and receivers 1220 may be combined into one or more transceivers 1218. One or more antennas 1222a-n are attached to the housing and electrically coupled to the transceivers 1218.

[0203] The various components of UE 1202 are coupled together via a bus system 1211 (which may include a power bus, control signal bus, and status signal bus in addition to the data bus). However, for clarity, the various buses are... Figure 12 The UE 1202 is shown as a bus system 1211. The UE 1202 may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) 1213 for processing signals. The UE 1202 may also include a communication interface 1215 that provides user access to the functionality of the UE 1202. Figure 12 The UE 1202 shown is a functional block diagram rather than a list of specific components.

[0204] Figure 13 Various components that can be used with the gNB 1360 are shown. (Combined) Figure 13 The described gNB 1360 can be combined with Figure 1 The described gNB 160 is used for implementation. The gNB 1360 includes a processor 1303 that controls the operation of the gNB 1360. The processor 1303 may also be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). Memory 1305 (which may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a combination of both, or any type of device capable of storing information) provides instructions 1307a and data 1309a to the processor 1303. A portion of memory 1305 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). Instructions 1307b and data 1309b may also reside in the processor 1303. Instructions 1307b and / or data 1309b loaded into the processor 1303 may also include instructions 1307a and / or data 1309a from memory 1305, which are loaded for execution or processing by the processor 1303. Instruction 1307b may be executed by the processor 1303 to implement the methods described above.

[0205] The gNB 1360 may also include a housing that accommodates one or more transmitters 1317 and one or more receivers 1378 to allow for the transmission and reception of data. Transmitters 1317 and receivers 1378 may be combined into one or more transceivers 1376. One or more antennas 1380a-n are attached to the housing and electrically coupled to the transceivers 1376.

[0206] The various components of the gNB 1360 are coupled together via a bus system 1311 (which may include a power bus, control signal bus, and status signal bus in addition to the data bus). However, for clarity, the various buses are... Figure 13 The bus system is shown as 1311. The gNB 1360 may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) 1313 for processing signals. The gNB 1360 may also include a communication interface 1315 that provides users with access to the functions of the gNB 1360. Figure 13 The gNB 1360 shown is a functional block diagram, not a list of specific components.

[0207] Figure 14 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific implementation of a UE 1402 in which a system and method for PUCCH repetition can be implemented. UE 1402 includes a transmitting device 1458, a receiving device 1420, and a control device 1424. The transmitting device 1458, the receiving device 1420, and the control device 1424 can be configured to perform combined... Figure 1 One or more of the aforementioned functions. (Above) Figure 12 It shows Figure 14 This is an example of a specific device structure. Various other structures can be implemented to achieve... Figure 1One or more of the functions. For example, a DSP can be implemented in software.

[0208] Figure 15 This is a block diagram illustrating a specific embodiment of a gNB 1560 in which a system and method for PUCCH repetition can be implemented. The gNB 1560 includes a transmitter 1523, a receiver 1578, and a control unit 1582. The transmitter 1523, receiver 1578, and control unit 1582 can be configured to perform combined... Figure 1 One or more of the aforementioned functions. (Above) Figure 13 It shows Figure 15 This is an example of a specific device structure. Various other structures can be implemented to achieve... Figure 1 One or more of the functions. For example, a DSP can be implemented in software.

[0209] The term "computer-readable medium" means any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or processor. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" can mean a non-transitory and tangible computer-readable medium and / or processor-readable medium. By way of example, and not limitation, a computer-readable medium or processor-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or processor. As used herein, magnetic disks and optical discs include compact optical discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile optical discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and... Optical discs, unlike magnetic disks which typically copy data magnetically, use lasers to copy data optically.

[0210] It should be noted that one or more of the methods described herein may be implemented in hardware and / or executed using hardware. For example, one or more of the methods described herein may be implemented in a chipset, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), large-scale integrated circuit (LSI), or integrated circuit, and / or implemented using a chipset, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), large-scale integrated circuit (LSI), or integrated circuit, etc.

[0211] Each of the methods disclosed herein includes one or more steps or actions for implementing the method. These method steps and / or actions may be interchanged with each other and / or combined into a single step without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless the proper operation of the method requires a specific order of steps or actions, the order and / or use of a particular step and / or action may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0212] It should be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configuration and components shown above. Various modifications, alterations, and changes may be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0213] The program running on the gNB 160 or UE 102 according to the system and method is a program (a program that enables computer operation) that controls the CPU, etc., in a manner that implements the functions of the system and method. Information processed in these devices is then temporarily stored in RAM while being processed. Subsequently, this information is stored in various ROMs or HDDs, and is read by the CPU for modification or writing whenever needed. Any of the following can be used as the recording medium on which the program is stored: semiconductor (e.g., ROM, non-volatile memory card, etc.), optical storage media (e.g., DVD, MO, MD, CD, BD, etc.), magnetic storage media (e.g., magnetic tape, floppy disk, etc.). Furthermore, in some cases, the functions of the system and method described above are implemented by running the loaded program, and additionally, the functions of the system and method are implemented based on instructions from the program, in conjunction with an operating system or other applications.

[0214] Furthermore, if the program is commercially available, it can be distributed on a portable recording medium or transmitted to a server computer connected via a network such as the Internet. In this case, storage devices within the server computer are also included. Additionally, some or all of the gNB 160 and UE 102 according to the above system and method can be implemented as LSIs, which are typical integrated circuits. Each functional block of the gNB 160 and UE 102 can be individually built into the chip, and some or all functional blocks can be integrated into the chip. Furthermore, the technology of integrated circuits is not limited to LSIs, and the integrated circuits used for functional blocks can be implemented using dedicated circuits or general-purpose processors. Moreover, if an integrated circuit technology that replaces LSIs emerges as semiconductor technology continues to advance, integrated circuits employing that technology can also be used.

[0215] Furthermore, each functional block or feature of the base station equipment and terminal equipment used in each of the above specific embodiments can be implemented or executed by circuitry (typically one or more integrated circuits). Circuitry designed to perform the functions described in this specification can include general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, or combinations thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or alternatively, it can be a conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The general-purpose processor or each of the above circuitry can be configured by digital circuitry or by analog circuitry. Furthermore, when advancements in semiconductor technology lead to the development of integrated circuit technologies that replace current integrated circuits, integrated circuits produced using such technologies can also be used.

[0216] As used herein, the term “and / or” should be interpreted as referring to one or more items. For example, the phrase “A, B and / or C” should be interpreted as referring to any of the following: A only, B only, C only, A and B (but not C), B and C (but not A), A and C (but not B), or all of A, B and C. As used herein, the phrase “at least one” should be interpreted as referring to one or more items. For example, the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” or the phrase “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as referring to any of the following: A only, B only, C only, A and B (but not C), B and C (but not A), A and C (but not B), or all of A, B and C. As used herein, the phrase “one or more” should be understood as referring to one or more items. For example, the phrase “one or more of A, B and C” or the phrase “one or more of A, B or C” should be interpreted as meaning any of the following: only A, only B, only C, A and B (but not C), B and C (but not A), A and C (but not B), or all of A, B and C.

[0217] <Cross-reference>

[0218] This non-provisional application claims priority to provisional patent application 62,970,924, dated February 6, 2020, pursuant to Section 119 of Title 35 of the United States Code, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), the UE comprising: A processor configured to determine Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration for repetition of the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) based on sub-slots; as well as A transmitting circuit configured to transmit a repetitive, sub-timeslot-based PUCCH. The RRC configuration indicates the number of time-domain repetitions for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions, and the PUCCH repetitions have the same PUCCH format and the same duration and start symbol position in each sub-slot. The RRC configuration indicates the frequency hopping configuration for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition, wherein the inter-slot frequency hopping and intra-slot frequency hopping parameters are used for the inter-slot frequency hopping and intra-slot frequency hopping of the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition.

2. A base station gNB, the gNB comprising: A processor configured to determine Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration for repetition of the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) based on sub-slots; as well as A receiving circuit configured to receive a PUCCH with repeating sub-time slots. The RRC configuration indicates the number of time-domain repetitions for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions, and the PUCCH repetitions have the same PUCCH format and the same duration and start symbol position in each sub-slot. The RRC configuration indicates the frequency hopping configuration for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition, wherein the inter-slot frequency hopping and intra-slot frequency hopping parameters are used for the inter-slot frequency hopping and intra-slot frequency hopping of the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition.

3. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Determine the Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration for repetition of the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) based on sub-slots; as well as Based on the aforementioned RRC configuration, transmit PUCCHs with repeating sub-slots. The RRC configuration indicates the number of time-domain repetitions for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetitions, and the PUCCH repetitions have the same PUCCH format and the same duration and start symbol position in each sub-slot. The RRC configuration indicates the frequency hopping configuration for the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition, wherein the inter-slot frequency hopping and intra-slot frequency hopping parameters are used for the inter-slot frequency hopping and intra-slot frequency hopping of the sub-slot-based PUCCH repetition.

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