Super-slot formats for half duplex (HD) frequency division duplex (FDD) (HD-FDD) in wireless communications

Abstract

Wireless devices can use various super-slot formats to facilitate wireless communications using half-duplex (HD) frequency division duplex (FDD) (HD-FDD). A super-slot has a duration that can span multiple slots and / or subframes. A super-slot can include uplink symbols and downlink symbols. A super-slot can include a guard period that separates uplink symbols from downlink symbols in the same super-slot. A super-slot can support signal repetition to provide coverage enhancement. Signal repetition can be combined with frequency hopping in a super-slot to provide diversity gain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0011] The technology discussed below relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to a superslot format for wireless communications using half-duplex frequency division duplexing (HD-FDD). Background Art

[0002] In fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) access networks, communications between the network and user equipment can utilize frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD). In TDD, transmissions in different directions on a given channel are separated from each other using time division multiplexing. That is, at some times, the channel is dedicated to transmission in one direction, and at other times, the channel is dedicated to transmission in the other direction. In FDD, the transmitter and receiver at each endpoint operate at different carrier frequencies or frequency bands (i.e., frequency division multiplexing). Full-duplex (FD) means that two endpoints (e.g., a transmitter and a receiver) can communicate with each other in both directions at the same time. Half-duplex (HD) means that only one endpoint can send information to the other endpoint at a certain time. In order to support full-duplex communication using FDD, a wireless device can use a duplexer to allow the same antenna to be used for both transmission and reception at the same time for full-duplex communication.

[0003] As demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, research and development continues to advance wireless communication technologies (eg, FDD operations) not only to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access, but also to advance and enhance users' experience with mobile communications. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to provide a basic understanding of one or more aspects of the present disclosure, an overview of these aspects is provided below. This overview is not an exhaustive overview of all anticipated features of the present disclosure and is neither intended to identify key or important elements of all aspects of the present disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the present disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the present disclosure in a form that serves as a preface to the more detailed description that will be provided later.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for wireless communication at a scheduling entity. The scheduling entity provides a superslot configuration to a user equipment (UE). The superslot configuration specifies a superslot comprising a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain. The plurality of consecutive time slots are grouped into at least one of an uplink (UL) portion or a downlink (DL) portion for wireless communication using half-duplex frequency division duplexing (HD-FDD). The scheduling entity further uses the superslot to communicate with the UE, including at least one of the following operations: transmitting or receiving a signal repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion based on the superslot configuration.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for wireless communication at a UE. The UE receives a superslot configuration, the superslot configuration specifying a superslot comprising a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain. The plurality of consecutive time slots are grouped into at least one of a UL portion or a DL portion for wireless communication with a scheduling entity using half-duplex frequency division duplexing (HD-FDD). The UE uses the superslot to communicate with the scheduling entity, including at least one of the following operations: transmitting or receiving a signal repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion based on the superslot configuration.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus includes: a communication interface configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE); a memory; and a processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory. The processor and the memory are configured to provide a superslot configuration to the UE. The superslot configuration specifies a superslot comprising a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain, and the plurality of consecutive time slots are grouped into at least one of a UL portion or a DL portion for wireless communication using HD-FDD. The processor and the memory are further configured to communicate with the UE using the superslot via the communication interface, including at least one of the following operations: sending or receiving a signal repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion based on the superslot configuration.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication. The UE includes: a communication interface configured to communicate with a scheduling entity; a memory; and a processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory. The processor and the memory are configured to receive a superslot configuration, the superslot configuration specifying a superslot including a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain. The plurality of consecutive time slots are grouped into at least one of a UL portion or a DL portion for wireless communication with the scheduling entity using HD-FDD. The processor and the memory are further configured to communicate with the scheduling entity using the superslot via the communication interface, including at least one of the following operations: sending or receiving a signal repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion based on the superslot configuration.

[0009] After reviewing the following detailed description, these and other aspects of the present invention will become more fully understood. After reviewing the following description of specific exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other aspects, features and embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Although features may be discussed below with respect to certain embodiments and the accompanying drawings, all embodiments may include one or more features in the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, although one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more features in such features may also be used according to the various embodiments discussed herein. In a similar manner, although exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as equipment, system or method embodiments, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various devices, systems and methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram of an example of a radio access network according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the organization of wireless resources in an air interface utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an OFDM air interface utilizing a scalable digital scheme according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a first exemplary superslot for half-duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD) communications according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a second exemplary superslot for HD-FDD communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a third exemplary superslot for HD-FDD communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a fourth exemplary superslot for HD-FDD communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating a search window and a data window of an exemplary superslot according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating the UL or DL ​​portion of a superslot according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating communications between a network and a user equipment (UE) for implementing HD-FDD communications using superslots in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 12 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example superslot format lookup table according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating communications between a network and a UE for implementing HD-FDD communications using superslots in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 14 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary superslot including means for signaling an early indication of a superslot format change.

[0024] Figure 15 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a scheduling entity according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 16 is a flow chart illustrating an example process for wireless communications using superslots in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 17 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a user device according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 18is a flow chart illustrating an example process for wireless communications using superslots in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be implemented. In order to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts, the detailed description includes specific details. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be implemented without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0029] Although various aspects and embodiments are described in this application by way of illustration of some examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that additional implementations and use cases may be generated in many different arrangements and scenarios. The innovations described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and packaging arrangements. For example, embodiments and / or uses may be generated via integrated chip embodiments and other devices based on non-module components (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial devices, retail / purchase devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc.). Although some examples may or may not be specifically for use cases or applications, there may be a wide variety of applicable scopes for the described innovations. Implementations may range from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations, and further to aggregated, distributed, or OEM devices or systems incorporating one or more aspects of the described innovations. In some actual settings, the devices incorporating the described aspects and features may also necessarily include additional components and features for the implementation and enforcement of the claimed and described embodiments. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals necessarily include multiple components for both analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antennas, RF chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, adders / summers, etc.). The innovations described herein are intended to be embodied in a variety of devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed arrangements, end-user devices, etc., having different sizes, shapes, and configurations.

[0030] Various aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for wireless communications using half-duplex (HD) frequency division duplex (FDD) (HD-FDD). Using HD-FDD in wireless communications can reduce the complexity and / or cost of wireless devices capable of wireless communications using one or more FDD bands. Each FDD band may include one or more pairs of frequency bands for uplink and downlink communications. In some aspects of the present disclosure, when using HD-FDD, a user equipment (UE) can utilize a more economical switch instead of a duplexer or similar device to share an antenna between uplink and downlink communications. In wireless communications, a duplexer isolates a receiver from a transmitter while allowing them to share a common antenna. In some aspects of the present disclosure, a UE can support HD-FDD in various frequency bands, for example, including NR frequency range 1 (FR1) below 6 GHz bands. During the HD-FDD communication process, the UE only uses the corresponding frequency band to send or receive signals.

[0031] Various aspects of the present disclosure provide various superslot formats to facilitate wireless communications using HD-FDD. A superslot has a duration that can span multiple slots and / or subframes. In some aspects, a superslot can include uplink symbols and downlink symbols. A superslot can also include a guard period that separates uplink symbols from downlink symbols in the same superslot. The guard period can facilitate DL to UL switching at the UE, particularly when an UL transmission follows a DL transmission. In some aspects, a superslot can support signal repetition to provide coverage enhancement. In some aspects, repetition based on slots and / or minislots can be applied to DL and / or UL communications. In some aspects of the present disclosure, signal repetition can be combined with frequency hopping in a superslot to provide diversity gain.

[0032] The various concepts presented throughout this disclosure may be implemented in a wide variety of telecommunication systems, network architectures, and communication standards. Figure 1 By way of illustrative example and not limitation, various aspects of the present disclosure are described with reference to a wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system 100 includes three interacting domains: a core network 102, a radio access network (RAN) 104, and a user equipment (UE) 106. By means of the wireless communication system 100, the UE 106 can be implemented to perform data communications with an external data network 110, such as (but not limited to) the Internet.

[0033] The RAN 104 may implement any suitable wireless communication technology to provide radio access to the UE 106. As one example, the RAN 104 may operate in accordance with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) specifications (often referred to as 5G). As another example, the RAN 104 may operate in accordance with a hybrid of 5G NR and Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) standards (often referred to as LTE). 3GPP refers to this hybrid RAN as the Next Generation RAN, or NG-RAN. Of course, many other examples may be utilized within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] As shown, the RAN 104 includes multiple base stations 108. In a broad sense, a base station is a network element in a radio access network that is responsible for radio transmission and reception to or from UEs in one or more cells. In different technologies, standards, or contexts, those skilled in the art may refer to a base station as a base transceiver station (BTS), a radio base station, a radio transceiver, a transceiver functional unit, a basic service set (BSS), an extended service set (ESS), an access point (AP), a Node B (NB), an evolved Node B (eNB), a gNode B (gNB), or some other suitable terminology.

[0035] The radio access network 104 is also shown as supporting wireless communications for a plurality of mobile devices. In the 3GPP standard, a mobile device may be referred to as a user equipment (UE), but those skilled in the art may also refer to it as a mobile station (MS), a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a remote device, a mobile user station, an access terminal (AT), a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a terminal, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other appropriate terminology. A UE may be a device (e.g., a mobile device) that provides a user with access to network services.

[0036] In the document, a “mobile” device need not necessarily have a capability to move and can be stationary. The term mobile device or mobile equipment broadly refers to a variety of devices and technologies. A UE can include multiple hardware structural components sized, shaped, and arranged to help facilitate communication; such components can include antennas, antenna arrays, RF chains, amplifiers, one or more processors that are electrically coupled to one another. For example, some non-limiting examples of a mobile device include a mobile, a cellular (cell) phone, a smart phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal computer (PC), a notebook, a netbook, a smartbook, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a variety of embedded systems, e.g., corresponding to an “Internet of Things” (IoT). Additionally, a mobile device can be an automotive or other transportation vehicle, a remote sensor or actuator, a robot or robotic device, a satellite radio, a global positioning system (GPS) device, an object tracking device, a drone, a multi-copter, a quad-copter, a remote control device, a consumer device such as a wearable device, a wearable camera, a virtual reality device, a smart watch, a health or fitness tracker, a digital home or smart home device, such as home audio, video, and / or multimedia device, a home appliance, an automated teller machine, smart lighting, a home security system, a smart meter, etc. Additionally, a mobile device can be a smart energy device, a security device, a solar panel or solar array, a control for electrical, e.g., a smart grid, lighting, water, etc. municipal infrastructure device; an industrial automation and enterprise device; a logistics controller; agricultural equipment; military defense equipment, vehicles, aircraft, ships, and weapons, etc. Still further, a mobile device can provide for connected medicine or telemedicine support, e.g., health care at a distance. Telehealth devices can include telehealth monitoring devices and telehealth management devices, whose communication can be given preferential treatment or prioritized access over other types of information, e.g., in prioritized access for transport of critical service data, and / or related QoS for transport of critical service data.

[0037] The wireless communication between RAN 104 and UE 106 can be described as utilizing an air interface. Transmissions from a base station (e.g., base station 108) to one or more UEs (e.g., UE 106) over the air interface can be referred to as downlink (DL) transmissions. According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the term downlink can refer to point-to-multipoint transmissions at a scheduling entity originating from a scheduling entity (further described below; e.g., base station 108). Another way to describe this approach can be to use the term broadcast channel multiplexing. Transmissions from a UE (e.g., UE 106) to a base station (e.g., base station 108) can be referred to as uplink (UL) transmissions. According to further aspects of the present disclosure, the term uplink can refer to point-to-point transmissions originating from a scheduled entity (further described below; e.g., UE 106).

[0038] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled, where a scheduling entity (e.g., base station 108) allocates resources for communication among some or all devices and apparatuses within its service area or cell. In the present disclosure, as discussed further below, a scheduling entity can be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more scheduled entities. That is, for scheduled communications, UE 106 (which can be a scheduled entity) can use resources allocated by scheduling entity 108.

[0039] Base station 108 is not the only entity that can act as a scheduling entity. That is, in some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity, scheduling resources for one or more scheduled entities (e.g., one or more other UEs).

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the scheduling entity 108 can broadcast downlink traffic 112 to one or more scheduled entities 106. Broadly speaking, the scheduling entity 108 is a node or device responsible for scheduling traffic in the wireless communication network, including downlink traffic 112 and, in some examples, uplink traffic 116 from one or more scheduled entities 106 to the scheduling entity 108. On the other hand, the scheduled entity 106 is a node or device that receives downlink control information 114 (including, but not limited to, scheduling information (e.g., grants), synchronization or timing information, or other control information) from another entity in the wireless communication network, such as the scheduling entity 108.

[0041] Typically, base stations 108 may include a backhaul interface for communicating with a backhaul portion 120 of a wireless communication system. Backhaul 120 may provide a link between base stations 108 and core network 102. Furthermore, in some examples, a backhaul network may provide interconnection between respective base stations 108. Various types of backhaul interfaces may be used, such as a direct physical connection, a virtual network, or a backhaul interface using any suitable transport network.

[0042] The core network 102 may be part of the wireless communication system 100 and may be independent of the radio access technology used in the RAN 104. In some examples, the core network 102 may be configured according to 5G standards (e.g., 5GC). In other examples, the core network 102 may be configured according to 4G Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or any other appropriate standard or configuration.

[0043] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram of an example of a radio access network (RAN) 200 according to some aspects. In some examples, the RAN 200 can be similar to the ones described above and in Figure 1 The geographic area covered by the RAN 200 may be divided into a plurality of cellular regions (cells) that a user equipment (UE) may uniquely identify based on an identity broadcast from an access point or base station. Figure 2 Macro cells 202, 204, and 206, and small cell 208 are shown, each of which may include one or more sectors (not shown). A sector is a sub-area of ​​a cell. All sectors in a cell are served by the same base station. Radio links in a sector can be identified by a single logical identifier belonging to that sector. In a cell divided into multiple sectors, the multiple sectors in the cell can be formed by multiple groups of antennas, where each antenna is responsible for communicating with UEs in a portion of the cell.

[0044] exist Figure 2In the example shown, two base stations 210 and 212 are shown in cells 202 and 204, respectively, and a third base station 214 is shown as controlling a remote radio head (RRH) 216 in cell 206. That is, a base station can have an integrated antenna or can be connected by a feeder cable to an antenna or RRH. In the example shown, cells 202, 204, and 126 can be referred to as macro cells, since base stations 210, 212, and 214 support cells with large sizes. Further, a base station 218 is shown in a small cell 208 (e.g., a microcell, picocell, femtocell, home base station, home node B, home eNodeB, etc.), which can overlap with one or more macro cells. In this example, cell 208 can be referred to as a small cell, since base station 218 supports a cell with a relatively small size. Cell size can be set according to system design and component constraints.

[0045] It should be appreciated that the radio access network 200 can include any number of wireless base stations and cells. Further, relay nodes can be deployed to extend the size or coverage area of a given cell. The base stations 210, 212, 214, 218 provide wireless access points to a core network for any number of mobile Figure 1 stations 210, 212, 214, and / or 218 can be the same as the base station / scheduling entity 108 described above and shown in FIG. 1.

[0046] Figure 2 Also included is a quadcopter or drone 220, which can be configured to function as a base station. That is, in some examples, a cell can not necessarily be stationary, and the geographic area of a cell can move according to the location of a mobile base station, such as quadcopter 220.

[0047] In the RAN 200, a cell can include UEs that can be in communication with one or more sectors of each cell. Further, each base station 210, 212, 214, 218, and 220 can be configured to provide an access point to a core network 102 (see Figure 1 ) for all the UEs in the respective cells. For example, UEs 222 and 224 can be in communication with base station 210, UEs 226 and 228 can be in communication with base station 212, UEs 230 and 232 can be in communication with base station 214 through RRH 216, UE 234 can be in communication with base station 218, and UE 236 can be in communication with mobile base station 220. In some examples, UEs 222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238, 240, and / or 242 can be the same as the UE / scheduled entity 106 described above and shown in FIG. 1. Figure 1 ​

[0048] In some examples, a mobile network node (eg, quadcopter 220 ) can be configured to function as a UE. For example, quadcopter 220 can operate in cell 202 by communicating with base station 210 .

[0049] In another aspect of RAN 200, sidelink signals can be used between UEs without relying on scheduling or control information from a base station. For example, two or more UEs (e.g., UE 226 and UE 228) can use peer-to-peer (P2P) or sidelink signals 227 to communicate with each other without relaying the communication through a base station (e.g., base station 212). In another example, UE 238 is shown as communicating with UEs 240 and 242. Here, UE 238 can act as a scheduling entity or a primary sidelink device, and UEs 240 and 242 can act as scheduled entities or non-primary (e.g., auxiliary) sidelink devices. In another example, a UE can act as a scheduling entity in a device-to-device (D2D), peer-to-peer (P2P) or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) network and / or a mesh network. In the mesh network example, UEs 240 and 242 can optionally communicate directly with each other in addition to communicating with the scheduling entity 238. Thus, in a wireless communication system with scheduled access to time-frequency resources and having a cellular configuration, a P2P configuration, or a mesh configuration, a scheduling entity and one or more scheduled entities may communicate using the scheduled resources.

[0050] In the radio access network 200, the ability of a UE to communicate while moving (independent of its location) is called mobility. This is usually done in an access and mobility management function (AMF, not shown, which is Figure 1 Under the control of the core network 102 in the UE, various physical channels are established, maintained and released between the UE and the radio access network. The AMF may include a security context management function unit (SCMF) that manages the security context for both the control plane and user plane functions, and a security anchor function (SEAF) that performs authentication.

[0051] In various aspects of the present disclosure, the radio access network 200 can use either DL-based mobility or UL-based mobility to implement mobility and handover (i.e., the transition of a UE's connection from one radio channel to another). In a network configured for DL-based mobility, during a call with a scheduling entity, or at any other time, a UE can monitor various parameters of the signal from its serving cell and various parameters of neighboring cells. Based on the quality of these parameters, the UE can maintain communication with one or more of the neighboring cells. During this time, if the UE moves from one cell to another, or if the signal quality from a neighboring cell exceeds the signal quality from the serving cell for a given amount of time, the UE can perform a handoff or handover from the serving cell to the neighboring (target) cell. For example, a UE 224 (illustrated as a vehicle, but any suitable form of UE may be used) can move from the geographic area corresponding to its serving cell 202 to the geographic area corresponding to a neighboring cell 206. When the signal strength or quality from a neighbor cell 206 exceeds the signal strength or quality of its serving cell 202 for a given amount of time, the UE 224 may send a report message indicating this condition to its serving base station 210. In response, the UE 224 may receive a handover command, and the UE may proceed with the handover to the cell 206.

[0052] In a network configured for UL-based mobility, the network can use the UL reference signal from each UE to select a serving cell for each UE. In some examples, base stations 210, 212, and 214 / 216 can broadcast unified synchronization signals (e.g., a unified primary synchronization signal (PSS), a unified secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a unified physical broadcast channel (PBCH)). UEs 222, 224, 226, 228, 230, and 232 can receive these unified synchronization signals, derive carrier frequency and slot timing based on these synchronization signals, and send uplink pilots or reference signals in response to the derived timing. The uplink pilot signals sent by a UE (e.g., UE 224) can be received simultaneously by two or more cells (e.g., base stations 210 and 214 / 216) in the radio access network 200. Each of these cells may measure the strength of the pilot signal, and the radio access network (e.g., one or more of base stations 210 and 214 / 216 and / or a central node in the core network) may determine a serving cell for UE 224. As UE 224 moves through radio access network 200, the network may continue to monitor the uplink pilot signals transmitted by UE 224. When the signal strength or quality of the pilot signal measured by a neighboring cell exceeds the signal strength or quality measured by the serving cell, network 200 may handover UE 224 from the serving cell to the neighboring cell with or without notifying UE 224.

[0053] Although the synchronization signals transmitted by base stations 210, 212, and 214 / 216 may be uniform, the synchronization signals may not identify a specific cell, but may identify a region of multiple cells operating on the same frequency and / or using the same timing. The use of regions in 5G networks or other next-generation communication networks implements an uplink-based mobility framework and improves the efficiency of both the UE and the network because the number of mobility messages that need to be exchanged between the UE and the network can be reduced.

[0054] In various implementations, the air interface in the radio access network 200 may utilize licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or shared spectrum. Licensed spectrum typically provides for exclusive use of a portion of the spectrum by virtue of a mobile network operator purchasing a license from a government regulator. Unlicensed spectrum provides for shared use of a portion of the spectrum without the need for a government-mandated license. While compliance with some technical regulations is typically still required to access unlicensed spectrum, generally speaking, any operator or device can gain access. Shared spectrum may fall between licensed and unlicensed spectrum, where technical regulations or restrictions may be required to access the spectrum, but the spectrum may still be shared by multiple operators and / or multiple RATs. For example, a holder of a license for a portion of the licensed spectrum may offer Licensed Shared Access (LSA) to share the spectrum with other parties (e.g., with appropriate licensee-determined conditions to gain access).

[0055] The air interface in the radio access network 200 may also utilize one or more duplex algorithms. Duplex refers to a point-to-point communication link in which two endpoints can communicate with each other in both directions. Full-duplex means that two endpoints can communicate with each other simultaneously. Half-duplex means that only one endpoint can send information to the other endpoint at a given time. In wireless links, full-duplex channels typically rely on physical isolation of the transmitter and receiver and appropriate interference cancellation techniques. Full-duplex emulation is frequently implemented for wireless links by utilizing frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD). In FDD, transmissions in different directions operate at different carrier frequencies. In TDD, transmissions in different directions on a given channel are separated from each other using time division multiplexing. That is, at some times, the channel is dedicated to transmissions in one direction, while at other times, the channel is dedicated to transmissions in the other direction, wherein the direction can change very quickly (e.g., several times per time slot).

[0056] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a UE may communicate with a base station using HD-FDD. During HD-FDD communication, the UE performs uplink (UL) transmission or DL ​​reception at a certain time in different frequency bands for UL and DL in various superslot formats, which are described in more detail below.

[0057] The air interface in the radio access network 200 may use one or more multiplexing and multiple access algorithms to enable simultaneous communication of various devices. For example, the 5G NR specification provides multiple access for UL transmissions from UEs 222 and 224 to the base station 210, and multiplexing of DL transmissions from the base station 210 to one or more UEs 222 and 224 using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with a cyclic prefix (CP). In addition, for UL transmissions, the 5G NR specification provides support for discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) with CP (also known as single carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA)). However, within the scope of the present disclosure, multiplexing and multiple access are not limited to the above schemes and may be provided using time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), sparse code multiple access (SCMA), resource spread multiple access (RSMA), or other appropriate multiple access schemes. Furthermore, multiplexing of DL transmissions from base station 210 to UEs 222 and 224 may be provided using time division multiplexing (TDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), sparse code multiplexing (SCM), or other suitable multiplexing schemes.

[0058] Will be in Figure 3 Various aspects of the present disclosure are described using the OFDM waveforms schematically illustrated in FIG. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various aspects of the present disclosure can be applied to DFT-s-FDMA waveforms in substantially the same manner as described herein below. That is, while some examples of the present disclosure may focus on OFDM links for clarity, it will be appreciated that the same principles can also be applied to DFT-s-FDMA waveforms.

[0059] In this disclosure, a frame refers to a duration of 10 ms used for wireless transmission, where each frame consists of 10 subframes of 1 ms each. On a given carrier, there may be one set of frames in the UL and another set of frames in the DL. Figure 3 , shows an expanded view of an exemplary DL subframe 302, which displays an OFDM resource grid 304. However, as those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the PHY transmission structure for any particular application may differ from the example described herein depending on any number of factors. Here, time is in the horizontal direction, in units of OFDM symbols, while frequency is in the vertical direction, in units of subcarriers or tones.

[0060] Resource grid 304 can be used to schematically represent the time-frequency resources for a given antenna port. That is, in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) implementation with multiple available antenna ports, corresponding multiple resource grids 304 can be available for communication. Resource grid 304 is divided into multiple resource elements (REs) 306. An RE (which is 1 carrier x 1 symbol) is the smallest discrete portion of the time-frequency grid and contains a single complex value representing data from a physical channel or signal. Depending on the modulation used in a particular implementation, each RE can represent one or more bits of information. In some examples, a block of REs can be referred to as a physical resource block (PRB), or more simply, a resource block (RB) 308, which contains any suitable number of consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. In one example, an RB can include 12 subcarriers, regardless of the numerology used. In some examples, depending on the numerology, an RB can include any suitable number of consecutive OFDM symbols in the time domain. Within this disclosure, it is assumed that a single RB (e.g., RB 308) corresponds entirely to a single communication direction (either transmit or receive for a given device).

[0061] A UE typically utilizes only a subset of the resource grid 304. An RB may be the smallest unit of resources that may be allocated to a UE. Thus, the more RBs scheduled for a UE and the higher the modulation scheme selected for the air interface, the higher the data rate for the UE.

[0062] In this diagram, RB 308 is shown as occupying less than the entire bandwidth of subframe 302, with some subcarriers shown above and below RB 308. In a given implementation, subframe 302 may have a bandwidth corresponding to any number of one or more RBs 308. Furthermore, in this diagram, while RB 308 is shown as occupying less than the entire duration of subframe 302, this is merely one possible example.

[0063] Each subframe 302 (e.g., a 1 ms subframe) may be composed of one or more adjacent time slots. Figure 3 In the example shown in FIG, a subframe 302 includes four time slots 310 as an illustrative example. In some examples, a time slot can be defined according to a specified number of OFDM symbols with a given cyclic prefix (CP) length. For example, a time slot can include 7 or 14 OFDM symbols with a nominal CP. Other examples may include mini-slots with shorter durations (e.g., 1, 2, 4, or 7 OFDM symbols). In some cases, these mini-slots can be transmitted occupying resources scheduled for ongoing time slot transmissions for the same or different UEs.

[0064] An expanded view of one of the time slots 310 shows that the time slot 310 includes a control region 312 and a data region 314. Generally, the control region 312 may carry a control channel (e.g., PDCCH), and the data region 314 may carry a data channel (e.g., PDSCH or PUSCH). Of course, a time slot may contain all DL, all UL, or at least one DL portion and at least one UL portion. Figure 3 The simple structure shown in is merely exemplary in nature, and different slot structures may be utilized and may include one or more regions of each of the control region and the data region.

[0065] Although not in Figure 3 , each RE 306 within an RB 308 may be scheduled to carry one or more physical channels, including a control channel, a shared channel, a data channel, etc. Other REs 306 within an RB 408 may also carry pilot or reference signals. These pilot or reference signals may be used by a receiving device to perform channel estimation and / or measurement on the corresponding channels, which may enable coherent demodulation / detection of the control and / or data channels within the RB 308.

[0066] In a DL transmission, a transmitting device (e.g., a scheduling entity 108) may allocate one or more REs 306 (e.g., within a control region 412) to carry DL control information 114, including one or more DL control channels (such as a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), etc.) destined for one or more scheduled entities 106, which typically carry information originating from higher layers. Additionally, DL REs may be allocated to carry DL physical signals that typically do not carry information originating from higher layers. These DL physical signals may include: a primary synchronization signal (PSS); a secondary synchronization signal (SSS); a demodulation reference signal (DMRS); a phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS); a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); and the like.

[0067] The synchronization signals PSS and SSS (collectively referred to as SS), and in some examples, the PBCH, can be sent in an SS block comprising four consecutive OFDM symbols, numbered in increasing order from 0 to 3 via a time index. In the frequency domain, an SS block can extend over 240 consecutive subcarriers, numbered in increasing order from 0 to 239 via a frequency index. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to this particular SS block configuration. Other non-limiting examples may utilize more or less than two synchronization signals; include one or more supplemental channels in addition to the PBCH; omit the PBCH; and / or utilize non-contiguous symbols for the SS block within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] The PDCCH may carry downlink control information (DCI) for one or more UEs in a cell. This may include, but is not limited to, power control commands, scheduling information, grants, and / or assignments of REs for DL ​​and UL transmissions.

[0069] In an UL transmission, a transmitting device (e.g., the scheduled entity 106) may utilize one or more REs 306 to carry UL control information 118 (UCI). The UCI may be initiated from higher layers to the scheduling entity 108 via one or more UL control channels, such as the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), the physical random access channel (PRACH), etc. In addition, the UL REs may carry UL physical signals that typically do not carry information originating from higher layers, such as a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS), a phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), etc. In some examples, the control information 118 may include a scheduling request (SR), i.e., a request for the scheduling entity 108 to schedule an uplink transmission. Here, in response to the SR sent on the control channel 118, the scheduling entity 108 may send downlink control information 114 that may schedule resources for uplink packet transmission.

[0070] The UL control information may also include hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback, such as an acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK), channel state information (CSI), or any other appropriate UL control information. HARQ is a technology well known to those skilled in the art, wherein the integrity of packet transmissions can be checked for accuracy on the receiving side, for example, using any appropriate integrity check mechanism, such as a checksum or a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). If the integrity of the transmission is confirmed, an ACK may be sent, while if the integrity of the transmission is not confirmed, a NACK may be sent. In response to the NACK, the transmitting device may send a HARQ retransmission, which may implement append combining, incremental redundancy, etc.

[0071] In addition to control information, one or more REs 306 (e.g., within the data region 314) may also be allocated for user data or traffic data. Such traffic may be carried on one or more traffic channels (e.g., a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) for DL ​​transmissions or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) for UL transmissions).

[0072] In order for the UE to obtain initial access to a cell, the RAN may provide system information (SI) that characterizes the cell. This system information may be provided using minimum system information (MSI) and other system information (OSI). The MSI may be broadcast periodically on the cell to provide the most basic information required for initial cell access, as well as to obtain any OSI that may be broadcast periodically or sent on demand. In some examples, the MSI may be provided on two different downlink channels. For example, the PBCH may carry a master information block (MIB), and the PDSCH may carry a system information block type 1 (SIB1). In the art, SIB1 may be referred to as remaining minimum system information (RMSI).

[0073] OSI may include any SI not broadcast in MSI. In some examples, PDSCH may carry multiple SIBs, not limited to SIB1 discussed above. Here, OSI may be provided in these SIBs (e.g., SIB2 and above).

[0074] The above description and Figure 1 and 3 The channels or carriers shown are not necessarily all of the channels or carriers that may be utilized between the scheduling entity 108 and the scheduled entity 106, and those skilled in the art will recognize that other channels or carriers may be utilized in addition to the channels or carriers shown, such as other traffic, control, and feedback channels.

[0075] These physical channels described above are typically multiplexed and mapped to transport channels for processing at the medium access control (MAC) layer. Transport channels carry blocks of information called transport blocks (TBs). The transport block size (TBS), which may correspond to the number of bits of information, may be a controlled parameter based on the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and the number of RBs in a given transmission.

[0076] In OFDM, in order to maintain the orthogonality of the subcarriers or tones, the subcarrier spacing can be equal to the inverse of the symbol period. The digital scheme of the OFDM waveform refers to its specific subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefix (CP) overhead. The scalable digital scheme refers to the ability of the network to select different subcarrier spacings and, accordingly, select the corresponding symbol duration (including CP length) in the case of each spacing. In the case of a scalable digital scheme, the nominal subcarrier spacing (SCS) can be scaled up or down by integer multiples. In this way, regardless of the CP overhead and the selected SCS, the symbol boundaries can be aligned at certain common symbol multiples (for example, at the boundaries of each 1ms subframe). The range of SCSs can include any suitable SCS. For example, a scalable digital scheme can support an SCS ranging from 15kHz to 480kHz.

[0077] To illustrate this concept of scalable digital solutions, Figure 4 A first RB 402 having a nominal digital scheme and a second RB 404 having a scaled digital scheme are shown. As an example, the first RB 402 may have a "nominal" subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 30 kHz. n ) and a "nominal" symbol duration of 333 μs n Here, in the second RB 404, the scaled digital scheme includes twice the nominal SCS or 2×SCS n = 60 kHz scaled SCS. Because this provides twice the bandwidth per symbol, it results in a shortened symbol duration carrying the same information. Therefore, in the second RB 404, the scaled digital scheme includes half the nominal symbol duration or (symbol duration n )÷2=scaled symbol duration of 167 μs.

[0078] Aspects of the present disclosure provide various superslot formats that can facilitate HD-FDD communications in wireless networks. In some examples, a UE can use any of the disclosed superslot formats to communicate with an NR network (e.g., RAN 200) using HD-FDD. A superslot can have a duration that spans multiple regular slots and / or subframes. A regular slot or subframe can be a slot or subframe based on a digital scheme for a communication frame. A superslot can have at least one uplink (UL) portion and at least one downlink (DL) portion. The uplink portion can be separated from the downlink portion by a time gap to facilitate communication direction switching.

[0079] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a superslot 500 for HD-FDD communications in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 5 A time domain representation of a superslot having a duration that may span one or more slots or subframes is shown. The superslot 500 has a DL portion 502 and a UL portion 504. The DL portion 502 and the UL portion 504 may occupy different frequency bands. In some examples, the DL portion 502 and the UL portion 504 may have the same or different digital schemes. The UL portion 504 may be separated from the DL portion 502 by a gap portion 506 for switching the communication direction between DL and UL. Each of the DL portion 502 and the UL portion 504 may include one or more symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols). In some examples, the superslot 500 may not have a UL portion or a DL portion. In one aspect, the DL portion 502 and the UL portion 504 may be equal in duration. However, the DL portion 502 and the UL portion 504 may be different in duration, for example, as in Figure 7-8As shown in .

[0080] A scheduling entity (e.g., a gNB) can use the DL portion 502 of the superslot 500 to transmit downlink signals. In some examples, one or more DL symbols can be used to transmit various DL signals, such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and / or the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). The scheduling entity can transmit DL signals with or without repetition. Signal repetition can extend the reach of the signal. In some examples, repetition can be used in conjunction with frequency hopping for diversity gain. For example, the scheduling entity can transmit repeated signals using different frequencies in the DL portion. Signal repetition is described in more detail below.

[0081] The scheduled entity (e.g., a UE) can use the UL portion 504 of the superslot 500 to transmit UL signals. In some examples, one or more UL symbols can be used to transmit various UL signals with or without repetition, such as a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and / or a sounding reference signal (SRS). In some examples, repetition can be used in conjunction with frequency hopping for diversity gain. For example, the scheduled entity can use different frequencies in the UL portion to transmit repeated UL signals.

[0082] The duration of the gap portion 506 may be equal to or greater than a guard period used to facilitate DL to UL switching in HD-FDD communications. During the DL to UL switching, the guard period ensures that the UE has sufficient time to reconfigure its circuitry (e.g., re-tune RF circuitry) for UL communications, if necessary. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the duration of the gap portion 506 may be an integer number of UL symbols of a superslot (according to the numbering scheme of the active UL bandwidth portion (BWP) of the UL component carrier (CC)).

[0083] The total duration of the superslot 500 (the superslot duration) is the sum of the durations of the DL portion 502, the UL portion 504, and the gap portion 506. In one aspect, the number of symbols in a superslot may be equal to Where K≥1, Represents the number of symbols per reference slot. The reference slot may have a duration based on the maximum subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the DL and UL symbols. In some examples, the reference slot may be a slot based on the maximum SCS of the DL part and the UL part. In one example, when a superslot has the same number of symbols as a reference slot, the UL part and the DL part each correspond to one or more minislots.

[0084] Figure 6A superslot 600 according to some aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Superslot 600 differs from superslot 500 in, for example, the relative positions of UL portion 602, DL portion 604, and gap portion 606. DL portion 604 temporally follows UL portion 602, and gap portion 606 follows DL portion 604. In some aspects, superslot 600 may not have either an UL portion or a DL portion. In this example, there is no temporal gap between UL portion 602 and DL portion 604. When a UE uses UL portion 602 to transmit an UL signal, the UE knows the switching time between UL portion 602 and DL portion 604. Therefore, the UE can complete the UL transmission before the end of UL portion 602, allowing time for the UE to re-tune its RF circuitry for DL ​​communications during DL portion 604. Gap portion 606 provides time for RF re-tuning for the next superslot, which may begin with an UL portion (such as UL portion 602). Other aspects of superslot 600 similar to superslot 500 will not be repeated here to avoid redundancy.

[0085] Figure 7 7 is a block diagram illustrating a superslot 700 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Superslot 700 differs from superslot 500 in the relative durations of DL portion 702, gap portion 704, and UL portion 706. For example, DL portion 702 is shorter in time than UL portion 706. Superslot 700 is similar to superslot 500, so aspects of superslot 700 similar to superslot 500 will not be repeated here to avoid redundancy.

[0086] Figure 8 800 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Superslot 800 differs from superslot 600 in the relative durations of UL portion 802, DL portion 804, and gap portion 806. For example, UL portion 802 is longer in time than DL portion 804. Superslot 800 is similar to superslot 600, so aspects of superslot 800 similar to superslot 600 will not be repeated here to avoid redundancy.

[0087] Figure 9 902 may correspond to the search space of the PDCCH belonging to the DL portion of the superslot. The data window 904 may be the search space of the PDCCH belonging to the DL portion of the superslot. Figure 5-8Any of the UL or DL ​​portions of the superslot described herein. The superslot has at least one search window (e.g., search window 902) and at least one data window (e.g., data window 904). In one example, the scheduling entity may repeat the transmission of a downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH) a predetermined number of times in the search window 902. In one example, the scheduling entity may repeat the transmission of a downlink data channel (e.g., PDSCH) a predetermined number of times in the data window 904. In some examples, the scheduling entity may repeat the CSI-RS a predetermined number of times in the search window 902 and / or the data window 904. Similarly, the scheduled entity (e.g., UE) may repeat the transmission of an uplink control channel (e.g., PUCCH) a predetermined number of times in the data window 904. In one example, the scheduled entity may repeat the transmission of an uplink data channel (e.g., PUSCH) a predetermined number of times in the data window 904. In some examples, the scheduled entity may repeat the SRS a predetermined number of times in the data window 904.

[0088] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a scheduling entity may dynamically schedule the number of signal repetitions and / or the size of the search / data window for each UE based on a common configuration of the superslot format. Figure 10 10 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary superslot for HD-FDD according to some aspects of the present disclosure. A scheduling entity may configure a first UE to use a first superslot 1000, a second UE to use a second superslot 1010, and a third UE to use a third superslot 1020. The first, second, and third superslots differ in their respective search / data window sizes and / or signal repetition configurations.

[0089] In an NR network, the scheduling entity may send synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in various modes depending on the subcarrier spacing and frequency range. The scheduling entity may notify the UE of the SSB transmission mode via RRC signaling. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the scheduling entity may send one or more SSB bursts within the DL portion of a superslot. An SSB burst includes multiple SSB transmissions in a predetermined time window. The UE identifies the beam of the best SSB in the SSB burst and sends a random access channel (RACH) message (e.g., a RACH preamble) in a physical random access channel (PRACH) on a resource set according to the identified beam. The UE may send PRACH in the UL portion of a superslot. The UE uses the RACH process to acquire uplink synchronization and gain access to the network.

[0090] In some aspects, SSB bursts may be associated with different beams, and the UE selects a certain UL beam (e.g., the beam with the strongest SSB) to send a RACH message. A RACH opportunity (RO) is a resource region specified in the time and frequency domain that can be used to send a RACH message. In NR networks, SSBs and ROs are mapped together. Therefore, the scheduling entity can determine the UL beam that the UE selects to send a RACH message by detecting which RO the UE uses to send a RACH message. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the duration of the superslot is proportional to the time period for the scheduling entity to maintain the same beam association pattern between the DL beam of the SSB and the UL beam of the RACH message from one or more RACH opportunities.

[0091] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the network may define various superslot formats that may be stored and indexed in one or more superslot format lookup tables. Thus, a network device (e.g., a scheduling entity) and a scheduled entity (e.g., a UE) may signal a selected superslot configuration (e.g., a superslot format) for use between the devices by signaling corresponding table indices of lookup tables known to both devices.

[0092] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating communications between a network and a UE to implement HD-FDD communications using superslots according to some aspects of the present disclosure. At block 1104, a network entity 1102 selects a superslot format for HD-FDD communications with a UE 1106. The network entity 1102 may be the one described above with respect to Figure 1-2 The network entity 1102 sends an RRC message 1108 to the UE 1106. The RRC message 1108 indicates the selected superslot format (e.g., superslot configuration) to be used for HD-FDD communication between the network entity and the UE. In one example, the RRC message 1108 may include a table index to a predefined superslot format lookup table that includes information about a plurality of superslot formats.

[0093] Figure 121 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an exemplary superslot format lookup table 1200 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. For example, a network entity may signal a table index 1202 to indicate a corresponding superslot format 1204 or slot configuration defined in table 1200. The table provides information and details for each superslot format that has been predefined for a particular network. For example, table 1200 may provide information regarding the UL portion, DL portion, gap portion, search window, data window, UL numbering scheme, DL numbering scheme, UL frequency, DL frequency, and signal repetition information for each superslot format defined in the table. Thus, a network entity (e.g., a gNB or base station) may signal only the table index to a scheduled entity (e.g., a UE) without the overhead of transmitting detailed information about the selected superslot format.

[0094] Return Reference Figure 11 At block 1110, the UE 1106 determines the superslot format based on the superslot configuration information contained in the RRC message 1108. For example, the UE may use the table index in the RRC message 1108 to locate the corresponding superslot format in the superslot format lookup table 1200. The UE may store a copy of the superslot format table in its memory or storage device. The UE may then obtain details of the selected superslot format from the lookup table 1200. The UE and the network entity may then begin communicating with each other using the selected superslot format using HD-FDD communication 1112.

[0095] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a network entity (e.g., a scheduling entity) may select a cell-specific superslot format that is different from the superslot format defined in the superslot format lookup table 1200 as described above. In one example, the network entity may use semi-static signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) to signal the selected superslot format to one or more UEs. To this end, the network entity may include all configuration information for the cell-specific superslot format in an RRC message.

[0096] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a network entity may use dynamic signaling to signal the selected superslot format. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating communications between a network and a UE for implementing HD-FDD communications using superslots according to some aspects of the present disclosure. At block 1304, a network entity 1302 selects a superslot format for HD-FDD communications with a UE 1306. The network entity 1302 may be the one described above with respect to Figure 1-2The network entity 1302 may use dynamic signaling to send information about the selected superslot format to the UE 1306. For example, the network entity may send superslot information (slot configuration) to one or more UEs in a DCI included in a group common physical downlink control channel (GC-PDCCH) 1308. In some examples, the GC-PDCCH may indicate to the UE 1306 to monitor the PDCCH 1310 carrying superslot information intended for the UE.

[0097] At block 1312, UE 1306 determines the superslot format based on information obtained from the GC-PDCCH / PDCCH. In one example, the UE may use a table index received from the network entity to locate the corresponding superslot format in superslot format lookup table 1200. The UE may store a copy of the superslot format lookup table in its memory or storage device. The UE may then determine the details of the superslot format from the table. The UE and the network entity may then begin communicating with each other using the superslot format selected for HD-FDD communication 1314. In some examples, the network entity 1302 may include all superslot information in the DCI without using the superslot format lookup table.

[0098] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a scheduling entity may provide early indication of superslot format changes. Figure 14 14 is a block diagram illustrating an example superslot 1400 including an early indication for signaling a change to the superslot format. Superslot 1400 has a DL portion 1402, a gap portion 1404, and a UL portion 1406. The scheduling entity may send a pseudorandom noise (PN) sequence 1408 as an early indication within the symbols of the gap portion 1404 following the last symbol of the DL portion 1402. The PN sequence may be mapped to preconfigured frequency resources within the DLBWP of the DL carrier of the paired spectrum for HD-FDD. The resource mapping of the early indication signal may follow a frequency hopping pattern indicated by system information or radio resource control signaling.

[0099] Once the UE detects the PN sequence 1208 among the symbols of the gap portion, the UE can monitor for a GC-PDCCH or RRC signal scheduled in the DL portion of the next super-slot that provides information for a new configuration of the super-slot format, or the PN sequence can signal a cancellation / pre-emption of the ongoing HD-FDD transmission. The UE can use any known autocorrelation techniques to detect the PN sequence. In some aspects of the disclosure, the PN sequence design can reuse a tracking reference signal (TRS) with or without a cover code and / or its conjugate or be based thereon. In some aspects, the PN sequence can be other predetermined sequences. In addition to early detection of the super-slot format change, the UE can also resynchronize its timing tracking loops based on the PN sequence.

[0100] Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a scheduling entity 1500 employing a processing system 1514. The scheduling entity 1500, for example, can be a base station (e.g., gNB) as illustrated in any one or more of FIGs. 1, 11, and / or 13. Figure 1 、 2

[0101] The scheduling entity 1500 can implement the processing system 1514 including one or more processors 1504. Examples of processors 1504 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure. In various examples, the scheduling entity 1500 can be configured to perform any one or more of the functions described herein. That is, the processor 1504, as utilized in a scheduling entity 1500, can be used to implement any one or more of the processes or procedures described below and illustrated, for example, in FIGs. 11 and / or 13. Figure 16

[0102] ​​In this example, processing system 1514 can be implemented using a bus architecture, generally represented by bus 1502. Depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of processing system 1514, bus 1502 can include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges. Bus 1502 communicatively couples various circuits including one or more processors (generally represented by processor 1504), memory 1505, and computer-readable media (generally represented by computer-readable media 1506). Bus 1502 can also link various other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore not further described. Bus interface 1508 provides an interface between bus 1502 and transceiver 1510. Transceiver 1510 provides a communication interface or unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. Depending on the nature of the device, a user interface 1512 (e.g., a keypad, display, speaker, microphone, joystick) may also be provided. Of course, such a user interface 1512 is optional and may be omitted in some examples (eg, base stations).

[0103] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 1504 may include processing circuitry 1540 and communication circuitry 1542. The processing circuitry 1540 may be configured to perform various data and signal processing functions used in wireless communications (e.g., HD-FDD communications). The processor 1504 may use the processing circuitry 1540 to prepare data for transmission by the communication circuitry 1542 and to recover data based on signals received from the communication circuitry 1542. The communication circuitry 1542 may be configured to perform various functions for UL and DL wireless communications using various duplexing schemes (e.g., HD-FDD) via the transceiver 1510.

[0104] The processor 1504 is responsible for managing the bus 1502 and general processing, including executing software stored on a computer-readable medium 1506. This software, when executed by the processor 1504, causes the processing system 1514 to perform the various functions described below for any particular device. The computer-readable medium 1506 and memory 1505 may also be used to store data that is manipulated by the processor 1504 when executing the software.

[0105] One or more processors 1504 in the processing system can execute software. No matter it is called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language or other terms, software should be broadly interpreted as meaning instruction, instruction set, code, code segment, program code, program, subroutine, software module, application, software application, software package, routine, subroutine, object, executable file, thread of execution, process, function etc. Software can be located on computer-readable medium. Computer-readable medium 1506 can be non-transitory computer-readable medium. For example, non-transitory computer-readable medium includes magnetic storage device (for example, hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic tape), optical disk (for example, compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD)), smart card, flash memory device (for example, card, stick or key drive), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), register, removable disk and any other appropriate medium for storing software and / or instruction that can be accessed and read by computer. Computer-readable medium 1506 can be located within processing system 1514, external to processing system 1514, or distributed across multiple entities including processing system 1514. Computer-readable medium 1506 can be embodied in a computer program product. For example, a computer program product can include a computer-readable medium with packaging materials. Those skilled in the art will recognize how to best implement the functionality presented throughout this disclosure based on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the entire system.

[0106] In one or more examples, the computer-readable storage medium 1506 may include software configured for various functions, including processing instructions 1552 and communication instructions 1554. In one example, the processor 1504 may execute the processing instructions 1552 to perform various data processing functions used in wireless communications using HD-FDD as described in the present disclosure. In one example, the processor 1504 may execute the communication instructions 1554 to perform UL and DL communications using HD-FDD as described in the present disclosure. A superslot format table 1556 may be stored in the computer-readable medium 1506 and / or the memory 1505. The superslot format table includes a plurality of superslot formats or configurations for facilitating HD-FDD communications as described in the present disclosure.

[0107] Figure 16is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 1600 for wireless communication using super slots in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all illustrated features can be omitted in some implementations, and some implementations can include additional functionalities not mentioned below. In some examples, process 1600 can be performed by a scheduling entity 1500 as illustrated in FIG. 15. In some examples, process 1600 can be performed by any suitable apparatus or means for performing the functions or algorithm described below. Figure 15 In some examples, process 1600 can be performed by any suitable apparatus or means for performing the functions or algorithm described below.

[0108] At block 1602, the scheduling entity 1500 provides a super slot configuration to a UE. The super slot configuration specifies a super slot comprising a plurality of consecutive slots in a time domain. The consecutive slots are grouped into at least one of a UL portion or a DL portion for wireless communication using HD-FDD. In one example, the super slot can be any of the super slots described above with respect to FIG. 12. The scheduling entity can use processing circuitry 1540 to select a super slot format from a super slot format table 1556 stored at computer-readable medium 1506. In one example, the super slot format table 1556 can be similar to the super slot format lookup table 1200 described above with respect to FIG. 12. Figure 5-10

[0109] At block 1604, the scheduling entity communicates with the UE using the super slot. The scheduling entity can transmit and / or receive signals repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion of the super slot based on the super slot configuration. In one example, the UL portion or the DL portion can have at least one search window and at least one data window, similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. The scheduling entity can use communication circuitry 1542 to transmit DL signals via transceiver 1510. In some examples, the DL signals can be PDCCH, PDSCH, and / or CSI-RS. The scheduling entity can repeat the DL signals in one or more search / data windows in the DL portion based on the super slot configuration. The scheduling entity can use communication circuitry 1542 to receive UL signals via transceiver 1510. In some examples, the UL signals can be PUCCH, PUSCH, and / or SRS. The scheduling entity can receive repeated UL signals in one or more data windows in the UL portion based on the super slot configuration. Figure 9 10

[0110] ​​​In one aspect, the scheduling entity transmits the SSB in the DL portion using a DL beam and receives the RACH message or preamble in the UL portion using an UL beam having a same direction as the DL beam. In one aspect, the super slot configuration specifies a duration of the super slot to be proportional to a time period for the scheduling entity to maintain a same beam association pattern between the DL beam of the SSB and the UL beam of the RACH message from one or more RACH occasions. In one aspect, the super slot further includes a gap portion for switching a communication direction of the UE from the DL portion to the UL portion.

[0111] In one aspect, the scheduling entity transmits an indication signal in the gap portion for signaling a format change of the super slot, and the indication signal includes at least a pseudo-random (PN) sequence that is mapped to a preconfigured frequency resource within a DL bandwidth part (BWP) of a DL carrier of the paired spectrum for HD-FDD. The resource mapping of the indication signal can follow a frequency hopping pattern indicated by system information or RRC signaling. The PN sequence can be based on a tracking reference signal (TRS). In one aspect, the duration of the super slot is based on a maximum of a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of an active UL BWP on a UL carrier of the paired spectrum for HD-FDD and a SCS of an active DL BWP on the DL carrier. In one aspect, the scheduling entity transmits an index to the UE for looking up the super slot configuration in a super slot format lookup table. In one aspect, the scheduling entity transmits the index using system information, RRC signaling, or group common physical downlink control channel (GC-PDCCH). In one aspect, the super slot configuration specifies a first numerology for the UL portion and a second numerology for the DL portion. In one aspect, the first numerology and the second numerology can be different from each other. In one aspect, the first numerology and the second numerology can be the same. In one aspect, the super slot configuration specifies one or more time windows for repeating a signal in at least one of the UL portion or the DL portion. In one aspect, the super slot configuration specifies a first frequency band for repeating the signal in a first time window and a second frequency band for repeating the signal in a second time window among the one or more time windows.

[0112] Figure 17 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for an exemplary scheduled entity 1700 employing a processing system 1714. In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, an element, or any portion of an element, or any combination of elements can be implemented with a processing system 1714 that includes one or more processors 1704. In some implementations, the scheduled entity 1700 can be a UE as in Figure 1 、 2, 11 and / or 13, or any one or more of the user equipment (UE) shown in FIG.

[0113] The processing system 1714 can be used with Figure 7 The processing system 714 shown in FIG is substantially the same and includes a bus interface 1708, a bus 1702, a memory 1705, a processor 1704, and a computer readable medium 1706. In addition, the scheduled entity 1700 may include a user interface 1712 and a transceiver 1710, which are substantially similar to those described above in FIG. Figure 7 That is, the processor 1704 as utilized in the scheduled entity 1700 may be used to implement any one or more of the processes and functions described in this disclosure, such as in Figure 18 The process shown in .

[0114] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 1704 may include processing circuitry 1740 and communication circuitry 1742. The processing circuitry 1740 may be configured to perform various data and signal processing functions used in wireless communications (e.g., HD-FDD communications). The processor 1704 may use the processing circuitry 1740 to prepare data for transmission by the communication circuitry 1742 and to recover data from signals received by the communication circuitry 1742. The communication circuitry 1742 may be configured to perform various functions for UL and DL wireless communications using various duplexing schemes (e.g., HD-FDD) via the transceiver 1710.

[0115] In one or more examples, the computer-readable storage medium 1706 may include software configured for various functions, including processing instructions 1752 and communication instructions 1754. In one example, the processor 1704 may execute the processing instructions 1752 to perform various data processing functions used in wireless communications using HD-FDD as described in this disclosure. In one example, the processor 1704 may execute the communication instructions 1754 to perform various UL and DL communications using HD-FDD as described in this disclosure. A superslot format table 1756 may be stored on the computer-readable medium 1706 and / or the memory 1705. The superslot format table 1756 includes multiple superslot formats for facilitating HD-FDD communications as described in this disclosure.

[0116] Figure 18 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 1800 for wireless communication using HD-FDD according to some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all of the illustrated features may be omitted in certain implementations within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be required for implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, process 1800 may be performed byFigure 17 The scheduled entity 1700 can perform the process 1800 to execute the functions described below. In some examples, the process 1800 can be performed by any suitable means for performing the functions or algorithm described below.

[0117] At block 1802, the scheduled entity 1700 (e.g., UE) receives a super-slot configuration from a scheduling entity (e.g., gNB). The super-slot configuration specifies a super-slot that includes a plurality of consecutive slots in a time domain. The consecutive slots are grouped into at least one of an uplink (UL) portion or a downlink (DL) portion for wireless communication using HD-FDD. In one example, the super-slot can be any of the super-slots described above with respect to FIG. 1200. In one example, the super-slot configuration can include a table index, and the UE can use processing circuitry 1740 to select a super-slot format from a super-slot format table 1756 stored at computer-readable medium 1706. For example, the super-slot format table 1756 can be similar to the super-slot format lookup table 1200 described above with respect to FIG. 1200. Figure 5-10

[0118] At block 1804, the UE communicates with the scheduling entity using the super-slot. The UE can transmit and / or receive signals that are repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion of the super-slot based on the super-slot configuration. In one example, the UL portion or the DL portion can have at least one search window and at least one data window, similar to those shown in Figure 9 and 10 The UE can use communication circuitry 1742 to receive DL signals via transceiver 1710. In some examples, the UE can receive DL signals including PDCCH, PDSCH, and / or CSI-RS in the DL portion. The UE can receive repeated DL signals in one or more search / data windows in the DL portion based on the super-slot configuration. The UE can use communication circuitry 1742 to transmit UL signals via transceiver 1710. In some examples, the UE can transmit UL signals including PUCCH, PUSCH, and / or SRS in the UL portion. The UE can transmit repeated UL signals in one or more data windows in the UL portion based on the super-slot configuration.

[0119] ​In one aspect, the UE receives the SSB in the DL portion using a DL beam and transmits the RACH message or preamble in the UL portion using a UL beam in the same direction as the DL beam. In one aspect, the super slot configuration specifies that a duration of the super slot is proportional to a time period for the scheduling entity to maintain a same beam association pattern between the DL beam of the SSB and the UL beam of the RACH message from one or more RACH occasions. In one aspect, the super slot further includes a gap portion for switching a communication direction of the UE from the DL portion to the UL portion. In one aspect, the UE receives an indication signal in the gap portion for signaling a super slot format change, and the indication signal includes at least a PN sequence that is mapped to a preconfigured frequency resource within a DL bandwidth part (BWP) of a DL carrier of the paired spectrum for HD-FDD. In one aspect, a resource mapping of the indication signal follows a frequency hopping pattern indicated by system information or RRC signaling. The PN sequence can be based on a tracking reference signal (TRS).

[0120] In one aspect, the duration of the super slot is based on a maximum of: a SCS of an active UL BWP on the UL carrier of the paired spectrum for HD-FDD, and a SCS of an active DL BWP on the DL carrier. In one aspect, the UE receives an index for looking up the super slot configuration in a super slot format lookup table. In one aspect, the UE receives the index using system information, RRC signaling, or GC-PDCCH broadcast by the scheduling entity. In one aspect, the super slot configuration specifies a first numerology for the UL portion and a second numerology for the DL portion. In one aspect, the first numerology and the second numerology are different from each other. In one aspect, the first numerology and the second numerology are the same. In one aspect, the super slot configuration specifies one or more time windows for repetition of signals in at least one of the UL portion or the DL portion.

[0121] In one configuration, the apparatus 1500 and / or 1700 for wireless communication includes means for various functions including those described in the present disclosure, procedures, and methods. In one aspect, the aforementioned means can be the processor 1504 / 1704 shown in FIG. 1500 / 1700 configured to perform the functions recited by the means. In another aspect, the aforementioned means can be circuitry or any apparatus configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means.

[0122] Of course, in the above examples, the circuits included in the processor 1504 / 1704 are provided only as examples, and other units for performing the described functions may be included in various aspects of the present disclosure, including but not limited to instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium 1506 / 1706, or in Figure 1 、 2 , 11 and / or 13 and using, for example, the present invention Figure 16 and / or any other suitable means or units for the processes and / or algorithms described in 18.

[0123] Several aspects of wireless communication networks are presented with reference to exemplary implementations. As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, various aspects described throughout this disclosure may be extended to other telecommunication systems, network architectures, and communication standards.

[0124] For example, various aspects may be implemented within other systems defined by 3GPP, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Evolved Packet System (EPS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and / or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Various aspects may also be extended to systems defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), such as CDMA2000 and / or Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO). Other examples may be implemented within systems employing IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth, and / or other suitable systems. The actual telecommunication standard, network architecture, and / or communication standard employed depends on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system.

[0125] In this disclosure, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects of this disclosure. Similarly, the term "aspect" does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed. The term "coupled" is used herein to refer to a direct or indirect coupling between two objects. For example, if object A physically contacts object B, and object B contacts object C, objects A and C can still be considered to be coupled to each other, even if they are not in direct physical contact with each other. For example, a first object can be coupled to a second object, even if the first object has never been in direct physical contact with the second object. The terms "circuit" and "electronic circuit" are used broadly, and are intended to include both hardware implementations of electronic devices and conductors (wherein these electronic devices and conductors, when connected and configured, enable the performance of the functions described in this disclosure, without limitation as to the type of electronic circuit) and software implementations of information and instructions (wherein these information and instructions, when executed by a processor, enable the performance of the functions described in this disclosure).

[0126] Can Figure 1-18 One or more of the components, steps, features and / or functions shown in the drawings may be rearranged and / or combined into a single component, step, feature or function, or embodied in several components, steps or functions. In addition, additional elements, components, steps and / or functions may be added without departing from the novel features disclosed herein. Figure 1-18 The apparatus, devices and / or components shown in the can be configured to perform one or more of the methods, features or steps described herein. The novel algorithms described herein can also be efficiently implemented in software and / or embedded in hardware.

[0127] It is to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is an illustration of exemplary processes. It is to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in these methods may be rearranged based on design preferences. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, but are not intended to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless expressly recited herein.

[0128] The previous description is provided to enable anyone skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Accordingly, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to the full scope consistent with the text of the claims, wherein, unless expressly stated otherwise, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one," but rather "one or more." Unless otherwise expressly stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. A phrase referring to "at least one" of a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to encompass: a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b, and c. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or will become known to those skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. In addition, no disclosure herein is intended to be dedicated to the public, regardless of whether such disclosure is expressly recited in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication at a scheduling entity, comprising: providing, to a user equipment (UE), an index configured to look up a time slot configuration in a lookup table comprising a plurality of time slot formats, the lookup table comprising repetition information for each of the plurality of time slot formats defined in the lookup table, the time slot configuration specifying a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain, the plurality of consecutive time slots being grouped into at least one of an uplink (UL) portion or a downlink (DL) portion for conducting wireless communications; as well as Communicating with the UE using the plurality of consecutive time slots includes at least one of transmitting or receiving a signal repeated in the UL part or the DL part based on the time slot configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The signal includes a repetition of a DL signal, the DL signal including at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The signal includes a repetition of a UL signal, the UL signal including at least one of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or a sounding reference signal (SRS).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein Communicating with the UE further includes: transmitting a synchronization signal block (SSB) using a first beam in the DL part; and A random access channel (RACH) message is received using a second beam in the UL portion in the same direction as the first beam.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The time slot configuration specifies that the duration of the plurality of consecutive time slots is proportional to a time period for the scheduling entity to maintain the same beam association pattern between the first beam of the SSB and the second beam of the RACH message from one or more RACH opportunities.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of consecutive time slots also include a gap portion to facilitate switching the communication direction of the UE from the DL portion to the UL portion.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein The duration of the plurality of consecutive time slots is based on the maximum of: a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of an active UL bandwidth part (BWP) on the UL carrier of the paired spectrum for HD-FDD and an SCS of an active DL BWP on the DL carrier.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein Providing the timeslot configuration to the UE includes: An index for looking up the timeslot configuration in a lookup table including a plurality of timeslot formats for HD-FDD is sent to the UE.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein Sending the index includes at least one of the following: sending the index using system information broadcast by the scheduling entity; sending the index using radio resource control signaling; or The index is sent using a Group Common Physical Downlink Control Channel (GC-PDCCH).

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein The timeslot configuration specifies a first digital scheme for the UL portion and a second digital scheme for the DL portion.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The first digital scheme and the second digital scheme are different from each other.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The first number scheme and the second number scheme are the same.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein The time slot configuration specifies one or more time windows in at least one of the UL portion or the DL portion for repeating the signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The time slot configuration further specifies a first frequency band for repeating the signal in a first time window and a second frequency band for repeating the signal in a second time window among the one or more time windows.

15. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving an index configured to look up a time slot configuration in a lookup table comprising a plurality of time slot formats, the lookup table comprising repetition information for each of the plurality of time slot formats defined in the lookup table, the time slot configuration specifying a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain, the plurality of consecutive time slots being grouped into at least one of an uplink (UL) portion or a downlink (DL) portion for wireless communications with a scheduling entity; as well as Communicating with the scheduling entity using the plurality of consecutive time slots includes at least one of transmitting or receiving a signal repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion based on the time slot configuration.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The signal includes a repetition of a DL signal, the DL signal including at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The signal includes a repetition of a UL signal, the UL signal including at least one of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or a sounding reference signal (SRS).

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein Communicating with the scheduling entity further includes: receiving a synchronization signal block (SSB) using a first beam in the DL portion; and A random access channel (RACH) message is transmitted in the UL section using a second beam in the same direction as the first beam.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein The time slot configuration specifies that the duration of the plurality of consecutive time slots is proportional to a time period for the scheduling entity to maintain the same beam association pattern between the first beam of the SSB and the second beam of the RACH message from one or more RACH opportunities.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein The plurality of consecutive time slots also include a gap portion to facilitate switching the communication direction of the UE from the DL portion to the UL portion.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein The duration of the plurality of consecutive time slots is based on the maximum of: a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of an active UL bandwidth part (BWP) on the UL carrier of the paired spectrum for HD-FDD and an SCS of an active DL BWP on the DL carrier.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein Receiving the time slot configuration from the scheduling entity includes: An index for looking up the timeslot configuration in a lookup table including a plurality of timeslot formats for HD-FDD is received.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein Receiving the index includes at least one of: receiving the index using system information broadcast by the scheduling entity; receiving the index using radio resource control signaling; or The index is received using a Group Common Physical Downlink Control Channel (GC-PDCCH).

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein The timeslot configuration specifies a first digital scheme for the UL portion and a second digital scheme for the DL portion.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein The first digital scheme and the second digital scheme are different from each other.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein The first number scheme and the second number scheme are the same.

27. The method according to claim 15, wherein The time slot configuration specifies one or more time windows in at least one of the UL portion or the DL portion for repeating the signal.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein The time slot configuration further specifies a first frequency band for repeating the signal in a first time window and a second frequency band for repeating the signal in a second time window among the one or more time windows.

29. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: Communication interface; Memory; as well as a processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, the processor configured to: providing, to a user equipment (UE), an index configured to look up a time slot configuration in a lookup table comprising a plurality of time slot formats, the lookup table comprising repetition information for each of the plurality of time slot formats defined in the lookup table, the time slot configuration specifying a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain, the plurality of consecutive time slots being grouped into at least one of an uplink (UL) portion or a downlink (DL) portion for conducting wireless communications; as well as Communicating with the UE using the plurality of consecutive time slots via the communication interface includes at least one of transmitting or receiving a signal repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion based on the time slot configuration.

30. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: Communication interface; Memory; as well as a processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, The processor is configured to: receiving an index configured to look up a time slot configuration in a lookup table comprising a plurality of time slot formats, the lookup table comprising repetition information for each of the plurality of time slot formats defined in the lookup table, the time slot configuration specifying a plurality of consecutive time slots in a time domain, the plurality of consecutive time slots being grouped into at least one of an uplink (UL) portion or a downlink (DL) portion for wireless communications with a scheduling entity; as well as Communicating with the scheduling entity using the plurality of consecutive time slots via the communication interface includes at least one of transmitting or receiving a signal repeated in the UL portion or the DL portion based on the time slot configuration.

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