Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) and Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) Bundling under Uplink Timing Advance (TA)

Abstract

A wireless communication device, system, and method related to bundling uplink communication signals under a timing advance (TA) condition are provided. For example, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment may include: receiving a timing advance (TA) from a base station, where the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; determining whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and implementing the TA based on the determination.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 301,972, filed on April 20, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 015,434, filed on April 24, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to wireless communication systems and, more particularly, to bundling uplink communications (e.g., demodulation reference signals (DMRS), sounding reference signals (SRS), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communications, physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communications, etc.) under timing advance (TA) conditions, including associated methods, devices, and systems. Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, and so on. These systems are capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). A wireless multi - access communication system may include multiple base stations (BSs), each of which simultaneously supports the communication of multiple communication devices, which may also be referred to as user equipment (UEs).

[0005] To meet the growing demand for extended mobile broadband connectivity, wireless communication technologies are evolving from Long - Term Evolution (LTE) technologies to next - generation New Radio (NR) technologies, which may be referred to as fifth - generation (5G). For example, NR is designed to provide lower latency, higher bandwidth or higher throughput, and higher reliability than LTE. NR is designed to operate over a wide array of frequency bands, e.g., from low frequency bands below approximately 1 gigahertz (GHz) and mid - frequency bands from approximately 1 GHz to approximately 6 GHz, to high - frequency bands such as millimeter - wave (mmWave) bands. NR is also designed to operate across different spectrum types, from licensed spectrum to unlicensed and shared spectrum. Spectrum sharing enables operators to have the opportunity to aggregate spectrum to dynamically support high - bandwidth services. Spectrum sharing can extend the benefits of NR technology to operating entities that may not have access to licensed spectrum.

[0006] To facilitate successful communication between a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter may send one or more reference signals (alone or together with data transmission). The (multiple) reference signals may include a predefined sequence and may be sent at predefined times and / or frequency positions. The receiver may estimate the channel response from the (multiple) reference signals. Based on the channel estimation from processing the (multiple) reference signals, alone or bundled, the receiver may receive and decode the communication from the transmitter.

[0007] In some cases, multiple reference signals may be bundled across multiple time slots in the time domain. When the reference signals are bundled, the receiver may use the reference signals received across multiple time slots to perform joint channel estimation, as opposed to performing separate channel estimation for each individual time slot based on the (multiple) reference signals received in the time slot. When the reference signals are bundled in the time domain, the transmitter may send different reference signals that are phase coherent to allow the receiver to perform joint channel estimation. However, in some cases, the transmitter may be scheduled to implement a timing advance (TA) between transmissions of the reference signals to be sent with phase coherence. In this regard, implementing the TA may cause the reference signals sent after implementing the TA to be out of phase with the reference signals sent before implementing the TA. However, not implementing the TA may cause the transmitter and the receiver to be out of sync. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides improved techniques for bundling uplink communication signals (including reference signals) under TA conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The following outlines some aspects of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of the technologies discussed. This summary is not an extensive review of all the expected features of the present disclosure and neither identifies the key or important elements of all aspects of the present disclosure nor is intended 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 an overview form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0009] Aspects of the present disclosure provide mechanisms for bundling uplink communication (e.g., demodulation reference signals (DMRS), sounding reference signals (SRS), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication, physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication, etc.) under timing advance (TA) conditions. In this regard, aspects of the present disclosure may enhance uplink cell coverage, particularly towards the cell edge, by facilitating the bundling of phase coherent uplink communication while also maintaining synchronization between a user equipment (UE) and a base station (BS) via timing advance (TA).

[0010] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment includes: receiving a timing advance (TA) from a base station, where the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled with phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; determining whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and implementing the TA based on the determination.

[0011] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, a method of wireless communication performed by a base station includes: sending a timing advance (TA) to a user equipment, where the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled with phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; receiving a first uplink communication from the user equipment; receiving a second uplink communication from the user equipment; and processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment implements the TA.

[0012] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, a user equipment includes a transceiver configured to: receive a timing advance (TA) from a base station, where the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled with phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; and a processor in communication with the transceiver, the processor configured to: determine whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and implement the TA based on the determination.

[0013] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, a base station includes a transceiver configured to: send a timing advance (TA) to a user equipment, where the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled with phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; receive a first uplink communication from the user equipment; and receive a second uplink communication from the user equipment; and a processor in communication with the transceiver, the processor configured to: process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment implements the TA.

[0014] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, a user equipment includes: means for receiving a timing advance (TA) from a base station, wherein the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; means for determining whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and means for implementing the TA based on the determination.

[0015] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, a base station includes: means for sending a timing advance (TA) to a user equipment, wherein the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; means for receiving a first uplink communication from the user equipment; means for receiving a second uplink communication from the user equipment; and means for processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment implements the TA.

[0016] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has program code recorded thereon for wireless communication by a user equipment, the program code including code for causing the user equipment to receive a timing advance (TA) from a base station, wherein the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; code for causing the user equipment to determine whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and code for causing the user equipment to implement the TA based on the determination.

[0017] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has program code recorded thereon for wireless communication by a base station, the program code including code for causing the base station to send a timing advance (TA) to a user equipment, wherein the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; code for causing the base station to receive a first uplink communication from the user equipment; code for causing the base station to receive a second uplink communication from the user equipment; and code for causing the base station to process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment implements the TA.

[0018] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Although the features of the present invention may be discussed with respect to certain examples and figures below, all embodiments of the present invention may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, although one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more such features may also be used in accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention discussed herein. In a similar manner, although exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as device, system, or method embodiments, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A wireless communication network is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 2 Uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling are shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 3 Uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling are shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 4 Uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling are shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 5 Uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling are shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 6 A signal diagram illustrating uplink bundling and timing advance communication in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a user equipment (UE) in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary base station (BS) in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 9 A flowchart of a wireless communication method is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 10 A flowchart of a wireless communication method is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the detailed description set forth below 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 practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0030] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication systems, also referred to as wireless communication networks. In various embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses may be used in wireless communication networks such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, LTE networks, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks, Fifth Generation (5G) or New Radio (NR) networks, and other communication networks. As used herein, the terms "network" and "system" may be used interchangeably.

[0031] OFDMA networks may implement radio technologies such as evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, flash-OFDM, etc. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Specifically, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is a version of UMTS that uses E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE are described in documents provided by an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP), and cdma2000 is described in documents provided by an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). These different radio technologies and standards are known or are under development. For example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a cooperation among telecommunication standards bodies that aims to define globally applicable third-generation (3G) mobile phone specifications. 3GPP Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is a 3GPP project aimed at improving the UMTS mobile phone standard. 3GPP may define specifications for next-generation mobile networks, mobile systems, and mobile devices. This disclosure relates to the evolution of wireless technologies from LTE, 4G, 5G, NR, and the sharing of access to the wireless spectrum among networks using a collection of new and different radio access technologies or radio air interfaces.

[0032] Specifically, the 5G network considers different deployments, different spectrums, and different services and devices that can be implemented using an OFDM-based unified air interface. To achieve these goals, in addition to developing new radio technologies for the 5G NR network, further enhancements to LTE and LTE-A are also considered. 5G NR will be able to scale to provide (1) coverage for massive Internet of Things (IoT) with ultra-high density (e.g., about 1M nodes / km 2 ), ultra-low complexity (e.g., about 10s bits / second), ultra-low energy (e.g., battery life of about 10 years or more), and deep coverage capable of reaching challenging locations; (2) coverage including mission-critical control with strong security to protect sensitive personal, financial, or classified information, ultra-high reliability (e.g., ~99.9999% reliability), ultra-low latency (e.g., ~1ms), and users with a wide range of mobility or lack of mobility; and (3) enhanced mobile broadband coverage, including extremely high capacity (e.g., about 10Tbps / km 2 ), extremely high data rates (e.g., multi-Gbps rates, 100+ Mbps user experience rates), and deep awareness for advanced discovery and optimization.

[0033] 5G NR can be implemented to use an optimized OFDM-based waveform with scalable digital schemes and transmission time intervals (TTIs); with a general, flexible framework to effectively multiplex services and features using dynamic, low-latency time-division duplex (TDD) / frequency-division duplex (FDD) designs; and with advanced radio technologies such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), powerful millimeter-wave (mmWave) transmission, advanced channel coding, and device-centric mobility. The scalability of the digital schemes in 5G NR, along with the scaling of the subcarrier spacing, can effectively address the issues of operating different services across different spectrums and different deployments. For example, in various outdoor and macro-coverage deployments with less than 3GHz FDD / TDD implementations, the subcarrier spacing may appear at 15kHz for bandwidths (BW) such as 5, 10, 20MHz, etc. For other various outdoor and small-cell coverage deployments with TDD above 3GHz, the subcarrier spacing may appear at 30kHz for 80 / 100MHz BW. For other various indoor broadband implementations using TDD in the unlicensed part of the 5GHz band, the subcarrier spacing may appear at 60kHz for 160MHz BW. Finally, for various deployments transmitting millimeter-wave components with 28GHz TDD, the subcarrier spacing may appear at 120kHz for 500MHz bandwidth.

[0034] The scalable numerology of 5G NR facilitates scalable TTIs for different latency and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. For example, shorter TTIs can be used for low latency and high reliability, while longer TTIs can be used for higher spectral efficiency. The effective multiplexing of long and short TTIs allows transmissions to start at symbol boundaries. 5G NR also considers a self - contained integrated sub - frame design with uplink / downlink scheduling information, data, and acknowledgments in the same sub - frame. The self - contained integrated sub - frame enables communication in unlicensed or contention - based shared spectrum, adaptive uplink / downlink, which can be flexibly configured on a per - cell basis to dynamically switch between uplink and downlink to meet current traffic demands.

[0035] Various other aspects and features of the present disclosure are described further below. It is evident that the teachings herein can be implemented in many forms, and any specific structure, function, or both disclosed herein are merely representative and not restrictive. Based on the teachings herein, one of ordinary skill in the art should understand that one aspect disclosed herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, an apparatus can be implemented or a method can be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. Additionally, other structures, functions, or combinations of structures and functions can be used to implement such an apparatus or practice such a method in addition to or different from one or more of the aspects set forth herein. For example, a method can be implemented as part of a system, device, apparatus, and / or implemented as instructions stored on a computer - readable medium for execution on a processor or computer. Additionally, one aspect can include at least one element of a claim.

[0036] Aspects of the present disclosure provide mechanisms for bundling uplink communications (e.g., Demodulation Reference Signals (DMRS), Sounding Reference Signals (SRS), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) communications, Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) communications, etc.) under Timing Advance (TA) conditions. In this regard, aspects of the present disclosure can enhance uplink cell coverage, especially towards the cell edge, by facilitating the bundling of phase - coherent uplink communications while also maintaining synchronization between a User Equipment (UE) and a Base Station (BS) via Timing Advance (TA).

[0037] In this regard, to facilitate successful communication between a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter may send one or more reference signals (either alone or together with data transmission). The (multiple) reference signals may include a predetermined sequence and may be sent at predetermined times and / or frequency positions. The receiver may estimate the channel response from the (multiple) reference signals. Based on the channel estimate processed from the (multiple) reference signals, either individually or bundled, the receiver may receive and decode the communication from the transmitter.

[0038] In some cases, multiple reference signals may be bundled across multiple time slots in the time domain. When the reference signals are bundled, the receiver may use the reference signals received across multiple time slots to perform joint channel estimation, as opposed to performing separate channel estimation for each individual time slot based on the (multiple) reference signals received in the time slot. When the reference signals are bundled in the time domain, the transmitter may send different reference signals with phase coherence to allow the receiver to perform joint channel estimation. However, in some cases, the transmitter may be scheduled to implement a timing advance (TA) between the transmissions of the reference signals to be sent with phase coherence. In this regard, implementing the TA may cause the reference signals sent after implementing the TA to be out of phase with the reference signals sent before implementing the TA. However, not implementing the TA may cause the transmitter and the receiver to be out of sync. The present disclosure provides improved techniques for bundling uplink communication signals (including reference signals) under TA conditions.

[0039] In some cases, the TA is implemented when scheduled, while in other cases, the implementation of the TA is delayed. When to implement the TA may be determined based on a configuration. The configuration may be a dynamic configuration and / or a predetermined / pre-programmed configuration stored in the memory of the UE and / or the BS. The configuration may provide one or more rules for determining when to implement the TA. In this regard, the rules may be based on whether the bundled uplink communication is scheduled with phase coherence, the number of bundled uplink communications, the time length required for the bundled uplink communication, the magnitude of the TA, one or more other factors, and / or a combination thereof. In this regard, the configuration may provide rules for selecting the timing for delaying the TA implementation. In this regard, the delayed timing may be based on one or more of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, a time gap between uplink communications, a power change between uplink communications, and an uplink communication not scheduled with phase coherence. Additional features and benefits of the present disclosure are set forth in the following description.

[0040] Figure 1FIG. 100 shows a wireless communication network 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The network 100 may be a 5G network. The network 100 includes a plurality of base stations (BSs) 105 (labeled 105a, 105b, 105c, 105d, 105e, and 105f respectively) and other network entities. The BS 105 may be a station that communicates with the UE 115 and may also be referred to as an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation eNB (gNB), an access point, etc. Each BS 105 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to this specific geographical coverage area of the BS 105 and / or the BS subsystem serving this coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0041] The BS 105 may provide communication coverage for macro cells or small cells (such as pico cells or femto cells) and / or other types of cells. Macro cells typically cover a relatively large geographical area (e.g., with a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs subscribed to services from the network provider. Small cells such as pico cells typically cover a relatively small geographical area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs subscribed to services from the network provider. Small cells such as femto cells typically also cover a relatively small geographical area (e.g., a home), and in addition to unrestricted access, may provide restricted access by UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.). The BS of a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. The BS for a small cell may be referred to as a small cell BS, a pico BS, a femto BS, or a home BS. In Figure 1 the example shown, BSs 105d and 105e may be conventional macro BSs, while BSs 105a - 105c may be macro BSs that support one of three-dimensional (3D), full-dimensional (FD), or massive MIMO. BSs 105a - 105c may utilize their higher-dimensional MIMO capabilities to increase coverage and capacity by using 3D beamforming in elevation and azimuth beamforming. BS 105f may be a small cell BS, which may be a home node or a portable access point. The BS 105 may support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells.

[0042] The network 100 may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the BSs may have similar frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs may be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the BSs may have different frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs may not be aligned in time.

[0043] UE 115s are dispersed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary or mobile. UE 115 can also be referred to as a terminal, mobile station, subscriber unit, station, etc. UE 115 can be a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, tablet computer, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, etc. In one aspect, UE 115 can be a device including a universal integrated circuit card (UICC). In another aspect, the UE can be a device that does not include a UICC. In some aspects, UE 115 that does not include a UICC can also be referred to as an IoT device or Internet of Everything (IoE) device. UE 115a - 115d are examples of mobile smart phone type devices accessing the network 100. UE 115 can also be a machine specifically configured for connection communication, including machine type communication (MTC), enhanced MTC (eMTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. UE 115e - 115k are examples of various machines configured for communication accessing the network 100. UE 115 is capable of communicating with any type of BS, whether it is a macro BS, small cell, etc. In Figure 1 it, lightning (e.g., communication link) indicates a wireless transmission between UE 115 and serving BS 105 (serving BS 105 is the BS designated to serve UE 115 on the downlink and / or uplink), or a desired transmission between BSs, and a backhaul transmission between BSs.

[0044] In operation, BSs 105a - 105c can use 3D beamforming and cooperative spatial techniques (such as coordinated multipoint (CoMP) or multi-connection) to serve UE 115a and 115b. Macro BS 105d can perform backhaul communication with BSs 105a - 105c and small cell BS 105f. Macro BS 105d can also send multicast services ordered and received by UE 115c and 115d. Such multicast services can include mobile TV or streaming video, or can include other services for providing community information, such as weather emergencies or alerts, such as Amber alerts or Gray alerts.

[0045] The BS 105 can also communicate with the core network. The core network can provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. At least some of the BS 105 (e.g., which can be an example of a gNB or an access node controller (ANC)) can interface with the core network via a backhaul link (e.g., NG-C, NG-U, etc.) and can perform radio configuration and scheduling for communicating with the UE 115. In various examples, the BS 105 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via the core network) via a backhaul link (e.g., X1, X2, etc.) which can be a wired or wireless communication link.

[0046] The network 100 can also support mission-critical communications with ultra-reliable and redundant links for mission-critical devices such as the UE 115e (which can be a drone). The redundant communication links with the UE 115e can include links from the macro BS 105d and 105e, as well as links from the small cell BS 105f. Other machine type devices such as the UE 115f (e.g., a thermometer), the UE 115g (e.g., a smart meter), and the UE 115h (e.g., a wearable device) can communicate with the BS such as the small cell BS 105f and the macro BS 105e directly via the network 100, or communicate in a multi-hop configuration by communicating with another user equipment that relays its information to the network, such as the UE 115f transmitting temperature measurement information to the smart meter (UE 115g) and then reporting it to the network via the cell BS 105f. The network 100 can also provide additional network efficiency via dynamic, low-latency TDD / FDD communications such as in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V).

[0047] In some embodiments, the network 100 communicates using an OFDM-based waveform. An OFDM-based system can divide the system BW into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are also commonly referred to as subcarriers, tones, bins, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. In some cases, the subcarrier spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system BW. The system BW can also be divided into subbands. In other cases, the subcarrier spacing and / or the duration of the TTI can be scalable.

[0048] In one embodiment, the BS 105 may allocate or schedule transmission resources (e.g., in the form of time-frequency resource blocks (RBs)) for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions in the network 100. DL refers to the transmission direction from the BS 105 to the UE 115, while UL refers to the transmission direction from the UE 115 to the BS 105. The communication may be in the form of radio frames. The radio frames may be divided into multiple subframes or time slots, e.g., approximately 10. Each time slot may be further divided into mini-slots. In the FDD mode, simultaneous UL and DL transmissions may occur in different frequency bands. For example, each subframe includes a UL subframe in the UL frequency band and a DL subframe in the DL frequency band. In the TDD mode, UL and DL transmissions occur in the same frequency band at different time periods. For example, a subset of subframes (e.g., DL subframes) in the radio frame may be used for DL transmissions, and another subset of subframes (e.g., UL subframes) in the radio frame may be used for UL transmissions.

[0049] DL subframes and UL subframes may be further divided into several regions. For example, each DL or UL subframe may have predefined regions for transmitting reference signals, control information, and data. The reference signal is a predefined signal that facilitates communication between the BS 105 and the UE 115. For example, the reference signal may have a specific pilot pattern or structure, where the pilot frequency tones may span the operating BW or frequency band, and each pilot frequency tone is located at a predefined time and a predefined frequency. For example, the BS 105 may transmit cell-specific reference signals (CRS) and / or channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RS) to enable the UE 115 to estimate the DL channel. Similarly, the UE 115 may transmit sounding reference signals (SRS) to enable the BS 105 to estimate the UL channel. The control information may include resource allocation and protocol control. The data may include protocol data and / or operation data. In some embodiments, the BS105 and the UE 115 may communicate using independent subframes. The independent subframe may include a portion for DL communication and a portion for UL communication. The independent subframe may be DL-centric or UL-centric. A DL-centric subframe may include a longer duration for DL communication than for UL communication. A UL-centric subframe may include a longer duration for UL communication than for UL communication.

[0050] In one embodiment, network 100 may be an NR network deployed on licensed spectrum. BS 105 may send synchronization signals (e.g., including a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS)) in network 100 to facilitate synchronization. BS 105 may broadcast system information associated with network 100 (e.g., including a Master Information Block (MIB), Remaining System Information (RMSI), and Other System Information (OSI)) to facilitate initial network access. In some cases, BS 105 may broadcast the PSS, SSS, and / or MIB in the form of a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) on the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), and may broadcast the RMSI and / or OSI on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0051] In one embodiment, UE 115 attempting to access network 100 may perform initial cell search by detecting the PSS from BS 105. The PSS may achieve periodic timing synchronization and may indicate a physical layer identity value. Then, UE 115 may receive the SSS. The SSS may achieve radio frame synchronization and may provide a cell identity value that may be combined with the physical layer identity value to identify the cell. The PSS and SSS may be located in the central part of the carrier or at any suitable frequency within the carrier.

[0052] After receiving the PSS and SSS, UE 115 may receive the MIB. The MIB may include system information for initial network access and scheduling information for the RMSI and / or OSI. After decoding the MIB, UE 115 may receive the RMSI and / or OSI. The RMSI and / or OSI may include Radio Resource Control (RRC) information related to the Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure, paging, Control Resource Set (CORESET) for Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring, Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), power control, and SRS.

[0053] After obtaining the MIB, RMSI, and / or OSI, the UE 115 may perform a random access procedure to establish a connection with the BS 105. In some examples, the random access procedure may be a four-step random access procedure. For example, the UE 115 may send a random access preamble, and the BS 105 may respond with a random access response. The random access response (RAR) may include the detected random access preamble identifier (ID) corresponding to the random access preamble, timing advance (TA) information, UL grant, temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI), and / or backoff indicator. Once the random access response is received, the UE 115 may send a connection request to the BS 105, and the BS 105 may respond with a connection response. The connection response may indicate contention resolution. In some examples, the random access preamble, RAR, connection request, and connection response may be referred to as Message 1 (MSG 1), Message 2 (MSG 2), Message 3 (MSG 3), and Message 4 (MSG 4), respectively. In some examples, the random access procedure may be a two-step random access procedure, in which the UE 115 may send the random access preamble and the connection request in a single transmission, and the BS 105 may respond by sending the random access response and the connection response in a single transmission. The combined random access preamble and connection request in the two-step random access procedure may be referred to as Message A (MSG A). The combined random access response and connection response in the two-step random access procedure may be referred to as Message B (MSG B).

[0054] After establishing the connection, the UE 115 may initiate an initial network attachment procedure with the network 100. When there is no active data communication between the UE 115 and the BS 105 after network attachment, the UE 115 may return to the idle state (e.g., RRC idle mode). Alternatively, the UE 115 and the BS 105 may enter an operational state or an active state, in which operational data may be exchanged (e.g., RRC connected mode). For example, the BS 105 may schedule the UE 115 for UL and / or DL communication. The BS 105 may send UL and / or DL scheduling grants to the UE 115 via the PDCCH. The BS 105 may send DL communication signals to the UE 115 via the PDSCH according to the DL scheduling grant. The UE 115 may send UL communication signals to the BS 105 via the PUSCH and / or PUCCH according to the UL scheduling grant. In some embodiments, the BS 105 and the UE 115 may communicate using hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) techniques to improve reliability. Additionally, the UE 115 and / or the BS 105 may utilize DRX (e.g., during the RRC idle mode), including connected mode DRX (C-DRX) (e.g., during the RRC connected mode), and / or DTX operation modes.

[0055] In one embodiment, network 100 may operate on a system bandwidth (BW) or a component carrier (CC) BW. Network 100 may divide the system BW into multiple BWPs (e.g., parts). BS 105 may dynamically allocate for UE 115 to operate on a certain BWP (e.g., a certain part of the system BW). The allocated BWP may be referred to as the active BWP. UE 115 may monitor the active BWP for signaling information from BS 105. BS 105 may schedule UE 115 for UL or DL communication in the active BWP. In some cases, BS 105 may allocate a pair of BWPs within a CC to UE 115 for UL and DL communication. For example, the pair of BWPs may include one BWP for UL communication and one BWP for DL communication. In some cases, BS 105 may dynamically switch UE 115 from one BWP to another BWP, e.g., from a wideband BWP to a narrowband BWP to save power, or from a narrowband BWP to a wideband BWP for communication.

[0056] BS 105 may also configure one or more CORESETs for UE 115 within a BWP. A CORESET may include a set of frequency resources that span multiple symbols in time. BS 105 may configure one or more search spaces for PDCCH monitoring for UE 115 based on the CORESET. UE 115 may perform blind decoding in the search space to search for DL control information from the BS. BS 105 may configure various different CORESETs and / or search spaces for UE 115 for different types of PDCCH monitoring (e.g., DL / UL scheduling and / or wake-up information). In one example, BS 105 may configure the BWP, CORESET, and / or PDCCH search space for UE 115 via RRC.

[0057] In one embodiment, BS 105 may establish an RRC connection with UE 115 in the primary cell (PCell) (e.g., via the primary frequency carrier), and may subsequently configure UE 115 to communicate via a secondary cell (SCell) (e.g., via a secondary frequency carrier). In one embodiment, BS 105 may trigger UE 115 to report channel information based on a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) transmitted by BS 105. In some cases, the trigger may be aperiodic, which may be referred to as an aperiodic CSI-RS (A-CSI-RS) trigger.

[0058] Network 100 may operate on a shared frequency band or an unlicensed frequency band, e.g., operate at approximately 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) in the mmWave band, below (sub) 6 GHz, or at higher frequencies. Network 100 may divide the frequency band into multiple channels, e.g., each channel occupying approximately 20 megahertz (MHz). BS 105 and UE 115 may be operated by multiple network operating entities sharing resources in a shared communication medium and may obtain channel occupancy time (COT) in the shared medium for communication. COT may be discontinuous in time and may refer to the amount of time a wireless node can transmit a frame when winning the contention for the wireless medium. Each COT may include multiple transmission time slots. COT may also be referred to as transmission opportunity (TXOP).

[0059] In some aspects, to facilitate successful communication between a transmitter and a receiver (such as BS 105 and UE 115 and vice versa), the transmitter may send one or more reference signals (alone or together with data transmission), such as demodulation reference signals (DMRS), sounding reference signals (SRS), etc. The (multiple) reference signals may include a predetermined sequence and may be sent at a predetermined time and / or frequency location. Then, the receiver may estimate the channel response from the (multiple) reference signals. Based on the channel estimation from processing the (multiple) reference signals, the receiver may receive and decode the communication from the transmitter.

[0060] Furthermore, in some aspects, multiple reference signals may be bundled across multiple time slots in the time domain. When the reference signals are bundled, the receiver (e.g., BS 105 or UE 115) may use the reference signals received across multiple time slots to perform joint channel estimation, as opposed to performing separate channel estimation for each individual time slot based on the (multiple) reference signals received in the time slot. When the reference signals are bundled in the time domain, the transmitter (e.g., BS 105 or UE 115) may transmit different reference signals with phase coherence to allow the receiver to perform joint channel estimation. However, as described below with reference to Figure 2 as described, in some cases, the transmitter may be scheduled to implement a timing advance (TA) between transmissions of reference signals to be transmitted with phase coherence. In this regard, implementing TA may cause the reference signals transmitted after implementing TA to be out of phase with the reference signals transmitted before implementing TA. However, not implementing TA may cause the transmitter and the receiver (e.g., BS 105 and UE 115) to be out of sync.

[0061] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides improved techniques for bundling uplink communication signals (including reference signals) under TA conditions (e.g., while maintaining synchronization between UE 115 and BS 105). Specifically, the present disclosure provides a mechanism for UE 115 and BS 105 to determine whether to implement TA according to scheduling or with a delay, such that synchronization between UE 115 and BS 105 is maintained, and the bundled uplink communication between UE 115 and BS 105 can be correctly received and decoded (e.g., processed).

[0062] Figure 2 An uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 200 is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2 The uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 200 shows aspects of one or more uplink channels 210 (e.g., Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), etc.), one or more downlink channels 220 (e.g., Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), etc.), a timing advance (TA) 230, and uplink communication 240 (e.g., PUSCH communication, PUCCH communication, Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), etc.). In Figure 2 which, the x-axis represents time in any unit shown.

[0063] In some cases, DMRS bundling can be an effective technique for enhancing cell coverage, including for uplink communication near the cell edge or boundary. At the UE, DMRS can be coherently transmitted at different times corresponding to different uplink transmissions (e.g., PUSCH transmission and / or PUCCH transmission). At the BS, the DMRS received at different times can be coherently filtered and / or combined to improve the accuracy of channel estimation. That is, the DMRS received at different times can be jointly processed instead of being processed separately or individually. Similar types of bundling techniques can be applied to other types of uplink communication 240, including but not limited to bundling between SRSs, bundling between SRS and PUCCH, bundling between SRS and PUSCH, bundling between PUCCHs, bundling between PUSCHs, bundling between PUSCH and PUCCH, etc.

[0064] Timing Advance is a technique that can be utilized to implement uplink and / or downlink synchronization in a cell. In this regard, due to propagation delay, the timing of the downlink signal transmitted by the BS and the timing of the uplink signal received at the BS may exhibit a large delay, potentially causing an uplink / downlink conflict. Additionally, since the propagation delays from different UEs are typically different, the timings of the uplink signals transmitted from different UEs may be different, which may cause unwanted inter-symbol interference at the BS. To address this issue, TA 230 can be utilized. In this regard, the UE can advance (or delay) its uplink transmission by a certain amount of time (which roughly corresponds to twice the propagation delay between the UE and the BS). In some cases, the BS indicates the TA value in TA 230 transmitted on the (multiple) downlink channels 220 (e.g., in units of multiples of transmission samples (based on the sampling rate, which may depend on the subcarrier spacing)). In some cases, TA 230 is transmitted in the media access control control element (MAC CE) on the PDSCH. After receiving the TA with the TA value, the UE can implement the TA value by adjusting (e.g., delaying or advancing) its transmission timing.

[0065] As Figure 2 shown, in some cases, TA 230-a is scheduled to be applied by the UE at time 260. In this regard, in some cases, TA-230a is scheduled to be implemented by the UE in an uplink transmission that starts at least time gap 270 (e.g., T_gap) after the UE receives TA 230-a. In some cases, the length of time gap 270 is based on the UE's TA processing time. Therefore, the time 260 at which the UE is scheduled to implement the TA can be based on when the UE receives the TA from the BS, time gap 270, the UE's TA processing time, and / or the UE's communication schedule. In Figure 2 the example shown, time gap 270 ends during the time slot 250-a in which the uplink communication 240-a is transmitted. Therefore, in some cases, the UE is scheduled to implement TA230-a before the transmission of time slot 250-b and the associated uplink communication 240-b.

[0066] Although the TA 230-a applied by the UE is provided by the BS, in some cases, there may still be some slack or differences in the synchronization timing between the UE and the BS. For example, in some cases, this difference may be caused by the UE applying TA 230-a based on its estimated downlink reception timing, which is not always accurately estimated. Therefore, when the UE implements TA 230-a, the BS may need to re-estimate the uplink timing and adjust the phase of the received symbols accordingly. In other words, when the UE applies TA 230-a to the uplink transmission, the BS may need to re-estimate the uplink timing. Since the timing and phase of the uplink communication are highly correlated, the timing change caused by implementing TA 230-a will cause a corresponding phase change in the uplink communication. Therefore, in Figure 2 the example of, if the uplink communications 240-a and 240-b are bundled communications scheduled to be transmitted in phase coherence, implementing TA 230-a at the scheduling time 260 will cause the uplink communications 240-a and 240-b not to be in phase coherence, and thus prevent the BS from coherently processing the consecutive time slots 250-a and 250-b and the associated communications 240-a and 240-b. This is the case even when the UE transmits the uplink communications 240-a and 240-b with phase coherence / continuity. Therefore, aspects of the present disclosure provide mechanisms for handling uplink bundling and TA scheduling when a TA (e.g., TA 230-a) is scheduled to be implemented by the UE between uplink communications (e.g., uplink communications 240-a and 240-b) scheduled to be transmitted in phase coherence.

[0067] Figure 3 An uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 300 in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 300 of can be similar to and implement Figure 2 the aspects of the uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 200 of. Figure 3 The uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 300 of shows aspects of one or more uplink channels 310 (e.g., Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), etc.), one or more downlink channels 320 (e.g., Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), etc.), a timing advance (TA) 330, and an uplink communication 340 (e.g., PUSCH communication, PUCCH communication, Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), etc.). In Figure 3 it, the x-axis represents time in any unit shown.

[0068] As shown, TA 330-a is transmitted on the (multiple) downlink channels 320. In some cases, TA 330-a is transmitted in the MAC CE via the PDSCH. After receiving TA 330-a, the UE can implement the TA value by adjusting (e.g., delaying or advancing) its transmission timing.

[0069] As Figure 3 shown, in some cases, TA 330-a is scheduled to be applied by the UE at time 360. In some cases, TA-330a is scheduled to be implemented by the UE in an uplink transmission starting at least time gap 370 (e.g., T_gap) after the UE receives TA 330-a. In some cases, the length of time gap 370 is based on the UE's TA processing time. Thus, the time 360 scheduled for the UE to implement the TA can be based on when the UE receives TA 330-a from the BS, time gap 370, the UE's TA processing time, and / or the UE's communication schedule. In Figure 3 the example shown, time gap 370 ends during time slot 350-a in which uplink communication 340-a is transmitted. Thus, in some cases, the UE is scheduled to implement TA330-a before the transmission of time slot 350-b and the associated uplink communication 340-b.

[0070] In some cases, the UE determines whether to implement TA 330-a at time 360 or delay the implementation to a later time (e.g., after transmitting uplink communication 340-b). In some cases, the UE determines when to implement TA330-a based on a configuration. The configuration can be a dynamic configuration received from the BS (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC CE, DCI, or other means) or a predetermined / pre-programmed configuration stored in the UE's memory. The configuration can provide one or more rules for the UE to determine when to implement TA330-a. In this regard, these rules can be based on whether the bundled uplink communications are scheduled in phase coherence, the number of bundled uplink communications, the length of time required for the bundled uplink communications, the magnitude of the TA, one or more other factors, and / or their combination. When the implementation is to be delayed from time 360, the configuration can also provide rules for the UE to select the timing for implementing TA 330-a. In this regard, the timing can be based on one or more of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, the time gap between uplink communications, the power change between uplink communications, and / or an uplink communication that is not scheduled in phase coherence.

[0071] In Figure 3In the example shown, the UE implements TA 330-a at time 360, as shown by adjustment 380. Note that adjustment 380 shows an enlarged delay period, merely for illustrative purposes and not necessarily to scale. It should be understood that adjustment 380 can be an advance or a delay of the UE's uplink timing and will be based on the value included in TA 330-a. Implementing TA 330-a at scheduling time 360 can result in uplink communication 340-b not having phase coherence with uplink communication 340-a. In other words, if the UE applies TA 330-a to uplink communication 340-b, it is not expected that the UE will maintain phase coherence between uplink communications 340-a and 340-b. Thus, in some cases, the BS processes uplink communications 340-a and 340-b separately rather than processing them coherently together.

[0072] In some cases, the BS determines when TA 330-a is implemented by the UE based on the received uplink communications 340-a and 340-b, the UE's TA processing capabilities, the configuration implemented by the UE, and / or other factors. In some cases, as described above, the timing of the UE implementing TA 330-a is based on configuration. In some cases, the BS utilizes aspects of the configuration to estimate and / or determine when the UE will implement TA 330-a. In this regard, as shown in the example of Figure 3 , the BS can determine that the UE will implement TA at time 360 and thus determine to process uplink communications 340-a and 340-b separately.

[0073] Figure 4 An uplink bundling and timing advance schedule 400 is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The uplink bundling and timing advance schedule 400 of can be similar to and implement aspects of the uplink bundling and timing advance schedules 200 and 300 of Figure 2 and Figure 3 . Figure 4 The uplink bundling and timing advance schedule 400 shows aspects of one or more uplink channels 410 (e.g., Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), etc.), one or more downlink channels 420 (e.g., Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), etc.), Timing Advance (TA) 430, and uplink communication 440 (e.g., PUSCH communication, PUCCH communication, Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), etc.). In Figure 4 , the x-axis represents time in arbitrary units as shown.

[0074] As shown, TA 430-a is transmitted on downlink channel 420. In some cases, TA 430-a is transmitted in the MAC CE via the PDSCH. After receiving TA 430-a, the UE can implement the TA value by adjusting (e.g., delaying or advancing) its transmission timing.

[0075] As Figure 4 shown, in some cases, TA 430-a is scheduled to be applied by the UE at time 460-a. In some cases, TA-430a is scheduled to be implemented by the UE starting an uplink transmission at least time gap 470 (e.g., T_gap) after the UE receives TA 430-a. In some cases, the length of time gap 470 is based on the UE's TA processing time. Thus, the time 460-a at which the scheduling for the UE to implement the TA can be based on when the UE receives TA 430-a from the BS, time gap 470, the UE's TA processing time, and / or the UE's communication schedule. In Figure 4 the example shown, time gap 470 ends during time slot 450-a in which uplink communication 440-a is transmitted. Thus, in some cases, the UE is scheduled to implement TA 430-a prior to the transmission of time slot 450-b and the associated uplink communication 440-b.

[0076] In some cases, the UE determines whether to implement TA 430-a at time 460-a or delay the implementation to a later time, such as time 460-b. In some cases, the UE determines when to implement TA 430-a based on a configuration. The configuration can be a dynamic configuration received from the BS (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC CE, DCI, or other means) or a predetermined / pre-programmed configuration stored in the UE's memory. The configuration can provide one or more rules for the UE to determine when to implement TA 430-a. In this regard, these rules can be based on whether the bundled uplink communication is scheduled with phase coherence, the number of bundled uplink communications, the length of time required for the bundled uplink communications, the magnitude of the TA, one or more other factors, and / or a combination thereof. When the implementation is to be delayed from time 460-a, the configuration can also provide rules for the UE to select the timing for implementing TA 430-a. In this regard, time 460-b can be selected based on one or more of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, the time gap between uplink communications, the power change between uplink communications, and / or an uplink communication that is not scheduled with phase coherence.

[0077] In some cases, the configuration may stipulate that the UE should coherently transmit a specific number (e.g., 2, 3, 4, etc.) of bundled uplink communications before implementing TA 430-a. In some cases, the number of bundled uplink communications transmitted coherently may be less than all the scheduled bundled uplink communications. As another example, the configuration may indicate that the UE should coherently schedule the transmission of any bundled uplink communications within a certain time period (e.g., number of time slots, x milliseconds, etc.) before implementing TA 430-a. Again, in some cases, the number of bundled uplink communications within this time period may be less than all the scheduled bundled uplink communications. In some cases, the delay in implementing TA 430-a may be partially based on the magnitude of TA 430-a. In this regard, compared with a TA 430-a of a larger magnitude, a TA 430-a of a smaller magnitude may be allowed a longer delay period for implementation. In some cases, if the magnitude of TA 430-a exceeds a threshold, the UE delays the implementation of TA; otherwise, the UE applies TA at 460-a and remains phase coherent on uplink communications 440-a and 440-b. In some cases, the UE is configured to implement TA 430-a after an uplink-to-downlink handover. In some cases, the UE is configured to implement TA 430-a after a downlink-to-uplink handover. In some cases, the UE is configured to implement TA 430-a when the gap (e.g., number of time and / or time slots / sub-slots) between uplink communications exceeds a threshold. That is, if the gap between two uplink communications is large enough, the UE may implement TA 430-a. In some cases, the UE is configured to implement TA 430-a when there is a power change between uplink communications. In some cases, the UE is configured to implement TA 430-a between uplink communications when the uplink communications are not scheduled coherently.

[0078] As a result of delaying the implementation of TA 430-a according to any of the techniques discussed above, there may be a time gap 475 between the initially scheduled implementation time 460-a and the actual implementation time 460-b. In some cases, the time gap 475 may be a fixed and / or predetermined amount of time and operate in a manner similar to the time gap 470. That is, the UE may implement TA 430-a after the end of the time gap 475 after the scheduled time 460-a. In some cases, the time gap 470 and / or the time gap 475 are implemented by the UE using a timer.

[0079] In Figure 4In the example shown, the UE determines to delay the implementation of TA 430-a from time 460-a to time 460-b. Thus, in some cases, uplink communication 440-b is sent before the implementation of TA 430-a. In this regard, as a result of delaying the implementation of TA 430-a until after the uplink communication 440-b is sent, uplink communication 440-b can be sent with phase coherence to uplink communication 440-a. Thus, due to phase continuity, the BS receiving uplink communications 440-a and 440-b can jointly process uplink communications 440-a and 440-b instead of processing them separately.

[0080] In some cases, the BS determines when TA 430-a is implemented by the UE based on the received uplink communications 440-a and 440-b, the TA processing capabilities of the UE, the configuration implemented by the UE, and / or other factors. In some cases, as described above, the timing of implementing TA 430-a by the UE is configuration-based. In some cases, the BS utilizes aspects of the configuration to estimate and / or determine when the UE will implement TA 430-a. In this regard, as Figure 4 shown in the example of, the BS can determine that the UE will implement TA 430-a at time 460-b and thus determine to jointly process uplink communications 440-a and 440-b.

[0081] Figure 5 An uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 500 in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 The uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 500 of can be similar to and implement Figures 2 - 4 aspects of the uplink bundling and timing advance schedulings 200, 300, and 400 of. Figure 5 The uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 500 of shows aspects of one or more uplink channels 510 (e.g., Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), etc.), one or more downlink channels 520 (e.g., Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), etc.), a timing advance (TA) 530, and uplink communication 540 (e.g., PUSCH communication, PUCH communication, Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), etc.). In Figure 5 which, the x-axis represents time in any units shown.

[0082] As shown, TA 530-a is transmitted on the (multiple) downlink channels 520. In some cases, TA 530-a is transmitted in the MAC CE via the PDSCH. After receiving TA 530-a, the UE can implement the TA value by adjusting (e.g., delaying or advancing) its transmission timing.

[0083] As Figure 5 shown, in some cases, TA 530-a is scheduled to be applied by the UE at time 560-a. In some cases, TA-530a is scheduled to be implemented by the UE starting an uplink transmission at least time gap 570 (e.g., T_gap) after the UE receives TA 530-a. In some cases, the length of time gap 570 is based on the UE's TA processing time. Thus, the time 560-a scheduled for the UE to implement the TA can be based on when the UE receives TA 530-a from the BS, time gap 570, the UE's TA processing time, and / or the UE's communication schedule. In Figure 5 the example shown, time gap 570 ends during the time slot 550-a in which the uplink communication 540-a is transmitted. Thus, in some cases, the UE is scheduled to implement TA 530-a before the transmission of time slot 550-b and the associated uplink communication 540-b.

[0084] In some cases, the UE determines whether to implement TA 530-a at time 560-a or delay the implementation to a later time, such as time 560-b. In some cases, the UE determines when to implement TA 530-a based on the configuration discussed above with respect to Figure 3 and Figure 4 . In this regard, the configuration can provide one or more rules for the UE to determine when to implement TA 530-a. In this regard, these rules can be based on whether the bundled uplink communications are scheduled in phase coherence, the number of bundled uplink communications, the length of time required for the bundled uplink communications, the magnitude of the TA, one or more other factors, and / or a combination thereof. When the implementation is to be delayed from time 560-a, the configuration can also provide rules for the UE to select the timing for implementing TA 530-a. In this regard, time 560-b can be selected based on one or more of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, a time gap between uplink communications, a power change between uplink communications, and / or an uplink communication that is not scheduled in phase coherence.

[0085] Figure 5Illustrates some examples of how to select time 560-b according to the present disclosure. For example, in some cases, the UE may be configured to coherently transmit a specific number (e.g., 2, 3, 4, etc.) of scheduled bundled uplink communications in phase before implementing TA 530-a. The number of bundled uplink communications transmitted in phase may be all or less than all of the scheduled bundled uplink communications. For example, in Figure 5 the UE may be configured to coherently transmit uplink communications 540-a and 540-b in phase before implementing TA 530-a.

[0086] As another example, the UE may be configured to coherently transmit any bundled uplink communications scheduled within a certain time period (e.g., number of time slots, x milliseconds, etc.) in phase before implementing TA 530-a. Again, in some cases, the number of bundled uplink communications in that time period may be less than all of the scheduled bundled uplink communications. For example, in Figure 5 the UE may be configured to coherently transmit uplink communications 540-a and 540-b in phase during the allocated time period and then implement TA 530-a. In some cases, the UE may be configured to determine the allowable delay amount for implementing TA 530-a based on the magnitude of TA 530-a. In this regard, a smaller magnitude of TA 530-a may be allowed a longer delay period for implementation than a larger magnitude of TA 530-a. In some cases, if the magnitude of TA 530-a is higher than a threshold, the UE delays the implementation of TA 530-a; otherwise, the UE applies TA 530-a at 560-a and remains in phase on uplink communications 540-a and 540-b.

[0087] In some cases, the UE may be configured to implement TA 530-a after an uplink-to-downlink handover. For example, in Figure 5 the UE may be configured to implement TA 530-a after switching from uplink time slot 550-b to downlink time slot 550-c. Thus, the UE may implement TA 530-a before the next uplink communication (e.g., uplink communication 540-d) and / or uplink time slot (e.g., time slot 550-d) after the uplink-to-downlink handover.

[0088] In some cases, the UE may be configured to implement TA 530-a after a downlink-to-uplink handover. For example, in Figure 5In [the scenario], the UE can be configured to perform TA 530-a after switching from downlink time slot 550-c to uplink time slot 550-d. Thus, before the next uplink communication (e.g., uplink communication 540-d) and / or uplink time slot (e.g., time slot 550-d) after the downlink-to-uplink switch, the UE can perform TA 530-a.

[0089] In some cases, the UE can be configured to perform TA 530-a when the gap (e.g., the amount of time and / or number of time slots / sub-slots) between uplink communications exceeds a threshold. That is, if the gap between two uplink communications is large enough, the UE can perform TA 530-a. For example, in Figure 5 [the scenario], the UE can be configured to perform TA 530-a between uplink communications 540-b and 540-d because the gap meets the threshold (e.g., 1 time slot), while the gap between uplink communications 540-a and 540-b does not meet the threshold.

[0090] In some cases, the UE can be configured to perform TA 530-a when there is a power change between uplink communications. For example, in Figure 5 [the scenario], the UE can be configured to perform TA 530-a between uplink communications 540-b and 540-d due to the power change or difference between uplink communications 540-b and 540-d, while uplink communications 540-a and 540-b can be transmitted using the same power level.

[0091] In some cases, the UE can be configured to perform TA 530-a between uplink communications when the uplink communications are not scheduled in phase coherence. For example, in Figure 5 [the scenario], the UE can be configured to perform TA 530-a between uplink communications 540-b and 540-d because uplink communications 540-b and 540-d are not scheduled in phase coherence, while uplink communications 540-a and 540-b can be scheduled in phase coherence.

[0092] As a result of delaying the performance of TA 530-a according to any of the techniques discussed above, there may be a time gap 575 between the initially scheduled performance time 560-a and the actual performance time 560-b. In some cases, the time gap 575 can be a fixed and / or predetermined amount of time and operate in a manner similar to time gap 570. That is, the UE can perform TA 530-a after the end of the time gap 575 after the scheduled time 560-a. In some cases, the time gap 570 and / or time gap 575 are implemented by the UE using a timer.

[0093] In Figure 5 In the example shown, the UE determines to delay the implementation of TA 530-a from time 560-a to time 560-b. Thus, in some cases, uplink communication 540-b is sent before the implementation of TA 530-a. In this regard, as a result of delaying the implementation of TA 530-a until after the uplink communication 540-b is sent, the uplink communication 540-b can be sent with phase coherence to the uplink communication 540-a. Thus, due to phase continuity, the BS receiving the uplink communications 540-a and 540-b can jointly process the uplink communications 540-a and 540-b instead of processing them separately.

[0094] In some cases, the BS determines when TA 530-a is implemented by the UE based on the received uplink communications 540-a and 540-b, the TA processing capabilities of the UE, the configuration implemented by the UE, and / or other factors. In some cases, as described above, the timing of implementing TA 530-a by the UE is based on configuration. In some cases, the BS utilizes aspects of the configuration to estimate and / or determine when the UE will implement TA 530-a. In this regard, as Figure 5 shown in the example of, the BS can determine that the UE will implement TA 530-a at time 560-b and thus determine to jointly process the uplink communications 540-a and 540-b.

[0095] Figure 6 FIG. shows a signal diagram 600 illustrating uplink bundling and timing advance communication in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Aspects of the signal diagram 600 can be used for Figures 2 - 5 the uplink bundling and timing advance schedulings 200, 300, 400, and 500.

[0096] At 605, the BS 105 sends a timing advance configuration to the UE 115. In some cases, the timing advance configuration is a dynamic configuration determined by the BS. The timing advance configuration can be sent to the UE 115 via RRC signaling, MAC CE, DCI, or other suitable communication. In some cases, the BS 105 does not send a timing advance configuration to the UE 115. For example, in some cases, the configuration can be a predetermined / pre-programmed configuration stored in the memory of the UE. According to the present disclosure, at 605, the timing advance configuration can indicate when to delay the implementation of the TA. In this regard, the timing advance configuration can provide one or more rules for determining when to implement the TA. In this regard, the configuration can be based on whether the bundled uplink communication is scheduled in phase coherence, the number of bundled uplink communications, the length of time required for the bundled uplink communication, the magnitude of the TA, one or more other factors, and / or a combination thereof. Additionally, at 605, the configuration can provide one or more rules for determining the timing of implementing the TA when the TA implementation is to be delayed. In this regard, the timing of the delayed implementation can be based on one or more of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, a time gap between a second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication, and / or the third uplink communication not being scheduled in phase coherence with the first uplink communication and / or the second uplink communication.

[0097] At 610, the BS 105 can schedule uplink communication for the UE 115. In this regard, the BS 105 can allocate resources to the UE 115 for the UE 115 to use when sending uplink communication. The allocated resources can include time and frequency resources that the UE 115 can use for any suitable communication, including but not limited to DMRS, SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, and other uplink communications. At 615, the BS 105 can indicate the resources allocated to the UE 115 via an uplink grant.

[0098] At 620, the BS 105 sends a timing advance (TA) to the UE 115. In some cases, at 620, the TA is sent via media access control control element (MAC CE) communication (e.g., via PDSCH) or other suitable communication. As described above, in some cases, the TA is scheduled to be implemented at a time after the start of the first uplink communication in a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled in phase coherence by the UE, but before the start of the second uplink communication in the group of bundled uplink communications (e.g., see Figures 2 - 5)。In some cases, the time to be scheduled for the UE to implement the TA is based on when the UE receives the TA from the BS, the UE's TA processing time, and / or the UE's communication schedule. In some cases, the UE may send a capability report indicating the UE's TA processing time to the BS and / or other information that allows the BS to determine when the UE will be scheduled to implement the TA based on when the BS sends the TA to the UE.

[0099] At 625, UE 115 processes the TA. In some cases, the UE processes the TA to determine the TA value and / or when to implement the TA. In this regard, the UE may determine whether to implement the TA at a first time or at a second time, where the second time is after the transmission of a second uplink communication. In some cases, in accordance with the present disclosure, the UE determines whether to implement the TA at the initially scheduled time or to delay the implementation until a later time (e.g., see Figures 2 - 5 ).

[0100] At 630, UE 115 implements the TA based on the processing of the TA at 625. In this regard, UE 115 may implement the TA at an appropriate time relative to uplink communications 640-a, 640-b, and / or 640-c. In some cases, two or more of uplink communications 640-a, 640-b, and / or 640-c are bundled and scheduled to be transmitted in phase coherence. Uplink communications 640-a, 640-b, and / or 640-c may include at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication, and / or another uplink communication. In some cases, each of uplink communications 640-a, 640-b, and / or 640-c is the same type of uplink communication (e.g., DMRS, SRS, etc.). In some cases, at least one of uplink communications 640-a, 640-b, and / or 640-c includes a different type of uplink communication from one of the other uplink communications 640-a, 640-b, and / or 640-c.

[0101] In some cases, at step 630, UE 115 determines to implement the TA at the initially scheduled time between uplink communication 640-a and uplink communication 640-b (e.g., see Figure 3)。Therefore, in some cases, uplink communication 640-b is sent by UE 115 after the TA is implemented. In this regard, uplink communication 640-b can be sent without phase coherence with uplink communication 640-a. Therefore, even if uplink communications 640-a and 640-b are initially scheduled to be sent with phase coherence, BS 105 can process uplink communications 640-a and 640-b separately at 650 instead of jointly.

[0102] In some cases, at step 630, UE 115 determines to delay the implementation of the TA from the initial scheduling time between uplink communication 640-a and uplink communication 640-b to a later time (e.g., see Figure 4 and Figure 5 ). Therefore, in some cases, uplink communication 640-b is sent by UE 115 before the TA is implemented. In this regard, as a result of delaying the implementation of the TA until after uplink communication 640-b is sent, uplink communication 640-b can be sent with phase coherence with uplink communication 640-a. Therefore, at 650, BS 105 can process uplink communications 640-a and 640-b jointly instead of separately.

[0103] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary UE 700 according to aspects of the present disclosure. UE 700 can be the UE 115 discussed above in Figure 1 . As shown, UE 700 can include a processor 702, a memory 704, an uplink scheduling and control module 708, a transceiver 710 including a modem subsystem 712 and a radio frequency (RF) unit 714, and one or more antennas 716. These elements can communicate directly or indirectly with each other, for example, via one or more buses.

[0104] Processor 702 can include a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 702 can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0105] The memory 704 may include a cache memory (e.g., the cache memory of the processor 702), random access memory (RAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory devices, hard disk drives, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or a combination of different types of memory. In one embodiment, the memory 704 includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory 704 may store or record thereon the instructions 706. The instructions 706 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 702, cause the processor 702 to perform the operations described herein in connection with aspects of the present disclosure (e.g., Figures 3 - 6 and Figure 9 aspects) with reference to the UE 115. The instructions 706 may also be referred to as program code. The program code can be used to cause a wireless communication device (or a (multiple) specific component(s) of the wireless communication device) to perform these operations, e.g., by causing one or more processors (such as the processor 702) to control or command the wireless communication device (or a (multiple) specific component(s) of the wireless communication device) to do so. The terms "instructions" and "code" should be construed broadly to include any type of (multiple) computer-readable statements. For example, the terms "instructions" and "code" can refer to one or more programs, routines, subroutines, functions, procedures, etc. "Instructions" and "code" can include a single computer-readable statement or multiple computer-readable statements.

[0106] The uplink scheduling and control module 708 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the uplink scheduling and control module 708 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 706 stored in the memory 704 and executed by the processor 702. In some examples, the uplink scheduling and control module 708 may be integrated in the modem subsystem 712. For example, the uplink scheduling and control module 708 may be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or a general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within the modem subsystem 712.

[0107] The uplink scheduling and control module 708 may be used in various aspects of the present disclosure, e.g., Figures 3 - 6 and Figure 9Aspects. The uplink scheduling and control module 708 is configured to communicate with other components of the UE 700 to receive TA configurations, process TA configurations, receive TAs, receive MAC CEs, determine when to enforce TAs, enforce TAs, transmit uplink communications (e.g., DMRS, SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, etc.), perform PDCCH monitoring, perform PDSCH monitoring, determine whether a timer has expired, cancel a timer, determine whether a condition has occurred or been met, and / or perform other functions related to the uplink bundling and TA configuration of the UE and the associated wireless communication techniques described in this disclosure.

[0108] As shown, the transceiver 710 may include a modem subsystem 712 and an RF unit 714. The transceiver 710 may be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices such as the BS 105. The modem subsystem 712 may be configured to modulate and / or encode data from the memory 704 and / or the uplink scheduling and control module 708 according to a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) (e.g., low density parity check (LDPC) coding scheme, turbo coding scheme, convolutional coding scheme, digital beamforming scheme, etc.). The RF unit 714 may be configured to process (e.g., perform analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.) the modulated / coded data (e.g., UL control information, UL data) from the modem subsystem 712 (on an outbound transmission) or a transmission originating from another source (such as the UE 115 or the BS 105). The RF unit 714 may also be configured to perform analog beamforming in combination with digital beamforming. Although shown as being integrated together in the transceiver 710, the modem subsystem 712 and the RF unit 714 may be separate devices coupled together at the UE 115 to enable the UE 115 to communicate with other devices.

[0109] The RF unit 714 can provide modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets, or more generally, data messages that can include one or more data packets and other information) to the antenna 716 for transmission to one or more other devices. The antenna 716 can also receive data messages sent from other devices. The antenna 716 can provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at the transceiver 710. The transceiver 710 can provide demodulated and decoded data (e.g., PDCCH signals, radio resource control (RRC) signals, media access control (MAC) control element (CE) signals, DCI, PDSCH signals, DL / UL scheduling grants, DL data, etc.) to the uplink scheduling and control module 708 for processing. The antenna 716 can include multiple antennas of similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links. The RF unit 714 can configure the antenna 716. The RF unit 714 and / or the transceiver 710 can include components and / or circuits that can be dynamically powered on and / or off to save power. Additionally or alternatively, the RF unit 714 and / or the transceiver 710 can include components and / or circuits having multiple power states, which can be configured to transition from one power state (e.g., a higher power state) to another power state (e.g., a lower power state) to save power.

[0110] In one embodiment, the UE 700 can include multiple transceivers 710 implementing different RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, the UE 700 can include a single transceiver 710 implementing multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, the transceiver 710 can include various components, and different combinations of the components can implement different RATs.

[0111] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary BS 800 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The BS 800 can be the BS 105 discussed above in Figure 1 As shown, the BS 800 can include a processor 802, a memory 804, an uplink scheduling and control module 808, a transceiver 810 including a modem subsystem 812 and an RF unit 814, and one or more antennas 816. These elements can communicate directly or indirectly with each other, for example, via one or more buses.

[0112] Processor 802 can have various features of a particular type of processor. For example, these can include a CPU, DSP, ASIC, controller, FPGA device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 802 can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, the combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0113] Memory 804 can include a cache memory (e.g., the cache memory of processor 802), RAM, MRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid state storage devices, one or more hard disk drives, a memristor-based array, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or a combination of different types of memory. In some cases, memory 804 can include a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Memory 804 can store instructions 806. Instructions 806 can include instructions that, when executed by processor 802, cause processor 802 to perform the operations described herein, e.g., Figures 3 - 6 and Figure 10 aspects of. Instructions 806 can also be referred to as code, which can be broadly interpreted to include any type of (multiple) computer-readable statements as described above.

[0114] The uplink scheduling and control module 808 can be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the uplink scheduling and control module 808 can be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 806 stored in memory 804 and executed by processor 802. In some examples, the uplink scheduling and control module 808 can be integrated within the modem subsystem 812. For example, the uplink scheduling and control module 808 can be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or a general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within the modem subsystem 812.

[0115] The uplink scheduling and control module 808 can be used for various aspects of the present disclosure, e.g., Figures 3 - 6 and Figure 10Aspects. The uplink scheduling and control module 808 may be configured to determine the TA configuration of one or more UEs, send the TA configuration to one or more UEs, perform uplink scheduling for one or more UEs, generate a TA for one or more UEs, send the TA to one or more UEs, send MAC CE, send PDCCH communications, send PDSCH communications, determine when a UE has or will perform a TA, monitor uplink communications (e.g., DMRS, SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, etc.), process uplink communications (individually or jointly), determine whether a timer has expired, cancel a timer, determine whether a condition has occurred or been met, and / or perform other functions related to the uplink bundling and TA configuration of the base station described in this disclosure and the associated wireless communication technologies.

[0116] As shown, the transceiver 810 may include a modem subsystem 812 and an RF unit 814. The transceiver 810 may be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices, such as UE 115 and / or 700 and / or another core network element. The modem subsystem 812 may be configured to modulate and / or encode data according to an MCS (e.g., LDPC coding scheme, turbo coding scheme, convolutional coding scheme, digital beamforming scheme, etc.). The RF unit 814 may be configured to process (e.g., perform analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.) the modulated / encoded data (e.g., PDCCH signal, RRC signal, MAC CE signal, DCI, PDSCH signal, etc.) or transmissions from another source (such as UE 115 or UE 700). The RF unit 814 may also be configured to perform analog beamforming in combination with digital beamforming. Although shown as being integrated together in the transceiver 810, the modem subsystem 812 and / or the RF unit 814 may be separate devices coupled together at the BS 105 to enable the BS 105 to communicate with other devices.

[0117] The RF unit 814 may provide the modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets, or more generally, data messages that may include one or more data packets and other information) to the antenna 816 for transmission to one or more other devices. According to aspects of the present disclosure, this may include, for example, transmitting information to UE 115 or UE 700. The antenna 816 may also receive data messages sent from other devices and provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at the transceiver 810. The transceiver 810 may provide the demodulated and decoded data (e.g., (multiple) RACH messages, ACK / NACK for PDCCH signals, UL data, ACK / NACK for DL data, etc.) to the uplink scheduling and control module 808 for processing. The antenna 816 may include multiple antennas of similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links.

[0118] In one embodiment, the BS 800 may include multiple transceivers 810 implementing different RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, the BS 800 may include a single transceiver 810 implementing multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, the transceiver 810 may include various components, and different combinations of the components may implement different RATs.

[0119] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a communication method 900 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Aspects of the method 900 may be performed by a wireless communication device such as the UE 115 and / or the UE 700 using one or more components (such as the processor 702, the memory 704, the uplink scheduling and control module 708, the transceiver 710, the modem 712, one or more antennas 716, and various combinations thereof). As shown, the method 900 includes many enumerated steps, but the method 900 may include additional steps before, after, and between the enumerated steps. For example, in some cases, one or more aspects of the uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 200, 300, 400, and / or 500 and / or the signaling diagram 600 may be implemented as part of the method 900. In some cases, one or more of the enumerated steps may be omitted or performed in a different order.

[0120] In step 910, the method 900 includes the UE receiving a timing advance (TA) from the BS. In some cases, the TA is received via media access control control element (MAC CE) communication (e.g., via the PDSCH) or other suitable communication from the BS. In some cases, the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the UE at a time after the start of the first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications, but before the start of the second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications (e.g., see Figures 2 - 5 ). In some cases, the time to be scheduled for the UE to implement the TA is based on when the UE receives the TA from the BS, the UE's TA processing time, and / or the UE's communication schedule. In some cases, the UE may send a capability report indicating the UE's TA processing time to the BS and / or other information that allows the BS to determine when the UE will be scheduled to implement the TA based on when the BS sends the TA to the UE.

[0121] The first uplink communication may include at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication, and / or another uplink communication. The second uplink communication may include at least one of a DMRS, an SRS, a PUCCH communication, a PUSCH communication, and / or another uplink communication. In some cases, the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication are the same type of uplink communication (e.g., DMRS and DMRS, SRS and SRS, etc.). In some cases, the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication are different types of uplink communication (e.g., DMRS and SRS, DMRS and PUSCH communication, SRS and PUCCH communication, PUCCH communication and PUSCH communication, etc.). Thus, the bundled uplink communication scheduled with phase coherence may include the same and / or different types of uplink communication.

[0122] In step 920, method 900 includes the UE determining whether to perform TA at a first time or a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication. In some cases, the UE determines whether to perform TA at the first time or the second time based on a configuration. The configuration may be a dynamic configuration received from the BS (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC CE, DCI, or others), or a predetermined / pre-programmed configuration stored in the UE's memory. In this regard, method 900 may include the UE receiving from the BS a configuration indicating when to delay the performance of TA from the first time to the second time. The configuration may provide the UE with one or more rules for determining when to perform TA at the first time and when to delay the performance of TA to the second time. In this regard, the rules may be based on whether the bundled uplink communication is scheduled with phase coherence, the number of bundled uplink communications, the time length required for the bundled uplink communications, the magnitude of the TA (e.g., if the TA has a magnitude greater than a threshold, perform TA at the first time), one or more other factors, and / or a combination thereof.

[0123] In addition, when the performance of TA is to be delayed, the configuration may provide the UE with rules for selecting the timing of the second time. In this regard, the timing of the second time may be based on one or more of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, a time gap between the second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication, and / or the third uplink communication not being scheduled with phase coherence with the first uplink communication and / or the second uplink communication.

[0124] At step 930, method 900 includes the UE implementing the TA based on the determination. In this regard, the UE may implement the TA at a first time, or delay the implementation of the TA to a later time (e.g., a second time). When the UE implements the TA, the UE adjusts its transmission timing according to the TA received from the BS. In this regard, implementing the TA helps to ensure synchronization between the UE and the BS and, as a result, ensure that the uplink communication of the UE is successfully received by the BS.

[0125] In some cases, method 900 includes determining at step 920 to implement the TA at a first time and implementing the TA at the first time at step 930. Thus, in some cases, a second uplink communication is sent after implementing the TA. In this regard, as a result of implementing the TA before sending the second uplink communication, the second uplink communication can be sent without phase coherence with the first uplink communication. Thus, the BS receiving the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication can process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication separately, rather than jointly.

[0126] In some cases, method 900 includes the UE determining at step 920 to implement the TA at a second time and implementing the TA at the second time at step 930. Thus, in some cases, a second uplink communication is sent before implementing the TA. In this regard, as a result of implementing the TA after sending the second uplink communication, the second uplink communication can be sent with phase coherence with the first uplink communication. Thus, the BS receiving the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication can process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication jointly, rather than separately.

[0127] In some cases, method 900 includes the UE determining the timing of a second time. For example, the timing of the second time can be based on one or more of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, a time gap between a second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication, and / or whether the third uplink communication is scheduled in phase coherence with the first uplink communication and / or the second uplink communication. In this regard, the UE can determine to perform TA before the third uplink communication after an uplink to downlink handover occurs, after a downlink to uplink handover occurs, when a time gap between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication meets a threshold amount, when there is a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication, and / or when the third uplink communication is not scheduled in phase coherence with the first uplink communication and / or the second uplink communication. In some cases, the UE performs TA before an uplink transmission after one or more of these events occur. That is, when one or more of these events occur, the UE can delay performing TA until a time closer to when the UE is scheduled to transmit an uplink communication.

[0128] Figure 10 is a flowchart of a communication method 1000 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Aspects of method 1000 can be performed by a wireless communication device such as BS 105 and / or BS 800 using one or more components such as processor 802, memory 804, uplink scheduling and control module 808, transceiver 810, modem 812, one or more antennas 816, and various combinations thereof. As shown, method 1000 includes a number of recited steps, but method 1000 can include additional steps before, after, and between the recited steps. For example, in some cases, one or more aspects of uplink bundling and timing advance scheduling 200, 300, 400, and / or 500 and / or signaling diagram 600 can be implemented as part of method 1000. In some cases, one or more of the recited steps can be omitted or performed in a different order.

[0129] In step 1010, method 1000 includes the BS sending a timing advance (TA) to the UE. In some cases, the TA is sent to the UE via media access control control element (MAC CE) communication (e.g., via PDSCH) or other suitable communication. In some cases, the TA is scheduled to be performed by the UE after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled in phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications (e.g., see Figures 2 - 5)。In some cases, the time to be scheduled for the UE to perform the TA is based on when the UE receives the TA from the BS, the UE's TA processing time, and / or the UE's communication schedule. In some cases, the BS may receive from the UE a capability report indicating the UE's TA processing time and / or other information that allows the BS to determine when the UE will be scheduled to perform the TA based on when the BS sends the TA to the UE.

[0130] In step 1020, method 1000 includes the BS receiving a first uplink communication from the UE. The first uplink communication may include at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication, and / or another uplink communication.

[0131] In step 1030, method 1000 includes the BS receiving a second uplink communication from the UE. The second uplink communication may include at least one of a DMRS, an SRS, a PUCCH communication, a PUSCH communication, and / or another uplink communication.

[0132] In some cases, the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication are the same type of uplink communication (e.g., DMRS and DMRS, SRS and SRS, etc.). In some cases, the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication are different types of uplink communication (e.g., DMRS and SRS, DMRS and PUSCH communication, SRS and PUCCH communication, PUCCH communication and PUSCH communication, etc.). Thus, the bundled uplink communications scheduled with phase coherence may include the same and / or different types of uplink communications.

[0133] In step 1040, method 1000 includes the BS processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the UE performs the TA. In some cases, the BS determines when the UE performs the TA based on the received first uplink communication signal and second uplink communication signal, the UE's TA processing capability, the configuration implemented by the UE, and / or other factors. In some cases, the timing of the performance of the TA is based on a configuration. The configuration may be a dynamic configuration determined by the BS and sent to the UE (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC CE, DCI, or other means), or a predetermined / pre-programmed configuration stored in the memory of the BS and / or the UE. In this regard, method 1000 may include the BS sending to the UE a configuration indicating when the performance of the TA is delayed from a first time to a second time.

[0134] This configuration can provide one or more rules for determining when to implement the TA at a first time and when to delay the implementation of the TA to a second time. In this regard, these rules can be based on whether the bundled uplink communication is scheduled with phase coherence, the number of bundled uplink communications, the length of time required for the bundled uplink communications, the magnitude of the TA (e.g., if the TA has a magnitude greater than a threshold, implement the TA at the first time), one or more other factors, and / or a combination thereof. Additionally, when the TA implementation is to be delayed, this configuration can provide rules for selecting the timing of implementing the TA. In this regard, the timing of the TA implementation can be based on one or more of an uplink-to-downlink handover, a downlink-to-uplink handover, a time gap between a second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication, and / or the third uplink communication not being scheduled with phase coherence with the first uplink communication and / or the second uplink communication.

[0135] In some cases, the BS utilizes aspects of this configuration to estimate and / or determine when the UE will implement the TA. For example, the BS can determine that the UE will implement the TA before the third uplink communication after an uplink-to-downlink handover occurs, after a downlink-to-uplink handover occurs, when the time gap between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication meets a threshold amount, when there is a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication, and / or when the third uplink communication is not scheduled with phase coherence with the first uplink communication and / or the second uplink communication. In some cases, the BS estimates and / or determines that the UE will implement the TA before an uplink transmission after one or more of these events occur. That is, the BS estimates and / or determines that when one or more of these events occur, the UE can delay implementing the TA until a time closer to when the UE is scheduled to transmit an uplink communication.

[0136] In some cases, the UE implements the TA at the first time. Thus, in some cases, the second uplink communication is sent after the UE has implemented the TA. In this regard, at step 1030, the BS can receive the second uplink communication without phase coherence with the first uplink communication. Thus, at step 1040, the BS can process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication separately rather than jointly.

[0137] In some cases, the UE implements the TA at a second time. Thus, in some cases, the second uplink communication is sent by the UE before implementing the TA. In this regard, at step 1030, as a result of the UE implementing the TA after sending the second uplink communication, the second uplink communication can be received by the BS in phase coherence with the first uplink communication. Thus, at step 1040, the BS can jointly process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication instead of processing them separately.

[0138] Other aspects of the present disclosure include the following:

[0139] 1. A method for wireless communication performed by a user equipment, the method comprising:

[0140] Receiving a timing advance (TA) from a base station, where the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled in phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications;

[0141] Determining whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and

[0142] Implementing the TA based on the determination.

[0143] 2. The method according to clause 1, wherein:

[0144] Determining whether to implement the TA at the first time or at the second time includes determining to implement the TA at the first time; and

[0145] Implementing the TA includes implementing the TA at the first time.

[0146] 3. The method according to clause 2, further comprising:

[0147] After implementing the TA, sending a second uplink communication.

[0148] 4. The method according to clause 3, wherein sending the second uplink communication includes sending the second uplink communication out of phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0149] 5. The method according to any one of clauses 1-4, wherein:

[0150] The first uplink communication includes at least one of a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a first sounding reference signal (SRS); and

[0151] The second uplink communication includes at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0152] 6. The method according to any one of clauses 1-5, wherein:

[0153] The first uplink communication includes at least one of first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0154] The second uplink communication includes at least one of second PUCCH communication or second PUSCH communication.

[0155] 7. The method according to any one of clauses 1, 5 or 6, wherein:

[0156] Determining whether to perform TA at the first time or the second time includes determining to perform TA at the second time; and

[0157] Performing TA includes performing TA at the second time.

[0158] 8. The method according to clause 7, further comprising:

[0159] Sending the second uplink communication before performing TA.

[0160] 9. The method according to clause 8, wherein sending the second uplink communication includes sending the second uplink communication in phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0161] 10. The method according to clause 7, further comprising:

[0162] Determining the timing of the second time based on at least one of an uplink-to-downlink handover, a downlink-to-uplink handover, a time gap between the second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, or a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication.

[0163] 11. The method according to clause 7, wherein determining to perform TA at the second time is based on determining that the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication are scheduled in phase coherence.

[0164] 12. The method according to clause 11, wherein determining to perform TA at the second time is based on determining that the third uplink communication is not scheduled in phase coherence with the first uplink communication or the second uplink communication.

[0165] 13. The method according to any one of clauses 1-12, further comprising:

[0166] Receiving, from a base station, a configuration indicating when to delay the performance of TA from the first time to the second time,

[0167] The determination of whether to implement TA at the first time or the second time is based on this configuration.

[0168] 14. A wireless communication method performed by a base station, the method comprising:

[0169] Sending a timing advance (TA) to a user equipment, wherein the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications;

[0170] Receiving a first uplink communication from the user equipment;

[0171] Receiving a second uplink communication from the user equipment; and

[0172] Processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment implements the TA.

[0173] 15. The method according to clause 14, wherein processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication includes:

[0174] Processing the first uplink communication separately from the second uplink communication.

[0175] 16. The method according to clause 15, wherein receiving the second uplink communication includes:

[0176] Receiving the second uplink communication after the user equipment has implemented the TA.

[0177] 17. The method according to clause 16, wherein receiving the second uplink communication includes:

[0178] Receiving the second uplink communication without phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0179] 18. The method according to any one of clauses 14-17, wherein:

[0180] Receiving the first uplink communication includes receiving at least one of a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a first sounding reference signal (SRS); and

[0181] Receiving the second uplink communication includes receiving at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0182] 19. The method according to any one of clauses 14-18, wherein:

[0183] Receiving a first uplink communication includes receiving at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0184] Receiving a second uplink communication includes receiving at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

[0185] 20. The method according to any one of clauses 14, 18, or 19, wherein processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication includes:

[0186] Processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication together.

[0187] 21. The method according to clause 20, wherein the second uplink communication is sent by the user equipment before the user equipment implements TA.

[0188] 22. The method according to clause 21, wherein receiving the second uplink communication includes:

[0189] Receiving the second uplink communication in phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0190] 23. The method according to any one of clauses 14 - 22, further comprising:

[0191] Sending a configuration to the user equipment indicating when to delay the implementation of TA from a first time to a second time.

[0192] 24. A user equipment, comprising:

[0193] A transceiver configured to:

[0194] Receive a timing advance (TA) from a base station, wherein the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled in phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications; and

[0195] A processor in communication with the transceiver, the processor being configured to:

[0196] Determine whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and

[0197] Implement the TA based on the determination.

[0198] 25. The user equipment according to clause 24, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0199] Determine to implement the TA at the first time; and

[0200] Implement TA at the first time.

[0201] 26. The user equipment according to clause 25, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0202] Send a second uplink communication after implementing TA.

[0203] 27. The user equipment according to clause 26, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0204] Send the second uplink communication without phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0205] 28. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 24-27, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0206] Send a first uplink communication including at least one of a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a first sounding reference signal (SRS); and

[0207] Send a second uplink communication including at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0208] 29. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 24-28, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0209] Send a first uplink communication including at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0210] Send a second uplink communication including at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

[0211] 30. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 24, 28 or 29, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0212] Determine to implement TA at a second time; and

[0213] Implement TA at the second time.

[0214] 31. The user equipment according to clause 30, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0215] Send a second uplink communication before implementing TA.

[0216] 32. The user equipment according to clause 31, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0217] Send the second uplink communication with phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0218] 33. The user equipment according to clause 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0219] Determine the timing of the second time based on at least one of an uplink to downlink handover, a downlink to uplink handover, a time gap between a second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, or a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication.

[0220] 34. The user equipment according to clause 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0221] Determine to perform TA at the second time based on determining that the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication are scheduled in phase coherence.

[0222] 35. The user equipment according to clause 34, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0223] Determine to perform TA at the second time based on determining that the third uplink communication is not scheduled in phase coherence with the first uplink communication or the second uplink communication.

[0224] 36. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 24 - 35, wherein:

[0225] The transceiver is further configured to receive from the base station a configuration indicating when to delay the performance of TA from the first time to the second time; and

[0226] The processor is further configured to determine whether to perform TA at the first time or at the second time based on the configuration.

[0227] 37. A base station, comprising:

[0228] A transceiver configured to:

[0229] Send a timing advance (TA) to a user equipment, where the TA is scheduled to be performed by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled in phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications;

[0230] Receive a first uplink communication from the user equipment; and

[0231] Receive a second uplink communication from the user equipment; and

[0232] A processor in communication with the transceiver, the processor being configured to:

[0233] Process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment implements TA.

[0234] 38. The base station according to clause 37, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0235] Process the first uplink communication separately from the second uplink communication.

[0236] 39. The base station according to clause 38, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0237] Receive the second uplink communication after the user equipment has implemented TA.

[0238] 40. The base station according to clause 39, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0239] Receive the second uplink communication without phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0240] 41. The base station according to any one of clauses 37 - 40, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0241] Receive the first uplink communication including at least one of a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a first sounding reference signal (SRS); and

[0242] Receive the second uplink communication including at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0243] 42. The base station according to any one of clauses 37 - 41, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0244] Receive the first uplink communication including at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0245] Receive the second uplink communication including at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

[0246] 43. The base station according to any one of clauses 37, 41 or 42, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0247] Process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication together.

[0248] 44. The base station according to clause 43, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0249] Receive the second uplink communication, wherein the second uplink communication is sent by the user equipment before the user equipment implements TA.

[0250] 45. The base station according to clause 44, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0251] Receive a second uplink communication with phase coherence to a first uplink communication.

[0252] 46. The base station according to any one of clauses 37 - 45, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

[0253] Send a configuration to the user equipment indicating when to delay the implementation of the TA from a first time to a second time.

[0254] 47. A user equipment, comprising:

[0255] Components for receiving a timing advance (TA) from a base station, wherein the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication in a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled with phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication in the group of bundled uplink communications;

[0256] Components for determining whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and

[0257] Components for implementing the TA based on the determination.

[0258] 48. The user equipment according to clause 47, wherein:

[0259] The components for determining whether to implement the TA at the first time or at the second time include components for determining to implement the TA at the first time; and

[0260] The components for implementing the TA include components for implementing the TA at the first time.

[0261] 49. The user equipment according to clause 48, further comprising:

[0262] Components for sending a second uplink communication after implementing the TA.

[0263] 50. The user equipment according to clause 49, wherein the components for sending the second uplink communication include components for sending the second uplink communication without phase coherence to the first uplink communication.

[0264] 51. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 47 - 50, further comprising:

[0265] A component for transmitting a first uplink communication, wherein the component for transmitting the first uplink communication includes a component for transmitting at least one of a first Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) or a first Sounding Reference Signal (SRS); and

[0266] A component for transmitting a second uplink communication, wherein the component for transmitting the second uplink communication includes a component for transmitting at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0267] 52. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 47 - 51, wherein:

[0268] A component for transmitting a first uplink communication, wherein the component for transmitting the first uplink communication includes a component for transmitting at least one of a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) communication or a first Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0269] A component for transmitting a second uplink communication, wherein the component for transmitting the second uplink communication includes a component for transmitting at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

[0270] 53. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 47, 51 or 52, wherein:

[0271] A component for determining whether to perform TA at a first time or a second time includes a component for determining to perform TA at the second time; and

[0272] A component for performing TA includes a component for performing TA at the second time.

[0273] 54. The user equipment according to clause 53, further comprising:

[0274] A component for transmitting a second uplink communication before performing TA.

[0275] 55. The user equipment according to clause 54, wherein the component for transmitting the second uplink communication includes a component for transmitting the second uplink communication in phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0276] 56. The user equipment according to clause 53, further comprising:

[0277] A component for determining the timing of the second time based on at least one of an uplink - to - downlink handover, a downlink - to - uplink handover, a time gap between a second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, or a power change between a second uplink communication and a third uplink communication.

[0278] 57. The user equipment according to clause 53, wherein the component for determining to perform TA at a second time includes a component for determining that the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication are scheduled in a phase-coherent manner.

[0279] 58. The user equipment according to clause 57, wherein the component for determining to perform TA at a second time includes a component for determining that the third uplink communication is not scheduled in a phase-coherent manner with the first uplink communication or the second uplink communication.

[0280] 59. The user equipment according to any one of clauses 47 - 58, further comprising:

[0281] a component for receiving from a base station a configuration indicating when to delay the performance of TA from a first time to a second time,

[0282] wherein the component for determining whether to perform TA at the first time or the second time is configured to determine whether to perform TA at the first time or the second time based on this configuration.

[0283] 60. A base station, comprising:

[0284] a component for sending a timing advance (TA) to a user equipment, wherein the TA is scheduled to be performed by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of the first uplink communication in a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled in a phase-coherent manner and before the start of the second uplink communication in the group of bundled uplink communications;

[0285] a component for receiving the first uplink communication from the user equipment;

[0286] a component for receiving the second uplink communication from the user equipment; and

[0287] a component for processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment performs TA.

[0288] 61. The base station according to clause 60, wherein the component for processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication includes:

[0289] a component for processing the first uplink communication separately from the second uplink communication.

[0290] 62. The base station according to clause 61, wherein the component for receiving the second uplink communication includes:

[0291] a component for receiving the second uplink communication after the user equipment has performed TA.

[0292] 63. The base station according to clause 62, wherein the component for receiving the second uplink communication includes:

[0293] A component for receiving the second uplink communication with phase incoherence to the first uplink communication.

[0294] 64. The base station according to any one of clauses 60 - 63, wherein:

[0295] The component for receiving the first uplink communication includes a component for receiving at least one of a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a first sounding reference signal (SRS); and

[0296] The component for receiving the second uplink communication includes a component for receiving at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0297] 65. The base station according to any one of clauses 60 - 64, wherein:

[0298] The component for receiving the first uplink communication includes a component for receiving at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0299] The component for receiving the second uplink communication includes a component for receiving at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

[0300] 66. The base station according to any one of clauses 60, 64 or 65, wherein the component for processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication includes:

[0301] A component for processing the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication together.

[0302] 67. The base station according to clause 66, wherein the component for receiving the second uplink communication includes a component for receiving the second uplink communication, wherein the second uplink communication is sent by the user equipment before the user equipment implements TA.

[0303] 68. The base station according to clause 67, wherein the component for receiving the second uplink communication includes:

[0304] A component for receiving the second uplink communication with phase coherence to the first uplink communication.

[0305] 69. The base station according to any one of clauses 60 - 68, further comprising:

[0306] A component for sending a configuration to a user equipment indicating when to delay the implementation of TA from a first time to a second time.

[0307] 70. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon program code for wireless communication by a user equipment, the program code including:

[0308] Code for causing the user equipment to receive a timing advance (TA) from a base station, where the TA is scheduled to be implemented by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of phase-coherently scheduled bundled uplink communications and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications;

[0309] Code for causing the user equipment to determine whether to implement the TA at the first time or at a second time, the second time being after the transmission of the second uplink communication; and

[0310] Code for causing the user equipment to implement the TA based on the determination.

[0311] 71. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 70, wherein:

[0312] The code for causing the user equipment to determine whether to implement the TA at the first time or at the second time includes code for causing the user equipment to determine to implement the TA at the first time; and

[0313] The code for causing the user equipment to implement the TA includes code for causing the user equipment to implement the TA at the first time.

[0314] 72. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 71, further including:

[0315] Code for causing the user equipment to send a second uplink communication after implementing the TA.

[0316] 73. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 72, wherein the code for causing the user equipment to send the second uplink communication includes code for causing the user equipment to send the second uplink communication out of phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0317] 74. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 70-73, wherein:

[0318] The code for causing the user equipment to send the first uplink communication includes code for causing the user equipment to send at least one of a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a first sounding reference signal (SRS); and

[0319] The code for causing the user equipment to transmit a second uplink communication includes code for causing the user equipment to transmit at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0320] 75. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 70-74, wherein:

[0321] The code for causing the user equipment to transmit a first uplink communication includes code for causing the user equipment to transmit at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0322] The code for causing the user equipment to transmit a second uplink communication includes code for causing the user equipment to transmit at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

[0323] 76. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 70, 74 or 75, wherein:

[0324] The code for causing the user equipment to determine whether to perform TA at a first time or a second time includes code for causing the user equipment to determine to perform TA at the second time; and

[0325] The code for causing the user equipment to perform TA includes code for causing the user equipment to perform TA at the second time.

[0326] 77. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 76, further comprising:

[0327] Code for causing the user equipment to transmit a second uplink communication before performing TA.

[0328] 78. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 77, wherein the code for causing the user equipment to transmit a second uplink communication includes code for causing the user equipment to transmit the second uplink communication in phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0329] 79. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 76, further comprising:

[0330] Code for causing the user equipment to determine the timing of the second time based on at least one of an uplink-to-downlink handover, a downlink-to-uplink handover, a time gap between the second uplink communication and a third uplink communication, or a power change between the second uplink communication and the third uplink communication.

[0331] 80. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 76, wherein the code for causing the user equipment to determine to perform TA at a second time includes code for causing the user equipment to determine that a first uplink communication and a second uplink communication are scheduled in phase coherence.

[0332] 81. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 80, wherein the code for causing the user equipment to determine to perform TA at a second time includes code for causing the user equipment to determine that a third uplink communication is not scheduled in phase coherence with the first uplink communication or the second uplink communication.

[0333] 82. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 70 - 82, further comprising:

[0334] Code for causing the user equipment to receive from the base station a configuration indicating when to delay the performance of TA from a first time to a second time,

[0335] wherein the code for causing the user equipment to determine whether to perform TA at the first time or the second time includes code for causing the user equipment to determine whether to perform TA at the first time or the second time based on the configuration.

[0336] 83. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon program code for wireless communication by a base station, the program code comprising:

[0337] Code for causing the base station to send a timing advance (TA) to the user equipment, where the TA is scheduled to be performed by the user equipment at a first time, the first time being after the start of a first uplink communication in a group of bundled uplink communications scheduled in phase coherence and before the start of a second uplink communication in the group of bundled uplink communications;

[0338] Code for causing the base station to receive a first uplink communication from the user equipment;

[0339] Code for causing the base station to receive a second uplink communication from the user equipment; and

[0340] Code for causing the base station to process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication based on when the user equipment performs TA.

[0341] 84. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 83, wherein the code for causing the base station to process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication includes:

[0342] Code for causing the base station to process the first uplink communication separately from the second uplink communication.

[0343] 85. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 84, wherein the code for causing the base station to receive a second uplink communication includes:

[0344] Code for causing the base station to receive a second uplink communication after the user equipment has implemented TA.

[0345] 86. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 85, wherein the code for causing the base station to receive a second uplink communication includes:

[0346] Code for causing the base station to receive the second uplink communication without phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0347] 87. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 83-86, wherein:

[0348] The code for causing the base station to receive the first uplink communication includes code for causing the base station to receive at least one of a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a first sounding reference signal (SRS); and

[0349] The code for causing the base station to receive the second uplink communication includes code for causing the base station to receive at least one of a second DMRS or a second SRS.

[0350] 88. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 83-87, wherein:

[0351] The code for causing the base station to receive the first uplink communication includes code for causing the base station to receive at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and

[0352] The code for causing the base station to receive the second uplink communication includes code for causing the base station to receive at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

[0353] 89. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 83, 88, or 89, wherein the code for causing the base station to process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication includes:

[0354] Code for causing the base station to process the first uplink communication and the second uplink communication together.

[0355] 90. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 89, wherein the code for causing the base station to receive the second uplink communication includes code for causing the base station to receive the second uplink communication, wherein the second uplink communication is sent by the user equipment before the user equipment implements TA.

[0356] 91. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 90, wherein the code for causing the base station to receive a second uplink communication includes:

[0357] Code for causing the base station to receive the second uplink communication in phase coherence with the first uplink communication.

[0358] 92. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 83-91, further comprising:

[0359] Code for causing the base station to send to the user equipment a configuration indicating when to delay the implementation of TA from a first time to a second time.

[0360] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection with the present disclosure may be implemented or executed with a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0361] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, these functions may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the above functions may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination of these executed by a processor. The features implementing the functions may also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of the functions are implemented at different physical locations. Further, as used herein, including in the claims, the "or" used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items beginning with a phrase such as "at least one" or "one or more") means an inclusive list such that, for example, the list of [at least one of A, B, or C] means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C).

[0362] As those skilled in the art will now recognize, and depending on the particular application at hand, many modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to the materials, apparatus, configurations, and methods of use of the disclosed devices without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In view of this, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the scope of the specific embodiments shown and described herein, as they are merely some examples thereof, but should be fully commensurate with the scope of the appended claims and their functional equivalents.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment, the method comprising: Receive timing advance (TA) communication; Perform uplink timing adjustment after the start of a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications to be transmitted with phase continuity and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications, based on the TA communication and TA value; And After the uplink timing adjustment, transmit the second uplink communication without phase continuity with the first uplink communication.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The receiving the TA communication includes receiving a media access control control element (MAC CE).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first uplink communication includes a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS); and The second uplink communication includes a second DMRS.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first uplink communication includes a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication; and The second uplink communication includes a second PUCCH communication.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The group of bundled uplink communications includes at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a sounding reference signal (SRS).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The group of bundled uplink communications includes at least one of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first uplink communication includes a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and The second uplink communication includes a second PUSCH communication.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first uplink communication includes at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication; and The second uplink communication includes at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive a configuration indicating when to delay the execution of the uplink timing adjustment, wherein the execution of the uplink timing adjustment is based on the configuration.

10. A method of wireless communication performed by a base station, the method comprising: Send timing advance (TA) communication to a user equipment; Receive a first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications to be communicated with phase continuity from the user equipment; And After the user equipment has performed uplink timing adjustment after the start of the first uplink communication and before the start of a second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications, receive the second uplink communication from the user equipment without phase continuity with the first uplink communication.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The group of bundled uplink communications includes at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a sounding reference signal (SRS).

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The group of bundled uplink communications includes at least one of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Process the first uplink communication together with a third uplink communication received after the first uplink communication and before the second uplink communication.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: Receive the first uplink communication and the third uplink communication before the user equipment performs the uplink timing adjustment, wherein the first uplink communication and the third uplink communication have phase continuity.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Send a configuration indicating when to delay the execution of the uplink timing adjustment to the user equipment.

16. A user equipment, comprising: At least one memory; At least one transceiver; And At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and the at least one transceiver, wherein the user equipment is configured to: Receive timing advance (TA) communication; Based on the TA communication and the TA value, perform uplink timing adjustment after the start of a first uplink communication in a group of bundled uplink communications to be transmitted with phase continuity and before the start of a second uplink communication in the group of bundled uplink communications; And After the uplink timing adjustment, transmit the second uplink communication without phase continuity with the first uplink communication.

17. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The group of bundled uplink communications includes at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a sounding reference signal (SRS).

18. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The group of bundled uplink communications includes at least one of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication.

19. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The first uplink communication includes a first DMRS; and The second uplink communication includes a second DMRS.

20. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The first uplink communication includes a first PUCCH communication; and The second uplink communication includes a second PUCCH communication.

21. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The first uplink communication includes a first PUSCH communication; and The second uplink communication includes a second PUSCH communication.

22. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein: The first uplink communication includes at least one of a first PUCCH communication or a first PUSCH communication; and The second uplink communication includes at least one of a second PUCCH communication or a second PUSCH communication.

23. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein, The user equipment is configured to: Receive a configuration indicating when to delay performing the uplink timing adjustment, wherein, for performing the uplink timing adjustment, the user equipment is configured to perform the uplink timing adjustment based on the configuration.

24. A user equipment, comprising: Components for receiving timing advance (TA) communication; Components for performing uplink timing adjustment based on the TA communication and the TA value after the start of a first uplink communication in a group of bundled uplink communications to be transmitted with phase continuity and before the start of a second uplink communication in the group of bundled uplink communications; And Components for transmitting the second uplink communication without phase continuity with the first uplink communication after the uplink timing adjustment.

25. A base station, comprising: At least one memory; At least one transceiver; And At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and the at least one transceiver, wherein the base station is configured to: Send timing advance (TA) communication to a user equipment; Receive a first uplink communication in a group of bundled uplink communications to be communicated with phase continuity from the user equipment; And After the user equipment has performed uplink timing adjustment after the start of the first uplink communication and before the start of the second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications, the second uplink communication is received from the user equipment without phase continuity with the first uplink communication.

26. A base station, comprising: A component for sending a Timing Advance (TA) communication to the user equipment; A component for receiving, from the user equipment, the first uplink communication of a group of bundled uplink communications to be communicated with phase continuity; And A component for receiving, from the user equipment, the second uplink communication without phase continuity with the first uplink communication after the user equipment has performed uplink timing adjustment after the start of the first uplink communication and before the start of the second uplink communication of the group of bundled uplink communications.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that can be executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 10 to 15.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that can be executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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