Common resource network nodes and methods for observability

Abstract

According to one or more embodiments, a network node is provided. The network node includes a processing circuit configured to: determine a first resource block per symbol (RBSYM) amount for a first portion of a frequency-time resource grid; determine a second RBSYM amount for a second portion of the frequency-time resource grid, the second portion being associated with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) parameter set different from the first portion; and optionally perform at least one action based at least in part on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and in particular, to quantifying resource utilization and / or spectrum usage based on a resource block per symbol (RBSYM) unit. Background Art

[0002] The introduction of the fifth generation (5G, also known as Next Radio or NR) by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) provides for a redesigned physical layer to facilitate different target use cases. Examples of such use cases include Mobile Broadband (MBB), Ultra-Reliable Low Latency (URLLC), and Machine Type Communications (MTC) with different requirements for peak throughput, latency, etc.

[0003] One feature implemented in all these use cases is the introduction of multiple OFDM numerology sets, as shown below in Table 4.2-1 from 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.6.0:

[0004]

[0005] Δf is the subcarrier spacing in the frequency domain, which can depend on the selected parameter set. The distance between two adjacent OFDM carriers varies and can be 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 KHz.

[0006] Correspondingly, in the time domain, the OFDM parameter set (μ), the number of OFDM symbols per time slot and the number of slots per subframe The relationship between is as defined in Table 4.3.2-1 of 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.6.0 (for normal cyclic prefix):

[0007]

[0008] A subframe has a fixed duration of 1 ms, so the OFDM symbol duration is 1 / 14, 1 / 28, 1 / 56, 1 / 112 and 1 / 224 ms respectively, depending on the selected parameter set.

[0009] The OFDM parameter set in the frequency domain and the OFDM symbol in the time domain form a resource grid for each parameter set, which provides a basic resource unit called a resource element (RE) to which all NR physical signals and channels are mapped. RE is defined as a single subcarrier spanning a single symbol, where the actual frequency and time are adjusted according to the above OFDM parameter set.

[0010] 3GPP also introduced the concept of resource blocks (RBs), which are defined as 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain, as described in wireless communication standards such as Section 4.4.4.1 of 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.6.0. RBs are the smallest granularity of resources in the frequency domain that can be allocated to different physical channels and different wireless devices during the dynamic resource allocation process.

[0011] As an example, Figure 1 FIG. 4 shows two RBs with parameter sets of 0 and 1 in the duration of 1 subframe (1 ms).

[0012] Multiple resource grids defined by different sets of parameters in the same cell or carrier (defined by a given carrier frequency and bandwidth) may be utilized simultaneously by a scheduler at a network node to allocate resources to wireless devices and for other purposes.

[0013] like Figure 1 As shown, the resource grid used by a network node to allocate channel resources may vary significantly between different parameter sets, perhaps even within the same carrier frequency.

[0014] Another enabling factor for NR to support a variety of different use cases compared to earlier standardized wireless communication technologies such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the flexibility of physical layer signaling and channel allocation. This flexibility is supported by three features of NR, including:

[0015] - First, almost all physical signal and channel configurations are wireless device specific, which means that the same frequency-time resources from a given grid can be assigned to different signals and channels for different wireless devices. For example, a set of frequency-time resources configured for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of wireless device 1 can be reused by wireless device 2 for its Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0016] - Second, when mapped to a frequency-resource grid, the physical control and shared channel configuration is very flexible in terms of starting symbol, duration, and number of resource blocks (RBs) in frequency. For example, for a given parameter set, a wireless device may be configured with PDSCH mapping type A from symbols 1 to 13, while another wireless device may be configured with PDSCH mapping type B from symbols 5 to 8.

[0017] - Third, Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) are defined as a new feature in NR. Within the system bandwidth, multiple BWPs can be configured with different sets of parameters for different purposes. The PRBs in different BWPs then occupy different amounts of spectrum and last for different durations. There are various use cases that can have the flexibility provided by BWPs. One such use case involves the following feature: different sets of parameters in different BWPs result in different slot lengths that can be used for applications that may require different air delays.

[0018] Many NR features explore the flexibility of allocating frequency-time resources to different wireless devices in different ways, dynamically and / or semi-statically.

[0019] Figure 2 is a diagram of an example of how a given frequency-time resource may be utilized differently in a dynamic manner driven by the traffic patterns of the wireless devices. A region from the PDSCH configured for wireless device A may be dynamically allocated to wireless device B for its control traffic (PDCCH) and data traffic (PDSCH). Figure 2 These are conceptual examples and may not be valid for all 3GPP physical channel and procedure definitions.

[0020] One of the key performance indicators (KPIs) that wireless operators are interested in is the utilization of physical resources for each deployed wireless cell / sector, which is directly related to the return on investment spent by wireless operators in acquiring expensive licensed spectrum and all costs associated with the deployment of wireless networks.

[0021] In previous generations of wireless communications, tracking and reporting the utilization of physical resources was relatively straightforward. Using LTE as an example, almost all signals and channels are cell-specific, i.e., all wireless devices share the same view of resource allocation within the cell for the entire time, and only a single OFDM parameter set applies, where the parameter set corresponds to a single frequency-time resource grid that is the same as the frequency-time resource grid with parameter set = 0 in NR. Some aspects for deriving resource utilization can be defined as follows:

[0022] - Frequency-time resource units for accounting: LTE has statically defined physical resource blocks (PRBs), corresponding to 180 KHz in the frequency domain and 1 ms in the time domain, where the dynamic resource allocation of the physical channels to different wireless devices can always be tracked.

[0023] -Static or very limited flexibility describes how a given channel is mapped to the frequency-time resource grid. For example, in LTE, the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) always starts at symbol 0 and occupies all frequency domain resources in that symbol, and is limited to the first three or four symbols. Also, the LTE PDSCH always starts at the first symbol after the PDCCH and spans all remaining symbols in the subframe and occupies all frequency domain resources, such as Figure 3 As shown ( Figure 3 is a diagram of LTE PDCCH and PDSCH allocations). Moreover, all wireless devices in the same cell share the same view of resource allocations to channels. This makes it fairly clear to define which resources are available for each channel in the cell.

[0024] Since resource utilization is defined as the amount of frequency-time resources (RBs) used for a given channel as a result of scheduling decisions on the total amount of cell frequency-time resources (RBs) available for the channel, the resource utilization KPI for the channel of interest can be obtained in a relatively intuitive manner.

[0025] However, given the above-mentioned flexibility of NR, reusing the same approach for determining resource utilization as described in previous generations of wireless communications such as LTE becomes a challenge because reusing the same approach cannot be easily mapped to NR and cannot provide an accurate accounting of resource utilization. Summary of the invention

[0026] Some embodiments advantageously provide methods, systems, and apparatus for quantifying resource utilization and / or spectrum usage based on RBSYM. In one or more embodiments, RBSYM is a unit configured to represent resource allocation for one or more layer 1 (e.g., NR layer 1) channels and signals (e.g., channels and signals of a resource grid based on OFDM signals), regardless of parameter set and configuration complexity or for multiple parameter sets and / or multiple configuration complexities.

[0027] The teachings of the present disclosure may provide one or more of the following benefits:

[0028] - The RBSYM unit of frequency-time resources is common across all resource grids of different parameter sets, which makes it possible to perform a direct addition of resources allocated to different resource grids and thus obtain an overall view of the cell perspective. Furthermore, for any preferred custom display, the RBSYM can be converted to RB slots, i.e., PRB equivalent elements in LTE, for any desired parameter set. This RBSYM unit is parameter set and channel independent, making it an ideal basis for tracking the utilization of air resources;

[0029] - The method for accounting for resource utilization enables network operators to embrace the full flexibility of NR, i.e., all frequency-time resources are available for all physical channels, where the network operator can influence the utilization of the channel by introducing one or more modifications to the semi-static channel configuration using a specified congestion counter as a reference to optimize the overall performance;

[0030] - The method used to measure the spectral efficiency of a physical channel is independent of the numerology set and the channel, making it the basis for flexible and dynamic control of network characteristics;

[0031] -While observability down to RE level is possible, RBSYM provides a better level of abstraction with better counter scaling across all parameter sets and carrier bandwidths, especially given that the dynamic resource allocation allowed by NR (e.g., resource allocation for PDSCH and PUSCH) is typically at RB level in the frequency domain.

[0032] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a network node is provided. The network node includes a processing circuit configured to: determine a first resource block per symbol (RBSYM) amount for a first portion of a frequency-time resource grid; determine a second RBSYM amount for a second portion of the frequency-time resource grid, the second portion being associated with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) parameter set different from the first portion; and optionally perform at least one action based at least in part on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount.

[0033] According to one or more embodiments, at least one mathematical operation is performed directly using the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one mathematical operation includes at least one of addition and subtraction. According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to convert the first RBSYM amount into a first resource block (RB) time slot amount and convert the second RBSYM amount into a second RB time slot amount.

[0034] According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to convert the first RBSYM amount into a first control channel element (CCE) amount and convert the second RBSYM amount into a second CCE amount. According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to a first CORESET and the second RBSYM amount corresponds to a second CORESET different from the first CORESET. According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein the second RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0035] According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) type B schedule, wherein the second RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) type B schedule. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one action includes modifying a channel configuration to reduce congestion. According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to determine resource utilization based on at least the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount.

[0036] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented in a network node is provided. A first resource block per symbol (RBSYM) amount is determined for a first portion of a frequency-time resource grid. A second RBSYM amount is determined for a second portion of the frequency-time resource grid, wherein the second portion is associated with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) parameter set that is different from the first portion. At least one action is optionally performed based at least in part on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount.

[0037] According to one or more embodiments, at least one mathematical operation is performed directly using the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one mathematical operation includes at least one of addition and subtraction. According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount is converted to a first resource block (RB) time slot amount and the second RBSYM amount is converted to a second RB time slot amount.

[0038] According to one or more embodiments, a first RBSYM amount is converted into a first control channel element (CCE) amount and a second RBSYM amount is converted into a second CCE amount. According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to a first CORESET and the second RBSYM amount corresponds to a second CORESET different from the first CORESET. According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein the second RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0039] According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) type B scheduling, wherein the second RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) type B scheduling. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one action includes modifying a channel configuration to reduce congestion. According to one or more embodiments, resource utilization is determined based on at least the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and the attendant advantages and features thereof will be more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0041] Figure 1 is a graph of RBs in different resource grids;

[0042] Figure 2 is a graph of dynamic frequency-time resource allocation;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a diagram of LTE PDCCH and PDSCH allocation;

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary network architecture of a communication system connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to the principles of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating with a wireless device via a network node over an at least partially wireless connection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for executing a client application at a wireless device implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for receiving user data at a wireless device implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for receiving user data from a wireless device at a host computer implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0049] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for receiving user data at a host computer implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0050] Fig.10 is a flow chart of an exemplary process in a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0051] Fig.11 is a diagram of an example with flexible PDCCH and PDSCH;

[0052] Fig.12is a diagram of an example with micro-slots;

[0053] Fig.13 is a diagram of an example with flexible CORESET and PDCCH;

[0054] Fig.14 is a diagram of an example with a long PUCCH; and

[0055] Fig.15 is a diagram of an example with low latency in NR (Type B scheduling). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] As mentioned above, reusing existing methods to determine resource utilization in NR is problematic, for example as shown in the following aspects:

[0057] - At any given time, wireless devices in NR can be dynamically assigned channels mapped to resource grids of different parameter sets, such as Figure 2 There is no well-defined unit that facilitates summing the frequency-time resources from different resource grids to provide a unified view of resource allocation from a cell perspective.

[0058] - From the cell's perspective, the definition of available resources for a given channel becomes blurred, e.g. Figure 2 As shown. For example, when wireless device B is not scheduled, wireless device B is configured with a PDCCH region that is actually dynamically reused by wireless device A for its PDSCH, so it becomes unclear how to define the total available PDCCH resources for the cell. For example, it may or may not make sense to count resources: PDCCHs configured for wireless device A or PDCCHs configured for wireless device B (since resources may be available but just not utilized) during a particular accounting period. More importantly, neither approach provides an accurate picture of resource utilization:

[0059] o If the configured PDCCH resources of unscheduled wireless devices are not counted towards the total available resources, the PDCCH resource utilization ratio will tend to be high, leading to false alarms to the network operator that the PDCCH channel is being congested.

[0060] o If the configured PDCCH resources of unscheduled wireless devices are counted in the total available resources, then it is unclear how the corresponding total available resources for PDSCH in the same counting period should be. It is unclear whether resources should be counted for overlapping frequency-time resources, since these resources are available for PDSCH, otherwise these resources would not be allocated to it, but if they are counted, then the total available resources for all channels will exceed the resources that are physically available from the cell point of view.

[0061] - The standard PRB and CCE units typically used for observability in LTE are not sufficient to provide an accurate and understandable view of how a given spectrum resource is utilized by an NR system.

[0062] The present disclosure addresses at least some of the existing observability problems, at least in part, by providing one or more of the following:

[0063] - A new unit is provided: RB-symbol or RBSYM, as a common effective unit for tracking frequency-time resources allocated from resource grids of different parameter sets. In other words, in one or more embodiments, the RBSYM is a unit capable of representing resource allocations for one or more layer 1 (e.g., NR layer 1) channels and signals (e.g., channels and signals of a resource grid based on an OFDM signal), regardless of the parameter set and configuration complexity. For example, a first resource allocation according to a first parameter set can be represented by a first RBSYM unit amount, while a second parameter set can be represented by a second RBSYM unit amount, where both use the same RBSYM as a common effective unit for quantizing and / or tracking the allocated frequency-time resources.

[0064] - Provide a new method for accounting for per-channel resource utilization so that the utilization is defined as the total used resources of the channel over the total available resources of the cell, rather than defined in terms of what is allocated to the channel. Designated counters for tracking resource congestion of different channels may be introduced to complement the changes in resource utilization definition.

[0065] - Provides a new constant: RBSYM spectral factor κ_RBSym, and its associated method for measuring the spectral efficiency of NR physical channels. This instantaneous measurement of the spectral efficiency of different physical channels is a valuable input to flexible and dynamic control features.

[0066] Before describing the exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be noted that these embodiments reside primarily in a combination of device components and processing steps associated with quantizing resource utilization and / or spectrum utilization based on RBSYM. Therefore, components have been represented by conventional symbols where appropriate in the accompanying drawings, which only show those specific details relevant to understanding the embodiments so as not to obscure the present disclosure due to details that will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. The same reference numerals represent the same elements throughout the specification.

[0067] As used herein, relational terms such as "first" and "second", "top" and "bottom", etc., can be used only to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element, without requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between these entities or elements. The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the concepts described herein. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "an", and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprise", "comprises", "includes", and / or "comprising" specify the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components when used herein, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0068] In the embodiments described herein, the connection terms "in communication with" and the like may be used to indicate electrical or data communication, which may be achieved, for example, by physical contact, induction, electromagnetic radiation, radio signaling, infrared signaling, or optical signaling. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the multiple components may interoperate, and modifications and variations to achieve electrical and data communication may be made.

[0069] In some embodiments described herein, the terms "coupled," "connected," and the like may be used herein to indicate a connection (although not necessarily a direct one) and may include wired and / or wireless connections.

[0070] The term "network node" used herein may be any kind of network node included in a radio network, and may also include any of the following: a base station (BS), a radio base station, a base transceiver station (BTS), a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), a gNode B (gNB), an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), a Node B, a multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node (such as an MSR BS), a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a relay node, a host node controlling a relay, a radio access point (AP), a transmission point, a transmission node, a remote radio unit (RRU) remote radio head (RRH), a core network node (e.g., a mobile management entity (MME), a self-organizing network (SON) node, a coordination node, a positioning node, an MDT node, etc.), an external node (e.g., a third-party node, a node outside the current network), a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS), a spectrum access system (SAS) node, an element management system (EMS), etc. The network node may also include a test device. As used herein, the term "radio node" may also be used to denote a wireless device (WD), such as a wireless device (WD) or a radio network node.

[0071] In some embodiments, the non-limiting terms "wireless device (WD)" or "user equipment (UE)" are used interchangeably. The WD herein may be any type of wireless device capable of communicating with a network node or another WD via a radio signal, such as a wireless device (WD). The WD may also be a radio communication device, a target device, a device-to-device (D2D) WD, a machine type WD, or a WD capable of machine-to-machine communication (M2M), a low-cost and / or low-complexity WD, a sensor equipped with a WD, a tablet computer, a mobile terminal, a smart phone, a device embedded in a laptop computer (LEE), a device installed in a laptop computer (LME), a USB dongle, a customer premises equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or a narrowband IoT (NB-IOT) device, etc.

[0072] In addition, in some embodiments, the general term "radio network node" is used. It can be any kind of radio network node, which can include any one of a base station, a radio base station, a base transceiver station, a base station controller, a network controller, an RNC, an evolved Node B (eNB), a Node B, a gNB, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an IAB node, a relay node, an access point, a radio access point, a remote radio unit (RRU), and a remote radio head (RRH).

[0073] An indication may generally indicate the information it represents and / or indicates explicitly and / or implicitly. An implicit indication may, for example, be based on a location and / or resource used for transmission. An explicit indication may, for example, be based on parameterization with one or more parameters and / or one or more indexes and / or one or more bit patterns representing information.

[0074] The transmission in the downlink may involve the transmission from the network or network node to the terminal. The transmission in the uplink may involve the transmission from the terminal to the network or network node. The transmission in the sidelink may involve the (direct) transmission from one terminal to another terminal. The uplink, downlink and sidelink (e.g., sidelink transmission and reception) may be considered as communication directions. In some variants, uplink and downlink may also be used to describe wireless communications between network nodes, such as for example wireless backhaul and / or relay communication and / or (wireless) network communication (particularly communication terminated therein) between base stations or similar network nodes. It can be considered that the backhaul and / or relay communication and / or network communication is implemented as a sidelink or uplink communication or a form similar thereto.

[0075] Note that although terminology from one particular wireless system may be used in the present disclosure (e.g., 3GPP LTE and / or New Radio (NR)), this should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure to only the aforementioned systems. Other wireless systems including but not limited to Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) may also benefit from utilizing the ideas covered by the present disclosure.

[0076] Further note that the functions described herein as being performed by a wireless device or network node may be distributed across multiple wireless devices and / or network nodes. In other words, it is contemplated that the functions of the network nodes and wireless devices described herein are not limited to being performed by a single physical device and may in fact be distributed across several physical devices.

[0077] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will also be understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0078] Embodiments herein provide for quantifying resource utilization and / or spectrum usage based on RBSYM, where RBSYM is a unit capable of representing resource allocation for one or more layer 1 (e.g., NR layer 1) channels and signals (e.g., channels and signals of a resource grid based on OFDM signals), regardless of parameter sets and configuration complexity. Layer 1 may correspond to Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI Model) Layer 1 and / or may include, for example, all L1 physical channels and signals in an uplink and / or downlink. Some embodiments described herein may be applicable to other layers.

[0079] Referring again to the drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, Figure 4, a schematic diagram of a communication system 10 according to an embodiment is shown, which is, for example, a 3GPP-type cellular network that can support standards such as LTE and / or NR (5G), including an access network 12 (e.g., a radio access network) and a core network 14. The access network 12 includes a plurality of network nodes 16a, 16b, 16c (collectively referred to as network nodes 16), such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each of which defines a corresponding coverage area 18a, 18b, 18c (collectively referred to as coverage area 18). Each network node 16a, 16b, 16c is connectable to the core network 14 via a wired or wireless connection 20. A first wireless device (WD) 22a located in the coverage area 18a is configured to be wirelessly connected to the corresponding network node 16a or to be paged by the corresponding network node 16a. A second WD 22b in the coverage area 18b is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding network node 16b. Although multiple WDs 22a, 22b (collectively referred to as wireless devices 22) are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only a single WD is in the coverage area or a single WD is connected to a corresponding network node 16. Note that although only two WDs 22 and three network nodes 16 are shown for convenience, the communication system may include more WDs 22 and network nodes 16.

[0080] Furthermore, it is contemplated that the WD 22 may communicate simultaneously and / or be configured to communicate with more than one network node 16 and more than one type of network node 16, respectively. For example, the WD 22 may have dual connectivity with a network node 16 supporting LTE and the same or different network nodes 16 supporting NR. As an example, the WD 22 may communicate with an eNB for LTE / E-UTRAN and a gNB for NR / NG-RAN.

[0081] The communication system 10 itself can be connected to a host computer 24, which can be implemented as hardware and / or software of a stand-alone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server cluster. The host computer 24 can be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or can be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 26, 28 between the communication system 10 and the host computer 24 can extend directly from the core network 14 to the host computer 24, or can extend via an optional intermediate network 30. The intermediate network 30 can be one or more combinations of a public, private, or managed network. The intermediate network 30 (if present) can be a backbone network or the Internet. In some embodiments, the intermediate network 30 can include two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0082] Figure 4The communication system as a whole realizes the connection between one of the connected WD 22a, 22b and the host computer 24. The connection can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection. The host computer 24 and the connected WD 22a, 22b are configured to use the access network 12, the core network 14, any intermediate network 30 and possible other infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries to transmit data and / or signaling via the OTT connection. The OTT connection can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices passed by the OTT connection do not know the routes of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the network node 16 may not be notified or may not need to be notified of the past routes of the input downlink communication with data from the host computer 24 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected WD 22a. Similarly, the network node 16 does not need to know the future routes of the output uplink communication from the WD 22a to the host computer 24.

[0083] The network node 16 is configured to include a utilization unit 32 configured to perform one or more network node 16 functions as described herein, for example, with respect to quantifying resource utilization and / or spectrum usage based on the RBSYM to perform one or more actions.

[0084] Now refer to Figure 5 10 to describe an example implementation of the WD 22, network node 16, and host computer 24 discussed in the previous paragraphs according to an embodiment. In the communication system 10, the host computer 24 includes hardware (HW) 38, which includes a communication interface 40, which is configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 10. The host computer 24 also includes a processing circuit 42, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. The processing circuit 42 may include a processor 44 and a memory 46. Specifically, in addition to or in place of a processor (e.g., a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuit 42 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, such as one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) suitable for executing instructions. The processor 44 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) a memory 46, which may include any kind of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a cache memory and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (random access memory) and / or ROM (read only memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0085] Processing circuitry 42 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or cause such methods and / or processes to be performed, for example, by host computer 24. Processor 44 corresponds to one or more processors 44 for performing the functions of host computer 24 described herein. Host computer 24 includes memory 46 configured to store data, programming software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, software 48 and / or host application 50 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 44 and / or processing circuitry 42, cause processor 44 and / or processing circuitry 42 to perform the processes described herein with respect to host computer 24. The instructions may be software associated with host computer 24.

[0086] The software 48 can be executed by the processing circuit 42. The software 48 includes a host application 50. The host application 50 is operable to provide services to a remote user (e.g., WD 22), which is connected via an OTT connection 52 terminated at the WD 22 and the host computer 24. When providing services to the remote user, the host application 50 can provide user data sent using the OTT connection 52. "User data" can be data and information described herein as implementing the functions. In one embodiment, the host computer 24 can be configured to provide control and functions to a service provider, and can be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The processing circuit 42 of the host computer 24 can enable the host computer 24 to observe, monitor, control, send to and / or receive from the network node 16 and / or the wireless device 22. The processing circuitry 42 of the host computer 24 may include an information unit 54 configured to enable the service provider to process, store, determine, quantify, calculate, forward, send, receive, relay, etc. information related to quantifying resource utilization and / or spectrum usage based on the RBSYM as described herein.

[0087] The communication system 10 also includes a network node 16 provided in the communication system 10, and the network node 16 includes hardware 58 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 24 and the WD 22. The hardware 58 may include: a communication interface 60, which is used to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 10; and a radio interface 62, which is used to establish and maintain a wireless connection 64 with at least the WD 22 located in the coverage area 18 served by the network node 16. The radio interface 62 can be formed as or can include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers. The communication interface 60 can be configured to facilitate a connection 66 to the host computer 24. The connection 66 can be direct, or it can pass through the core network 14 of the communication system 10 and / or through one or more intermediate networks 30 outside the communication system 10.

[0088] In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 58 of the network node 16 also includes a processing circuit 68. The processing circuit 68 may include a processor 70 and a memory 72. Specifically, in addition to or in place of a processor (e.g., a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuit 68 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, such as one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 70 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) the memory 72, which may include any kind of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a cache memory and / or a buffer memory and / or a RAM (random access memory) and / or a ROM (read-only memory) and / or an optical memory and / or an EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0089] Therefore, the network node 16 also has software 74 stored internally, for example, in the memory 72 or stored in an external memory (e.g., a database, a storage array, a network storage device, etc.) accessible by the network node 16 via an external connection. The software 74 can be executed by the processing circuit 68. The processing circuit 68 can be configured to control any method and / or process described herein and / or cause such a method and / or process to be performed, for example, by the network node 16. The processor 70 corresponds to one or more processors 70 for performing the network node 16 functions described herein. The memory 72 is configured to store data, programming software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 74 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 70 and / or the processing circuit 68, cause the processor 70 and / or the processing circuit 68 to perform the process described herein with respect to the network node 16. For example, the processing circuit 68 of the network node 16 may include a utilization unit 32, which is configured to perform one or more network node 16 functions as described herein, for example, with respect to quantizing resource utilization and / or spectrum utilization based on RBSYM.

[0090] The communication system 10 also includes the already mentioned WD 22. The WD 22 may have hardware 80, which may include a radio interface 82 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 64 with a network node 16 serving the coverage area 18 in which the WD 22 is currently located. The radio interface 82 may be formed as or may include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers.

[0091] The hardware 80 of the WD 22 also includes a processing circuit 84. The processing circuit 84 may include a processor 86 and a memory 88. Specifically, in addition to or in place of a processor (e.g., a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuit 84 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, such as one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 86 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) the memory 88, which may include any kind of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a cache memory and / or a buffer memory and / or a RAM (random access memory) and / or a ROM (read-only memory) and / or an optical memory and / or an EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0092] Therefore, WD 22 may also include software 90 stored in, for example, a memory 88 at WD 22 or stored in an external memory (e.g., a database, a storage array, a network storage device, etc.) accessible to WD 22. Software 90 may be executed by processing circuit 84. Software 90 may include client application 92. Client application 92 is operable to provide services to human or non-human users via WD 22 with the support of host computer 24. In host computer 24, executing host application 50 may communicate with executing client application 92 via OTT connection 52 terminated at WD 22 and host computer 24. When providing services to users, client application 532 may receive request data from host application 50 and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 550 may transmit both request data and user data. Client application 92 may interact with users to generate user data provided by them.

[0093] Processing circuit 84 can be configured to control any method and / or process described herein and / or cause such method and / or process to be performed, for example, by WD 22. Processor 86 corresponds to one or more processors 86 for performing the WD 22 functions described herein. WD 22 includes memory 88, which is configured to store data, programming software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, software 90 and / or client application 92 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 86 and / or processing circuit 84, cause processor 86 and / or processing circuit 84 to perform the process described herein with respect to WD 22.

[0094] In some embodiments, the internal workings of network node 16, WD 22, and host computer 24 may be as follows: Figure 5 As shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Figure 4 network topology.

[0095] exist Figure 5 In FIG, an OTT connection 52 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate communications between a host computer 24 and a wireless device 22 via a network node 16, without explicitly mentioning any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, which can be configured to be hidden from the WD 22 or from the service provider operating the host computer 24, or from both. When the OTT connection 52 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions that it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0096] The wireless connection 64 between the WD 22 and the network node 16 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improves the performance of OTT services provided to the WD 22 using the OTT connection 52, where the wireless connection 64 may form the last leg. More specifically, the teachings of some of these embodiments may improve data rates, latency, and / or power consumption, thereby providing benefits such as reduced user waiting time, relaxed file size restrictions, better responsiveness, extended battery life, and the like.

[0097] In some embodiments, a measurement program may be provided for the purpose of monitoring the data rate, latency and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. There may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 52 between the host computer 24 and the WD 22 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement program and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 52 may be implemented in the software 48 of the host computer 24 or in the software 90 of the WD 22 or in both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with a communication device through which the OTT connection 52 passes; the sensor may participate in the measurement program by providing the value of the monitoring quantity exemplified above or providing the value of other physical quantities that the software 48, 90 can use to calculate or estimate the monitoring quantity. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 52 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not need to affect the network node 16, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to the network node 16. Some of such programs and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary WD signaling that facilitates the host computer 24's measurement of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. In some embodiments, the measurements may be implemented as follows: the software 48, 90 causes the OTT connection 52 to be used to send messages (specifically, empty messages or "dummy" messages) while it monitors propagation time, errors, etc.

[0098] Thus, in some embodiments, the host computer 24 includes processing circuitry 42 configured to provide user data and a communication interface 40 configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to the WD 22. In some embodiments, the cellular network also includes a network node 16 having a radio interface 62. In some embodiments, the network node 16 is configured to and / or the processing circuitry 68 of the network node 16 is configured to perform the functions and / or methods described herein for preparing / initiating / maintaining / supporting / terminating transmissions to the WD 22 and / or preparing / terminating / maintaining / supporting / terminating upon receipt of a transmission from the WD 22.

[0099] In some embodiments, host computer 24 includes processing circuitry 42 and communication interface 40 configured as communication interface 40 configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from WD 22 to network node 16. In some embodiments, WD 22 is configured as and / or includes a radio interface 82 and / or processing circuitry 84 configured to perform the functions and / or methods described herein for preparing / initiating / maintaining / supporting / terminating a transmission to network node 16 and / or preparing / terminating / maintaining / supporting / terminating upon receipt of a transmission from network node 16.

[0100] although Figure 4 and Figure 5 Various "units" such as utilization unit 32 and information unit 54 are shown as being within a corresponding processor, but it is contemplated that these units may be implemented such that a portion of the unit is stored in a corresponding memory within the processing circuit. In other words, these units may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software within the processing circuit.

[0101] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a communication system (eg, Figure 4 and Figure 5 The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22, which may be a reference Figure 51 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host computer 24, the network node 16, and the WD 22 are described. In the first step of the method, the host computer 24 provides user data (box S100). In an optional sub-step of the first step, the host computer 24 provides user data by executing a host application (e.g., the host application 50) (box S102). In the second step, the host computer 24 initiates a transmission carrying user data to the WD 22 (box S104). In an optional third step, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the network node 16 sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer 24 to the WD 22 (box S106). In an optional fourth step, the WD 22 executes a client application (e.g., the client application 92) associated with the host application 50 executed by the host computer 24 (box S108).

[0102] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a communication system (eg, Figure 4 The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22, which may be a reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 1 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host computer 24, the network node 16, and the WD 22 are described. In a first step of the method, the host computer 24 provides user data (block S110). In an optional substep (not shown), the host computer 24 provides the user data by executing a host application (e.g., the host application 50). In a second step, the host computer 24 initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the WD 22 (block S112). According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may pass through the network node 16. In an optional third step, the WD 22 receives the user data carried in the transmission (block S114).

[0103] Figure 8 is a diagram showing a communication system (eg, Figure 4 The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22, which may be a reference Figure 4 and Figure 5The host computer 24, network node 16 and WD 22 described in the embodiment of the present invention are described in the embodiment of the present invention. In the optional first step of the method, WD 22 receives input data provided by the host computer 24 (box S116). In the optional sub-step of the first step, WD 22 executes the client application 92, and the client application 92 provides user data in response to the input data provided by the host computer 24 received (box S118). Additionally or alternatively, in the optional second step, WD 22 provides user data (box S120). In the optional sub-step of the second step, WD provides user data by executing a client application (e.g., client application 92) (box S122). When providing user data, the executed client application 92 can also consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, WD 22 can initiate the transmission of user data to the host computer 24 in the optional third sub-step (box S124). In the fourth step of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer 24 receives the user data sent from WD 22 (box S126).

[0104] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a communication system (eg, Figure 4 The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22, which may be a reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 1 . The host computer 24, network node 16, and WD 22 described herein are described. In an optional first step of the method, the network node 16 receives user data from the WD 22 (block S128) in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. In an optional second step, the network node 16 initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer 24 (block S130). In a third step, the host computer 24 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the network node 16 (block S132).

[0105] Fig.10 is a flow chart of an exemplary process in the network node 16 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks and / or functions performed by the network node 16 may be performed by one or more elements of the network node 16, for example, by the utilization unit 32 of the processing circuit 68, the processor 70, the radio interface 62, etc. In one or more embodiments, as described herein, the network node 16 is configured to determine (block S 134) a first resource block per symbol (RBSYM) amount of a first portion of a frequency-time resource grid, for example, via one or more of the processing circuit 68, the processor 70, the utilization unit 32, the communication interface 60, and the radio interface 62.

[0106] In one or more embodiments, as described herein, the network node 16 is configured, for example, via one or more of the processing circuit 68, the processor 70, the utilization unit 32, the communication interface 60, and the radio interface 62, to determine (block S136) a second RBSYM amount for a second portion of the frequency-time resource grid, wherein the second portion is associated with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) parameter set that is different from the first portion. In one or more embodiments, as described herein, the network node 16 is configured, for example, via one or more of the processing circuit 68, the processor 70, the utilization unit 32, the communication interface 60, and the radio interface 62, to optionally perform (block S138) at least one action based at least in part on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount.

[0107] According to one or more embodiments, at least one mathematical operation is performed directly using the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one mathematical operation includes at least one of addition and subtraction. According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to convert the first RBSYM amount into a first resource block (RB) time slot amount and convert the second RBSYM amount into a second RB time slot amount.

[0108] According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to convert the first RBSYM amount into a first control channel element (CCE) amount and convert the second RBSYM amount into a second CCE amount. According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to a first CORESET and the second RBSYM amount corresponds to a second CORESET different from the first CORESET. According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein the second RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0109] According to one or more embodiments, the first RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) type B schedule, wherein the second RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) type B schedule. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one action includes modifying a channel configuration to reduce congestion. According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to determine resource utilization based on at least the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount.

[0110] Having generally described arrangements for signaling control information for configuring at least one signal waveform characteristic, details of these arrangements, functions, and processes are provided below, which may be implemented by the network node 16, wireless device 22, and / or host computer 24. Resource utilization and / or spectrum usage is quantified based on RBSYM.

[0111] Embodiments provide for quantifying resource utilization and / or spectrum utilization based on RBSYM. RB-symbol (RBSYM) is defined as a region in a frequency-time resource grid, which is defined as:

[0112] - In the frequency domain, an RB (or 12 REs) for a given OFDM numerology set; and

[0113] - In the time domain, a symbol of duration corresponding to the selected OFDM parameter set defining the frequency domain

[0114] That is, RBSYM=R μ ·S μ , where Rμ is 1 resource block in a given OFDM parameter set in KHz; Sμ is 1 symbol duration on the same resource grid in ms. RB-symbol is in KHz·ms. Table 1 shows examples of the resulting RB-symbol values ​​given various parameter sets.

[0115] Table 1 - RB-symbols in a resource grid defined by different parameter sets (normal prefix)

[0116]

[0117] As shown in Table 1 above, for all 3GPP defined OFDM parameter sets, the RB-symbol (RBSYM) is constant in all resource grids with a normal cyclic prefix, and since the allocatable resources during operation are always integer multiples of RBs in the frequency domain and symbols in the time domain, this makes it possible for the RB-symbol to be a common unit for keeping track of frequency-time domain resources allocated to different wireless devices 22 in the same cell based on different resource grids defined by different OFDM parameter sets. For example, in one or more embodiments, the RBSYM is a unit configured to represent resource allocations for one or more layer 1 (e.g., NR layer 1) channels and signals (e.g., channels and signals of a resource grid based on an OFDM signal), regardless of the parameter set and configuration complexity.

[0118] Within the NR system, the entire spectrum usage counter infrastructure can be built around this observability unit (i.e., RB - symbol unit).

[0119] Resources tracked in RB-symbols can be converted to RB-slots, which is the number of symbols in a slot for a normal cyclic prefix configuration, by dividing by 14. The RB-slot is equivalent to the legacy unit used for resource tracking in LTE, allowing comparison of resource usage between 4G and 5G technologies.

[0120] Furthermore, the RB-symbols may be converted into CCEs for downlink control channels for comparison of usage with LTE.

[0121] Reference signal usage such as TRS and CSI-RS can be aggregated and described using RB-symbols with little error, especially when aggregated over a normal collection period of 1 second.

[0122] NR supports arbitrary TDD configurations with symbol-level flexibility in the time domain, where RB-symbols can be used to describe the total available physical resources for DL ​​and UL; in addition, the allocations of all NR physical channels such as PDCCH, PDSCH and PUSCH can also be described in terms of integer multiples of RB-symbols, at least in part because the resulting resource utilization KPI for different channels can be derived as the percentage of the channel allocation in RB-symbols to the total available physical resources in RB-symbols for the same time period.

[0123] The constant RBSYM spectral factor κ_RBSym can be defined as:

[0124] k RBSym =12.857143…Hz·sec / RBSym

[0125] The spectral efficiency of a physical channel (e.g., channel_A) can be determined by using the following formula:

[0126]

[0127] Example 1: Flexible PDCCH and PDSCH case

[0128] Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example of a flexible PDCCH and a PDSCH in a time slot. Specifically, Fig.11As shown, there are 100 RB×14 symbols=1400 RBSYM total DL resources (i.e., total resources in the frequency-time grid), 40 RB×1 symbol=40 RBSYM used by PDCCH1, 30 RB×3 symbols=90 RBSYM used by PDCCH2, 60 RB×14 symbols-40 RBSYM=800 RBSYM used by PDSCH1, and 30 RB×11 symbols=330 RBSYM used by PDSCH2. Thus, for example, the total DL resources and usage per physical channel can be determined based on RBSYM (i.e., RB-symbol), where even in Fig.11 Mathematical operations (e.g., addition, subtraction) can also be performed on RBSYM values ​​using different parameter sets.

[0129] Example 2: Micro-slot case

[0130] Fig.12 is a diagram showing an example of a mini-slot with 2 ULs. Fig.12 As shown, there are 138 RB×10 symbols=1380 RBSYM of DL available resources, 138 RB×2 symbols=276 RBSYM of UL available resources, 138 RB×2 symbols=276 RBSYM of unavailable resources (gaps), 50 RB×2 symbols=100 RBSYM, used by PDCCH, 100 RB×8 symbols=800 RBSYM, used by PDSCH, and 138 RB×2 symbols=276 RBSYM of used UL resources. Therefore, available, used, and unavailable resources are determined based on RBSYM (i.e., RB-symbol).

[0131] Example 3: Flexible CORSET and PDCCH case

[0132] Fig.13 is a diagram showing an example of a flexible CORSET and PDCCH. In the case of using the RBSYM described herein, CORSET1 is configured with 150RBSYM, CORSET2 is configured with 50 RB x 3 symbols = 150RBSYM, PDCCH1 uses 50RBSYM, and PDCCH2 uses 25 RB x 3 symbols = 75RBSYM. Therefore, CORSET and PDCCH can be described according to RBSYM.

[0133] Example 4: Long PUCCH case

[0134] Fig.14is a diagram of an example of a long PUCCH. In the case of using the RBSYM described herein, the PDCCH uses 273 RBSYMs, the PUCCH uses 60 RBs x (6+6) symbols = 720 RBSYMs, and there are 273 RBSYMs of unavailable resources (gaps). Therefore, the long PUCCH can be described according to the RBSYM.

[0135] Example 5: Low latency in NR

[0136] Fig.15 Figure 1 is a diagram of Type B scheduling with low latency in NR. PDSCH Type B (also valid for PUSCH) can start at any symbol in a slot to enable fast transmission when needed. Fig.15 In NR, Type B PDCCH uses 4 RBSYMs and Type B PDSCH uses 4 RBSYMs. Therefore, Type B scheduling and / or other low-latency configurations in NR can be quantified based on RBSYMs.

[0137] The various examples above illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of measuring resource utilization based on RBSYM or a derivation of RBSYM. In addition, the network node 16 can perform one or more actions based at least in part on the determined one or more metrics quantified in units of RBSYM. For example, the network node 16 can trigger an alarm that the system is congested or is becoming congested, such as if the RBSYM amount is above a predefined threshold indicating network and / or communication link congestion.

[0138] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the concepts described herein may be embodied as methods, data processing systems, and / or computer program products. Thus, the concepts described herein may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects (collectively referred to herein as "circuits" or "modules"). In addition, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a tangible computer-usable storage medium having computer program code embodied in the medium that can be executed by a computer. Any suitable tangible computer-readable medium may be used, including a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an electronic storage device, an optical storage device, or a magnetic storage device.

[0139] Some embodiments are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, systems, and computer program products. It will be understood that each box of these flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams and the combination of boxes in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0140] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory or storage medium, which may instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to work in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0141] Computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are performed on the computer or other programmable device, thereby generating a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more frames of the flow chart and / or block diagram. It should be understood that the functions / actions indicated in the frame may not occur in the order indicated in the operation diagram. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, the two frames shown in succession can actually be performed substantially simultaneously, or these frames can sometimes be performed in the opposite order. Although some figures include arrows on the communication path to show the main direction of communication, it should be understood that communication can occur in the direction opposite to the arrows shown.

[0142] Computer program code for carrying out operations of the concepts described herein may be used, for example, The computer program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in an object-oriented programming language such as C++ or C++. However, the computer program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may also be written in a traditional procedural programming language such as the "C" programming language. The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., connected via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0143] Many different embodiments have been disclosed herein in conjunction with the above description and accompanying drawings. It will be understood that literally describing and illustrating every combination and subcombination of these embodiments would be overly repetitive and confusing. Therefore, all embodiments may be combined in any manner and / or combination, and this specification (including the accompanying drawings) will be interpreted as constituting a complete written description of all combinations and subcombinations of the embodiments described herein, as well as the manner and process of making and using them, and will support claims to any such combination or subcombination.

[0144] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments described herein are not limited to the contents specifically shown and described herein above. In addition, unless otherwise mentioned above, it should be noted that all drawings are not drawn to scale. Various modifications and variations may be made according to the above teachings without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A network node (16), comprising: A processing circuit system (68) configured to: determining a first resource block per symbol RBSYM amount for a first portion of a frequency-time resource grid; determining a second RBSYM amount for a second portion of the frequency-time resource grid, the second portion being associated with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) parameter set different from that of the first portion; as well as optionally performing at least one action based at least in part on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount; Constant RBSYM spectral factor κ RBSym is defined as: κ RBSym =12.85743...Hz·sec / RBSym The spectral efficiency of the physical channel channel_A is determined by using the following formula: ， The processing circuit (68) is further configured to determine resource utilization based at least on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount, the at least one action comprising modifying a channel configuration to reduce congestion.

2. The network node (16) according to claim 1, wherein: At least one mathematical operation is directly performed using the first RBSYM quantity and the second RBSYM quantity.

3. The network node (16) according to claim 2, wherein: The at least one mathematical operation includes at least one of addition and subtraction.

4. The network node (16) according to claim 1, wherein: The processing circuit (68) is further configured to convert the first RBSYM amount into a first resource block (RB) time slot amount and convert the second RBSYM amount into a second RB time slot amount.

5. The network node (16) according to claim 1, wherein: The processing circuit (68) is further configured to convert the first RBSYM amount into a first control channel element (CCE) amount and convert the second RBSYM amount into a second CCE amount.

6. The network node (16) according to claim 1, wherein: The first RBSYM amount corresponds to a first CORESET, and the second RBSYM amount corresponds to a second CORESET different from the first CORESET.

7. The network node (16) according to claim 1, wherein: The first RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and The second RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

8. The network node (16) according to claim 1, wherein: The first RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink shared channel PDSCH type B scheduling; as well as The second RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink control channel PDCCH type B scheduling.

9. A method implemented in a network node (16), the method comprising: Determining (S134) a first resource block per symbol RBSYM amount for a first portion of the frequency-time resource grid; determining (S136) a second RBSYM amount for a second portion of the frequency-time resource grid, the second portion being associated with an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) parameter set different from that of the first portion; as well as optionally performing ( S138 ) at least one action based at least in part on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount; Constant RBSYM spectral factor κ RBSym is defined as: κ RBSym =12.85743...Hz·sec / RBSym The spectral efficiency of the physical channel channel_A is determined by using the following formula: ， Also included is determining resource utilization based at least on the first RBSYM amount and the second RBSYM amount, the at least one action comprising modifying a channel configuration to reduce congestion.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: At least one mathematical operation is directly performed using the first RBSYM quantity and the second RBSYM quantity.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one mathematical operation includes at least one of addition and subtraction.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising converting the first RBSYM amount into a first resource block (RB) time slot amount and converting the second RBSYM amount into a second RB time slot amount.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising converting the first RBSYM amount into a first control channel element (CCE) amount and converting the second RBSYM amount into a second CCE amount.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The first RBSYM amount corresponds to a first CORESET, and the second RBSYM amount corresponds to a second CORESET different from the first CORESET.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The first RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and The second RBSYM amount corresponds to one of available resources and used resources in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The first RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH type B scheduling; and The second RBSYM amount corresponds to used resources in a physical downlink control channel PDCCH type B scheduling.

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