Systems and Methods for Transmitting Indications

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for transmitting indications. In one embodiment, the systems and methods are configured to send control information from a wireless communication node to a wireless communication device during an uplink interval or a downlink interval.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, to systems and methods for transmitting indications. Background Art

[0002] In areas where terrestrial network services are weak or non-existent, non-terrestrial network (NTN) networks can be employed to support the connection of a large number of Internet of Thing (IoT) devices. NTNs such as Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites or Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites can provide continental local or regional services. However, special considerations must be made when using NTN networks.

[0003] The rapid movement of satellites relative to the location of users on the Earth can cause Doppler frequency shift. In addition, the distance between the satellite and the terrestrial wireless communication device can result in a long transmission round-trip time. Therefore, the transmission between the satellite and the user can be very long, as the data being transmitted may typically be repeated. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Example embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems related to one or more difficulties existing in the prior art, and to providing additional features that will become apparent upon reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who have read this disclosure that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0005] In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication node includes: sending control information to a wireless communication device by the wireless communication node in an uplink interval or a downlink interval.

[0006] In another embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device includes: receiving control information from a wireless communication node by the wireless communication device in an uplink interval or a downlink interval.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device includes: sending control information to a wireless communication node by the wireless communication device in an uplink interval or a downlink interval.

[0008] The above and other aspects and their implementations are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, the specification, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be construed as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of illustration.

[0010] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network in which the technologies and other aspects disclosed herein can be implemented according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example base station and user equipment terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example non-terrestrial communication network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 4 A block diagram of an example non-terrestrial communication network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method for a base station to send control information to a user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 6 An example system for sending a signal to notify termination of a scheduled transmission in the time domain according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 7 An example system for sending a signal to notify termination of a scheduled transmission in the frequency domain according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 8 An example system for sending an adjustment to a repeated transmission in the frequency domain using an additional compensation interval according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 9 An example system for sending an adjustment to a repeated transmission in the frequency domain using an additional compensation interval according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 10 A flowchart of an example method for a user equipment to receive control information from a base station according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 11An example system for receiving a control signal in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 12 A flowchart of an example method for a user equipment to send control information to a base station in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the present solution. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and shown herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example method. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed method or process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in an example order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0023] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment

[0024] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein can be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 can be any wireless network such as a cellular network or a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100". Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS102") and a user equipment terminal 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104") that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 that cover a geographical area 101. In Figure 1 which, BS102 and UE 104 are included within the respective geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 can include at least one base station operating under its allocated bandwidth to provide sufficient wireless coverage to its intended users.

[0025] For example, BS102 can operate under the allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS102 and UE 104 can communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 124 respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 can be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, and the subframes 120 / 127 can include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" that can generally practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, such communication nodes can be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0026] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., half-duplex signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution is illustrated. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features not described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, system 200 can be used to transmit (e.g., send and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment 100 such as Figure 1 as described above in a wireless communication environment.

[0027] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS202") and a user equipment terminal 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS202 includes: a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE204 includes: a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS202 communicates with UE204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0028] As those of ordinary skill in the art should understand, system 200 may further include in addition to Figure 2Any number of modules outside the module shown. Those skilled in the art should understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logics described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described in terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software can depend on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art familiar with the concepts described herein can implement this functionality in a suitable manner for each particular application, but the decision of such implementation should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as the "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of the RF transmitter and the RF receiver including circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-division duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as the "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of the RF transmitter and the RF receiver including circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-division duplex manner. The operations of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 can be coordinated in time such that while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212, the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is a tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in the duplex direction.

[0030] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 capable of supporting a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure need not be limited in application to a particular standard and associated protocol. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0031] According to various embodiments, BS202 can be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), serving eNB, target eNB, femtocell, or picocell. According to some embodiments, UE 204 can be embodied in various types of user equipment such as a mobile phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, laptop computer, wearable computing device, and the like. Processor modules 214 and 236 can be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, content addressable memory, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof that are designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, the processor can be implemented as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, or the like. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0032] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed respectively by processor modules 214 and 236, or in any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 can be respectively coupled to processor modules 214 and 236 such that processor modules 214 and 236 can respectively read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234. Memory modules 216 and 234 can also be integrated into their respective processor modules 214 and 236. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 can each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed respectively by processor modules 214 and 236. Memory modules 216 and 234 can also each include a non-volatile memory for storing the instructions to be executed respectively by processor modules 214 and 236.

[0033] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable two-way communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical non-limiting deployment, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface that enables the base station transceiver 210 to communicate with a traditional Ethernet-based computer network. In this way, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). As used herein, the terms "configured to...", "configured for...", and their inflected forms in connection with a specified operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0034] When a device communicates via half-duplex ("HD"), the device may not be able to transmit and receive simultaneously. In other words, the UE cannot handle UL and DL transmissions simultaneously. Therefore, there are asymmetric flows for UL and DL data transmissions. Examples of such devices may include low-cost narrowband devices connected to the Internet, i.e., narrow band Internet of Things devices (such as sensors and industrial devices, "NB-IoT"). In frequency-division duplexing ("FDD"), separate frequency bands may be used to transmit UL and DL information. In time-division duplexing ("TDD"), a single frequency band may be used for UL and DL information, but the transmissions are scheduled to occur during different time slots.

[0035] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example non-terrestrial communication network 300 including at least one wireless communication node based on a drone system is shown. In particular, Figure 3 A communication network 300 is shown that includes a satellite or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 302, a UE 304, a gateway 306, and a data network 308. The satellite 302 may act as a platform for a base station, such as, for example, the BS102 and BS202 discussed above with respect to Figure 1 and 2 and the UE 304 may be similar to the UE discussed above with respect to Figure 1 and 2The UEs 104 and 204 under discussion. The BSs on the UE 304 and the satellite 302 can communicate via the communication link 310, and the BS on the satellite 302 and the gateway 306 can communicate via the feeder link 312. The gateway 306 can communicate with the data network 308 via the data link 314.

[0036] Figure 4 Another exemplary non-terrestrial communication network 400 including at least one wireless communication node based on a drone system is shown. Figure 4 The illustrated communication network 400 is similar to Figure 3 the illustrated communication network 300, but includes additional satellite or UAV platforms 402. Figure 4 A scenario is depicted in which the communication network includes a satellite constellation that allows communication between the UE and the gateway or the data network.

[0037] The gateway can be one of several gateways that can provide connectivity between the satellites 302 / 402 and the data network 308, which can be a public terrestrial data network. The gateway can be deployed in the target coverage area of the satellite (which can include regional or continental coverage areas). In an example where the satellite is a non-geostationary earth orbit satellite ("non-GEO satellite"), the satellite can be served continuously by one or several gateways at a time. The communication network can ensure the continuity of the service link and the feeder link between successive gateways and have a sufficient duration for mobility anchoring and handover. In some examples, the UEs in a cell can be served by only one gateway.

[0038] The satellite can implement a transparent or regenerative (with on-board processing) payload. The satellite can generate several beams over a service area that can be defined by its field of view, which can depend on the on-board antenna characteristics of the satellite and the minimum elevation angle. The coverage area of the beam on the earth's surface can be elliptical. In an instance where the satellite implements a transparent payload, the satellite can perform radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification to repeat the signal. In an instance where the satellite platform implements a regenerative payload, the satellite can perform radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, amplification, and demodulation / modulation, switching, and / or routing, coding / modulation, etc., and at least partially effectively perform the functions of a base station on board the satellite.

[0039] In an instance where the communication system includes a satellite constellation, such as for example Figure 4 the illustrated communication system, the network can include an inter-satellite link ("ISL") 412. In some such instances, the satellite can implement a regenerative payload. The ISL can operate in the RF or optical bands.

[0040] Table 1 below lists those that can be used to implementFigure 3 and 4 The various types of satellites of satellite / UAVs 302 and 402 as shown in 4 . The types of satellites and the corresponding information shown in Table 1 are merely exemplary and not restrictive, as other types of platforms and satellites can also be utilized.

[0041] Table 1

[0042]

[0043] In some embodiments, GEO satellites and UAS platforms can be used to provide continental, regional, or local services. In some embodiments, constellations of LEO and MEO satellites can be used to provide services in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In some instances, constellations of satellites can even provide global coverage including polar regions. In some such instances, appropriate orbital inclinations, ISLs, and beams can be selected.

[0044] 2. Base station sends control information

[0045] DL and UL transmissions between the satellite and the user may be very long because multiple repeated transmissions may be required. Thus, there may be scheduling of repeated transmissions such that the same transmission is repeated n times. Scheduling of repeated transmissions can improve the performance of the receiver. In some embodiments, the BS can send control information such that the scheduling of repeated transmissions can be adjusted. In other words, the configuration of the scheduling of repeated transmissions can be adjusted. The control information can include at least one of broadcast information, synchronization information, or a reference signal (RS). In some embodiments, the scheduling of repeated transmissions can be adjusted by control information where the control information includes beam switching information, the number of lost repeated transmissions, or termination information. In some embodiments, the BS can process the control information. Alternatively, the BS can process the repeated transmission information. The BS can process the control information and / or the repeated transmission information by scrambling, modulating, and / or resource mapping it before the information is sent.

[0046] In some embodiments, due to the movement of the BS and long propagation delays, a transmission may not be completed entirely within one serving beam. The propagation delay can be the time associated with transmitting a signal by the BS and receiving the signal at the UE. Subsequently, the BS may determine to continue the transmission via a different serving beam. In other words, the BS may determine to switch from a first resource to a different second resource. For example, a resource can be associated with a beam. In other words, in response to the UE moving out of the coverage of the first beam, the BS may indicate that the beam should be switched, and the second beam can be employed for the next repeated transmission. Alternatively, in response to the received power of the UL signal in the first beam being less than the received power of the UL signal in the second beam, the BS may indicate that a beam switch should occur. In other words, the transmit beam can be switched from a first resource to a different second resource. In some embodiments, the information indicating that the beam can be switched can be sent in a control field in the transmitted signal in the form of a 1-bit flag. In other embodiments, the information indicating that the beam can be switched can be sent by indicating the second beam to which it is to be switched.

[0047] In some embodiments, in response to a beam switch, some of the repeated data may not be successfully received. For example, the PUSCH may be lost. In other words, when the BS determines to switch the beam, the data may not be successfully received at the BS. In some embodiments, the number of repetitions lost by the BS can be 2 n , where n can be based on, for example, the switching time, round-trip time, and numerical configuration of the PUSCH transmission. In one example, the subcarrier spacing can be 3.75 kHz and the duration of the PUSCH transmission can be 32 ms. When the subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz, the duration of the PUSCH transmission can be 1 ms, 2 ms, 4 ms, or 8 ms. Therefore, in addition to indicating the beam switching information, the BS can indicate the number of lost PUSCH transmissions.

[0048] In some embodiments, in response to the BS successfully decoding the transmitted data, subsequent repeated transmissions may not be necessary. For example, a transmission can be scheduled to be repeated n times. In response to the BS successfully decoding the PUSCH, PRACH, and / or PUCCH in x transmissions, where x < n, the remaining n - x transmissions may not be sent. In other words, the BS can signal to the UE via termination information that the UE can stop sending a part of the scheduled repeated transmissions. For example, the UE can stop the current transmission and subsequent repeated transmissions, and the current scheduling / transmission can end. Subsequently, the UE can be scheduled via other DL control information or higher layer signaling. In another example, the UE can stop sending the remaining transmissions. The BS can signal the termination information to improve system efficiency and reduce power consumption. In some embodiments, the termination information can be sent in the control field of the transmitted signal in the form of a 1-bit flag.

[0049] To compensate for Doppler frequency offset and propagation delay offset based on the distance of the UE from the BS and the speed at which the BS may be moving, the UE may insert UL intervals or DL intervals between UL or DL transmissions. During the intervals, timing and / or frequency resynchronization may occur between the UE and the BS. The UL and / or DL intervals may be referred to as compensation intervals.

[0050] In some embodiments, the compensation interval may be inserted at the end of the maximum consecutive UL transmissions. In other embodiments, the compensation interval may occur after Physical Random Access Channel (“PRACH”) transmissions, Physical Uplink Shared Channel (“PUSCH”) transmissions, and Physical Uplink Control Channel (“PUCCH”) transmissions. The intervals may be inserted periodically and / or interrupt transmissions. For example, the interval may be inserted once every 256 ms. In some embodiments, the interval may have a length of 40 ms. In some embodiments, when the compensation interval is inserted after DL transmission, the period of the DL compensation interval for the first UE may need to consider the scheduling of other DL transmissions of other UEs. For example, long DL repeated transmissions may occupy the entire channel. Therefore, the timing of the compensation interval after DL transmission may be adjusted for other UE transmissions.

[0051] The compensation interval may be used to send control information. The BS may send control information such that the control information can be received by the UE. In some embodiments, the BS may determine the time to send the control information, which is not earlier than the time domain length before the start of the compensation interval and not later than the time domain length before the end of the compensation interval. In some embodiments, the time domain length may be based on one or more propagation delays. In other words, when determining when to send the control information, the BS may consider the propagation delay.

[0052] In some embodiments, the timing to send the control information may be determined, and the determined timing starts after the start of the compensation interval. The determination of the timing to send the control information may be based on the BS's reception of data and preparation for data transmission. The determination of the timing to send the control information may be one or more symbols, time slots, or sub-frames.

[0053] Figure 5A flowchart illustrating an example method for a BS to send control information to a UE is shown. As described in 501, the BS may send control information to the UE in UL or DL intervals. As discussed herein, the control information may adjust the transmission scheduling of repetitions and may include information related to beam switching information, the number of lost repeated transmissions, or termination information.

[0054] Figure 6 An example system 600 for signaling the termination of a scheduled transmission in the time domain according to some embodiments is shown. The system 600 may include a BS 601 and a UE 602 that transmit and receive in the time domain. The UE 602 may transmit, for example, a UL PUSCH 603 during a specified time slot. The number n may be the number of times the UE 602 is scheduled to transmit repetitions of the UL PUSCH 603. Thus, the UL PUSCH 603 may be repeated n times, with a compensation interval 604 preceding each UL PUSCH 603 except the first UL PUSCH 603. In one example, after four transmissions 605, where 4 < n, the BS 601 may successfully decode the UL PUSCH 603. After successfully decoding the UL PUSCH 603, the UE 602 may not need to repeat the UL PUSCH 603 transmission. Thus, the BS 601 may insert termination information 606 that will be received at the UL interval 607 during the compensation interval 604. The termination information may be sent after the BS 601 decodes the UL PUSCH 603. Thus, the UE 602 may conserve power and efficiency by terminating the UL PUSCH 603 repeated transmission before the originally scheduled n times.

[0055] Figure 7FIG. 700 illustrates an example system for signaling the termination of a scheduled transmission in a frequency division duplex system according to some embodiments. System 700 may include a BS 701 and a UE 702 that transmit and receive in a DL subframe and a UL interval. The UE 702 may transmit, for example, a UL PUSCH 703 on a specific UL frequency band. The number n may be the number of times the UE 702 is scheduled to transmit a repeated transmission of the UL PUSCH 703. Thus, the UL PUSCH 703 may be repeated n times, where each UL PUSCH 703 except the first UL PUSCH 703 may be preceded by a compensation interval 704. In one example, after four transmissions 705, where 4 < n, the BS 701 may successfully decode the UL PUSCH 703. After successfully decoding the UL PUSCH 703, the UE 702 may not need to repeat the UL PUSCH 703 transmission. Thus, the BS 701 may process and prepare termination information 707. The processing and preparation of the termination information may be performed such that the termination information is transmitted and received by the UE 702 during the next UL interval 704 (specifically, UL interval 708). The termination information 707 may be processed and prepared after the BS 701 decodes the UL PUSCH 703. Thus, the UE 702 may conserve power and efficiency by terminating the repeated transmission of the UL PUSCH 703 before the originally scheduled n times.

[0056] In some embodiments, a second compensation interval may occur after the first compensation interval. As discussed herein, the compensation interval may be adjusted for DL transmissions. In other words, the timing of the compensation interval after a DL transmission may be adjusted for other UE transmissions. Thus, when implemented for DL transmissions, the second compensation interval may be adjusted for other UE transmissions.

[0057] Control information may be transmitted or received during the first compensation interval or the second compensation interval. The first compensation interval and the second compensation interval may have different start times. In other words, there may be a first UL interval and a second UL interval, where the first UL interval and the second UL interval have different start times. Additionally, there may be a first DL interval and a second DL interval, where the first DL interval and the second DL interval have different start times. In some embodiments, the second compensation interval may be inserted between two first compensation intervals. For example, if the period of the first compensation interval is 256 ms, the first compensation intervals may be at 0 ms and 256 ms. The second compensation interval may be inserted at 128 ms. In some embodiments, the second compensation interval may have the same time length as the first compensation interval. In some embodiments, the second compensation interval may have a length of 40 ms. In other embodiments, the second compensation interval may be a fraction of the time length of the first compensation interval.

[0058] In some embodiments, a second compensation interval may be inserted by the BS after the round-trip time. The round-trip time may be the time for a transmission from the BS to reach the UE and a subsequent transmission from the UE to reach the BS. In some embodiments, the BS may insert an additional interval between the first compensation interval and the second compensation interval based on a fixed time offset.

[0059] In some embodiments, an additional compensation interval may be appended to the first and / or second compensation interval such that the duration of the compensation interval is extended. In other words, a UL interval may be appended by an additional UL interval. Additionally, a DL interval may be appended by an additional DL interval. As discussed herein, the compensation interval may be adjusted for DL transmissions. In other words, the timing of the compensation interval after a DL transmission may be adjusted for other UE transmissions. Thus, when implementing for DL transmissions, the additional compensation interval may be adjusted to account for other UE transmissions.

[0060] Such a compensation interval with an additional compensation interval may be referred to as an extended compensation interval. The extension of the compensation interval, whether a UL compensation interval or a DL compensation interval, may be based on comparing multiple propagation delays. The extended compensation interval may be a UL or DL interval in the time domain. In some embodiments, the BS may configure multiple UL or DL extended intervals in the time domain. The extended compensation interval may increase the likelihood that the UE receives a BS transmission within the compensation interval. The extended compensation interval may increase the overhead of the compensation interval.

[0061] In some embodiments, a first UL interval and a second UL interval may be inserted into a single UL interval such that at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH transmissions is postponed.

[0062] Figure 8 An example system 800 is shown for sending adjustments to repeated transmissions in the frequency domain using an additional compensation interval according to some embodiments. System 800 may include a UE 802 and BSs 801A - B capable of receiving and sending, where the receiver-side BS 801A and the transmitter-side BS 801B do not operate simultaneously.

[0063] In some embodiments, the adjustment of the repeated transmission may include adjusting the repeated transmission such that the BS 801 indicates that beam switching is about to occur. In some embodiments, the BS 801B may send a flag in the control field indicating that beam switching is occurring. In other embodiments, the BS 801B may send a new beam source indicating that beam switching is occurring. In response to the BS 801 determining that beam switching should occur, the BS 801B may convey beam switching information such that after the BS 801 makes a beam switching determination, the UE 802 receives the beam switching information in the closest compensation interval. For example, when the UE moves out of the first beam coverage or the received power of the UL signal in the first beam is less than the received power of the UL signal in the second beam, the BS 801 may make a beam switching determination, the BS 801 may determine that beam switching is appropriate, and prepare control information before the UL interval 804 such that the BS 801B is ready to send adjusted control information during the UL interval 804 (specifically, at the UL interval 807). The propagation delay 806 may be the time between the BS 801B sending control information (which contains beam switching information) and the UE 802 receiving the control information at the UL interval 807. An additional UL interval 805 may be inserted such that the UE 802 will receive the control information within the UL interval, have time to process the received control information, and make adjustments for the next UL PUSCH 803 transmission.

[0064] Figure 9 An example system 900 for sending adjustments to repeated transmissions using additional compensation intervals is shown in accordance with some embodiments. The system 900 may include a UE 902 and BSs 901A - B capable of receiving and sending, where the receiver - side BS 901A and the transmitter - side BS 901B do not operate simultaneously.

[0065] In some embodiments, the adjustment of the repeated transmission may include adjusting the repeated transmission such that the BS 901 indicates that beam switching is about to occur. In some embodiments, the BS 901B may send a flag indicating that beam switching is occurring in a control field. In other embodiments, the BS 901B may send a new beam source, indicating that beam switching is occurring. In response to the BS 901 determining that beam switching should occur, the BS 901B may send beam switching information such that after the BS 901 makes a beam switching determination, the UE 902 receives the beam switching information in the closest compensation interval. The BS 901 may determine that beam switching is appropriate and prepare control information such that the BS 801B is prepared to send adjusted control information during the UL interval. In some embodiments, for example, when the propagation delay 906 is long, an additional interval 905 may be inserted between the UL intervals 904. When there is a long propagation delay, the additional interval 905 allows the UE 902 to receive information from the BS 901B. Thus, the BS901B may send information to the UE 902 during the UL interval 904 or the additional interval 905.

[0066] After the BS sends control information, the UE may receive the control information in a compensation interval. Figure 10 A flowchart of an example method for a UE to receive control information from a BS is shown. As described in 1001, the UE may receive control information from the BS in a UL or DL interval. As discussed herein, the control information may adjust the repeated transmission schedule and may include beam switching information, the number of lost repeated transmissions, or termination information.

[0067] Figure 11 An example system 1100 for receiving a control signal according to some embodiments is shown. The system 1100 may include a BS1101 and a UE 1102 that transmit and receive in the time domain. The UE 1102 may receive the transmitted control signal, for example, at a UL interval 1104 indicated by 1106. The control signal may be received at 1106, which may be one propagation delay 1105 after the control signal is sent by the BS1101.

[0068] The UE may receive control information from the BS. The control information may be received in a UL or DL compensation interval. As discussed herein, the compensation interval may be adjusted for DL communication. In other words, the timing of the compensation interval after DL reception may be adjusted for other UE transmissions.

[0069] In some embodiments, control information received during a compensation interval may adjust the scheduling of repeated transmissions by including beam switching information, the number of lost repeated transmissions, or termination information. In some embodiments, a UE may receive information about a DL transmission during a UL compensation interval. In some embodiments, the control information may be received after the start of the compensation interval. In some embodiments, the control information may be received during one or more of a symbol, a time slot, a subframe, or a frame. In some embodiments, the control information may be received after one or more propagation delays. In some embodiments, the UE may need to process the control information. In alternative embodiments, the UE may need to process repeated transmission information. The UE may process the control information and / or the repeated transmission information through resource demapping, demodulation, and / or descrambling.

[0070] In some embodiments, due to the movement of the BS and long propagation delays, a transmission may not be fully received in one serving beam. Subsequently, the UE may need to continue receiving the transmission on a different serving beam. In other words, the UE may determine to switch from a first resource to a different second resource. In some embodiments, the UE may determine to switch resources based on the determination that the transmission has not been completed. In other embodiments, the UE may determine to switch resources based on the control information being received. In the case where a different beam will be employed for the next repeated DL transmission, the UE may receive beam switching information. In other words, the UE may track the beam switching of the BS from the first resource to a different second resource based on the received control information. In some embodiments, information indicating that the beam may be switched may be received in a control field in the transmitted signal in the form of a 1-bit flag. In other embodiments, information indicating that the beam may be switched may be received by indicating the second beam to which the beam is being switched.

[0071] In some embodiments, in response to a beam switch, data may not be successfully sent to the BS. In some embodiments, the UE may receive control information indicating a specific number of lost data (e.g., lost PUSCH). In some embodiments, the lost data may be caused by the BS determining that a beam switch is going to occur. In response to the UE receiving information indicating that data has been lost, the UE may determine the number of repeated transmissions such that the information lost by the BS is transmitted to the BS. The UE may determine the number of repeated transmissions based on an initially configured value, signaling, and / or propagation delay. In some embodiments, if the BS loses information because the BS is determining a switching beam, the UE sends the lost data to the newly scheduled beam.

[0072] In some embodiments, subsequent repeated transmissions may not be necessary in response to the BS successfully decoding the transmitted data. For example, a transmission may typically be repeated n times. In response to the BS successfully decoding the PUSCH, PRACH, and / or PUCCH in x transmissions, where x < n, the remaining n - x transmissions may not be sent by the UE. In other words, the UE may be notified via termination information received from the BS that the UE may stop sending a portion of the scheduled repeated transmissions. For example, the UE may stop sending the remaining scheduled repeated transmissions. The system efficiency and power of the UE may be improved by not sending the remaining portion of the n - x transmissions. In some embodiments, the termination information may be received in the control field of the transmitted signal in the form of a 1-bit flag.

[0073] 3. User equipment sends control information

[0074] DL and UL transmissions between the satellite and the user may be very long because multiple repeated transmissions may be required. In some embodiments, the UE may send control information in the UL or DL compensation interval, so that the repeated transmission schedule can be adjusted. In some embodiments, the repeated transmission schedule may be adjusted by control information, where the control information includes beam switching information or termination information.

[0075] Figure 12 A flowchart showing an example method for the UE to send control information to the BS is shown. As described in 1201, the UE may send control information to the BS in the UL or DL interval. As discussed herein, the control information may adjust the repeated transmission schedule and may include information related to beam switching information and termination information.

[0076] In some embodiments, due to the movement of the BS and long propagation delays, the transmission may not be completely finished in one serving beam. In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to continue the transmission in different serving beams. As discussed herein, the transmission may be interrupted by a compensation interval for timing and / or frequency resynchronization. Generally, the frequency resources of each beam of the satellite and / or BS are pre-allocated. Pre-allocation of beam resources may be based on reference signals.

[0077] In some embodiments, the UE may determine whether beam switching should occur based on measurements of reference signals. In other words, transmissions scheduled to occur via certain beams may be adjusted. For example, the UE may determine to switch the beam from beam 1 to beam 2 during a scheduled repeated transmission. In other words, a UE transmitting a PUSCH on beam 1 (i.e., scheduled to repeat the transmission of the PUSCH on beam 1) may switch the beam and then transmit the PUSCH on beam 2. In some embodiments, the UE processes beam switching within a compensation interval and may start transmitting the repeated transmission after the last symbol of the compensation interval.

[0078] If the resources on the new beam are suitable for transmission, the UE may determine to switch the beam. For example, if resources in beam 2 are available, the UE may determine to switch to beam 2. In other words, the UE may send switching information indicating a switch from a first resource to a different second resource. For example, the UE may send the switching information in the form of a generated beam switching flag.

[0079] In some embodiments, the resources of a single beam may be shared by the UE. In one example, a first UE may transmit to the BS via a beam. In response to the BS receiving beam information from a second UE, the BS may determine that the first UE is to be switched. The BS may allocate the resources from the first UE to the second UE and stop the transmission with the first UE.

[0080] A UE that determines that beam switching should occur may send beam switching information within a switching compensation interval. The switching compensation interval may have a duration of one or more symbols, time slots, or subframes. In some embodiments, the switching compensation interval may consume the resources of a scheduled UL compensation interval. For example, the switching compensation interval may occur at the end of a scheduled UL compensation interval. Alternatively, the switching compensation interval may occur at the start of a scheduled UL compensation interval. In addition, the switching compensation interval may represent one or more time domain resources such as time slots or symbols, which may be used for feedback transmission from the BS.

[0081] In response to the switching compensation interval, the BS may pre-allocate dedicated resources for use in the transmission to the UE during the feedback transmission. The BS may determine the pre-allocated resources based on the UE's report of the quality of adjacent beams.

[0082] In alternative embodiments, the information provided to the BS may be limited. For example, the UE may not provide an indication of beam switching to the BS. For example, the BS may not indicate beam switching by generating a flag in a control field. In addition, the UE may not indicate the number of lost repeated transmissions caused by beam switching.

[0083] The BS may expect the UE to send repeated transmissions (e.g., PUSCH repetitions) during the scheduled transmission time. In the case where the UE beam switches and does not send beam switching information or the number of lost repeated transmissions, the BS may not be able to detect the scheduled transmission on the scheduled serving beam. In some embodiments, in response to failing to detect the scheduled transmission on the scheduled serving beam, the BS may blindly detect and / or search other beams for the scheduled transmission. In the case where the BS searches for repeated transmissions, the BS may tolerate some loss of repeated transmissions when it is searching for repeated transmissions on different beam resources.

[0084] In some embodiments, the UE may successfully decode a DL transmission before the transmission has been repeated scheduled n times. For example, the UE may successfully decode the physical downlink shared channel (“PDSCH”) in x transmissions, where x < n. The UE may determine to stop the scheduled transmission early (e.g., after x transmissions). Thus, the remaining n - x scheduled transmissions may be terminated. Accordingly, the UE may send termination information indicating the termination of a part of the scheduled repeated transmission. For example, the first UE may send the termination information and then start waiting for feedback or confirmation from the BS. The first UE may signal to the BS via the termination information that the BS may stop the current transmission and subsequent repeated transmissions. In response to receiving the termination information and sending an acknowledgment to the first UE, the BS may schedule the first UE or the second UE. In another example, the UE may send termination information indicating the termination of the remaining scheduled repeated transmissions. Terminating the remaining scheduled transmissions may improve system efficiency and save power. The termination signal may be sent from the BS to the UE in a pre-allocated DL compensation interval. The pre-allocated DL compensation interval may replace the duration of the compensation interval. For example, the pre-allocated DL compensation interval may be sent for several symbols, time slots, or subframes at the start or end of the compensation interval.

[0085] In other embodiments, the termination signal may not be sent. Instead, during the remaining n - x scheduled transmissions, the UE may not send anything.

[0086] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example and not by way of limitation. Similarly, the various figures may depict example architectures or configurations, and these example architectures or configurations are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present solution. However, those persons should understand that the present solution is not limited to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described illustrative embodiments.

[0087] It should also be understood that any reference in this document to elements by names such as "first", "second", etc. generally does not limit the number or order of those elements. Instead, these names may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of elements. Thus, the reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements are employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

[0088] Additionally, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that any of a variety of different technologies and processes may be used to represent information and signals. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols, etc. that may be referred to in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0089] Those of ordinary skill in the art should also understand that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or combinations thereof), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0090] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC), which includes a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, modules, and circuits can also include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components within a network or within a device. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices for performing the functions described herein, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration.

[0091] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, where the communication media includes any medium that enables the transfer of a computer program or code from one place to another. The storage media can be any available medium accessible by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include: RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that is accessible by a computer.

[0092] In this application, as used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purposes of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to an embodiment of the solution.

[0093] In addition, in embodiments of the present solution, a memory or other storage device and communication components may be employed. It should be understood that, for clarity, the above description has described embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without departing from the present solution. For example, functionality described as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, the reference to specific functional units is only a reference to the appropriate means for providing the described functionality, rather than an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0094] Various modifications to the described embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: sending, by a wireless communication node, control information to a wireless communication device within a compensation interval including an uplink interval or a downlink interval, the compensation interval being inserted by the wireless communication device between an uplink transmission or a downlink transmission with the wireless communication node; wherein the wireless communication node determines a timing for transmitting the control information to the wireless communication device, the timing being determined based on the compensation interval and one or more propagation delays.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The control information corresponds to a change in configuration in a repeated transmission, and wherein the control information includes at least one of the following: handover information, the number of lost repeated transmissions, or termination information.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein, The termination information indicates termination of a part of the scheduled repeated transmission.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein, The handover information indicates a handover from a first resource to a different second resource.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 2 further includes: Determining, by the wireless communication node, a handover from a first resource to a different second resource.

6. The wireless communication method according to claim 1 further includes: Determining, by the wireless communication node, the timing for sending the control information, wherein the timing starts within a time period that is after a start time of the uplink interval or the downlink interval.

7. The wireless communication method according to claim 6, wherein, The time period corresponds to a time during which the wireless communication node processes the received data information and prepares for transmission, and wherein the time period includes one or more symbols, time slots, or subframes.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 1 further includes: Determining, by the wireless communication node, the timing for sending the control information, wherein the timing is not earlier than a time domain length before a start time of the uplink interval or the downlink interval and not later than the time domain length before an end time of the uplink interval or the downlink interval.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 1 further comprises: Configuring, by the wireless communication node, an extended uplink interval or a downlink interval in the time domain.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 1 further comprises: Configuring, by the wireless communication node, a plurality of extended uplink intervals or a plurality of extended downlink intervals in the time domain.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 8 further includes: Determining, by the wireless communication node, the time domain length based on a plurality of propagation delays.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The uplink interval includes a first uplink interval and a second uplink interval, and wherein the first uplink interval and the second uplink interval have respective different start times.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The downlink interval includes a first downlink interval and a second downlink interval, and wherein the first downlink interval and the second downlink interval have respective different start times.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 or 13 further comprises: Determining, by the wireless communication node, an interval between the first uplink / downlink interval and the second uplink / downlink interval based on a fixed time offset.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The control information sent within the uplink interval or the downlink interval includes at least one of broadcast information, synchronization information, or reference signal information.

16. A wireless communication method, comprising: receiving, by a wireless communication device, control information from a wireless communication node within a compensation interval including an uplink interval or a downlink interval, the compensation interval being inserted by the wireless communication device between an uplink transmission or a downlink transmission with the wireless communication node. Wherein, the control information is transmitted according to a timing determined by the wireless communication node, and the timing is determined according to the compensation interval and one or more propagation delays.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 16, wherein, The control information corresponds to a change in configuration in a retransmission, and wherein the control information includes at least one of the following: handover information, the number of lost retransmissions, or termination information.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 17, wherein, The termination information indicates termination of a part of the scheduled retransmissions.

19. The wireless communication method according to claim 17, wherein, The handover information indicates a handover from a first resource to a different second resource.

20. The wireless communication method according to claim 19 further comprises: The wireless communication device determines a handover from the first resource to the different second resource.

21. The wireless communication method according to claim 16, wherein The timing for transmitting the control information starts within a time period after the start time of the uplink interval or the downlink interval.

22. The wireless communication method according to claim 21, wherein, The time period includes one or more symbols, time slots, subframes, or frames.

23. The wireless communication method according to claim 16, wherein, The uplink interval includes a third uplink interval.

24. The wireless communication method according to claim 23, wherein, The third uplink interval extends a time domain length from a first uplink interval, and the time domain length is determined based on comparing multiple propagation delays.

25. The wireless communication method according to claim 16, wherein, The downlink interval includes a third downlink interval.

26. The wireless communication method according to claim 25, wherein, The third downlink interval extends a time domain length from a first downlink interval, and the time domain length is determined based on comparing multiple propagation delays.

27. The wireless communication method according to claim 16, wherein, The downlink interval includes a first downlink interval and a second downlink interval, and wherein the first downlink interval and the second downlink interval have respective different start times.

28. The wireless communication method according to claim 16, wherein, The uplink interval includes a first uplink interval and a second uplink interval, and wherein the first uplink interval and the second uplink interval have respective different start times.

29. The wireless communication method according to claim 16, wherein, When at least one of PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH transmissions is postponed, the first uplink interval and the second uplink interval are inserted into the uplink interval.

30. A wireless communication device includes a processor and a memory, wherein, The processor is configured to read the code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 29.

31. A computer program product, comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 29.

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