Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for providing multiple PUCCH resources for UCI reporting

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for providing multiple physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources for uplink control information (UCI) reporting, the method may include receiving one or more PUCCH resource configurations from a base station (BS) at a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, and determining a first PUCCH resource configuration for reporting UCI from the one or more PUCCH resource configurations. The first PUCCH resource configuration may indicate multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities in a bandwidth. UCI may be sent at at least one of the multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities indicated by the first PUCCH resource configuration.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an invention patent with an application date of January 9, 2020, application number "202080001291.X", and invention name "Method, user equipment and computer-readable medium for providing multiple PUCCH resources for UCI reporting".

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 790,155, filed on January 9, 2019, entitled “MULTIPLE PUCCH RESOURCES FOR UPLINK CONTROL INFORMATION REPORTING,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The present application relates to wireless communications, and in particular to physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configuration for uplink control information (UCI) reporting. Background Art

[0005] The background description provided in this application is for the purpose of presenting the content of this application in general. The work of the inventors named herein, within the scope of the work described in this background technology section, and the description of the content that could not be regarded as prior art at the time of application, neither explicitly nor implicitly admits that the present invention is prior art.

[0006] Uplink L1 / L2 control signaling can be used to support data transmission on downlink or uplink transport channels. In Long Term Evolution (LTE) or New Radio (NR) networks, UCI can be sent on PUCCH using resources allocated specifically for uplink L1 / L2 control. UCI can include hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) for received downlink shared channel (DL-SCH) transport blocks, channel state information (CSI) related to downlink channel conditions that is beneficial for downlink scheduling, and scheduling requests (SR) indicating that the device needs uplink resources for uplink shared channel (UP-SCH) transmission. Summary of the invention

[0007] Various aspects of the present application provide a method for providing multiple PUCCH resources for UCI reporting. The method may include: in a wireless communication system, receiving one or more PUCCH resource configurations from a base station (BS) at a user equipment (UE), and determining a first PUCCH resource configuration for reporting UCI from the one or more PUCCH resource configurations. The first PUCCH resource configuration may indicate multiple frequency domain transmission occasions (occasions) in a bandwidth. UCI may be sent on at least one of the multiple frequency domain transmission occasions indicated by the first PUCCH resource configuration.

[0008] In one embodiment, the method may further include: receiving a configuration of a PUCCH resource set including a first PUCCH resource configuration, the first PUCCH resource configuration indicating a plurality of frequency domain transmission opportunities in a bandwidth. In one embodiment, the method may further include: receiving a CSI report configuration, the CSI report configuration indicating a bandwidth part (BWP) associated with the first PUCCH resource configuration, the first PUCCH resource configuration indicating a plurality of frequency domain transmission opportunities in a bandwidth.

[0009] In one embodiment, the bandwidth includes multiple subbands, and the multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities are distributed in different subbands included in the bandwidth. In one embodiment, the bandwidth includes multiple subbands, and the first PUCCH resource configuration indicates which subbands within the bandwidth are configured with multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first PUCCH resource configuration indicates a starting resource unit in the frequency domain corresponding to each of the multiple candidate PUCCH resources for each of the multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities. In the example, the multiple candidate PUCCH resources have the same starting resource unit with respect to each subband that each includes one of the multiple candidate PUCCH resources. In one embodiment, the first PUCCH resource configuration may indicate a resource format for each of the multiple candidate PUCCH resources for each of the multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities. In one embodiment, the multiple candidate PUCCH resources have the same resource format.

[0011] Aspects of the present application provide an apparatus for providing multiple PUCCH resources for UCI reporting. The apparatus may include a circuit configured to receive one or more PUCCH resource configurations from a BS in a wireless communication system, and determine a first PUCCH resource configuration from the one or more PUCCH resource configurations for reporting UCI. The first PUCCH resource configuration may indicate multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities in a bandwidth. UCI may be sent on at least one of the multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities indicated by the first PUCCH resource configuration.

[0012] Aspects of the present application provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for implementing a method for providing multiple PUCCH resources for UCI reporting.

[0013] According to the method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for providing multiple physical uplink control channel resources for uplink control information reporting provided in the present application, the reliability of UCI reporting can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Various embodiments of the present application, presented as examples, will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which:

[0015] Figure 1 A wireless communication system 100 and a UCI reporting process 130 according to some embodiments of the present application are shown;

[0016] Figure 2A A scenario is shown in which the wireless communication system 100 operates on an unlicensed frequency band 201;

[0017] Figure 2B A scenario is shown in which a plurality of candidate PUCCH resources 230-233 distributed in different subbands 210-213 are configured respectively;

[0018] Figure 3 An example of a PUCCH resource configuration 320, a PUCCH resource format configuration 330, and a PUCCH resource 301 is shown;

[0019] Figure 4 An example of a PUCCH resource set configuration 400 for HARQ-ACK feedback is shown;

[0020] Figure 5 An example of a process 500 for a UE 110 to determine which PUCCH resource from a selected set of PUCCH resources 510 should be used for HARQ-ACK feedback is shown;

[0021] Figure 6 An exemplary process 600 for providing PUCCH resources for HARQ-ACK feedback is shown;

[0022] Figure 7 An example of CSI reporting configuration 7 00 is shown;

[0023] Figure 8 An example process 800 is shown for providing a single PUCCH resource for CSI reporting;

[0024] Fig. 9 shows an example of a PUCCH resource configuration 930 providing multiple candidate PUCCH resources 920-922 for UCI reporting or PUCCH transmission according to some embodiments;

[0025] Fig.10 Another example of providing multiple candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023 for UCI reporting or PUCCH transmission according to some embodiments is shown;

[0026] Fig.11 Another example of providing multiple candidate PUCCH resources 1120-1123 for PUCCH transmission according to some embodiments is shown;

[0027] Fig.12 An example process 1200 of providing multiple PUCCH resources for H ARQ-ACK feedback according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0028] Fig.13 An example process 1300 of providing multiple PUCCH resources for CSI reporting according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0029] Fig.14 An example process 1400 is shown for providing multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities for UCI reporting or PUCCH transmission according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0030] Fig.15 An example apparatus 1500 is shown according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] I. Multiple PUCCH Resources for UCI Reporting

[0032] Figure 1A wireless communication system 100 according to some embodiments of the present application is shown. The wireless communication system 100 may include a UE 110 and a BS 120. In some instances, the wireless communication system 100 adopts the fifth-generation (5G) NR air interface developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 adopts other wireless communication technologies developed by various standard development organizations. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 adopts non-standardized wireless communication technologies.

[0033] In some examples, BS 120 may be a base station that implements a gNB node defined in the 5G NR air interface standard developed by 3GPP. In one example, BS 120 may be configured to control one or more antenna arrays to form a directional Tx or Rx beam for sending or receiving wireless signals. UE 110 may be a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a vehicle-mounted mobile communication device, a utility meter fixed at a specific location, etc. Similarly, in one example, UE 110 may employ one or more antenna arrays to generate a directional Tx or Rx beam for sending or receiving wireless signals. Depending on the air interface between BS 120 and UE 110, BS 120 and UE 110 may communicate with each other according to respective communication protocols.

[0034] In various embodiments, UE 110 may send (or report) UCI ​​on the PUCCH to support data transmission on a downlink transport channel or an uplink transport channel. The UCI may include HARQ-ACK for a received DL-SCH transport block (or transport subblock when code block grouping (CBG) is used), CSI related to downlink channel conditions useful for downlink scheduling, and SR indicating that UE 110 requires uplink resources for UP-SCH transmission.

[0035] UCI may be sent on PUCCH resources specifically allocated for PUCCH transmission. For example, PUCCH resources may be frequency domain and time domain physical transmission resources, such as multiple symbols and multiple physical resource blocks (PRBs) on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) resource grid.

[0036] In one embodiment (in Figure 1In the example shown in Figure 1 , corresponding to the UCI to be transmitted, the BS 120 configures the PUCCH resources to the UE 110. The configuration may be performed, for example, by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, a media access (MAC) layer control element (CE), downlink control information, or a combination thereof. Assuming that the wireless communication system 100 operates with a licensed spectrum, the configured PUCCH resources may be easily used for the UE 110. However, when an unlicensed spectrum is introduced into the wireless communication system 100, the configuration of a single PUCCH resource for UCI reporting on the unlicensed spectrum may be unreliable.

[0037] Figure 2A A scenario in which the wireless communication system 100 operates on an unlicensed band 201 is shown. The unlicensed band 201 is divided into subbands from 210 to 213, each subband having a bandwidth of 20 MHZ, for example. The BS 120 may configure the PUCCH resource 220 to the UE 110 for transmission of UCI. Before transmission of the UCI, the UE 110 may perform an access procedure (e.g., a listen before talk (LBT) access procedure) on each subband 210-213 to determine whether the subbands 210-213 are available. As shown in the figure, since the transmission activity of another transmitter is detected in subbands 211 and 213, the LBT access procedure may fail on subbands 211 and 213. On the contrary, since no transmission activity is detected in subbands 210 and 212, the LBT access procedure may succeed on subbands 210 and 212. Therefore, transmission is allowed on subbands 210 and 212, but not on subbands 211 and 213. When an LBT access procedure is performed before accessing subbands 210-213, subbands 210-213 may be referred to as LBT subbands.

[0038] When the PUCCH resource 220 is to be transmitted, the BS 120 may pre-schedule the PUCCH resource 220 without knowing whether each subband 211 is available. When it is determined that the subband 211 is not available, the transmission of the PUCCH resource 220 may have to be abandoned. Failure to feedback important information (e.g., HARQ-ACK) may degrade the performance of the wireless communication system 100.

[0039] To improve the reliability of UCI reporting on the licensed spectrum, in some examples, multiple PUCCH resources may be configured for UCI reporting or respective PUCCH transmissions. Figure 2BA scenario is shown in which multiple candidate PUCCH resources 230-233 are configured and distributed in different subbands 210-213, respectively. As shown, when subbands 210 and 212 are available due to the LBT access process, candidate PUCCH resources 230 and 232 can be used for UCI reporting. UE 110 can select a PUCCH resource (e.g., PUCCH resource 230) from the candidate PUCCH resources 230 and 232 to perform UCI transmission.

[0040] Figure 1 Shown corresponding to Figure 2B The present invention provides a UCI reporting process 130 for a scenario of a UCI reporting process 130. In a first step 131 of the process 130, the BS 120 may send configuration information of a plurality of PUCCH resources 230-233 for UCI reporting to the UE 110 through one or more signalings. Depending on the content of each UCI (e.g., HARQ-ACK or CSI) to be reported from the UE 110 to the BS 120 and the method for UCI reporting, different configurations may be provided in step 131. The UE 110 may determine or derive the plurality of PUCCH resources 230-233 accordingly. In a second step 132, the UE 110 may send UCI on a PUCCH resource selected from the plurality of PUCCH resources 230-233 configured in the first step 131 based on a result of the LBT access procedure.

[0041] In some embodiments, to enable configuration of multiple PUCCH resources distributed in different subbands, BS 120 may signal a set of PUCCH resource configurations to UE 110. Each PUCCH resource configuration may be identified by a PUCCH resource ID (also referred to as a PUCCH resource configuration ID). At least one subset of such PUCCH resource configurations may each indicate a plurality of candidate PUCCH resources within a slot in an OFDM resource grid for UCI reporting. In addition, a PUCCH resource set configuration (e.g., for HARQ-ACK feedback) or a CSI report configuration (e.g., for CSI reporting) may be signaled to UE 110. The PUCCH resource set configuration or the CSI report configuration may indicate some candidate PUCCH resource configurations, for example, by referring to some PUCCH resource IDs.

[0042] Therefore, when UCI reporting should be performed, UE 110 may select a PUCCH resource configuration from the candidate PUCCH resource configurations indicated by the PUCCH resource set configuration or the CSI report configuration. Since the PUCCH resource configuration may indicate multiple candidate PUCCH resources, UE 110 may obtain multiple PUCCH resources as candidates for UCI reporting.

[0043] Figure 2A-2BThe subbands 210-213 in the example may be included in a BWP or component carrier configured to the UE 110. In other instances, the subbands 210-213 may be configured as component carriers respectively and combined using a carrier aggregation scheme. In a further example, a scheme of multiple PUCCH resources for UCI reporting may be configured on a carrier in the licensed spectrum. In such a configuration, the LBT process is not performed before accessing the subband, and multiple PUCCH resources may be provided at different frequency and time locations to improve the reliability of the UCI report.

[0044] II. Single PUCCH Resource for UCI Reporting

[0045] 1. HARQ-ACK feedback with PUCCH resource configuration, each PUCCH resource configuration indicates a single PUCCH resource

[0046] Figure 3 An example of a PUCCH resource configuration 320, a PUCCH resource 301 specified by the PUCCH resource configuration 320, and a resource format configuration 330 referenced by the PUCCH resource configuration 320 to define the PUCCH resource 301 is shown. In particular, the PUCCH resource configuration 320 only provides a single PUCCH resource. As shown, the PUCCH resource configuration 320 can indicate a PUCCH resource ID 321, a starting PRB 322 in the frequency domain, a resource format 323, and other possible parameters. The resource format configuration 330 specifying the resource format 323 indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration 320 can indicate a starting symbol 331, a number of PRBs 332 (optional), a number of symbols (optional) 333, and other possible parameters. In some examples, when the number of PRBs 332 is equal to 1, the number of PRBs 332 can be omitted from the resource format configuration 330. Similarly, when the number of symbols 333 is equal to 1, the number of symbols 333 can be omitted.

[0047] As specified by the PUCCH resource configuration 320 and the resource format configuration 330, the PUCCH resource 301 is shown in the OFDM resource grid 310. The OFDM resource grid 310 may include a PRB sequence with an index (e.g., #0, #1, #2, etc.) for each PRB in the frequency domain, and a symbol sequence with an index (e.g., #0, #1, #2, etc.) for each symbol in the time domain. The PUCCH resource 301 may be located in a time slot including, for example, 14 symbols from index #0 to #13. For example, the PUCCH resource 301 has a PUCCH resource ID of #2, which starts from PRB #4 to PRB #11 (for 8 PRBs) in the frequency domain, and starts from symbol #2 to symbol #7 (for 6 symbols). As shown in the figure, through the PUCCH resource configuration, the PUCCH resources in the frequency domain and the time domain can be identified.

[0048] Figure 4 An example of a PUCCH resource set configuration 400 for HARQ-ACK feedback is shown. As shown, the PUCCH resource set configuration 400 can indicate multiple (e.g., up to 4) PUCCH resource sets (e.g., with #1, #2 labels, etc.). Each PUCCH resource set for HARQ-ACK reporting may include a PUCCH resource set ID (401), unique maximum UCI payload size information (402) (e.g., 2 bits, 10 bits, or 40 bits), and a resource list (403) including one or more PUCCH resource IDs. Figure 4 In the example of , the information of the maximum UCI payload size is indicated in the form of the maximum payload size minus 1 (expressed as maxPayloadMinus1). According to the PUCCH resource ID in the resource list (403), it is possible to identify Figure 3 The PUCCH resource configuration described in the example.

[0049] Figure 5 An example of a process 500 is shown for a UE 110 to determine which PUCCH resource from a selected PUCCH resource set 510 may be selected for HARQ-ACK feedback. For example, configuration information for a plurality of PUCCH resource sets (e.g., up to 4) may be received by the UE 110. During a first step, the UE 110 may select a PUCCH resource set 510 from the configured PUCCH resource sets based on a payload size of UCI to be transmitted. For example, the selected PUCCH resource set 510 may indicate a minimum maximum payload size that can accommodate the payload size to be transmitted in the configured PUCCH resource sets.

[0050] During the second step, based on an index (referred to as an indication index) from the DCI providing the downlink transmission, the UE 110 may select a PUCCH resource ID from a resource list 511 in the selected PUCCH resource set 510. The selection is shown in a mapping table 520, where different indices (hereinafter referred to as mapping indices) are associated with different PUCCH resource IDs. Based on the selected PUCCH resource ID, individual PUCCH resource configurations may be identified.

[0051] Each mapping index in the mapping table 520 may be explicitly indicated by an indication index conveyed by the UCI, or may be derived (implicitly indicated) based on the indication index conveyed by the UCI. For example, in one example, when the size of the resource list 511 is less than or equal to 8, the indication index in the PUCCH resource indicator field (e.g., having a length of 3 bits) in each DCI may be used as the mapping index in the mapping table 520. On the contrary, when the size of the resource list 511 is greater than 8 (e.g., 30), the mapping index used in the mapping table may be calculated based on the value of the PUCCH resource indicator field (indication index) and other parameters of the corresponding PDCCH reception associated with the DCI.

[0052] Figure 6 An exemplary process 600 for providing a single PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK feedback is shown. The process 600 may be performed at the UE 110. The wireless communication system 100 is used to explain the process 600. The process 600 may start at step S601 and proceed to S610.

[0053] At S610, configuration information indicating a plurality of PUCCH resource configurations respectively of a single PUCCH resource and one or more PUCCH resource sets may be received at the UE 110 from the BS 120, for example, through RRC signaling. The configuration information may be sent in a separate RRC message.

[0054] At S620, an indication index of a PUCCH resource indicator field in a DCI providing a downlink transmission may be received. For example, the downlink transmission may be a transmission of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) PDSCH release. The DCI associated with the downlink transmission may indicate a PUCCH resource configuration (which indicates a PUCCH resource) for received HARQ-ACK feedback for the downlink transmission by using a PUCCH resource indicator. In addition, the DCI may provide a time offset (e.g., in the form of a time slot or symbol) relative to the DCI or downlink transmission to indicate the timing of the PUCCH resources for HARQ-ACK feedback (e.g., which time slot).

[0055] The UCI carrying the HARQ-ACK feedback may be sent later on the indicated PUCCH resource in the indicated time slot. In some instances, the same PUCCH resource may be used to indicate multiple downlink transmissions on the same or different carriers occurring over multiple time periods, and the HARQ-ACK feedback for the multiple downlink transmissions may form a codebook and send the codebook using the indicated PUCCH resource. Therefore, the payload size of the UCI carrying the codebook may vary depending on the number of multiple downlink transmissions.

[0056] In some examples, BS 120 may request UE 120 to provide CSI reports and HARQ-ACK feedback for specific downlink transmissions, which may increase the payload size of UCI. In addition, UE 110 may need to send an SR to request uplink transmission resources. The SR may also be included in the UCI.

[0057] At S630 , a PUCCH resource set may be determined from the PUCCH resource sets configured at S610 based on a payload size of UCI, wherein the UCI includes at least HARQ-ACK feedback of the downlink transmission at S620 .

[0058] At S640, PUCCH resource configuration may be determined from the PUCCH resource set determined at S630 based on the indication index received at S620. For example, the indication index may explicitly or implicitly indicate a mapping index to a PUCCH resource ID on a PUCCH resource list in the PUCCH resource set determined at S630.

[0059] At S650, UCI may be sent on the PUCCH resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration determined at S640. Then, the process 600 may proceed to S699 and terminate at S699.

[0060] In process 600, a PUCCH resource set with a specific maximum UCI payload size may provide multiple PUCCH resource configurations suitable for different types of PUCCH structures. For example, compared to LTE, NR defines more flexible PUCCH structures for different applications and use cases. The duration of the NR PUCCH structure can be short or long. A short-duration PUCCH may span 1 symbol or 2 symbols in a time slot and be multiplexed with a downlink data channel or an uplink data channel in a time division multiplexing (TDM) manner. For example, a short-duration PUCCH may be inserted into the last part of a time slot to enable fast HARQ-ACK feedback. In contrast, a long-duration PUCCH may span 4 to 11 symbols and be multiplexed in a time slot in a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) manner. Therefore, a long-duration PUCCH may provide sufficient coverage and robustness required for certain use cases.

[0061] Therefore, at step S620 , BS 120 may determine an indication index corresponding to the PUCCH resource configuration based on each PUCCH structure suitable for a specific application, and optionally other parameters (eg, channel conditions, UE capabilities, etc.), and then provide the indication index to UE 110 .

[0062] 2. CSI report with PUCCH configuration, each PUCCH configuration indicates a single PUCCH resource

[0063] In some examples, UE 110 may perform CSI reporting according to a CSI reporting configuration. For example, a user equipment 110 operating on a carrier may be configured with one or more BWPs (e.g., up to 4 BWPs). Each BWP may be a set of contiguous PRBs selected from a carrier. As configured, each BWP may have a BWP ID, a specific frequency location, a size, a parameter set, and a control resource set (CORSET). Typically, one BWP is active among multiple configured BWPs at a given time. UE 110 may not send PUSCH or PUCCH on an inactive BWP. For the purpose of CSI reporting, the CSI reporting configuration may specify PUCCH resources for each BWP (e.g., specifying a PUCCH resource configuration ID). When operating in an active BWP, in response to a request from BS 120, UE 110 may determine the PUCCH resources configured in the active BWP and send a CSI report over the PUCCH resources.

[0064] Figure 7 An example of a CSI report configuration 700 is shown. In addition to other parameters, the CSI report configuration may also include a PUCCH CSI resource list 710. The PUCCH CSI resource list 710 may include one or more PUCCH CSI resources 711-713. Each PUCCH CSI resource may include a BWP ID and a PUCCH resource ID (or referred to as a PUCCH resource configuration ID). As can be seen, a PUCCH resource specified by a PUCCH resource configuration corresponding to each PUCCH resource ID may be configured for each BWP represented by a BWP ID.

[0065] Figure 8 An example process 800 is shown for providing a single PUCCH resource for CSI reporting of a BWP. The process 800 may be performed at a UE 110. The wireless communication system 100 is used to explain the process 800. The process 800 may start at step S801 and proceed to S810.

[0066] At S810, configuration information for CSI reporting may be received. The configuration information may include a PUCCH CSI resource list 1810, the PUCCH CSI resource list 1810 including one or more PUCCH CSI resources 1811-1813 in a component carrier. Each PUCCH CSI resource 1811-1813 specifies a PUCCH resource ID associated with a BWP ID. The configuration information may further include one or more PUCCH resource configurations, each PUCCH resource configuration being associated with a PUCCH resource ID. Each PUCCH resource configuration may indicate a single PUCCH resource. The configuration information may be sent from the BS 120 to the UE 110, for example, via one or more messages of RRC signaling.

[0067] UE 110 may operate on a carrier that is divided into multiple BWPs. Each BWP may be associated with a BWP ID indicated in the PUCCH CSI resource list. Thus, based on the PUCCH CSI resources received in the PUCCH CSI resource list, a PUCCH resource ID is determined for each BWP of the carrier using the respective BWP ID. Based on the PUCCH resource ID, a PUCCH resource configuration (and respective PUCCH resources) may be determined for each BWP.

[0068] BS 120 may request UE 110 to perform CSI reporting, for example, through RRC, MAC CE, or DCI signaling. The request from BS 120 may specify the timing (e.g., which time slot) for CSI reporting. Alternatively, the request from BS 120 may specify a timing sequence for UE 110 to periodically perform CSI reporting.

[0069] At S820, a BWP ID of an active BWP in a carrier may be determined in order to perform CSI reporting.

[0070] At S830 , the PUCCH CSI resources may be determined from the PUCCH CSI resource list received at S810 based on the BWP ID determined at S820 .

[0071] At S840, UCI including at least the CSI report may be sent at the indicated timing and on the PUCCH resources configured in the PUCCH CSI resources determined at S830. Process 800 may proceed to S899 and terminate at S899.

[0072] III. Multiple PUCCH Resources for UCI Reporting

[0073] In some embodiments, multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities may be provided. For example, PUCCH transmission may occur in a time slot (e.g., including 14 OFDM symbols). Multiple candidate PUCCH resources corresponding to the timing of frequency domain transmission may be configured in the time slot. Multiple candidate PUCCH resources may be distributed in different subbands within the bandwidth. For example, multiple subbands may be included in a BWP or a component carrier. Alternatively, each of the multiple subbands may be a component carrier and may be combined using a carrier aggregation scheme. Multiple subbands may be part of an authorized spectrum or an unlicensed spectrum. The LBT access process may be performed before accessing a subband of an unlicensed spectrum.

[0074] In order to provide multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities (or multiple candidate PUCCH resources) for PUCCH transmission, a PUCCH resource configuration indicating multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities may be used. For example, the PUCCH resource configuration may include information about one or more frequency domain transmission opportunities within the bandwidth. For each frequency domain transmission opportunity, the candidate PUCCH resources may be specified by the PUCCH resource configuration. For example, the starting resource unit and resource format in the frequency domain may be indicated for each frequency domain transmission opportunity (or each candidate PUCCH resource) for PUCCH transmission.

[0075] Additionally, in various embodiments, the resource formats (eg, resource sizes in the frequency domain and the time domain, or the starting resource unit in the time domain) for different candidate PUCCH resources may be the same or may be different.

[0076] Fig. 9 An example of a PUCCH resource configuration 930 is shown that provides multiple candidate PUCCH resources 920-922 for UCI reporting or PUCCH transmission according to some embodiments.

[0077] As shown, multiple sub-bands 910-913 are divided from bandwidth 901. Bandwidth 901 can be a single carrier or BWP. Sub-bands 910-913 can be unlicensed or licensed spectrum. As an example, each of sub-bands 910-913 is shown to have a bandwidth of 20 MHz.

[0078] In order to improve the reliability of PUCCH transmission, multiple candidate PUCCH resources 920-922 distributed in different subbands 910 / 911 / 913 and in the same time slot are configured. For example, the LBT access process can be performed before accessing subbands 910-913 (not in Fig. 9 The candidate PUCCH resources allocated on the available subbands may be used for PUCCH transmission at the intended time slot.

[0079] The configuration of multiple candidate PUCCH resources 920-922 can be specified through a PUCCH resource configuration 930. As shown in the figure, the PUCCH resource configuration can indicate a PUCCH resource ID (or PUCCH resource configuration ID) 931 represented by a PUCCH resource ID equal to #2. The PUCCH resource ID or PUCCH resource configuration ID (e.g., #2) is shared by multiple candidate PUCCH resources 920-922. The PUCCH resource configuration can further indicate a starting resource unit 932 in the frequency domain. For example, the starting resource unit 932 in the frequency domain can be represented by a starting PRB and provided in the form of a PRB index. The PRB index can be an index number of the frequency domain starting resource unit relative to the subband.

[0080] The PUCCH resource configuration 930 may further include a resource format 933 (eg, PUCCH-Format 2). The resource format 933 may be configured with a PUCCH format (eg, similar to Figure 3 The PUCCH resource configuration 930 may further include subband allocation information 934. For example, in the subband allocation information 934 (represented by subband allocation (subbandAllocation)), a list of subband IDs (e.g., #0, #1, and #3) may be provided, indicating which subbands among subbands 910-913 are allocated with candidate PUCCH resources. Based on the starting resource unit 932, the resource format 933, and the subband allocation information 934, the candidate PUCCH resources may be allocated as follows: Fig. 9 Candidate PUCCH resources are determined as shown 920-922. In some examples, the PUCCH resource configuration may include other parameters.

[0081] Notice, Fig. 9 The example shown is only one specific example. In other examples, the PUCCH resource configuration 930 may take different forms, and the individual PUCCH resources 920-922 indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration 930 may take different shapes / positions. Fig. 9 As shown, candidate PUCCH resources 920-922 of similar size and starting resource units in the frequency domain and the time domain are configured in different subbands 910 / 911 / 913, but in other embodiments, candidate PUCCH resources with different sizes and positions can be configured for different subbands. For another example, in the PUCCH resource configuration in different forms, resource configuration information can be provided for each subband listed in the subband allocation information 934.

[0082] Fig.10Another example of providing multiple candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023 for UCI reporting or PUCCH transmission according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, the candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023 can be distributed in the bandwidth 1001 and have different frequency domain starting resource units identified by respective starting PRBs 1010-1013. The candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023 can be located within a time slot in the time domain (e.g., having 14 OFDM symbols). The candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023 can have the same resource format (e.g., format 3).

[0083] The PUCCH resource configuration may be sent to UE 110 to Fig.10 The candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023 in the PUCCH are configured to the UE 110. The PUCCH resource configuration may indicate the frequency domain starting resource unit of the candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023, for example, by specifying the index of the starting PRB 1010-1013. In addition, the PUCCH resource configuration may indicate the resource format (e.g., format 3) of the PUCCH resources 1020-1023.

[0084] When UE 110 is to send a UCI report to BS 120 at an expected time slot, it may select a PUCCH resource configuration (e.g., identified by a PUCCH resource ID) among other PUCCH resource configurations sent to UE 110. UE 110 may further select at least one of candidate PUCCH resources 1020-1023 to send a UCI report at an expected time slot.

[0085] Fig.11 Another example of providing multiple candidate PUCCH resources 1120-1123 for PUCCH transmission according to some embodiments is shown. Fig.10 In the example of , PUCCH resources 1120-1123 may be allocated within bandwidth 1101 and have frequency domain starting resource units at starting PRBs 1110-1113, respectively. However, different candidate PUCCH resources 1120-1123 may be configured with different resource formats. As shown, candidate PUCCH resources 1120 and 1123 have resource formats of format 3, while candidate PUCCH resources 1121 and 1122 have resource formats of format 1 and format 2, respectively. Therefore, different PUCCH resources may have different sizes in the frequency domain and the time domain and different positions in the time domain.

[0086] Similarly, the candidate PUCCH resources 1120-1123 may be configured to the UE 110 by sending a PUCCH resource configuration via higher layer signaling (eg, RRC signaling). The PUCCH resource configuration may specify parameters (eg, frequency domain starting resource unit, resource format, etc.) for indicating the candidate PUCCH resources 1120-1123.

[0087] Fig.12 1 shows an example process 1200 of providing multiple PUCCH resources for HARQ-ACK feedback according to an embodiment of the present application. The process 1200 may be performed at the UE 110. The process 1200 is described by taking the wireless communication system 100 as an example. Figure 6 The process 600 in the example is compared, and the differences between the descriptions of the process 1200 and the process 600 are highlighted with underlining. The process 1200 starts from S1201 and proceeds to S1210.

[0088] At S1210, UE 110 may receive configuration information of multiple PUCCH resource configurations and one or more PUCCH resource sets from BS 120, which is similar to Figure 6 S610 in the example. However, Fig. 9 As described in the example, each PUCCH resource configuration may indicate one or more candidate PUCCH resources.

[0089] The steps from S1220 to S1240 can be similar to Figure 6 Steps from S620 to S640 in the example. As a result of steps S1220-1240, a PUCCH resource configuration is determined from a plurality of PUCCH resource configurations received at S1210 for reporting UCI including at least HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0090] In S1250, if the PUCCH resource configuration determined in S1240 indicates multiple candidate PUCCH resources, UCI is sent using at least one of the multiple candidate PUCCH resources. For example, UE 110 may select one or more PUCCH resources from multiple candidate PUCCH resources for UCI reporting. For example, one copy of UCI may be sent using one or more PUCCH resources, or multiple copies of UCI may be sent using multiple PUCCH resources. Process 1200 may proceed to S1299 and terminate at S1299.

[0091] Fig.13An example process 1300 for providing multiple PUCCH resources for CSI reporting according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Similar to process 1200, process 1300 can be performed at UE 110. Wireless communication system 100 is used as an example to illustrate process 1300. Process 1300 is compared with Figure 8 The process 800 in the example is compared, and the differences between the descriptions of the process 1300 and the process 800 are highlighted with underlining. The process 1300 starts from S1301 and proceeds to S1310.

[0092] At S1310, similar to Figure 8 In S810 of the example, configuration information for CSI reporting may be received.

[0093] The received CSI reporting configuration may include a resource list including one or more PUCCH CSI resources. Each PUCCH CSI resource may indicate a PUCCH resource configuration (eg, ID) for a BWP. Figure 8 indication

[0094] Different examples, each PUCCH resource configuration can indicate Figure 9-11 One or more candidate PUCCH resources described in the example.

[0095] Steps S1320 and S1330 may be similar to Figure 8 S820 and S830 in the example. The PUCCH CSI resource may be determined at S1330 by referring to the PUCCH resource configuration ID.

[0096] At S1340, if the determined PUCCH CSI resource indicates a plurality of candidate PUCCH resources, UCI including at least a CIS report may be transmitted on at least one 0 of the plurality of candidate PUCCH resources configured in the PUCCH CSI resource determined at S1330. Process 1300 may proceed to S1399 and terminate at S1399.

[0097] Fig.14 An example process 1400 for providing multiple frequency domain transmission opportunities for UCI reporting or PUCCH transmission according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The process 1400 may be performed at the UE 110. The wireless communication system 100 is used to explain the process 1400. The process 1400 may start from S1401 and proceed to S1410.

[0098] In S1410, one or more PUCCH resource configurations may be received from BS 120 at UE 110 in wireless communication system 100. In some examples, each PUCCH resource configuration may indicate a plurality of frequency domain transmission opportunities within a time slot in an OFDM resource grid. The plurality of frequency domain transmission opportunities may be a plurality of candidate PUCCH resources distributed in a bandwidth in the frequency domain and in a time slot in the time domain.

[0099] Each PUCCH resource configuration may indicate a starting resource unit in the frequency domain for each of the plurality of candidate PUCCH resources, and indicate the same or different resource format for each of the plurality of candidate PUCCH resources. In some examples, the bandwidth may include subbands (e.g., LBT subbands), and all or part of the subbands may be indicated in each PUCCH resource configuration and associated with one of the plurality of candidate PUCCH resources.

[0100] In some examples, only a subset of the received PUCCH resource configurations indicate multiple frequency-domain transmission opportunities.

[0101] At S1420, a first PUCCH resource configuration is determined from the one or more PUCCH resource configurations received at S1210 for reporting UCI. UCI will be sent from UE 110 to BS 120 via PUCCH transmission on a time slot. The first PUCCH resource configuration may indicate a plurality of frequency domain transmission opportunities in a bandwidth for PUCCH transmission on a time slot.

[0102] In the first scenario, the UCI may include at least one HARQ-ACK feedback. In the first scenario, the UE 110 may further receive a PUCCH resource set configuration defining a set of PUCCH resource sets. Subsequently, the PUCCH resource set configuration may be configured similar to Fig.12 The operations of steps S1220 to S1240 in the example determine the first PUCCH resource configuration.

[0103] In the second scenario, the UCI may include at least a CSI report of the BWP. In the second scenario, the UE 110 may also receive a CSI report configuration indicating a plurality of PUCCH resource configurations each associated with a BWP. Subsequently, the CSI report configuration may be configured similar to Fig.13 The operations of steps S1320 to S1230 in the example determine the first PUCCH resource configuration.

[0104] In other scenarios, the first PUCCH resource configuration for reporting UCI may be determined in a manner different from the first scenario or the second scenario.

[0105] At S1430, UCI for HARQ feedback or CSI reporting may be transmitted on at least one of the plurality of frequency-domain transmission opportunities indicated by the first PUCCH resource configuration. Process 1400 may proceed to S1499 and terminate at S1499.

[0106] IV. Apparatus and Computer-Readable Medium

[0107] Fig.15 An example device 1500 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The device 1500 can be configured to perform various functions according to one or more embodiments or examples described in the present application. Therefore, the device 1500 can provide a device for implementing the mechanisms, techniques, processes, functions, components, and systems described in the present application. For example, in the various embodiments and examples described in the present application, the device 1500 can be used to implement the functions of a UE or a BS. The device 1500 may include a general-purpose processor or a specially designed circuit to implement the various functions, components, or processes described herein in various embodiments. The device 1500 may include a processing circuit 1510, a memory 1520, and a radio frequency (RF) module 1530.

[0108] In various examples, processing circuit 1510 may include circuitry configured to perform the functions and processes described herein in conjunction with or without software. In various examples, processing circuit 1510 may be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital enhancement circuit, or the like, or a combination thereof.

[0109] In some other examples, the processing circuit 1510 may be a central processing unit (CPU) configured to execute program instructions to perform various functions and processes described in the present application. Therefore, the memory 1520 may be configured to store program instructions. When executing the program instructions, the processing circuit 1510 can perform functions and processes. The memory 1520 may further store other programs or data, such as operating systems, applications, etc. The memory 1520 may include non-temporary storage media, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, solid-state memory, hard disk drive, optical disk drive, and the like.

[0110] In one embodiment, the RF module 1530 receives the processed data signal from the processing circuit 1510 and converts the data signal into a beamforming wireless signal, which is then transmitted via the antenna array 1540, or vice versa. The RF module 1530 may include a digital to analog converter (DAC), an analog to digital converter (ADC), an up-converter, a down-converter, a filter, and an amplifier for receiving and transmitting operations. The RF module 1530 may include a multi-antenna circuit for beamforming operations. For example, the multi-antenna circuit may include an uplink spatial filter circuit and a downlink spatial filter circuit for shifting the phase of an analog signal or scaling the amplitude of an analog signal. The antenna array 1540 may include one or more antenna arrays.

[0111] The apparatus 1500 may optionally include other components, such as input and output devices, additional or signal processing circuits, etc. Thus, the apparatus 1500 may be capable of performing other additional functions, such as executing application programs, and processing alternative communication protocols.

[0112] The process and function described in this application can be implemented as a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by one or more processors, the computer program can cause one or more processors to perform corresponding processes and functions. The computer program can be stored or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium provided together with other hardware or as a part of the other hardware. The computer program can also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunications systems. For example, a computer program can be obtained and loaded into a device, including obtaining the computer program by a physical medium or a distributed system (including, for example, from a server connected to the Internet).

[0113] A computer program can be accessed from a computer-readable medium that provides program instructions used by or in combination with a computer or any instruction execution system. A computer-readable medium may include any device that stores, communicates, propagates, or transmits a computer program for use by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device, or equipment. A computer-readable medium may be a magnetic, optical, electronic, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or device or equipment) or a propagation medium. A computer-readable medium may include a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium, such as a semiconductor or solid-state memory, a magnetic tape, a removable computer disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a disk, and an optical disk. A computer-readable non-temporary storage medium may include all types of computer-readable media, including magnetic storage media, optical storage media, flash memory media, and solid-state storage media.

[0114] Although the various aspects of the present application have been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present application proposed as examples, the examples may be substituted, modified and changed. Therefore, the embodiments set forth in the present application are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. A method for providing multiple physical uplink control channel resources for uplink control information reporting, comprising: receiving, at a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, one or more physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configurations from a base station (BS), each PUCCH resource configuration being associated with a resource index, each PUCCH resource configuration indicating a plurality of physical resources distributed in different subbands configured to the UE; receiving a PUCCH resource set including a resource index list of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations; determining, based on a PUCCH resource indication signaled from the BS, a first resource index from among the resource indices included in the PUCCH resource set; determining a first PUCCH resource from the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the first resource index; as well as Uplink control information (UCI) is sent on a first PUCCH resource determined by the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the first resource index.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a channel state information (CSI) reporting configuration indicating one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs), each bandwidth part being associated with one of the resource indices of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations, the UE operating on a first BWP of the one or more BWPs; Determine a second resource index, where the second resource index is the resource index corresponding to the first BWP on which the UE operates; Determine a second PUCCH resource from the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the second resource index; and Send a CSI report on the second PUCCH resource.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a plurality of subbands, each subband being configured with one of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a starting resource unit in the frequency domain for each of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The multiple physical resources indicated by each PUCCH resource configuration have the same starting resource unit.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a resource format for each of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The multiple physical resources indicated by each PUCCH resource configuration have the same resource format.

8. An apparatus for providing a plurality of physical uplink control channel resources for uplink control information reporting, comprising: A processing circuit is coupled to a memory, wherein the memory stores program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed by the processing circuit, the device performs the following operations: receiving one or more physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configurations from a base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, each PUCCH resource configuration being associated with a resource index, each PUCCH resource configuration indicating a plurality of physical resources distributed in different subbands configured for a UE; receiving a PUCCH resource set including a resource index list of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations; determining, based on a PUCCH resource indication signaled from the BS, a first resource index from among the resource indices included in the PUCCH resource set; determining a first PUCCH resource from the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the first resource index; as well as Uplink control information (UCI) is sent on a first PUCCH resource determined by the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the first resource index.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The processing circuit is further configured to: receiving a channel state information (CSI) reporting configuration indicating one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs), each bandwidth part being associated with one of the resource indices of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations, the UE operating on a first BWP of the one or more BWPs; Determine a second resource index, where the second resource index is the resource index corresponding to the first BWP on which the UE operates; Determine a second PUCCH resource from the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the second resource index; and Send a CSI report on the second PUCCH resource.

10. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a plurality of subbands, each subband being configured with one of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

11. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a starting resource unit in the frequency domain for each of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The multiple physical resources indicated by each PUCCH resource configuration have the same starting resource unit.

13. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a resource format for each of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that The multiple physical resources indicated by each PUCCH resource configuration have the same resource format.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising: receiving one or more physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configurations from a base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, each PUCCH resource configuration being associated with a resource index, each PUCCH resource configuration indicating a plurality of physical resources distributed in different subbands configured for a UE; receiving a PUCCH resource set including a resource index list of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations; determining, based on a PUCCH resource indication signaled from the BS, a first resource index from among the resource indices included in the PUCCH resource set; determining a first PUCCH resource from the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the first resource index; as well as Uplink control information (UCI) is sent on a first PUCCH resource determined by the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the first resource index.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein: The method further comprises: receiving a channel state information (CSI) reporting configuration indicating one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs), each bandwidth part being associated with one of the resource indices of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations, the UE operating on a first BWP of the one or more BWPs; Determine a second resource index, where the second resource index is the resource index corresponding to the first BWP on which the UE operates; Determine a second PUCCH resource from the plurality of physical resources indicated by the PUCCH resource configuration associated with the second resource index; and Send a CSI report on the second PUCCH resource.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein: Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a plurality of subbands, each subband being configured with one of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a starting resource unit in the frequency domain for each of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein: The multiple physical resources indicated by each PUCCH resource configuration have the same starting resource unit.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein: Each of the one or more PUCCH resource configurations indicates a resource format for each of the plurality of physical resources indicated by the corresponding PUCCH resource configuration.

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