Physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) reliability enhancements

Abstract

The present disclosure describes the following enhancements to improve PDCCH reliability: PDCCH aggregation and multi-beam PDCCH reception for 5G wireless communication systems. The disclosed techniques entail obtaining a repeated PDCCH by processing a PDCCH-Config, ControlResourceSet, or SearchSpace configuration parameter that includes an information element (IE) indicating the number of consecutive slots in which the PDCCH is repeated. In another implementation, a gNB generates a PDCCH-Config, ControlResourceSet, or SearchSpace configuration parameter for configuring a UE to receive a repeated PDCCH and employ multi-beam PDCCH reception.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates generally to wireless communication systems, including PDCCH aggregation and multi-beam PDCCH reception. BACKGROUND

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to transmit data between base stations and wireless mobile devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols can include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G) or New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, which is commonly referred to as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); and the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless local area networks (WLANs), which is commonly referred to as Wi-Fi. In a 3GPP radio access network (RAN) in an LTE system, base stations can comprise RAN nodes such as the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly denoted as evolved Node B, enhanced Node B, eNode B, or eNB) and / or a radio network controller (RNC) in the E-UTRAN, which communicate with wireless communication devices known as user equipment (UE). In a fifth generation (5G) wireless RAN, RAN nodes can comprise 5G nodes, NR nodes (also referred to as next generation Node Bs or g NodeBs (gNBs)).

[0003] A RAN uses a radio access technology (RAT) to communicate between RAN nodes and UEs. A RAN can comprise a global system for mobile communications (GSM), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), and / or E-UTRAN, which provide access to communication services through a core network. Each RAN in a RAN operates according to a particular 3GPP RAT. For example, a GERAN implements GSM and / or EDGE RAT, a UTRAN implements universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RAT, an E-UTRAN implements LTE RAT, and an NG-RAN implements 5G RAT. In certain deployments, an E-UTRAN can also implement 5G RAT.

[0004] The frequency bands of 5G NR can be split into two different frequency ranges. Frequency Range 1 (FR1) can include frequency bands below 6 GHz that can be used by previous standards and can potentially be extended to cover a new spectrum product from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz. Frequency Range 2 (FR2) can include frequency bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. The bands in the millimeter wave (mmWave) range of FR2 can have a smaller range than the bands in FR1 but potentially a higher available bandwidth. The skilled person will recognize that these frequency ranges, provided by way of example, can vary over time or by region. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005] To facilitate discussion of any particular element or act, one or more of the most significant digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.

[0006] Figure 1 A system is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 An excerpt of the PDCCH-Config definition is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 3 An excerpt of the ControlResourceSet definition is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 4 An excerpt of the SearchSpace definition is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 5 A DCI transmission embodiment of PDCCH aggregation is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 6 An example PDCCH repetition in several slots is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 7 An example of skipping repetitions is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 8 An example of different repetitions to be received with different beams is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 9 An excerpt of the ControlResourceSet definition is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 10 A component 1000 is shown in accordance with one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] A CORESET is a set of physical resources (i.e., a specific region on the NR downlink resource grid) and a set of parameters for carrying PDCCH / Downlink Control Information (DCI). It is equivalent to the LTE PDCCH region (first 1, 2, 3, 4 OFDM symbols in a subframe). In the existing PDCCH design, a CORESET is configured by ControlResourceSet for the frequency domain resource allocation of the CORESET and the duration of the CORESET (i.e., 1 / 2 / 3 symbols).

[0017] The existing design is summarized as follows. For multi-Downlink Control Information (DCI) multi-Transmit-Receive Point (TRP) operation, a maximum of 5 CORESETs can be configured per bandwidth part (BWP). For all other operations, a maximum of 3 CORESETs can be configured per BWP. A maximum of 4 BWPs can be configured per component carrier (CC). A maximum of 16 CORESETs can be configured in total per CC. A SearchSpace is configured for the time domain pattern of PDCCH monitoring. Each SearchSpace contains only one CORESET. A maximum of 10 SearchSpaces can be configured per BWP per CC.

[0018] In some previous attempts, PDCCH beams can be updated. For example, in Rel-15, one MAC Control Element (CE) is able to update the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) of a CORESET (PDCCH) with the same ID. In Rel-16, the same MAC CE can update the TCI of a CORESET with the ID indicated in the CC list.

[0019] However, PDCCH reliability is limited due to the following reasons. The maximum duration of a PDCCH is only 3 symbols. Each CORESET can be configured with only one beam without multi-beam diversity. PDCCH aggregation is also not supported. Therefore, the present disclosure describes the following enhancements to improve PDCCH reliability: PDCCH aggregation and multi-beam PDCCH reception.

[0020] Figure 1 An exemplary architecture of a system 100 of a network in accordance with various embodiments is shown. The following description is provided for an example system 100 that operates in conjunction with the LTE system standards and 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP Technical Specifications. However, the example embodiments are not limited in this regard and the described embodiments can apply to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G)) systems, IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), etc.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, system 100 includes UE 122 and UE 120. In this example, UE 122 and UE 120 are exemplified as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as consumer electronics devices, mobile phones, smartphones, feature phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, wireless handheld devices, desktop computers, laptop computers, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), in-vehicle entertainment (ICE) devices, instrument cluster (IC), head-up display (HUD) devices, onboard diagnostic (OBD) devices, dashboard mobile equipment (DME), mobile data terminal (MDT), electronic engine management system (EEMS), electronic / engine control unit (ECU), electronic / engine control module (ECM), embedded systems, microcontrollers, control modules, engine management system (EMS), connected or “smart” appliances, MTC devices, M2M, IoT devices, etc.

[0022] In some implementations, UE 122 and / or UE 120 may be IoT UEs, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with short-lived UE connections. IoT UEs may utilize technologies such as M2M or MTC to exchange data with MTC servers or devices via PLMN, ProSe, or D2D communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks. M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. An IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure) with short-lived connections. IoT UEs may execute background applications (e.g., keeping track of activity messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0023] UE 122 and UE 120 can be configured to connect to an access node or radio access node (shown as (R)AN 108), for example, through communication coupling. In implementations, (R)AN 108 can be an NG RAN or SG RAN, E-UTRAN, or a legacy RAN such as UTRAN or GERAN. As used herein, the term "NG RAN," etc., can refer to (R)AN 108 operating in an NR or SG system, and the term "E-UTRAN," etc., can refer to (R)AN 108 operating in an LTE or 4G system. UE 122 and UE 120 utilize connections (or channels) (shown as connection 104 and connection 102, respectively), each connection (or channel) including a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below).

[0024] In this example, connection 104 and connection 102 are air interfaces for enabling communicative coupling and can conform to a cellular communication protocol, such as a GSM protocol, a CDMA network protocol, a PTT protocol, a POC protocol, a UMTS protocol, a 3 GPP LTE protocol, an SG protocol, an NR protocol, and / or any other communication protocol discussed herein. In embodiments, UE 122 and UE 120 can exchange communication data directly via ProSe interface 110. ProSe interface 110 can alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface 110 and can include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a PSCCH, a PSSCH, a PSDCH, and a PSBCH.

[0025] UE 120 is illustrated as being configured to access an AP 112 (also referred to as“WLAN node,”“WLAN,”“WLAN terminal,”“WT,” or the like) via connection 124. Connection 124 can include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, wherein the AP 112 would include a wireless fidelity router. In this example, the AP 112 can be connected to the Internet without connecting to the core network (described in further detail below) of the wireless system. In various embodiments, the UE 120, (R)AN 108, and AP 112 can be configured to utilize LWA operation and / or LWIP operation. The LWA operation can involve the UE 120 in RRC CONNECTED being configured to utilize radio resources of LTE and WLAN by the RAN node 114 or RAN node 116. The LWIP operation can involve the UE 120 using the WLAN radio resources (e.g., connection 124) via IPsec protocol tunnel to authenticate and encrypt packets (e.g., IP packets) sent over connection 124. IPsec tunneling can include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header, thereby protecting the original header of the IP packet.

[0026] The (R)AN 108 can include one or more AN nodes, such as RAN nodes 114 and RAN nodes 116, that enable connectivity to the core network 104 and to the 5G core network 112. As used herein, the terms“access node,”“access point” and the like can describe equipment that provides the radio baseband functions for data and / or voice connectivity between a network and one or more users. These access nodes can be referred to as BS, gNBs, RAN nodes, eNBs, NodeBs, RSUs, TRxPs, or TRPs, and the like, and can include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations providing coverage over a geographic area (e.g., a cell) or region. As used herein, the term“NG RAN node” or the like can refer to a RAN node (e.g., gNB) operating in an NR or SG system, while the term“E-UTRAN node” or the like can refer to a RAN node (e.g., eNB) operating in an LTE or 4G system 100. According to various embodiments, the RAN nodes 114 or 116 can be implemented as one or more of dedicated physical devices such as macrocell base stations and / or low-power (LP) base stations for providing femtocells, picocells, or other like cells with relatively small coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth.

[0027] In some embodiments, all or part of the RAN nodes 114 or 116 can be implemented as one or more software entities running on server computers as part of a virtual network, which can be referred to as a CRAN and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In these embodiments, the CRAN or vBBUP can implement a RAN function split, such as a PDCP split, where RRC and PDCP layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, while other L2 protocol entities are operated by individual RAN nodes (e.g., RAN nodes 114 or 116); a MAC / PHY split, where RRC, PDCP, RLC, and MAC layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and the PHY layer is operated by individual RAN nodes (e.g., RAN nodes 114 or 116); or a “lower PHY” split, where RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC layers, and upper portions of the PHY layer are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and lower portions of the PHY layer are operated by individual RAN nodes. This virtualized framework allows the free Figure 1(not shown) connected to the gNB-CU. In these implementations the gNB-DU can include one or more remote radio heads or RFEMs and the gNB-CU can be operated by a server (not shown) located in the (R)AN 108 or by a pool of servers in a similar manner as CRAN / vBBUP. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more of RAN nodes 114 or RAN nodes 116 can be a Next Generation eNB (ng-eNB), which is a RAN node providing E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminations and that is connected to a 5G Core via an NG interface (discussed infra) for UEs 120 and 122. In V2X scenarios, one or more of RAN nodes 114 or RAN nodes 116 can be a RSU or function as a RSU.

[0028] The term“roadside unit” or“RSU” can refer to any transportation infrastructure entity used for V2X communications. An RSU can be implemented in or by a suitable RAN node or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE, where an RSU implemented in or by a UE can be referred to as a“UE-type RSU,” an RSU implemented in or by an eNB can be referred to as an“eNB-type RSU,” an RSU implemented in or by a gNB can be referred to as a“gNB-type RSU,” and the like. In one example, an RSU is a computing device coupled with radio frequency circuitry located on a roadside, which provides connectivity support to passing vehicle UEs (vUEs). The RSU can also include internal data storage circuitry to store intersection map geometry, traffic statistics, media, as well as applications / software for sensing and controlling ongoing vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The RSU can operate on the 5.9 GHz Direct Short Range Communications (DSRC) band to provide extremely low latency communications required for high-speed events, such as crash avoidance, traffic warnings, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the RSU can operate on the cellular V2X frequency band to provide the foregoing low latency communications as well as other cellular communications services. Additionally or alternatively, the RSU can operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot (2.4 GHz band) and / or provide connectivity to one or more cellular networks to provide uplink and downlink communications. Some or all of the computing device and RSU’s radio frequency circuitry can be encapsulated in a weatherproof package suitable for outdoor installation and can include a network interface controller to provide wired connectivity (e.g., Ethernet) to a traffic signal controller and / or a backhaul network.

[0029] The RAN nodes 114 and / or the RAN nodes 116 can terminate the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for the UEs 122 and 120. In some embodiments, the RAN nodes 114 and / or the RAN nodes 116 can perform various logical functions for the RAN 108 including, but not limited to, radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0030] In embodiments, the UEs 122 and 120 can be configured to communicate using OFDM communication signals with each other or with the RAN nodes 114 and / or the RAN nodes 116 over a multicarrier communication channel in accordance with various communication techniques, such as, but not limited to, OFDMA communication techniques (e.g., for downlink communications) or SC-FDMA communication techniques (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communications), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signals can comprise a plurality of orthogonal subcarriers.

[0031] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from the RAN nodes 114 and / or the RAN nodes 116 to the UEs 122 and 120, while uplink transmissions can utilize a similar approach. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which is the physical resource in the downlink in each slot. For an OFDM system, such a time-frequency plane representation is a common practice. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain is reflected in the number of subcarriers in the frequency domain. The smallest time-frequency unit in a resource grid is denoted as a resource element. Each star of resource elements in the time-frequency plane is denoted as a resource block, which represents the smallest time-frequency unit that can be allocated to a UE. The frequency domain resource allocation can thus be expressed in terms of one or more resource blocks.

[0032] According to various embodiments, the UEs 122 and 120 and the RAN nodes 114 and / or the RAN nodes 116 transmit data (e.g., transmit data and receive data) over a licensed medium (also referred to as a “licensed spectrum” and / or a “licensed band”) and an unlicensed shared medium (also referred to as an “unlicensed spectrum” and / or an “unlicensed band”). The licensed spectrum can include channels that operate in the frequency range of approximately 400 MHz to approximately 3.8 GHz, while the unlicensed spectrum can include the 5 GHz band.

[0033] To operate in the unlicensed spectrum, UEs 122 and 120 and RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 can operate using LAA, eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these implementations, UEs 122 and 120 and RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 can perform one or more known clear channel assessment (CCA) check procedures before transmitting in the unlicensed spectrum to determine if one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum is unavailable or otherwise occupied. The CCA check procedures can be performed according to a listen before talk (LBT) protocol.

[0034] LBT is a mechanism by which equipment (e.g., UEs 122 and 120, RAN node 114 or RAN node 116, etc.) senses a medium (e.g., a channel or carrier frequency) and transmits when the medium is sensed to be idle (or when a specific channel in the medium is sensed to be unoccupied). The medium sensing operation can include a CCA, which utilizes at least ED to determine if there are other signals on the channel in order to determine if the channel is occupied or clear. The LBT mechanism allows cellular / LAA networks to coexist with incumbent systems in the unlicensed spectrum, as well as with other LAA networks. The ED can include sensing RF energy in the intended transmission band for a period of time and comparing the sensed RF energy to a predefined or configured threshold.

[0035] Generally, incumbent systems in the 5 GHz band are WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 technology. The WLAN employs a contention-based channel access mechanism called CSMA / CA. Here, when a WLAN node (e.g., mobile station (MS), such as UE 122, AP 112, etc.) intends to transmit, the WLAN node can first perform a CCA before transmission. Additionally, in the case that more than one WLAN node senses the channel to be idle and transmits at the same time, a backoff mechanism is used to avoid collision. The backoff mechanism can be a counter that is randomly introduced within a CWS, which is increased exponentially upon a collision and reset to a minimum value upon successful transmission. The LBT mechanism designed for LAA is somewhat similar to the CSMA / CA of WLAN. In some implementations, the LBT procedure for a DL or UL transmission burst (comprising PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions) can have a variable length LAA contention window between X and Y ECCA slots, where X and Y are the minimum and maximum values of the CWS for LAA. In one example, the minimum CWS for LAA transmissions can be 9 microseconds (ps); however, the size of the CWS and MCOT (e.g., transmission burst) can be based on government regulatory requirements.

[0036] The LAA mechanisms build on the CA techniques of LTE-Advanced systems. In CA, each aggregated carrier is referred to as a CC. A CC can have a bandwidth of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 MHz, and up to five CCs can be aggregated, resulting in a maximum aggregated bandwidth of 100 MHz. In FDD systems, the number of aggregated carriers can be different for DL and UL, with the number of UL CCs being equal to or lower than the number of DL component carriers. In some cases, individual CCs can have a different bandwidth than other CCs. In TDD systems, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC is normally the same for DL and UL.

[0037] CA also contains individual serving cells to provide individual CCs. The coverage of the serving cells can differ, for example, because CCs on different frequency bands will experience different pathloss. A primary serving cell or a PCell can provide a PCC for both UL and DL, and can handle RRC and NAS related activities. Other serving cells are referred to as SCells, and each SCell can provide individual SCCs for both UL and DL. SCCs can be added and removed as required, while changing the PCC can require the UE 122 to undergo a handover. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCells can operate in unlicensed spectrum (referred to as “LAA SCells”), and the LAA SCells are assisted by a PCell operating in licensed spectrum. When a UE is configured with more than one LAA SCell, the UE can receive a UL grant on a configured LAA SCell indicating different PUSCH starting positions within the same subframe.

[0038] The PDSCH carries user data and higher-layer signaling to the UEs 122. Among other information, the PDCCH carries information about the transport format and resource allocations related to the PDSCH channel. It can also notify the UEs 122 about the transport format, resource allocation, and HARQ information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (selecting the benefit of control and shared channel resource blocks to the UEs 120 within a cell) can be performed at any of the RAN nodes 114 or 116 based on the channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs 122 or 120. The downlink resource allocation information can be sent to the UEs 122 or 120 on the PDCCH.

[0039] The PDCCH uses CCEs to deliver control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex-valued symbols can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be permuted using a sub-block interleaver to provide rate matching. One or more of these CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, with each CCE corresponding to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as REGs. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. The PDCCH can be transmitted using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of the DCI and the channel condition. There can be four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation level, L=1, 2, 4, or 8).

[0040] Some implementations can use concepts for resource allocation for control channel information that are an extension of the above-described concepts. For example, some implementations can utilize an EPDCCH for control information transmission using PDSCH resources. The EPDCCH can be transmitted using one or more ECCEs. Similar to above, each ECCE can correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as EREGs. In some cases, an ECCE can have other numbers of EREGs.

[0041] The RAN nodes 114 or the RAN nodes 116 can be configured to communicate with one another via interface 130. In embodiments where the system 100 is an LTE system (e.g., when CN 106 is an EPC), the interface 130 can be an X2 interface. The X2 interface can be defined between two or more RAN nodes (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) connected to the EPC, and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In some implementations, the X2 interface can include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). The X2-U can provide flow control mechanisms for user data packets transferred over the X2 interface, and can be used to communicate information about the delivery of user data between eNBs. For example, the X2-U can provide specific sequence number information for user data transmitted from a MeNB to an SeNB; information about successful in-sequence delivery of PDCP PDUs to a UE 122 from the SeNB for user data; information for PDCP PDUs that were not delivered to the UE 122; information about a current minimum desired buffer size at the SeNB for transmitting user data to the UE; and the like. The X2-C can provide intra-LTE access mobility functions, including context transfer from a source eNB to a target eNB, user plane transport control, and the like; load management functions; and inter-cell interference coordination functions.

[0042] In implementations where the system 100 is an SG or NR system (e.g., when the CN 106 is an SGC), the interface 130 can be an Xn interface. The Xn interface is defined between two or more RAN nodes (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) connected to a SGC, between a RAN node 114 (e.g., gNB) and an eNB connected to a SGC, and / or between two eNBs connected to a 5GC (e.g., the CN 106). In some implementations, the Xn interface can include an Xn-User plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn-Control plane (Xn-C) interface. The Xn-U can provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and support / provide data forwarding and traffic control functionality. The Xn-C can provide management and error handling functionality, functionality to manage the Xn-C interface; mobility support for UE 122 in a connected mode (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) including functionality to manage the connected mode mobility of a UE from one or more RAN nodes 114 or RAN nodes 116 to another. The mobility support can include context transfer from an old (source) serving RAN node 114 to new (target) serving RAN node 116, and control of user plane tunnels between the old (source) serving RAN node 114 and new (target) serving RAN node 116. The protocol stack of the Xn-U can include a transport network layer built on Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer, and a GTP-U layer on top of the UDP and / or IP layers to carry user plane PDUs. The Xn-C protocol stack can include an application layer signaling protocol (called Xn Application Protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer built on SCTP. The SCTP can be on top of the IP layer, and can provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. In the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission is used to deliver the signaling PDUs. In other implementations, the Xn-U protocol stack and / or the Xn-C protocol stack can be the same as or similar to the user plane and / or control plane protocol stacks shown and described herein.

[0043] The (R)AN 108 is illustrated communicating with a core network, in this embodiment, the CN 106. The CN 106 can include one or more network elements 132 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UEs 122 and 120) connected to the CN 106 via the (R)AN 108. The components of the CN 106 can be implemented in one physical node or separate physical nodes, including components to read and execute instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium). In some embodiments, NFV can be used to virtualize any or all of the above-described network functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instantiation of the CN 106 can be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instantiation of a portion of the CN 106 can be referred to as a network sub-slice. NFV architectures and infrastructures can be used to virtualize one or more network functions on physical resources comprising a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches, alternatively executed by specialized hardware. In other words, NFV systems can be used to execute virtual or reconfigurable implementations of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0044] Generally, the application server 118 can be an element of a network infrastructure that provides content or services via a web site to UEs 122 and 120 using IP bearer resources of the core network. The application server 118 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., VoIP sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for UEs 122 and 120 via the EPC. The application server 118 can communicate with the CN 106 through an IP communications interface 136.

[0045] In embodiments, the CN 106 can be an SGC, and the (R)AN 116 can connect with the CN 106 via an NG interface 134. In embodiments, the NG interface 134 can split into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface 126, which carries traffic data between a RAN node 114 or 116 and a UPF; and an SI control plane (NG-C) interface 128, which is a signaling interface between the RAN node 114 or 116 and an AMF.

[0046] In embodiments, the CN 106 can be an SG CN, while in other embodiments, the CN 106 can be an EPC. Where the CN 106 is an EPC, the (R)AN 116 can interface with the CN 106 via an S1 interface 134. In embodiments, the S1 interface 134 can be split into two parts: the S1 user plane (S1-U) interface 126, which carries traffic data between the RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 and the S-GW; and the S1-MME interface 128, which is the signaling interface between the RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 and MME.

[0047] PDCCH aggregation

[0048] 3GPP TS 38.331 defines PDCCH-Config, which is a configuration parameter for setting PDCCH. The PDCCH-Config information element (IE) is used to configure UE-specific PDCCH parameters, such as CORESET, search space, and additional parameters for acquiring PDCCH.

[0049] In addition to 1 / 2 / 3 symbol PDCCH, Figure 2 It is shown how PDCCH repetition can also be configured for some embodiments. PDCCH repetition can be configured as part of PDCCH-Config 200, an example of which is shown in Figure 2 The new IE (nrofSlots 202) is included in PDCCH-Config 200. nrofSlots 202 can be configured to 2, 4, or 8 slots or even larger. Thus, PDCCH repetition will be transmitted in the configured number of consecutive slots indicated by the value of nrofSlots 202.

[0050] In addition to 1 / 2 / 3 symbol PDCCH, Figure 3 It is shown how PDCCH repetition can also be configured for some embodiments. PDCCH repetition can be configured as part of ControlResourceSet 300, an example of which is shown in Figure 3

[0051] The new IE (nrofSlots 302) is included in ControlResourceSet 300. nrofSlots 302 can be configured to 2, 4, or 8 slots or even larger. Thus, PDCCH repetition will be transmitted in the configured number of consecutive slots indicated by the value of nrofSlots 302.

[0052] ​The CORESET duration can also be configured to be more than three symbols, for example, by setting maxCoReSetDuration to 4, 6, 9, etc.

[0053] In addition to 1 / 2 / 3 symbol PDCCH, Figure 4 It is shown how PDCCH repetition can also be configured for some embodiments. PDCCH repetition can be configured as part of SearchSpace 400, an example of which is shown in Figure 4 .

[0054] A new IE (nrofSlots 402) is included in SearchSpace 400. nrofSlots 402 can be configured to 2, 4, or 8 slots or even larger. Thus, PDCCH repetition will be transmitted in a configured number of consecutive slots indicated by the value of nrofSlots 402.

[0055] To simplify UE decoding and hypothesis testing for each PDCCH repetition, in some embodiments, each PDCCH repetition is independently encoded and capable of self-decoding. Relatedly, for some embodiments, the transmitted baseband signal is the same for different PDCCH repetitions, but in other cases, the signal is different due to different redundancy versions or rate matching parameters. Furthermore, all PDCCH repetitions can be considered as one monitoring occasion. Within the monitoring occasion, the repetitions will not increase the number of blind detections (BDs) and the number of non-overlapping control channel elements (CCEs).

[0056] For PDCCH, for example for 15 kHz SCS, there are up to 44 BDs. Each BD corresponds to one decoding candidate and to a specific resource allocation. Figure 5 It is shown that if a DCI is transmitted in a specific candidate in one repetition, the DCI is also transmitted in the same candidate in the next repetition, as shown on the right side of Figure 5 . Conversely, Figure 5 the left side of Figure 5 shows transmission in different candidates. In other words, Figure 5 It is shown that the repetition of PDCCH with DCI repeats the DCI in each repetition and in the same resource allocation.

[0057] In some embodiments, multiple repetitions with slots are allowed to be configured. In these embodiments, the network configures the number of repetitions and the offset between two repetitions. These configurations can be (a) via RRC in PDCCH-Config, ControlResourceSet, or SearchSpace, (b) via MAC-CE, or (c) via L1 DCI.

[0058] For example, Figure 6 An example subframe 600 is shown, where each repetition 602 contains three symbols, for a total of four repetitions, and a four-symbol offset between adjacent repetitions. As shown, in the first slot 704, the first repetition 702 is a DL symbol 708, the second repetition 704 is a UL symbol 710, and the third repetition 706 is a DL symbol 708. The fourth repetition 708 is a DL symbol 708 in the second slot 706. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, a single repetition is not allowed to cross a slot boundary.

[0059] Figure 7 A subframe 700 is shown when a certain repetition becomes invalid. A repetition can be invalid if any symbol is configured as UL or its extension crosses a slot boundary. For example, the first repetition 702 in the first slot 704 is valid because it contains only DL symbols 708, and the three symbols of the first repetition 702 do not extend into the second slot 706. Similarly, the third repetition 710 in the third slot 712 is valid. In contrast, the second repetition 714 in the second slot 706 is invalid because it contains a UL symbol 716. The fourth repetition 718 in the fourth slot 720 is also invalid because it includes a UL symbol 722. To address invalid repetitions, the following embodiments are possible.

[0060] In a first embodiment, the PDCCH repetition is skipped, and the total number of repetitions is reduced accordingly.

[0061] In a second embodiment, the PDCCH repetition is skipped, and the total number of repetitions is not reduced but extended. For example, if the PDCCH repetition is configured in slots 0 / 1 / 2 / 3, and slot 1 becomes invalid due to, for example, a collision with a UL symbol, the actual PDCCH repetition is in slots 0 / 2 / 3 / 4, because slot 1 is skipped and replaced by slot 4.

[0062] In a third embodiment, a shift is performed, where the shift is the minimum number of symbols to find the next valid repetition position.

[0063] Multi-beam PDCCH reception

[0064] As shown in Figure 8 When PDCCH repetitions are configured, different repetitions can be configured to be received by different beams, as shown in Figure 8 Two examples of two beams are shown.

[0065] The first example shows two beams following a cyclic pattern 802, where the first beam is used for the first repetition 804 and the second repetition 806, and the second beam is used for the third repetition 810 and the fourth repetition 812. Thus, a first set of repeated PDCCHs (the first repetition 804 and the second repetition 806) is received using the first beam, and a second set of repeated PDCCHs (the third repetition 810 and the fourth repetition 812) is received using a second beam that is different from the first beam.

[0066] The second example shows two beams following a sequential pattern 808, where the first beam is used for the first repetition 804 and the third repetition 810, and the second beam is used for the second repetition 806 and the fourth repetition 812.

[0067] Multi-beam PDCCH reception can be configured as part of a ControlResourceSet 900, an example of which is shown in Figure 9 The IE tci-StatesPDCCH-ToAddList provides one or more TCI states. It provides quasi co-location information to successfully receive the PDCCH. If multiple TCI states are listed in the ControlResourceSet IE, the UE receives an activation command to identify which TCI state to apply. The activation command is provided using a MAC CE.

[0068] Thus, a TCI codepoint can be configured in the ControlResourceSet 900. Each TCI codepoint can contain more than one TCI state. A MAC-CE can be used to configure multi-beam PDCCH reception to configure a CORESET with a specific TCI codepoint. In other words, the MAC-CE is used to configure the TCI, i.e., the beam, for a CORESET in the current specification. But it is allowed to configure a single beam. Thus, the MAC-CE is enhanced to configure two beams using either of the following two methods: (a) the MAC-CE directly configures two beams, or (b) the RRC configures TCI codepoints, and some codepoints can contain two beams. The MAC-CE configures a specific TCI codepoint to a specific CORESET.

[0069] Multi-beam PDCCH reception can also be configured using a TCI codepoint configured in a SearchSpace. In one example, more than one ControlResourceSetld can be configured in a SearchSpace. The multiple ControlResourceSetlds can be mapped to different PDCCH repetitions in a sequential or cyclic order. For the ControlResourceSet, it is required to have the same duration and / or frequency domain allocation.

[0070] In another example, a TCI state or a TCI codepoint can be configured in a SearchSpace. In a SearchSpace RRC configuration, a list of multiple TCI states can be configured, or a TCI codepoint can be configured, where the TCI codepoint can contain more than one TCI state. The TCI codepoint can also be configured by other RRC messages.

[0071] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a component 1000 that can read instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and that can perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, according to some example embodiments. Specifically, the component 1000 can be implemented as a Figure 10 A diagram is shown illustrating a high-level architecture of a hardware resource 1002, including one or more processors 1006 (or processor cores), one or more memory / storage devices 1014, and one or more communication resources 1024, each of which can be communicatively coupled via a bus 1016. For embodiments wherein node virtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 1022 can be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 1002.

[0072] The processor 1006 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP) such as a baseband processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) can include, for example, a processor 1008 and a processor 1010.

[0073] The memory / storage 1014 can include a main memory, a disk storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage 1014 can include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile or nonvolatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Flash memory, solid-state storage, etc.

[0074] The communication resources 1024 can include interconnection or network components (e.g., low power consumption), Components and other communication components.

[0075] Instructions 1012 can include software, program, application, app, or other executable code for causing at least one of the processors 1006 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. The instructions 1012 can reside completely, though, in the at least one of the processors 1006 (e.g., within the processor’s cache memory), the memory / storage devices 1014, or any suitable combination thereof. Furthermore, the instructions 1012 can be transferred from any of the components of the peripheral devices 1004 or databases 1020 to the hardware resources 1002 via any combination of the interconnects 1008. Accordingly, the memory of processors 1006, the memory / storage devices 1014, the peripheral devices 1004, and the databases 1020 are all examples of computer- readable and machine-readable media.

[0076] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the preceding figures can be configured to perform one or more of the operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods described in the Example section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures can be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below. In another example, circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc. described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures can be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the Example section below.

[0077] Embodiments section

[0078] The following embodiments relate to additional embodiments.

[0079] Example 1 is a method performed by a user equipment (UE) for obtaining a repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the method comprising: processing a PDCCH-Config, ControlResourceSet, or SearchSpace configuration parameter that includes an information element (IE) indicating a number of consecutive slots in which the PDCCH is repeated; and receiving the repeated PDCCH in the number of consecutive slots.

[0080] Example 2 is the method of Example 1, wherein the PDCCH-Config configuration parameter includes the IE.

[0081] Example 3 is the method of Example 1, wherein the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter includes the IE.

[0082] Example 4 is the method of Example 1, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes the IE.

[0083] Example 5 is the method of Example 1, wherein the IE is a nrofSlots parameter.

[0084] Example 6 is the method of Example 1, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots is independently encoded and self-decodable.

[0085] Example 7 is the method of Example 1, wherein each PDCCH repetition carries a transmitted baseband signal that is common for all of the repeated PDCCHs in the number of consecutive slots.

[0086] Example 8 is the method of Example 1, further comprising receiving, for each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots, downlink control information (DCI) with a same resource allocation, collectively corresponding to one monitoring occasion.

[0087] Example 9 is the method of Example 1, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots has a same number of PDCCH symbols and a same number of non-PDCCH symbols in each slot.

[0088] Example 10 is the method of Example 1, further comprising skipping PDCCH repetitions that would not be in a valid repetition location, including PDCCHs that span a slot boundary or include uplink symbols.

[0089] Example 11 is the method of Example 10, further comprising obtaining the skipped PDCCHs in a next valid repetition location.

[0090] Example 12 is the method of Example 1, further comprising multi-beam PDCCH reception by receiving a first set of the repeated PDCCHs from a first beam and a second set of the repeated PDCCHs different from the first set from a second beam different from the first beam.

[0091] Example 13 is the method of Example 12, wherein the first and second beams are employed according to a cyclic pattern or a sequential pattern.

[0092] Example 14 is the method of Example 12, wherein the first and second beams are configured in the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter and a MAC-CE to configure a CORESET with a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) codepoint.

[0093] Embodiment 15 is the method of embodiment 12, wherein the first and second beam configurations are configured in the SearchSpace configuration parameter.

[0094] Embodiment 16 is the method of embodiment 15, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes a first ControlResourceSetld and a second ControlResourceSetld that map to the first and second sets of repeated PDCCHs, respectively.

[0095] Embodiment 17 is the method of embodiment 15, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state or a codepoint configuration parameter to configure the multi-beam PDCCH reception.

[0096] Embodiment 18 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of a computer for a user equipment (UE), the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for obtaining a repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to: process a PDCCH-Config, ControlResourceSet, or SearchSpace configuration parameter including an information element (IE) indicating a number of consecutive slots in which the PDCCH is repeated; and receive the repeated PDCCH in the number of consecutive slots.

[0097] Embodiment 19 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein the PDCCH-Config configuration parameter includes the IE.

[0098] Embodiment 20 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter includes the IE.

[0099] Embodiment 21 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes the IE.

[0100] Embodiment 22 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein the IE is a nrofSlots parameter.

[0101] Embodiment 23 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots is independently encoded and self-decodable.

[0102] Embodiment 24 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein each PDCCH repetition carries a transmitted baseband signal that is common for all of the repeated PDCCHs in the number of consecutive slots.

[0103] Embodiment 25 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to receive downlink control information (DCI) in each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots with a same resource allocation so as to collectively correspond to one monitoring occasion.

[0104] Embodiment 26 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots has a same number of PDCCH symbols and a same number of non-PDCCH symbols in each slot.

[0105] Embodiment 27 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to skip PDCCH repetitions that would not be in a valid repetition location, including PDCCHs that would span a slot boundary or include an uplink symbol.

[0106] Embodiment 28 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 27, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to obtain the skipped PDCCH in a next valid repetition location.

[0107] Embodiment 29 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 18, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to receive by multi-beam PDCCH reception of a first set of the repeated PDCCHs from a first beam and a second set of the repeated PDCCHs different from the first set from a second beam different from the first beam.

[0108] Embodiment 30 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 29, wherein the first beam and the second beam are employed according to a cyclic pattern or a sequential pattern.

[0109] Embodiment 31 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 29, wherein the first beam and the second beam are configured in the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter and a MAC-CE to configure a CORESET with a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) codepoint.

[0110] Embodiment 32 is the computer-readable storage medium of embodiment 29, wherein the first beam and the second beam are configured in the SearchSpace configuration parameter.

[0111] Example 33 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 32, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter comprises a first ControlResourceSetld and a second ControlResourceSetld that map to the first and second sets of the repeated PDCCH, respectively.

[0112] Example 34 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 32, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter comprises a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state or a codepoint configuration parameter to configure the multi-beam PDCCH reception.

[0113] Example 1C can include an apparatus comprising means for performing one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of the above embodiments or any other method or process described herein.

[0114] Example 2C can include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause an electronic device, upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the electronic device, to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of the above embodiments or any other method or process described herein.

[0115] Example 3C can include an apparatus comprising logic, modules, or circuitry to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of the above embodiments or any other method or process described herein.

[0116] Example 4C can include a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any of the above embodiments or portions or parts thereof.

[0117] Example 5C can include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any of the above embodiments, or portions thereof, when executed by the one or more processors.

[0118] Example 6C can include a signal as described in or related to any of the above embodiments or portions or parts thereof.

[0119] Example 7C can include a datagram, packet, frame, segment, protocol data unit (PDU), or message as described in or related to any of the above embodiments or portions or parts thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

[0120] Example 8C can include a signal encoded with data, or portions or components thereof, as described in or related to any of the above examples, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

[0121] Example 9C can include a signal encoded with datagrams, packets, frames, segments, PDUs, or messages, or portions or components thereof, as described in or related to any of the above examples, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

[0122] Example 10C can include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform the method, techniques, or process as described in or related to any of the above examples, or portions thereof.

[0123] Example 11C can include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any of the above examples, or portions thereof.

[0124] Example 12C can include a signal in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0125] Example 13C can include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0126] Example 14C can include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0127] Example 15C can include an apparatus for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0128] Any of the above examples can be combined with any other example (or combination of examples), unless explicitly stated otherwise. The foregoing description of one or more implementations provides functionality and / or technical advantages, but do not limit claimed embodiments to the precise form described. Modifications and adaptations are possible, or can be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the above teachings, or can be acquired from practice of various implementations.

[0129] Implementations and specific embodiments of the systems and methods described herein can include various operations, which can be embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system can include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system can include hardware components, including specific logic for performing the operations, or can include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0130] It should be appreciated that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific embodiments. These embodiments can be combined into a single system, combined partially into other systems, split into multiple systems, or otherwise divided or combined. Further, it is contemplated that parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. of one embodiment can be used in another embodiment. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. are only described in one or more embodiments, and it should be appreciated that these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. can be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. of another embodiment unless specifically stated otherwise herein.

[0131] It is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices deemed appropriate within the industry or by governments with respect to the maintenance of user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0132] While the foregoing has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles thereof. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing both the processes and apparatuses described herein. Accordingly, embodiments of the present application are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the description is not to be limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for obtaining a repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the method comprising: processing a PDCCH-Config, ControlResourceSet, or SearchSpace configuration parameter that includes an information element (IE) indicating a number of consecutive slots in which the PDCCH is repeated, wherein for multi-beam PDCCH reception, a MAC-CE is used to configure a CORESET with a TCI codepoint that includes more than one TCI state; and receiving the repeated PDCCH in the number of consecutive slots.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the PDCCH-Config configuration parameter includes the IE.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter includes the IE.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes the IE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IE is a nrofSlots parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots is independently encoded and can be self-decoded.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each PDCCH repetition carries a transmitted baseband signal that is common for all repeated PDCCHs in the number of consecutive slots.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, for each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots, downlink control information (DCI) with the same resource allocation, collectively corresponding to one monitoring occasion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots has the same number of PDCCH symbols and the same number of non-PDCCH symbols in each slot.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising skipping a PDCCH repetition that would not be in a valid repetition location, including a PDCCH that would span a slot boundary or a PDCCH that includes an uplink symbol.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising obtaining the skipped PDCCH in a next valid repetition location.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising multi-beam PDCCH reception by receiving a first set of the repeated PDCCHs from a first beam and a second set of the repeated PDCCHs different from the first set from a second beam different from the first beam.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second beams are employed according to a cyclic pattern or a sequential pattern.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second beams are configured in the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter and a MAC-CE to configure a CORESET using a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) codepoint.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second beams are configured in the SearchSpace configuration parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes a first ControlResourceSetld and a second ControlResourceSetld that are mapped to the first and second sets of repeated PDCCHs, respectively.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state or codepoint configuration parameter to configure the multi-beam PDCCH reception.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a computer of a user equipment (UE), the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for obtaining a repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to: process a PDCCH-Config, ControlResourceSet, or SearchSpace configuration parameter including an information element (IE) that indicates a number of consecutive slots in which the PDCCH is repeated, wherein for a multi-beam PDCCH reception, a MAC-CE is used to configure a CORESET with a TCI codepoint that includes more than one TCI state; and receive the repeated PDCCH in the number of consecutive slots.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the PDCCH-Config configuration parameter includes the IE.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter includes the IE.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes the IE.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the IE is a nrofSlots parameter.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive slots is independently encoded and can be self-decoded.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein each PDCCH repetition carries a transmitted baseband signal that is common for all repeated PDCCHs in the number of consecutive slots. ​ ​ 25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to receive downlink control information (DCI) with the same resource allocation in each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive time slots to collectively correspond to one monitoring occasion.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein each PDCCH repetition in the number of consecutive time slots has the same number of PDCCH symbols and the same number of non-PDCCH symbols in each time slot.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to skip PDCCH repetitions that would not be in a valid repetition location, including PDCCHs that would span a time slot boundary or include uplink symbols.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to obtain the skipped PDCCHs in a next valid repetition location.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further configure the computer to receive a multi-beam PDCCH reception by receiving a first set of repeated PDCCHs from a first beam and a second set of repeated PDCCHs different from the first set from a second beam different from the first beam.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the first and second beams are employed according to a round robin pattern or a sequential pattern.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the first and second beams are configured in the ControlResourceSet configuration parameter and a MAC-CE to configure a CORESET using a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) codepoint.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the first and second beams are configured in the SearchSpace configuration parameter.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes a first ControlResourceSetld and a second ControlResourceSetld mapped to the first and second sets of repeated PDCCHs, respectively.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the SearchSpace configuration parameter includes a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state or codepoint configuration parameter to configure the multi-beam PDCCH reception.

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