Nested frequency hopping method, apparatus and device for data transmission and computer readable medium

Abstract

Nested frequency hopping for data transmission is disclosed. Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A user equipment (UE) can receive a discovery reference signal from a base station on an anchor channel. The UE can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period. The UE can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the plurality of downlink carriers as an uplink channel for a second time period. The UE can then transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period. In some examples, the uplink communication can be transmitted based at least in part on time division multiplexing (TDM) information.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation of Chinese Patent Application No. 201980010514.6 (International Application No. PCT / US2019 / 014996), filed January 24, 2019, entitled “Nested Frequency Hopping for Data Transmission,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 623,987, entitled “Nested Frequency Hopping for Data Transmission,” filed January 30, 2018, and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 255,645, entitled “Nested Frequency Hopping for Data Transmission,” filed January 23, 2019, by Liu et al., each of which is assigned to the assignee hereof.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This Patent Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 623,987, entitled “Nested Frequency Hopping for Data Transmission,” filed January 30, 2018, and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 255,645, entitled “Nested Frequency Hopping for Data Transmission,” filed January 23, 2019, by Liu et al., each of which is assigned to the assignee hereof. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to frequency hopping for data transmission. BACKGROUND

[0005] Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems can be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple- access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which can be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems can employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system can include a number of base stations or network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which can be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).

[0006] Narrowband communications involve communicating using a limited frequency bandwidth as compared to the frequency bandwidth used for LTE communications. One example of narrowband communications is narrowband (NB) Internet of Things (IoT) (NB-IoT) communications, which can be limited to a single resource block (RB) of system bandwidth, e.g., 180 kHz. Another example of narrowband communications is enhanced Machine Type Communications (eMTC), which can be limited to six RBs of system bandwidth, e.g., 1.08 MHz. NB-IoT communications and / or eMTC can reduce device complexity, enable years of battery life, and provide deeper coverage to reach challenging locations, such as deep inside buildings. SUMMARY

[0007] The described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, or apparatuses that support nested frequency hopping for data transmission. Generally, the described techniques provide systems and methods for selecting an uplink channel for uplink communications. A user equipment (UE) can receive a discovery reference signal from a base station on an anchor channel. The UE can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period. The UE can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the plurality of downlink carriers as an uplink channel for a second time period. For example, the UE can randomly or pseudo-randomly select one of the plurality of downlink carriers as the uplink channel, randomly or pseudo-randomly select a permutation of the plurality of downlink carriers and select the uplink channel based at least in part on the selected permutation, or randomly or pseudo-randomly select a primary channel as the uplink channel. The UE can then transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period. In some examples, the uplink communication can be transmitted based at least in part on time division multiplexing (TDM) information.

[0008] A method of wireless communication is described. The method can include receiving, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least one anchor carrier, performing a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, performing a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period, and transmitting an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period.

[0009] An apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus can be a wireless device, and can include means for receiving, by the wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least one anchor carrier, means for performing a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, means for performing a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period, and means for transmitting an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period.

[0010] Another apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus can include a processor, memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions can be operable to cause the processor to receive, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least one anchor carrier, perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period, and transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period.

[0011] A non-transitory computer-readable medium for wireless communication is described. The non-transitory computer-readable medium can include instructions operable to cause a processor to receive, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least one anchor carrier, perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period, and transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period.

[0012] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for receiving a downlink communication for the wireless device on a downlink channel of the plurality of downlink carriers, where the uplink channel can be different from the downlink channel.

[0013] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting the downlink channel of the plurality of downlink carriers.

[0014] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a permutation of the plurality of downlink carriers. Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for selecting the uplink channel based at least in part on the permutation.

[0015] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a primary channel as the uplink channel.

[0016] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers can include selecting the downlink carrier of the plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random number generator.

[0017] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers can include selecting one data channel of a plurality of data channels based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random hopping pattern.

[0018] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, or instructions for receiving time division multiplexing information for the uplink channel from a base station.

[0019] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, the uplink communication can be transmitted based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information.

[0020] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, the first time period and the second time period can be in a same frame.

[0021] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for performing a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select a second downlink carrier of the plurality of downlink carriers as a second uplink channel for a third time period. Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for transmitting a second uplink communication on the selected second uplink channel during the third time period, where the third time period can be in the same frame.

[0022] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above, each of the plurality of downlink carriers can include a resource block.

[0023] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for receiving, by the wireless device, a second discovery reference signal on the at least one anchor channel. Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for performing a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a second plurality of downlink carriers for a third time period. Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for performing a fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the second plurality of downlink carriers as a second uplink channel for a fourth time period. Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for transmitting a second uplink communication on the selected second uplink channel during the fourth time period, where the first time period and the second time period can be in different frames than the third time period and the fourth time period.

[0024] A method of wireless communication is described. The method can include transmitting, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least three anchor carriers, performing a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, identifying, based on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an expected collision of uplink transmissions from user equipments (UEs) during a second time period, and transmitting time division multiplexing information about the second time period to the UEs.

[0025] An apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus can be a wireless device, and can include means for transmitting, by the wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least three anchor carriers, means for performing a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, means for identifying, based on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an expected collision of uplink transmissions from user equipments (UEs) during a second time period, and means for transmitting time division multiplexing information about the second time period to the UEs.

[0026] Another apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus can include a processor, memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions can be operable to cause the processor to transmit, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least three anchor carriers, perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, identify, based on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an expected collision of uplink transmissions from user equipments (UEs) during a second time period, and transmit time division multiplexing information regarding the second time period to the UEs.

[0027] A non-transitory computer-readable medium for wireless communication is described. The non-transitory computer-readable medium can include instructions operable to cause a processor to transmit, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least three anchor carriers, perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period, identify, based on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an expected collision of uplink transmissions from user equipments (UEs) during a second time period, and transmit time division multiplexing information regarding the second time period to the UEs.

[0028] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, or instructions for receiving the uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information.

[0029] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described above can further include processes, features, means, and instructions for transmitting a downlink communication on at least one of the plurality of downlink carriers, where the downlink communication can include the time division multiplexing information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0031] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0032] Figure 3 An example of a communication sequence in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0033] Figure 4An example of a communication sequence in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0034] Figure 5 An example of a communication sequence in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0035] Figure 6 An example of a communication sequence in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0036] Figure 7 An example of a communication flow in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0037] Figure 8 An example of a communication flow in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0038] Figures 9 to 11 A block diagram of a device that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0039] Figure 12 A block diagram of a system including a UE that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0040] Figures 13 to 15 A block diagram of a device that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0041] Figure 16 A block diagram of a system including a base station that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0042] Figures 17 to 18 A method for nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Frequency hopping techniques can be used in conjunction with NB-IoT communications. For example, a base station and associated user equipment (UE) can perform a frequency hopping procedure to select a number of data channels for downlink and uplink communications. For example, for communications between a base station and three associated UEs, a frequency hopping procedure can be used to identify three channels for simultaneous downlink and uplink communications.

[0044] However, such a scheme can be disadvantageous to one of the UEs. For example, a frequency hopping procedure can be used to identify three channels for communication. A first channel can be assigned for communication between the base station and the first UE, a second channel can be assigned for communication between the base station and the second UE, and a third channel can be assigned for communication between the base station and the third UE. However, the second channel can experience interference such that communication between the base station and the second UE is not possible. In such a situation, the second UE cannot receive downlink communications or transmit uplink communications, and from the perspective of the second UE, this entire time period can be wasted.

[0045] To reduce the number of wasted time periods, each UE can perform a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the selected downlink carrier to select an uplink channel. Each UE can then transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel. In this way, even if a UE is unable to receive a downlink communication from the base station, it can be able to transmit an uplink communication because the uplink channel can be different from the downlink channel.

[0046] In some examples, the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting an uplink channel from a plurality of downlink carriers. In some examples, the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a permutation of the plurality of downlink carriers, and then selecting an uplink channel based at least in part on the selected permutation. In some examples, the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a primary channel.

[0047] In some examples, one or more UEs can select the same channel as the uplink channel. To avoid wasted uplink time periods due to collisions from another UE in the same cell, the base station can provide time division multiplexing (TDM) information to the one or more UEs. The one or more UEs can then transmit an uplink communication on the common selected uplink channel based at least in part on the TDM information.

[0048] Aspects of the disclosure are initially described in the context of a wireless communications system. Aspects of the disclosure are further illustrated by and described in relation to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flowcharts related to nested frequency hopping for data transmission.

[0049] Figure 1An example of a wireless communications system 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The wireless communications system 100 includes base stations 105, UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communications system 100 can be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an LTE- Advanced (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some cases, wireless communications system 100 can support enhanced broadband communications, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission critical) communications, low latency communications, or communications with low-cost and low-complexity devices.

[0050] Base stations 105 can wirelessly communicate with UEs 115 via one or more base station antennas. Base stations 105 described herein can include or can be referred to by those skilled in the art as a base transceiver station, a radio base station, an access point, a radio transceiver, a NodeB, an eNodeB (eNB), a next-generation NodeB or giga-NodeB (either of which can be referred to as a gNB), a Home NodeB, or a Home eNodeB. Wireless communications system 100 can include base stations 105 of different types (e.g., macro or small cell base stations). The UEs 115 described herein can be able to communicate with various types of base stations 105 and network equipment including macro eNBs, small cell eNBs, gNBs, relay base stations, and the like.

[0051] Each base station 105 can be associated with a particular geographic coverage area 110 in which communication with various UEs 115 is supported. Each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110 via communication links 125 and a UE 115 can be located within the geographic coverage area 110 of one or more base stations 105. Communication links 125 between a base station 105 and a UE 115 can utilize one or more carriers

[0052] The geographic coverage area 110 for a base station 105 can be divided into sectors making up only a portion of the geographic coverage area 110, and each sector can be associated with a cell. For example, each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a small cell, a hot spot, or other types of cells, or various combinations of these, with varying concepts of communication coverage. In some examples, a base station 105 can be movable and therefore provide communication coverage for a moving geographic coverage area 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can overlap, and overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can be supported by the same base station 105 or by different base stations 105. The wireless communications system 100 can include, for example, a heterogeneous LTE / LTE-A / LTE-A Pro or NR network in which different types of base stations 105 provide

[0053] The term “cell” refers to a logical communication entity used for communication with a base station 105 (e.g., on a carrier) and can be associated with an identifier for distinguishing between cells of the same or different carriers (e.g., physical cell identifier (PCID), virtual cell identifier (VCID)). In some examples, a carrier can support a number of cells, and different cells can be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other) that can provide access for different types of devices. In some cases, the term “cell” can refer to a portion of a geographic coverage area 110 (e.g., a sector) over which a logical entity operates.

[0054] The UEs 115 can be dispersed throughout the wireless communications system 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary or mobile. A UE 115 can also be referred to as a mobile device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, or a subscriber device, or some other suitable terminology, where the “device” can also be referred to as a unit, a station, a terminal, or a client. A UE 115 can be a personal electronic device such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a personal computer. In some examples, a UE 115 can also refer to a wireless local loop (WLL) station, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or an MTC device, among other examples, which can be implemented in various articles such as electric appliances, vehicles, instruments, among other examples.

[0055] Some UEs 115, such as MTC or IoT devices, can be low cost or low complexity devices, and can provide for automated communication between machines (e.g., via Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication). M2M communication or MTC can refer to data communication technologies that allow devices to communicate with one another or a base station 105 without the need for human intervention. In some examples, M2M communication or MTC can include communications from devices that integrate sensors or meters to measure or capture information and relay that information to a central server or application program that can make use of that information or present that information to humans in interaction with the program or applications. Some UEs 115 can be designed to collect information or enable automated behavior of machines. Examples of applications for MTC devices include smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, healthcare monitoring, wildlife monitoring, weather and geological event monitoring, fleet management, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based business charging.

[0056] Some UEs 115 can be configured to employ operating modes that reduce power consumption, such as a half-duplex

[0057] In some cases, a UE 115 can also be able to communicate directly with other UEs 115 (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D) protocol). One or more of a group of UEs 115 utilizing D2D communications can be within the geographic coverage area 110 of a base station 105. Other UEs 115 in the group can be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of a base station 105, or be otherwise unable to receive transmissions from a base station 105. In some cases, groups of UEs 115 communicating via D2D communications can utilize a one-to-many (1 :M) system in which each UE 115 transmits to other UEs 115 in the group. In some cases, a base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communications. In other cases, D2D communications are carried out between UEs 115 without the involvement of a base station 105.

[0058] The base stations 105 can wirelessly communicate with the UEs 115 via one or more base station antennas and / or antenna arrays. Each of the base station 105 sites can provide communication coverage for a respective geographic area. For example, base station 105-a can provide communication coverage for a particular area and therefore can be referred to as a femtocell, pico cell, microcell, or macro cell, depending on the size of the coverage area. In one embodiment, the base station 105 can be a wireless

[0059] The core network 130 can provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The core network 130 can be an evolved packet core (EPC), which can include at least one mobility management entity (MME), at least one serving gateway (S-GW), and at least one Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway (P-GW). The MME can manage non-access stratum (e.g., control plane) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for UEs 115 served by base stations 105 associated with the EPC. User IP packets can be transferred through the S-GW, which can be connected to the P-GW. The P-GW can provide IP address allocation as well as other functions. The P-GW can be connected to the network operators IP services. The operators IP services can include the Internet, an intranet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or a packet-switched (PS) streaming service.

[0060] At least some of the network devices, such as a base station 105, can include subcomponents such as an access network entity, which can be an example of an access node controller (ANC). Each access network entity can communicate with UEs 115 through a number of other access network transmission entities, which can be referred to as a radio head, a smart radio head, or a transmission / reception point (TRP). In some configurations, various functions of each access network entity or base station 105 can be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio heads and access network controllers) or consolidated into a single network device (e.g., a base station 105).

[0061] The wireless communications system 100 can operate using one or more frequency bands, often in the range of 300 MHz to 300 GHz. Generally, the region from 300 MHz to 3 GHz is known as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band, since the wavelengths range from approximately one decimeter to one meter in length. UHF waves can be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features. However, the waves can penetrate structures sufficiently for a macro cell to provide service to UEs 115 located indoors. Transmission of UHF waves can be associated with smaller antennas and shorter range (e.g., less than 100 km) compared to transmission using the smaller frequencies and longer waves of the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portion of the spectrum below 300 MHz.

[0062] Wireless communications system 100 can also operate in a super high frequency (SHF) spectrum band, also known as the centimeter band, from 3 GHz to 30 GHz. The SHF spectrum band includes frequency bands typically used by wireless

[0063] Wireless communications system 100 can also operate in an extremely high frequency (EHF) spectrum band, e.g., from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, also known as the millimeter band. In some examples, wireless communications system 100 can support mmW communications between UEs 115 and base stations 105, and EHF antennas of the respective devices can be even smaller and more closely spaced than UHF antennas. In some cases, this can facilitate using antenna arrays within a UE 115. However, the propagation of EHF transmissions can be subject to even more atmospheric attenuation and shorter range than SHF or UHF transmissions. Techniques disclosed herein can be employed across transmissions that use one or more different frequency bands, and designated use of bands across these frequency bands can differ from country to country or regulation to regulation.

[0064] Wireless communications system 100 can in some cases utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands. For example, wireless communications system 100 can employ License Assisted Access (LAA), LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in an unlicensed frequency band such as the 5 GHz ISM band. When operating in unlicensed frequency

[0065] In some examples, base station 105 or UE 115 can be equipped with multiple antennas, which can be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, or beamforming. For example, wireless communications system 100 can use a transmission scheme between a transmitting device (e.g., a base station 105) and a receiving device (e.g., a UE 115), where the transmitting device is equipped with multiple antennas and the receiving devices are equipped with one or more antennas. MIMO communications can employ multipath signal propagation to increase the spectral efficiency of uplink transmissions, which can be referred to as spatial multiplexing. The transmitting device can transmit

[0066] Beamforming, which can also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception, is a signal processing technique that can be used at a transmitting device or a receiving device (e.g., a base station 105 or a UE 115) to shape or steer a beam of energy in a specific direction, such as to the receiving device. Beamforming can be achieved by combining the signals communicated by antennas of an antenna array in a way that causes the signals to add constructively, while causing other signals to add destructively. This can be achieved by the transmitting device or receiving device applying certain amplitude and phase offsets to signals carried by each of the antennas. The adjustments associated with each of the antennas can be defined by a beamforming weight set associated with a particular orientation (e.g., with respect to the antenna array of the transmitting device or receiving device, or with respect to some other orientation).

[0067] In one example, a base station 105 can use multiple antennas or antenna arrays to conduct beamforming operations for directional communications with a UE 115. For instance, some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) can be transmitted by a base station 105 multiple times in different directions, which can include a signal being transmitted according to different beamforming weight sets associated with different directions of transmission. Transmissions in different beam directions can be used to identify (e.g., by the base station 105 or a receiving device, such as a UE 115) a beam direction for subsequent transmission and / or reception by the base station 105. Some signals, such as data signals associated with a particular receiving device, can be transmitted by a base station 105 in a single beam direction (e.g., a direction associated with the receiving device, such as a UE 115). In some examples, the beam direction associated with transmissions in a single beam direction can be determined based at least in part on a signal that was transmitted in different beam directions. For example, a UE 115 can receive one or more of the signals transmitted by the base station 105 in different directions, and the UE 115 can report to the base station 105 an indication of the signal it received with a highest signal quality, or other acceptable signal quality. Although these techniques are described with reference to signals transmitted in one or more directions by the base station 105, a UE 115 can employ similar techniques for transmitting signals in different directions (e.g., for identifying a beam direction for subsequent transmission or reception by the UE 115), or for transmitting a signal in a single direction (e.g., for communicating data to a receiving device).

[0068] A receiving device (e.g., a UE 115, which can be an example of a mmW receiving device) can try multiple receive beams when receiving various signals from the base station 105, such as synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals. For example, a receiving device can try multiple receive directions by receiving via different antenna subarrays, by processing received signals according to different antenna subarrays, by receiving according to different receive beamforming weight sets applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, or by processing received signals according to different receive beamforming weight sets applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, any of which can be referred to as“listening” according to different receive beams or receive directions. In some examples, a receiving device can use a single receive beam to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when receiving a data signal). The single receive beam can be aligned in a beam direction determined based at least in part on listening according to different receive beam directions (e.g., a beam direction determined to have a highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio, or otherwise acceptable signal quality based at least in part on listening according to multiple beam directions).

[0069] In some cases, antennas of a base station 105 or a UE 115 can be located within one or more antenna arrays that can support MIMO operations or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays can be co-located at an antenna assembly, such as an antenna tower. In some cases, antennas or antenna arrays associated with a base station 105 can be located in different geographic locations. A base station 105 can have an antenna array with a number of antenna ports that the base station 105 can use for beamforming in support of communications with a UE 115. Likewise, a UE 115 can have one or more antenna arrays that can support various MIMO or beamforming operations.

[0070] In some cases, the wireless communications system 100 can be a packet-based network that operate according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, communications at the bearer or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer can be IP -based. A Radio Link Control (RLC) layer can in some cases perform packet segmentation and reassembly to communicate over logical channels. A Medium Access Control (MAC) layer can perform priority handling and multiplexing of logical channels into transport channels. The MAC layer can also use hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) to provide retransmission at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol layer can provide establishment, configuration, and maintenance of an RRC connection between a UE 115 and a base station 105 or core network 130 supporting radio bearers for user plane data. At the physical (PHY) layer, transport channels can be mapped to physical channels.

[0071] In some cases, UEs 115 and base stations 105 can support retransmissions of data to increase the likelihood that data is received successfully. HARQ feedback is one technique of increasing the likelihood that data is received successfully. HARQ can include a combination of error detection (e.g., using a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)), forward error correction (FEC), and retransmission (e.g., automatic repeat request (ARQ)). HARQ can improve throughput at the MAC layer in poor radio

[0072] Time intervals in LTE or NR can be expressed in multiples of a basic time unit, which may, for example, be the sampling period T s = 1 / 30,720,000 seconds of a Basic Time Unit (BTU). Time intervals of a communications resource can be expressed in multiples of a Basic Frame Period (BFP), which can be equal to T f = 307,200 Ts A radio frame can be identified by a system frame number (SFN) ranging from 0 to 1023. Each frame can include 10 subframes numbered from 0 to 9, and each subframe can have a duration of 1 ms. A subframe can be further divided into 2 slots, each having a duration of 0.5 ms, and each slot can contain 6 or 7 modulation symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix prepended to each symbol period). Excluding the cyclic prefix, each symbol period can contain 2048 sample periods. In some cases, a subframe can be the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communications system 100, and can be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In other cases, a smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communications system 100 can be shorter than a subframe or can be dynamically selected (e.g., in a burst of shortened TTIs (sTTIs) or in selected component carriers using sTTIs).

[0073] In some wireless communications systems, a slot can be further divided into multiple mini-slots containing one or more symbols. In some instances, a symbol of a mini-slot or a mini-slot can be the smallest scheduling unit. For example, each symbol can vary in duration depending on the subcarrier spacing or the operating band. Further, some wireless communications systems can implement slot aggregation, where multiple slots or mini-slots are aggregated together and used for communications between a UE 115 and a base station 105.

[0074] The term “carrier” refers to a set of radio frequency spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting communications over the communication links 125. For example, a carrier of the communication links 125 can include a portion of a radio frequency spectrum band that operates according to physical layer channels for a given radio access technology. Each physical layer channel can carry user data, control information, or other signaling. A carrier can be associated with a pre-defined frequency channel (e.g., an E-UTRA absolute radio frequency channel number (EARFCN)) and can be positioned relative to other carriers according to a channel raster for discovery by UEs 115. A carrier can be a downlink or uplink (e.g., in FDD mode) or be configured to carry downlink and uplink communications (e.g., in TDD mode). In some examples, signal waveforms transmitted over a carrier can be made up of multiple sub-carriers (e.g., using multi-carrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as OFDM or DFT-s-OFDM).

[0075] The organizational structure for a carrier can be different for different radio access technologies (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR, etc.). For example, communications over a carrier can be organized according to TTIs or slots, each of which can include user data as well as control information or signaling to support decoding the user data. A carrier can also include dedicated acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals or system information, etc.) and control signaling that coordinates operation among carriers. In some examples (e.g., in carrier aggregation configurations), a carrier can also have acquisition signaling or control signaling that coordinates operations for other carriers.

[0076] Physical channels can be multiplexed on a carrier according to various techniques. A physical control channel and a physical data channel can be multiplexed on a downlink carrier, for example, using time division multiplexing (TDM) techniques, frequency division multiplexing (FDM) techniques, or hybrid TDM-FDM techniques. In some examples, control information transmitted in a physical control channel can be distributed across different control regions between (e.g., between a common control region or common search space and one or more UE-specific control regions or UE-specific search spaces) in a cascaded manner.

[0077] A carrier can be associated with a particular bandwidth of the radio frequency spectrum, and in some examples the carrier bandwidth can be referred to as a “system bandwidth” of the carrier or wireless communications system 100. For example, the carrier bandwidth can be one of a number of predetermined bandwidths for carriers of a particular radio access technology (e.g., 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, or 80 MHz). In some examples, each served UE 115 can be configured for operating over portions or all of the carrier bandwidth. In other examples, some UEs 115 can be configured for operation using a narrowband protocol type associated with a predefined portion or range (e.g., set of subcarriers or RBs) within a carrier (e.g., “in-band” deployment of the narrowband protocol type).

[0078] In systems employing MCM techniques, a resource element can consist of one symbol period (e.g., a duration of one modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element can depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme). Thus, the more resource elements that a UE 115 receives and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rates for the UE 115. In MIMO systems, a wireless communications resource can refer to a combination of a radio frequency spectrum resource, a time resource, and a spatial resource (e.g., spatial layers), and the use of multiple spatial layers can further increase the data rates for communications with a UE 115.

[0079] Devices of the wireless communications system 100 (e.g., base stations 105 or UEs 115) can have a hardware configuration that supports communications over a particular carrier bandwidth, or can be configurable to support communications over one of a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, the wireless communications system 100 can include base stations 105 and / or UEs that can support simultaneous communications via multiple component carriers, which can be associated with different bandwidth parts.

[0080] The wireless communications system 100 can support communication with UEs 115 on multiple cells or carriers, a feature which can be referred to as carrier aggregation (CA) or multi-carrier operation. A UE 115 can be configured with multiple downlink CCs and one or more uplink CCs depending on the carrier aggregation configuration. Carrier aggregation can be used with both FDD and TDD component carriers.

[0081] In some cases, the wireless communications system 100 can utilize enhanced component carriers (eCCs). An eCC can be characterized by one or more features including wider carrier or frequency channel bandwidth, shorter symbol duration, shorter TTI duration, or modified control channel configuration. In some cases, an eCC can be associated with a carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity configuration. An eCC can also be configured for use in unlicensed spectrum, or shared spectrum (such as spectrum shared with other radio access technologies). An eCC can include one or more zones, which can be utilized by UEs 115 that are capable of monitoring or using the limited bandwidth of the zone (rather than the entire carrier or frequency channel).

[0082] In some cases, an eCC can utilize a different symbol duration than other CCs, which can include use of a reduced symbol duration as compared with symbol durations of the other CCs. A shorter symbol duration can be associated with increased spacing between adjacent subcarriers. A device, such as a UE 115 or base station 105, utilizing eCCs can transmit wideband signals based on frequency carriers aggregated from a set of eCCs according to the increased spacing between subcarriers. TTI durations in an eCC can be shorter than TTI durations in symbol periods of the other CCs. A TTI duration in an eCC can be broken up into multiple codebook uplink or downlink transmission time periods.

[0083] Wireless communications systems such as NR systems can utilize any combination of licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum. The flexibility of eCC symbol duration and subcarrier spacing can allow for the use of eCCs across multiple frequency spectrums. In some examples, NR shared spectrum can increase spectrum utilization and spectral efficiency, particularly with dynamic vertical (e.g., across frequency) and horizontal (e.g., across time) sharing of resources.

[0084] One or more base stations 105 can include a communication manager 101 that can transmit a reference signal on one or more anchor channels at a beginning of a frame (e.g., m-frame). The communication manager 101 can also perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a downlink segment of the frame. The communication manager 101 can transmit downlink communications to one or more UEs 115 using the identified plurality of downlink carriers during the downlink segment of the frame.

[0085] The communication manager 101 can identify an expected collision between two or more UEs 115 during an uplink segment of a frame. The communication manager 101 can identify the expected collision for an upcoming uplink segment based at least in part on a selection procedure (e.g., algorithm) used by the UEs 115 for the upcoming uplink segment. The communication manager 101 can transmit time division multiplexing (TDM) information to the UEs 115 based at least in part on the identified expected collision. In some examples, the communication manager 101 can transmit the TDM information to the UEs 115 in a downlink communication.

[0086] A UE 115 can include a communication manager 102 that can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a first plurality of downlink carriers for a downlink segment of a first frame. The communication manager 102 can also perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the first plurality of downlink carriers to select an uplink channel for an uplink segment of the first frame.

[0087] In some examples, the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting the uplink channel from the first plurality of downlink carriers. In some examples, the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a permutation of the first plurality of downlink carriers, and then selecting the uplink channel based at least in part on the selected permutation. In some examples, the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a primary channel.

[0088] The communication manager 102 can transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink channel during the uplink segment of the first frame. In some examples, the first frame can include two or more uplink segments. The communication manager 102 can perform a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure for each uplink segment. For example, the communication manager 102 can perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the first plurality of downlink carriers to select a second uplink channel for a second uplink segment of the first frame. The third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can use the same selection procedure (e.g., algorithm) as the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure.

[0089] In some examples, the communication manager 102 can receive TDM information for an uplink segment (e.g., in a downlink communication from a base station 105). In such examples, the communication manager 102 can transmit an uplink communication during the uplink segment based at least in part on the TDM information. In some cases, forcing TDM of uplink transmissions on a single carrier can reach uplink capacity.

[0090] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communications system 200 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, wireless communications system 200 can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100.

[0091] Wireless communications system 200 can include a serving base station 205, which can be an example of aspects of a base station 105 as described with reference to Figure 1 Wireless communications system 200 can also include a plurality of served UEs 210, including a first UE 210-a, a second UE 215-a, and a third UE 220-a. The served UEs 210 can be examples of aspects of a UE 115 as described with reference to Figure 1

[0092] Each UE 210 can receive downlink communications from base station 205 and can transmit uplink communications to base station 205. The UEs 210 can communicate with base station 205 according to a frame structure that includes at least one downlink segment and at least one uplink segment. The frame structure can be, for example, an m-frame structure.

[0093] At the beginning of each frame, base station 205 can transmit a discovery reference signal (DRS) on at least one anchor channel. For example, base station 205 can transmit a DRS on at least three anchor channels or carriers simultaneously. Each anchor channel can correspond to one resource block. An anchor channel can be a resource block designated for transmitting a DRS and specifically or primarily used for transmission of DRSs and other control signals. The resource block for an anchor channel can be known to base station 205 and the plurality of UEs 210 prior to transmitting the DRS. For example, base station 205 can identify the anchor channel when one of the UEs 210 joins the cell. In some examples, the DRS can have a standard duration, such as 10 milliseconds or 20 milliseconds.

[0094] ​The base station 205 can then transmit downlink communications to the plurality of UEs 210 during the downlink segment of the first frame. In some examples, the base station 205 and UEs 210 can be capable of communicating on a number of different channels (e.g., resource bands). The base station 205 can select three of the n available channels, for example, to satisfy a minimum bandwidth constraint, such as the FCC minimum bandwidth limit for shared spectrum. In some examples, each channel can serve one UE, for example, the three channels can serve the three UEs 210. In some other examples, the three channels can serve three groups of UEs. The base station 205 and UEs 210 can use a frequency hopping procedure to select the channels on which they will communicate.

[0095] The base station 205 and UEs 210 can each perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure (e.g., a first random hopping phase or level) to select a first plurality of downlink carriers for the first frame. In some examples, the first plurality of downlink carriers can include a plurality of contiguous channels. The base station 205 can use one of the first plurality of downlink carriers to communicate with each UE 210. In some cases, a UE 210 can perform a first random hopping phase for a group of M frequencies according to a frequency hopping pattern determined by the base station 205, where M is an integer; and the UE 210 can receive downlink control and / or data on the designated carrier.

[0096] Each UE 210 can then perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the first plurality of downlink carriers to select an uplink carrier for the uplink segment of the first frame. Each UE 210 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the uplink carrier based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random number generator, or a random or pseudo-random pattern. For example, a random generator for each carrier can pick one of the M hopping frequencies of the first hopping level. In some examples, the selection of the uplink carrier at one of the UEs 210 (e.g., the first UE 210-a) can be independent of the selection of the uplink carrier at other UEs 210 (e.g., the second UE 210-b and the third UE 210-c) in the wireless communications system 200. In some examples, the UEs 210 on the same downlink carrier can pick the same hopping pattern. In some other examples, each UE 210 can use a common algorithm to select the uplink carrier (e.g., select a common primary carrier or a common permutation).

[0097] In some examples, each UE 210 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select an uplink channel from the first plurality of downlink carriers. For example, the first plurality of downlink carriers can include three channels A, B, and C. Each UE 210 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select one of the three channels. For example, the first UE 210-a can select channel B, the second UE 210-b can select channel C, and the third UE 210-c can select channel A. The UEs 210 can then transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink channels during the uplink segment of the first frame. For example, the first UE 210-a can transmit an uplink communication on channel B, the second UE 210-b can transmit an uplink communication on channel C, and the third UE 210-c can transmit an uplink communication on channel A.

[0098] In some examples, each UE 210 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select a permutation of the first plurality of downlink carriers, and then select an uplink channel based at least in part on the selected permutation. For example, the first plurality of downlink carriers can include three channels A, B, and C. There are six potential permutations of the channels. Each UE 210 can use a common algorithm to randomly or pseudo-randomly select one of the permutations, such that each UE 210 selects the same permutation. For example, each UE 210 can select the permutation {B, C, A}. Each UE can then select an uplink channel based on the selected permutation. For example, the first UE 210-a can select channel B, the second UE 210-b can select channel C, and the third UE 210-c can select channel A. The UEs 210 can then transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink channels during the uplink segment of the first frame. For example, the first UE 210-a can transmit an uplink communication on channel B, the second UE 210-b can transmit an uplink communication on channel C, and the third UE 210-c can transmit an uplink communication on channel A.

[0099] In some examples, the UEs 210 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select a primary channel as a first uplink channel. For example, the first plurality of downlink carriers can include three channels A, B, and C. Each UE 210 can use a common algorithm to randomly or pseudo-randomly select a primary channel, such that each UE 210 selects the same primary channel. For example, each UE 210 can select channel B as the primary channel. The UEs 210 can then transmit uplink communications on the selected primary channel during the uplink segment of the first frame.

[0100] In some examples, one or more UEs 210 can select the same uplink channel. The base station 205 can identify an anticipated collision based at least in part on a selection procedure (e.g., an algorithm) used by the UEs 210 to select the uplink channel. The base station 205 can provide TDM information to the UEs 210 in a downlink communication. The one or more UEs 210 can transmit their uplink communications on the same uplink channel during the uplink segment of the first frame based at least in part on the TDM information. In some examples, two UEs 210 from different carriers can hop onto the same frequency hop, and a scheduler at the base station 205 can carefully TDM the uplink transmissions on that same frequency hop.

[0101] In some examples, the first frame can include one or more additional downlink and uplink segments. The base station 205 can transmit additional downlink communications during the additional downlink segments using the assignments determined in the first frequency hopping procedure. The UEs 210 can perform an additional frequency hopping procedure for each additional uplink segment to select an uplink channel from the first plurality of downlink carriers. For example, for a second uplink segment in the first frame, the first UE 210-a can perform a third frequency hopping procedure, which can use the same selection procedure (e.g., algorithm) as used for the second frequency hopping procedure above. The first UE 210-a identifies channel A as the uplink channel for the second uplink segment based on the third frequency hopping procedure.

[0102] At the beginning of the second frame, the base station 205 can transmit a second reference signal. The base station 205 and the UEs 210 can then perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a second plurality of downlink carriers for the second frame. The third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure can use the same selection procedure (e.g., algorithm) as the first frequency hopping procedure.

[0103] The UEs 210 can perform a fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the second plurality of downlink carriers to select an uplink carrier for an uplink segment of the second frame. The fourth frequency hopping procedure can use the same selection procedure (e.g., algorithm) as used for the second frequency hopping procedure above. The UEs 210 can then transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink carriers during the uplink segment of the second frame.

[0104] Figure 3 An example of a communication sequence 300 in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmissions is illustrated in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communications system can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100.

[0105] The communication sequence 300 can illustrate downlink communications from a base station to a plurality of UEs, and uplink communications from the plurality of UEs to the base station. The base station and UEs can be examples of aspects of the base stations 105 and UEs 115 described with reference to FIG. 1. The communication sequence 300 includes a first frame 305 and a second frame 310. Each frame can be, for example, an m-frame. In some examples, each frame can have a standard duration, such as 160 milliseconds or 320 milliseconds. The first frame 305 includes a first time period 380 corresponding to a downlink segment and a second time period 385 corresponding to an uplink segment. The second time frame 310 includes a third time period 390 corresponding to a downlink segment and a fourth time period 395 corresponding to an uplink segment. Figure 1 The communication sequence 300 can illustrate downlink communications from a base station to a plurality of UEs, and uplink communications from the plurality of UEs to the base station. The base station and UEs can be examples of aspects of the base stations 105 and UEs 115 described with reference to FIG. 1. The communication sequence 300 includes a first frame 305 and a second frame 310. Each frame can be, for example, an m-frame. In some examples, each frame can have a standard duration, such as 160 milliseconds or 320 milliseconds. The first frame 305 includes a first time period 380 corresponding to a downlink segment and a second time period 385 corresponding to an uplink segment. The second time frame 310 includes a third time period 390 corresponding to a downlink segment and a fourth time period 395 corresponding to an uplink segment.

[0106] At the beginning of the first frame 305, the base station 105 can transmit a discovery reference signal (DRS) 315 on at least one anchor channel. Each anchor channel can correspond to one resource block. The anchor channels can be resource blocks designated for transmitting the DRS and specifically or primarily for transmission of the DRS and other control signals. The resource blocks for the anchor channels can be known to the base station 105 and the plurality of UEs 115 prior to transmitting the DRS. For example, the base station 105 can identify the anchor channels when the UEs 115 join the cell. In some examples, the DRS can have a standard duration, such as 10 milliseconds or 20 milliseconds.

[0107] The base station 105 and the UEs 115 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select and / or identify a first plurality of downlink carriers for the downlink segment of the first frame 305. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence known to both the base station 105 and the UEs 115.

[0108] In some examples, the first plurality of downlink carriers can include a set of three or more contiguous data channels (e.g., three or more contiguous channels starting with a first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1). The first plurality of downlink carriers for the first frame 305 can be with respect to the anchor channels Figure 3 may be a first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, a second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and a third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3. Each downlink carrier can correspond to a resource block.

[0109] The base stations 105 can transmit downlink data on one or more of the first plurality of downlink carriers during the downlink segment of the first frame 305. For example, during the first time period 380, the base stations 105 can transmit downlink data 320 for a first UE (UE0) on a first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, downlink data 325 for a second UE (UE1) on a second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and downlink data 330 for a third UE (UE2) on a third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3. The base stations 105 can use the same downlink carrier assignments for any additional downlink communications during the first time frame 305.

[0110] Each UE 115 can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the first plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the first plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for the second time period 385. For example, each UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select one of the first plurality of downlink carriers as an uplink channel. In some examples, the UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select one of the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random number generator. In some examples, the UE 115 can select one of the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random pattern. The selection of the uplink channel at one UE (e.g., the first UE (UE0)) can be independent of the selection of the uplink channel at other UEs (e.g., the second UE (UE1) and the third UE (UE2)) in the cell.

[0111] For example, with reference to Figure 3 , the first UE (UE0) can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2 as the uplink channel. The second UE (UE1) can select the first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1 as the uplink channel. The third UE (UE2) can select the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3 as the uplink channel. In some examples, a UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select an uplink channel that is different from the channel on which it received downlink data (e.g., UEs 0 and 1). In some examples, a UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select an uplink channel that is the same as the channel on which it received downlink data (e.g., UE 2).

[0112] The UEs 115 can transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink channels during the second time period 385. For example, the first UE (UE0) can transmit uplink communication 335 on the second channel, the second UE (UE1) can transmit uplink communication 340 on the first channel, and the third UE (UE2) can transmit uplink communication 345 on the third channel.

[0113] At the beginning of the second frame 310, the base station 105 can transmit a second DRS 350 on the at least one anchor channel, as described above with respect to the DRS 315.

[0114] The base station 105 and the UEs 115 can perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select and / or identify a second plurality of downlink carriers for the downlink segments of the second frame 310. The UEs 115 can perform the third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure as described above with respect to the first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the second plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence known to both the base station 105 and the UEs 115. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the second plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on the first plurality of downlink carriers, e.g., the second plurality of downlink carriers can include a set of three or more contiguous downlink carriers starting with a second data channel of the first plurality of downlink carriers (e.g., the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2). The second plurality of downlink carriers for the second frame 310 are illustrated in FIG. 3 with respect to the first plurality of downlink carriers. Figure 3 The second plurality of downlink carriers can be the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3, and the fourth channel corresponding to hop frequency 4. Each channel can correspond to a resource block.

[0115] The base station 105 can transmit downlink data on one or more of the second plurality of downlink carriers. For example, during the third time period 390, the base station 105 can transmit downlink data 355 for the first UE (UE0) on the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, downlink data 360 for the second UE (UE1) on the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3, and downlink data 365 for the third UE (UE2) on the fourth channel corresponding to hop frequency 4. The base station 105 can use the same downlink carrier assignments for any additional downlink communications during the second time frame 310.

[0116] Each UE 115 can perform a fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the second plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the second plurality of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for a fourth time period 395. The UE 115 can perform the fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure as described above with respect to the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure.

[0117] In some examples, two or more UEs 115 can select the same downlink carrier as the uplink channel for the fourth time period 395. For example, in the fourth time period 395, a first UE (UE0) and a second UE (UE1) can select the fourth channel as the uplink channel, while a third UE (UE2) can select the second channel as the uplink channel.

[0118] The base station 105 can identify an anticipated collision between the first UE (UE0) and the second UE (UE1). For example, the base station 105 can identify the anticipated collision based at least in part on the selection procedure used by each UE (e.g., a pseudo-random pattern). The base station 105 can provide time division multiplexing information to the first UE (UE0) and the second UE (UE1). In some examples, the base station 105 can transmit the time division multiplexing information in the downlink communications 355, 360, and 365 of the third time period 390 (e.g., in the last segment of downlink communications).

[0119] The UEs 115 can transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink channels during the fourth time period 395. For example, the third UE (UE2) can transmit an uplink communication 370 on the second channel. The first UE (UE0) and the second UE (UE1) can transmit uplink communications 375 on the fourth channel based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information.

[0120] Figure 4 An example of a communication sequence 400 in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission is illustrated in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communications system can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100.

[0121] The communication sequence 400 can show downlink communications from a base station to multiple UEs, and uplink communications from the multiple UEs to the base station. The base station and UEs can be examples of aspects of the base stations 105 and the UEs 115 as described with reference to Figure 1 The communication sequence 400 includes a first frame 405 and a second frame 410, which can be examples of frames 305 and 310 as described with reference to Figure 3Examples of aspects of the first frame 305 and the second frame 310 are described. The first frame 405 includes a first time period 485 corresponding to a downlink segment and a second time period 490 corresponding to an uplink segment. The second frame 410 includes a third time period 495 corresponding to a downlink segment and a fourth time period 499 corresponding to an uplink segment.

[0122] At the beginning of the first frame 405, the base station 105 can transmit a first DRS 415 on at least one anchor channel, as described above with reference to Figure 3

[0123] The base station 105 and the plurality of UEs 115 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select and / or identify a first plurality of downlink carriers for the first frame 405. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence known to both the base station 105 and the UEs 115. The first plurality of downlink carriers can be Figure 4 The first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3.

[0124] The base station 105 can transmit downlink data on one or more of the first plurality of data channels during the first time period 485. For example, during the first time period corresponding to the downlink segment of the first frame 405, the base station 105 can transmit downlink data 420 for a first UE (UE0) on the first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, downlink data 425 for a second UE (UE1) on the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and downlink data 430 for a third UE (UE2) on the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3. The base station 105 can use the same downlink carrier assignments for any additional downlink communications during the first frame 405.

[0125] Each UE 115 can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select one of the first plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for the second time period 490 within the first plurality of downlink carriers. For example, the UEs 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select a permutation of the first plurality of downlink carriers. For example, for three UEs 115 transmitting on three downlink carriers, as described above with reference to Figure 4 ​As shown in FIG. 3, there can be six possible permutations: {0, 1, 2}, {0, 2, 1}, {1, 0, 2}, {1, 2, 0}, {2, 0, 1}, and {2, 1, 0}. Each UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select one of the six permutations. Each UE 115 can use the same selection procedure to select a permutation, such that each UE 115 selects the same permutation. For example, each UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the permutation {1, 0, 2}. The UEs 115 can select the permutation based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random number generator, a random or pseudo-random pattern, and / or the like.

[0126] The UEs 115 can select uplink channels based at least in part on the selected permutation. For example, based on the permutation {1, 0, 2}, the second UE (UE1) can select the first channel of the set of contiguous channels (corresponding to hop frequency 1), the first UE (UE0) can select the second channel of the set of contiguous channels (corresponding to hop frequency 2), and the third UE (UE2) can select the third channel of the set of contiguous channels (corresponding to hop frequency 3).

[0127] The UEs 115 can transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink channels during the second time period 490. For example, the first UE (UE0) can transmit uplink communication 435 on the second channel, the second UE (UE1) can transmit uplink communication 440 on the first channel, and the third UE (UE2) can transmit uplink communication 445 on the third channel.

[0128] At the beginning of the second frame 410, the base station 105 can transmit a second DRS 450 on the at least one anchor channel, as described above with respect to the DRS 415.

[0129] The base station 105 and the UEs 115 can perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select and / or identify a second plurality of downlink carriers for a downlink segment of the second frame 410. The UEs 115 can perform the third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure as described above with respect to the first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the second plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence known to both the base station 105 and the UEs 115. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the second plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on the first plurality of downlink carriers, e.g., the second plurality of downlink carriers can include a set of three or more contiguous downlink carriers starting with a second data channel of the first plurality of downlink carriers (e.g., the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2). The second plurality of downlink carriers for the second frame 410 are shown in FIG. 4. Figure 4The second channel can correspond to hop frequency 2, the third channel can correspond to hop frequency 3, and the fourth channel can correspond to hop frequency 4. Each channel can correspond to a resource block.

[0130] The base station 105 can transmit downlink data on one or more of the second plurality of downlink carriers. For example, during the third time period 495, the base station 105 can transmit downlink data 455 for the first UE (UE0) on the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, downlink data 460 for the second UE (UE1) on the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3, and downlink data 465 for the third UE (UE2) on the fourth channel corresponding to hop frequency 4. The base station 105 can use the same downlink carrier assignments for any additional downlink communications during the second frame 410.

[0131] Each UE 115 can perform a fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the second plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the second plurality of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for the fourth time period 499. The UEs 115 can perform the fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure as described above with respect to the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. In contrast to the selection schemes described with reference to FIG. 4, random or pseudo-random selection of the permutation of downlink carriers can avoid collisions and, as such, can not transmit time division multiplexing information. Figure 3

[0132] The UEs 115 can select a second permutation of the second plurality of downlink carriers, e.g., {2, 0, 1}. The UEs 115 can select the second uplink channel based at least in part on the second permutation. For example, based on the permutation {2, 0, 1}, the third UE (UE2) can select the first channel of the contiguous set of channels (corresponding to hop frequency 2), the first UE (UE0) can select the second channel of the contiguous set of channels (corresponding to hop frequency 3), and the second UE (UE1) can select the third channel of the contiguous set of channels (corresponding to hop frequency 4). The UEs 115 can transmit uplink communications on the selected uplink channels during the fourth time period 499. For example, the first UE (UE0) can transmit uplink communications 470 on the channel corresponding to hop frequency 3, the second UE (UE1) can transmit uplink communications 475 on the channel corresponding to hop frequency 4, and the third UE (UE2) can transmit uplink communications 480 on the channel corresponding to hop frequency 2.

[0133] Figure 5 ​An example of a communication sequence 500 in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, the wireless communications system can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100.

[0134] The communication sequence 500 can illustrate downlink communications from a base station to a plurality of UEs, and uplink communications from the plurality of UEs to the base station. The base station and UEs can be examples of aspects of the base stations 105 and UEs 115 as described with reference to Figure 1 The communication sequence 500 includes a first frame 505 and a second frame 510, which can be examples of aspects of the first frame 305 and the second frame 310 as described with reference to Figure 3 The first frame 505 includes a first time period 565 corresponding to a downlink segment and a second time period 570 corresponding to an uplink segment. The second frame 510 includes a third time period 575 corresponding to a downlink segment and a fourth time period 580 corresponding to an uplink segment.

[0135] At the beginning of the first frame 505, the base station 105 can transmit a first DRS 515 on at least one anchor channel, as described above with reference to Figure 3 For example, the base station 205 can transmit DRS on at least three anchor channels or carriers simultaneously.

[0136] The base station 105 and the plurality of UEs 115 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select and / or identify a first plurality of downlink carriers for the first frame 505. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence known to both the base station 105 and the UEs 115. The first plurality of downlink carriers can be Figure 5 may be a first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, a second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and a third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3.

[0137] The base station 105 can transmit downlink data on one or more of the first plurality of data channels during the downlink segment of the first frame 505. For example, during the first time period 565, the base station 105 can transmit downlink data 520 for a first UE (UE0) on the first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, downlink data 525 for a second UE (UE1) on the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and downlink data 530 for a third UE (UE2) on the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3. The base station 105 can use the same downlink carrier assignments for any additional downlink communications during the first frame 505.

[0138] Each UE 115 can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the first plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the first plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for the second time period 570. For example, a UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select a primary channel from the first plurality of downlink carriers. In some examples, a UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select one of the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random number generator. In some examples, a UE 115 can select one of the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random pattern. The primary channel is the channel that is to be used for uplink communications by all UEs 115 in the cell during the time period (e.g., during the second time period 570). In some examples, each UE 115 can independently identify and / or select the primary channel. In some other examples, one UE 115 can identify and / or select the primary channel and communicate an indication of the primary channel to other UEs 115 in the cell.

[0139] For example, each UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2 as the uplink channel. The UEs 115 can transmit uplink communications 535 on the primary channel during the second time period 570. The UEs 115 can transmit the uplink communications based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information. In some examples, the base station 105 can transmit the time division multiplexing information to the UEs 115, for example, in the downlink data 520, 525, and 530 during the first time period 565 (e.g., in a last segment of downlink communications).

[0140] At the beginning of the second frame 510, the base station 105 can transmit a second DRS 540 on the at least one anchor channel, as described above with respect to the DRS 515.

[0141] The base station 105 and the UE 115 can perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select and / or identify a second plurality of downlink carriers for a downlink segment of the second frame 510. The UE 115 can perform the third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure as described above with respect to the first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UE 115 can select and / or identify the second plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence known to both the base station 105 and the UE 115. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UE 115 can select and / or identify the second plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on the first plurality of downlink carriers, e.g., the second plurality of downlink carriers can include a set of three or more contiguous downlink carriers starting with a second data channel in the first plurality of downlink carriers (e.g., a second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2). The second plurality of downlink carriers for the second frame 510 can be Figure 5 may be a second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, a third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3, and a fourth channel corresponding to hop frequency 4. Each channel can correspond to a resource block.

[0142] The base station 105 can transmit downlink data on one or more of the second plurality of downlink carriers. For example, during the third time period 575, the base station 105 can transmit downlink data 545 for a first UE (UE0) on the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, downlink data 550 for a second UE (UE1) on the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3, and downlink data 555 for a third UE (UE2) on the fourth channel corresponding to hop frequency 4. The base station 105 can use the same downlink carrier assignments for any additional downlink communications during the second frame 510.

[0143] Each UE 115 can perform a fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select one of the second plurality of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for the fourth time period 580 within the second plurality of downlink carriers. The UE 115 can perform the fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure as described above with respect to the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure.

[0144] For example, each UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select a third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3 as an uplink channel. The UEs 115 can transmit uplink communications 560 on the primary channel during the fourth time period 580. The UEs 115 can transmit the uplink communications based at least in part on the second time division multiplexing information. In some examples, the base station 105 can transmit the time division multiplexing information to the UEs 115, e.g., in the downlink data 545, 550, and 555 during the third time period 575 (e.g., in the last segment of downlink communications).

[0145] Figure 6 An example of a communication sequence 600 in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission is illustrated in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communications system can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100.

[0146] The communication sequence 600 can show downlink communications from a base station to a plurality of UEs, and uplink communications from the plurality of UEs to the base station. The base station and UEs can be examples of aspects of the base stations 105 and UEs 115 described with reference to Figure 1 The communication sequence 600 includes a first frame 605. Each frame can be, for example, an m-frame. In some examples, each frame can have a standard duration, such as 160 milliseconds or 320 milliseconds. The first frame 605 can include a first time period 675 corresponding to a first downlink segment, a second time period 680 corresponding to a first uplink segment, a third time period 685 corresponding to a second downlink segment, and a fourth time period 690 corresponding to a second uplink segment. In such cases, the random hop frequencies for the plurality of uplink segments of the UEs 115 can be on different hop frequencies within the same m-frame, thereby mitigating frequency collisions.

[0147] At the beginning of the first frame 605, the base station 105 can transmit a first DRS 610 on at least one anchor channel, as described above with reference to Figure 3

[0148] The base station 105 and the plurality of UEs 115 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select and / or identify a first plurality of downlink carriers for the first frame 605. In some examples, the base station 105 and the UEs 115 can select and / or identify the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence known to both the base station 105 and the UEs 115. The first plurality of downlink carriers can be Figure 6 may be a first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, a second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and a third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3.

[0149] ​The base stations 105 can transmit downlink data on one or more of the first plurality of data channels during the first time period 675. For example, during the first time period 675, the base stations 105 can transmit downlink data 615 for the first UE (UEO) on a first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, downlink data 620 for the second UE (UE1) on a second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and downlink data 625 for the third UE (UE2) on a third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3.

[0150] Each UE 115 can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the first plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the first plurality of downlink channels as a first uplink channel for the second time period 680. In some examples, each UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the uplink channel from the first plurality of downlink carriers, as described above with respect to Figure 3 In some examples, the UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select a permutation of the first plurality of downlink carriers, and then select the first uplink channel based at least in part on the selected permutation, as described above with respect to Figure 4 In some examples, the UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the primary channel as the first uplink channel, as described above with respect to Figure 5 In some examples, the UE 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the primary channel as the first uplink channel, as described above with respect to

[0151] For example, with reference to Figure 6 the first UE (UEO) can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2 as the first uplink channel. The second UE (UE1) can select the first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1 as the first uplink channel. The third UE (UE2) can select the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3 as the first uplink channel.

[0152] Each UE 115 can transmit first uplink communications on the selected first uplink channel during the second time period 680. For example, the first UE (UEO) can transmit first uplink communications 630 on the second channel, the second UE (UE1) can transmit first uplink communications 635 on the first channel, and the third UE (UE2) can transmit first uplink communications 640 on the third channel.

[0153] The base stations 105 can transmit second downlink data on one or more of the first plurality of data channels during the third time period 685. The base stations 105 can transmit the second downlink data based on the downlink carriers identified and / or selected according to the first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. For example, during the third time period, the base stations 105 can transmit second downlink data 645 for the first UE (UE0) on the first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1, second downlink data 650 for the second UE (UE1) on the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2, and second downlink data 655 for the third UE (UE2) on the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3.

[0154] Each UE 115 can perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the first plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the first plurality of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for the fourth time period 690. In some examples, the UEs 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the second uplink channel from the first plurality of downlink carriers, as described above with respect to Figure 3 In some examples, the UEs 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select a second permutation of the first plurality of downlink carriers, and then select the second uplink channel based at least in part on the selected second permutation, as described above with respect to Figure 4 In some examples, the UEs 115 can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the second primary channel as the second uplink channel, as described above with respect to Figure 5 The UEs 115 can perform the third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure using the same algorithm as the algorithm used by the UEs 115 to perform the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure.

[0155] For example, with reference to Figure 6 the first UE (UE0) can randomly or pseudo-randomly select the second channel corresponding to hop frequency 2 as the second uplink channel. The second UE (UE1) can select the third channel corresponding to hop frequency 3 as the second uplink channel. The third UE (UE2) can select the first channel corresponding to hop frequency 1 as the second uplink channel.

[0156] The UEs 115 can transmit second uplink communications on the selected second uplink channels during the fourth time period 690. For example, the first UE (UE0) can transmit a second uplink communication 660 on the second channel, the second UE (UE1) can transmit a second uplink communication 665 on the third channel, and the third UE (UE2) can transmit a second uplink communication 670 on the first channel.

[0157] Figure 7An example of a communication flow 700 in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, the wireless communications system can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100.

[0158] The communication flow 700 illustrates downlink communications from a base station 705 to a UE 710 and uplink communications from the UE 710 to the base station 705. The base station 705 and the UE 710 can be examples of aspects of the base stations 105 and the UEs 115 as described with reference to FIG. 1. The communication flow 700 can illustrate communications within a first frame (e.g., m frame). The first frame can include a first time period corresponding to a first downlink segment, a second time period corresponding to a first uplink segment, a third time period corresponding to a second downlink segment, and a fourth time period corresponding to a second uplink segment. Figure 1

[0159] The base station 705 transmits a reference signal 715 to the UE 710. The reference signal 715 can be a DRS. The reference signal 715 can be transmitted on at least one anchor channel.

[0160] The UE 710 can perform a first frequency hopping procedure 720. The first frequency hopping procedure 720 can be a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. The UE 710 can use the first frequency hopping procedure 720 to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for the first frame (e.g., for the time period corresponding to the downlink segment of the first frame). The base station 705 can transmit a first downlink communication 725 to the UE 710 on one of the plurality of downlink carriers during the first time period of the first frame. The first downlink communication 725 can include TDM information for the second time period.

[0161] The UE 710 can perform a second frequency hopping procedure 730. The second frequency hopping procedure 730 can be a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure and can be performed within the plurality of downlink carriers. The UE 710 can select one of the plurality of downlink carriers as a first uplink channel for the time period based at least in part on the second frequency hopping procedure 730.

[0162] ​In some examples, the second frequency hopping procedure 730 can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting one of the plurality of downlink carriers as the first uplink channel. In some examples, the second frequency hopping procedure 730 can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a permutation of the plurality of downlink carriers, and selecting the first uplink channel based at least in part on the selected permutation. In some examples, the second frequency hopping procedure 730 can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting the primary channel as the first uplink channel. In some examples, the UE 710 can select the first uplink channel from the plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random generator, a random or pseudo-random pattern, and / or the like.

[0163] The UE 710 can transmit the first uplink communication 735 to the base station 705 during the second time period. In some examples, the UE 710 can transmit the first uplink communication 735 based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information from the first downlink communication 725, for example, when another UE in the cell has selected the same first uplink channel.

[0164] The base station 705 can transmit the second downlink communication 740 to the UE 710 on one of the plurality of downlink carriers during a third time period. The base station 705 can use the same assignment as for the first time period, such that the second downlink communication 740 is received on the same channel as the first downlink communication 725. The second downlink communication 740 can include TDM information for a fourth time period.

[0165] The UE 710 can perform a third frequency hopping procedure 745. The third frequency hopping procedure 745 can be a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure, and can be performed within the plurality of downlink carriers. The UE 710 can use the third frequency hopping procedure 745 to select one of the plurality of downlink carriers as a second uplink channel for the fourth time period. The third frequency hopping procedure 745 can be the same selection procedure as the second frequency hopping procedure 730.

[0166] The UE 710 can transmit the second uplink communication 750 to the base station 705. The UE 710 can transmit the second uplink communication 750 on the selected second uplink channel during the fourth time period. In some examples, the UE 710 can transmit the second uplink communication 750 based at least in part on time division multiplexing information included in the second downlink communication 740, for example, when another UE in the cell has selected the same second uplink channel.

[0167] In some examples, the first frame can include an additional uplink segment. In such examples, the UE 710 can perform a new frequency hopping procedure for each additional uplink segment, as described above with respect to the third frequency hopping procedure 745.

[0168] Figure 8 An example of a communication flow 800 in a wireless communications system that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission is illustrated in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communications system can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100.

[0169] The communication flow 800 illustrates downlink communications from a base station 805 to a UE 810 and uplink communications from the UE 810 to the base station 805. The base station 805 and the UE 810 can be examples of aspects of the base stations 105 and the UEs 115 as described with reference to FIG. 1. The communication flow 800 can illustrate communications over two frames (e.g., two m-frames). A first frame can include a first time period corresponding to a downlink segment and a second time period corresponding to an uplink segment. A second frame can include a third time period corresponding to a downlink segment and a fourth time period corresponding to an uplink segment. Figure 1

[0170] The base station 805 transmits a first reference signal 815 to the UE 810. The first reference signal 815 can be a DRS. The first reference signal 815 can be transmitted on at least one anchor channel.

[0171] The UE 810 can perform a first frequency hopping procedure 820. The first frequency hopping procedure 820 can be a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. The UE 810 can use the first frequency hopping procedure 820 to identify a first plurality of downlink carriers for the first frame (e.g., for the time period corresponding to the downlink segment of the first frame). The base station 805 can transmit a first downlink communication to the UE 810 on one of the first plurality of downlink carriers during the first time period. In some examples, the first downlink communication can include TDM information for the second time period.

[0172] The UE 810 can perform a second frequency hopping procedure 825. The second frequency hopping procedure 825 can be a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure and can be performed within the first plurality of downlink carriers. The UE 810 can use the second frequency hopping procedure 825 to select one of the first plurality of downlink carriers as a first uplink channel for the second time period.

[0173] ​In some examples, the second frequency hopping procedure 825 can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting one of the first plurality of downlink carriers as the first uplink channel. In some examples, the second frequency hopping procedure 825 can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a permutation of the first plurality of downlink carriers, and selecting the first uplink channel based at least in part on the selected permutation. In some examples, the second frequency hopping procedure 825 can include randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting the primary channel as the first uplink channel. In some examples, the UE 810 can select the first uplink channel from the first plurality of downlink carriers based at least in part on a random or pseudo-random generator, a random or pseudo-random pattern, and / or the like.

[0174] The UE 810 can transmit the first uplink communication 830 to the base station 805. The UE 810 can transmit the first uplink communication 830 on the selected first uplink channel during the second time period. In some examples, the UE 810 can transmit the first uplink communication 830 based at least in part on time division multiplexing information included in the first time period, for example, when another UE in the cell has selected the same first uplink channel.

[0175] At the beginning of the second frame, the base station 805 can transmit a second reference signal 835 to the UE 810. The second reference signal 835 can be a DRS. The second reference signal 835 can be transmitted on the at least one anchor channel.

[0176] The UE 810 can perform a third frequency hopping procedure 840. The third frequency hopping procedure 840 can be a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure. The UE 810 can use the third frequency hopping procedure 840 to identify a second plurality of downlink carriers for the second frame (e.g., for a time period corresponding to a downlink segment of the first frame). The base station 805 can transmit a second downlink communication to the UE 810 on one of the second plurality of downlink carriers during a third time period. In some examples, the second downlink communication can include TDM information for a fourth time period.

[0177] The UE 810 can perform a fourth frequency hopping procedure 845. The fourth frequency hopping procedure 845 can be a random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure, and can be performed within the second plurality of downlink carriers. The UE 810 can use the fourth frequency hopping procedure 845 to select one of the second plurality of downlink carriers as a second uplink channel for the fourth time period. The fourth frequency hopping procedure 845 can be the same selection procedure as the second frequency hopping procedure 825.

[0178] The UE 810 can transmit a second uplink communication 850 to the base station 805. The UE 810 can transmit the second uplink communication 850 on the selected second uplink channel during the fourth time period. In some examples, the UE 810 can transmit the second uplink communication 850 based at least in part on time division multiplexing information included in the second downlink communication, for example, when another UE in the cell has selected the same second uplink channel.

[0179] Figure 9 A block diagram 900 of a wireless device 905 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The wireless device 905 can be an example of aspects of a user equipment (UE) 115 as described herein. The wireless device 905 can include a receiver 910, a UE communications manager 915, and a transmitter 920. The wireless device 905 can also include a processor. Each of these components can be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0180] The receiver 910 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to nested frequency hopping for data transmission, etc.). Information can be passed on to other components of the device 905. The receiver 910 can be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1235 described with reference to FIG. 12. The receiver 910 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas. Figure 12

[0181] The UE communications manager 915 can be an example of aspects of the UE communications manager 1215 described with reference to FIG. 12. Figure 12

[0182] ​​The UE communications manager 915 and / or at least some of its various sub- components can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions of the UE communications manager 915 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be executed by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure. The UE communications manager 915 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be physically located in various places in the apparatus, including but not limited to with the processor, so that the functionality of the UE communications manager 915 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be shared among various physical components of the apparatus. In some examples, the UE communications manager 915 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be a separate and distinct component in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In other examples, the UE communications manager 915 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be combined with one or more other hardware components of the apparatus, including but not limited to an I / O component, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof. In further examples, the UE communications manager 915 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be a software component running in a hardware component, including but not limited to a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, another hardware component, or a combination thereof.

[0183] The UE communications manager 915 can receive, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least one anchor carrier, perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a set of downlink carriers for a first time period, perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers to select one of the set of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period, and transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period.

[0184] The transmitter 920 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 905. In some examples, the transmitter 920 can be collocated with a receiver 910 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 920 can be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1235 described with reference to FIG. 12. The transmitter 920 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas. Figure 12

[0185] Figure 10 A block diagram 1000 of a wireless device 1005 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The wireless device 1005 can be an example of aspects of a wireless device 1005 as described with reference to FIGs. 1 and 2. The wireless device 1005 can include a receiver 1010, a transmitter 1015, and a communications manager 1020. The communications manager 1020 can be an example of aspects of the communications manager 910 described with reference to FIG. 9. Figure 9 ​Examples of aspects of the described wireless device 905 or UE 115. The wireless device 1005 can include a receiver 1010, a UE communications manager 1015, and a transmitter 1020. The wireless device 1005 can also include a processor. Each of these components can be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0186] The receiver 1010 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to nested frequency hopping for data transmission, etc.). Information can be passed on to other components of the device 1005. The receiver 1010 can be a receiver Figure 12 Examples of aspects of the described transceiver 1235. The receiver 1010 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0187] The UE communications manager 1015 can be an example of aspects of the described UE communications manager 1215. Figure 12 Examples of aspects of the described UE communications manager 1215.

[0188] The UE communications manager 1015 can also include a DRS processor 1025, a first frequency hopping unit 1030, a second frequency hopping unit 1035, and an uplink

[0189] The DRS processor 1025 can receive, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least one anchor carrier and receive, by the wireless device, a second discovery reference signal on the at least one anchor channel.

[0190] The first frequency hopping unit 1030 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a set of downlink carriers for a first time period and perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a second set of downlink carriers for a third time period. In some cases, each downlink carrier of the set of downlink carriers includes a resource block.

[0191] The second frequency hopping unit 1035 can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within a set of downlink carriers to select one of the set of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period, receive a downlink communication for the wireless device on the one of the set of downlink carriers, where the uplink channel is different from the downlink channel, select the uplink channel based on a permutation, perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers to select a second downlink channel of the set of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for a third time period, and perform a fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers to select one of a second set of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for a fourth time period. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting one of the set of downlink channels. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a permutation of the set of downlink carriers. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a primary channel as the uplink channel. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes selecting one of the set of downlink carriers based on a random or pseudo-random number generator. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes selecting one of the set of data channels based on a random or pseudo-random hopping pattern.

[0192] The uplink communication channel selector 1040 can transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period, transmit a second uplink communication on the selected second uplink channel during the third time period, where the third time period is in a same frame, and transmit the second uplink communication on the selected second uplink channel during the fourth time period, where the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period and the fourth time period. In some cases, the first time period and the second time period are in a same frame.

[0193] The transmitter 1020 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 1005. In some examples, the transmitter 1020 can be collocated with a receiver 1010 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 1020 can be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1235 described with reference to FIG. 12. The transmitter 1020 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas. Figure 12

[0194] Figure 11 ​A block diagram 1100 of a UE communications manager 1115 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The UE communications manager 1115 can be an example of aspects of the UE communications manager 915, the UE communications manager 1015, or the UE communications manager 1215 described with reference to Figure 9 , 10 and 12. The UE communications manager 1115 can include a DRS processor 1120, a first frequency hopping unit 1125, a second frequency hopping unit 1130, an uplink communication channel selector 1135, a TDM processor 1140, and a TDM scheduler 1145. Each of these modules can communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0195] The DRS processor 1120 can receive, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal on at least one anchor carrier and receive, by the wireless device, a second discovery reference signal on the at least one anchor channel.

[0196] The first frequency hopping unit 1125 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a set of downlink carriers for a first time period and perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a second set of downlink carriers for a third time period. In some cases, each downlink carrier of the set of downlink carriers includes a resource block.

[0197] The second frequency hopping unit 1130 can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within a set of downlink carriers to select one of the set of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period, receive a downlink communication for the wireless device on the one of the set of downlink carriers, where the uplink channel is different from the downlink channel, select the uplink channel based on a permutation, perform a third random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers to select a second downlink channel of the set of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for a third time period, and perform a fourth random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers to select one of a second set of downlink channels as a second uplink channel for a fourth time period. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting one of the set of downlink channels. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a permutation of the set of downlink carriers. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting a primary channel as the uplink channel. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes selecting one of the set of downlink carriers based on a random or pseudo-random number generator. In some cases, performing the second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers includes selecting one of the set of data channels based on a random or pseudo-random hopping pattern.

[0198] The uplink communication channel selector 1135 can transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period, transmit a second uplink communication on the selected second uplink channel during the third time period, where the third time period is in a same frame, and transmit a second uplink communication on the selected second uplink channel during the fourth time period, where the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period and the fourth time period. In some cases, the first time period and the second time period are in a same frame.

[0199] The TDM processor 1140 can receive time division multiplexing information from a base station regarding an uplink channel.

[0200] The TDM scheduler 1145 can schedule transmission of an uplink communication on a channel. In some cases, the uplink communication is transmitted based on the time division multiplexing information.

[0201] Figure 12A diagram illustrating a system 1200 including a device 1205 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1205 can be an example of or include the components of wireless device 905, wireless device 1005, or a UE 115 as described above, e.g., with reference to Figure 9 and Figure 10 The device 1205 can include components for bi-directional voice and data communications including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a UE communications manager 1215, a processor 1220, memory 1225, software 1230, a transceiver 1235, an antenna 1240, and an I / O controller 1245. These components can be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus 1210). The device 1205 can communicate wirelessly with one or more base stations 105.

[0202] The processor 1220 can include an intelligent hardware device, (e.g., a general- purpose processor, a DSP, a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 1220 can be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, a memory controller can be integrated into the processor 1220. The processor 1220 can be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory to perform various

[0203] The memory 1225 can include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory 1225 can store computer-readable, computer-executable software 1230 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 1225 can contain, among other computer-readable software 1230, a basic input / output system (BIOS) which can control basic hardware or software operation such as the interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0204] The software 1230 can include code to implement aspects of the present disclosure, including code to support nested frequency hopping for data transmission. The software 1230 can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as system memory or other memory. In some cases, the software 1230 can not be directly executable by the processor but can cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform functions described herein.

[0205] Transceiver 1235 can communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, as described above. For example, transceiver 1235 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 1235 may also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to the antenna for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antenna.

[0206] In some cases, wireless device 1205 may include a single antenna 1240. However, in other cases, device 1205 may have more than one antenna 1240, which may be able to transmit or receive multiple wireless transmissions concurrently.

[0207] I / O controller 1245 manages the input and output signals of device 1205. I / O controller 1245 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device 1205. In some cases, I / O controller 1245 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I / O controller 1245 may utilize an operating system, such as... MS- MS- OS / Or another known operating system. In other cases, the I / O controller 1245 may represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, or similar device. In some cases, the I / O controller 1245 may be implemented as part of a processor. In some cases, a user may interact with the device 1205 via the I / O controller 1245 or via hardware components controlled by the I / O controller 1245.

[0208] Figure 13 A block diagram 1300 of a wireless device 1305 supporting nested frequency hopping for data transmission according to aspects of this disclosure is shown. Wireless device 1305 may be an example of aspects of base station 105 as described herein. Wireless device 1305 may include a receiver 1310, a base station communication manager 1315, and a transmitter 1320. Wireless device 1305 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0209] Receiver 1310 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to nested frequency hopping for data transmission). The information can be passed to other components of device 1305. Receiver 1310 can be a reference... Figure 16 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 1635 are described. The receiver 1310 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0210] The receiver 1310 can receive, based on the time division multiplexing information, the uplink transmission on the selected uplink channel during the second time period.

[0211] The base station communications manager 1315 can be an example of aspects of the base station communications manager 1615 described with reference to Figure 16 FIG. 16.

[0212] The base station communications manager 1315 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions of the base station communications manager 1315 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be executed by a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure. The base station communications manager 1315 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be physically located in various places, including but not limited to with the other components of a base station in different physical locations. In some examples, the base station communications manager 1315 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be a separate and distinct component in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In other examples, the base station communications manager 1315 and / or at least some of its various sub-components can be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to an I / O component, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0213] The base station communications manager 1315 can transmit, by a wireless device, discovery reference signals on at least three anchor carriers, perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a set of downlink carriers for a first time period, identify, based on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers, an expected collision of uplink transmissions from user equipment (UEs) during a second time period, and transmit, to the UEs, time division multiplexing information for the second time period.

[0214] The transmitter 1320 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 1305. In some examples, the transmitter 1320 can be collocated with a receiver 1310 in a transceiver module. The transmitter 1320 can be an example of aspects of the transmitter 1635 described with reference to Figure 16 FIG. 16. The transmitter 1320 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0215] Figure 14A block diagram 1400 of a wireless device 1405 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The wireless device 1405 can be an example of aspects of a wireless device 1305 or a base station 105 described with reference to Figure 13 The example aspects described of wireless device 1305 or base station 105. The wireless device 1405 can include a receiver 1410, a base station communications manager 1415, and a transmitter 1420. The wireless device 1405 can also include a processor. Each of these components can be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0216] The receiver 1410 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to nested frequency hopping for data transmission, etc.). Information can be passed on to other components of the device 1405. The receiver 1410 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas. Figure 16

[0217] The base station communications manager 1415 can be an example of aspects of the base station communications manager 1615 described with reference to Figure 16

[0218] The base station communications manager 1415 can also include a DRS transmission unit 1425, a frequency hopping unit 1430, an anticipated collision identifier 1435, and a TDM transmitter 1440.

[0219] The DRS transmission unit 1425 can transmit, by the wireless device, discovery reference signals on at least three anchor carriers.

[0220] The frequency hopping unit 1430 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a set of downlink carriers for a first time period.

[0221] The anticipated collision identifier 1435 can identify, based on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers, an anticipated collision of uplink transmissions from user equipments (UEs) during a second time period.

[0222] The TDM transmitter 1440 can transmit, to the UEs, time division multiplexing information for the second time period, and transmit a downlink communication including the time division multiplexing information on at least one of the set of downlink carriers.

[0223] The transmitter 1420 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 1405. In some examples, the transmitter 1420 can be collocated with a receiver 1410 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 1420 can be a example of aspects of the transmitter 1625 described with reference to Figure 16 ​​Examples of aspects of the described transceiver 1635. The transmitter 1420 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0224] Figure 15 A block diagram 1500 of a base station communications manager 1515 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The base station communications manager 1515 can be an example of aspects of the base station communications manager 1615 described with reference to Figure 13 、 14 and 16. The base station communications manager 1515 can include a DRS transmission unit 1520, a frequency hopping unit 1525, an anticipated collision identifier 1530, and a TDM transmitter 1535. Each of these modules can communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0225] The DRS transmission unit 1520 can transmit, through a wireless device, discovery reference signals on at least three anchor carriers.

[0226] The frequency hopping unit 1525 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a set of downlink carriers for a first time period.

[0227] The anticipated collision identifier 1530 can identify, based on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the set of downlink carriers, an anticipated collision of uplink transmissions from user equipments (UEs) during a second time period.

[0228] The TDM transmitter 1535 can transmit, to the UEs, time division multiplexing information for the second time period and transmit a downlink communication on at least one of the set of downlink carriers, where the downlink communication includes the time division multiplexing information.

[0229] Figure 16 A diagram of a system 1600 including a device 1605 that supports nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1605 can be an example of or include the components of base station 105 as described above, e.g., with reference to Figure 1 The device 1605 can include components for bi-directional voice and data communications including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a base station communications manager 1615, a processor 1620, a memory 1625, software 1630, a transceiver 1635, an antenna 1640, a network communications manager 1645, and an inter-station communications manager 1650. These components can be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus 1610). The device 1605 can communicate wirelessly with one or more UEs 115.

[0230] The processor 1620 can include an intelligent hardware device, (e.g., a general- purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 1620 can be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, a memory controller can be integrated into the processor 1620. The processor 1620 can be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory to perform various

[0231] The memory 1625 can include RAM and ROM. The memory 1625 can store computer-readable, computer-executable software 1630 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 1625 can contain, among other computer-readable or computer-executable software, a BIOS which can control basic hardware or software operation such as the interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0232] The software 1630 can include code to implement aspects of the present disclosure, including code to support nested frequency hopping for data transmission. The software 1630 can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as system memory or other memory. In some cases, the software 1630 can not be directly executable by the processor but can cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform functions described herein.

[0233] The transceiver 1635 can communicate bi-directionally, via one or more antennas, wired, or wireless links as described above. For example, the transceiver 1635 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bi-directionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 1635 can also include a modem to modulate the packets and provide the modulated packets to the antennas for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antennas.

[0234] In some cases, the wireless device 1605 can include a single antenna 1640. However, in some cases the device can have more than one antenna 1640, which can be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions.

[0235] The network communications manager 1645 can manage communications with the core network (e.g., via one or more wired backhaul links). For example, the network communications manager 1645 can manage the transfer of data communications for client devices, such as one or more UEs 115.

[0236] The inter-station communications manager 1650 can manage communications with other base station 105 and can include a controller or scheduler to coordinate or schedule communications with UEs 115. For example, the inter-station communications manager 1650 can coordinate scheduling of transmissions to UEs 115 with other base stations 105 for various interference mitigation techniques such as beamforming or joint transmission. In some examples, the inter-station communications manager 1650 can provide an X2 interface within a Long Term Evolution (LTE) / LTE-A wireless communication network technology to provide communication between base stations 105.

[0237] Figure 17 A method 1700 for nested frequency hopping for data transmission is illustrated that shows a flow diagram in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Operations of the method 1700 can be implemented by a UE 115 or its components as described herein. For example, operations of the method 1700 can be performed by a UE communications manager as described with reference to FIG. 5. In some examples, a UE 115 can execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the device to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 115 can perform aspects of the functions described below using special-purpose hardware. Figures 9 to 12

[0238] At 1705, the UE 115 can receive, by the wireless device, a discovery reference signal over at least one anchor carrier. The operations of 1705 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of block 1705 can be performed by a DRS processor as described with reference to FIG. 5. Figures 9 to 12

[0239] At 1710, the UE 115 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to identify a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period. The operations of 1710 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of block 1710 can be performed by a first frequency hopping unit as described with reference to FIG. 5. Figures 9 to 12

[0240] At 1715, the UE 115 can perform a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers to select one of the plurality of downlink channels as an uplink channel for a second time period. The operations of 1715 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of block 1715 can be performed by a second frequency hopping unit as described with reference to FIG. 5. Figures 9 to 12

[0241] At 1720, the UE 115 can transmit an uplink communication on the selected uplink channel during the second time period. The operations of 1720 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of 1720 can be performed by a communication unit as described with reference to FIG. 5. Figures 9 to 12 ​​​​The described uplink communication channel selector to perform.

[0242] Figure 18 A flow diagram illustrating a method 1800 for nested frequency hopping for data transmission in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of method 1800 can be implemented by a base station 105 or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1800 can be performed by a base station communications manager as described with reference to Figures 13 to 16 FIG. 13 as described above. In some examples, the base station 105 can execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the device to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the base station 105 can perform aspects of the functions described below using special-purpose hardware.

[0243] At 1805, the base station 105 can transmit, by a wireless device, a discovery reference signal over at least three anchor carriers. The operations of 1805 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of 1805 can be performed by a DRS transmissioner as described with reference to Figures 13 to 16 FIG. 13 as described above. In some examples, the base station 105 can execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the device to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the base station 105 can perform aspects of the functions described below using special-purpose hardware.

[0244] At 1810, the base station 105 can perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period. The operations of 1810 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of 1810 can be performed by a frequency hoppinger as described with reference to Figures 13 to 16 FIG. 13 as described above. In some examples, the base station 105 can execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the device to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the base station 105 can perform aspects of the functions described below using special-purpose hardware.

[0245] At 1815, the base station 105 can identify, based at least in part on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an expected collision of uplink transmissions from user equipments (UEs) during a second time period. The operations of 1815 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of 1815 can be performed by an expected collision identifier as described with reference to Figures 13 to 16 FIG. 13 as described above. In some examples, the base station 105 can execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the device to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the base station 105 can perform aspects of the functions described below using special-purpose hardware.

[0246] At 1820, the base station 105 can transmit time division multiplexing information for the second time period to the UEs. The operations of 1820 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of 1820 can be performed by a TDM transmitter as described with reference to Figures 13 to 16 FIG. 13 as described above. In some examples, the base station 105 can execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the device to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the base station 105 can perform aspects of the functions described below using special-purpose hardware.

[0247] It should be noted that the methods described above describe possible implementations, and that the operations and the steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified and that other implementations are possible. Further, aspects from two or more of the methods can be combined.

[0248] The techniques described herein can be used for various wireless communication systems such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), and other systems. A CDMA system can implement a radio technology such as CDMA2000, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), etc. CDMA2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. IS-2000 Releases can be commonly referred to as CDMA2000 IX, IX, etc. IS-856 (TIA-856) is commonly referred to as CDMA2000 lxEV-DO, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), etc. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. A TDMA system can implement a radio technology such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

[0249] An OFDMA system can implement a radio technology such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, etc. UTRA and E-UTRA are part of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). LTE, LTE-A, and LTE-A Pro are releases of UMTS that use E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR, and GSM are described in documents from the organization named “3rd Generation Partnership Project” (3GPP). CDMA2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization named “3rd Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2). The techniques described herein can be used for the systems and radio technologies mentioned above as well as other systems and radio technologies. While aspects of an LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR system can be described

[0250] Macro cells generally cover relatively large geographic areas (e.g., areas of tens of kilometers in radius) and can allow unrestricted access by UEs 115 with service subscriptions with the network provider. Small cell bases stations 105 can be associated with a lower- powered base station 105 (e.g., compared to a macro cell) and can include micro, pico, or femto cell base stations. Small cell base stations 105 can be deployed indoors to provide home or small business service, or outdoors to provide service in locations that can be difficult to serve by macro base stations. The term "cell" is not limited to a single geographic coverage area, but can refer to a coverage area of a base station 105, or a coverage area of a base station 105 and a base station 105. A base station 105 can be a macro base station 105, a small cell base station 105, or another type of base station. A base station 105 can include one or more cells.

[0251] One or more wireless communications systems 100 described herein can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the base stations 105 can have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations 105 can be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the base stations 105 can have different frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations 105 can not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein can be used for either synchronous or asynchronous operation.

[0252] Information and signals described herein can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that can be referenced throughout the above description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0253] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection with the disclosure herein can be implemented or performed with a general-purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0254] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, functions described above can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these. Features implementing functions can also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0255] Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A non-transitory storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media can include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0256] As used herein, including in the claims “or” as used in a list of items (for example, a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as “at least one of’ or “one or more of’) indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as

[0257] In the drawings, like reference numerals can be used to denote similar components throughout the several views. Additionally, various components of the same type can be distinguished from each other by following the convention of numbering them with the first two digits making up the existing drawing number and the third and fourth digits being the duplicate number particular to the same drawing figure. If, in the specification, only a single drawing figure is referred to, this is simply intended to mean that a like component in more than one drawing figure is intended to be referred to.

[0258] The description set forth herein, in connection with the appended drawings, describes example configurations and does not represent all the examples that can be implemented or that are within the scope of the claims. The term “exemplary” used herein means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and not “preferred” over other examples. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing an understanding of the described techniques. These techniques, however, can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0259] The description herein is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: transmitting, by a network device, discovery reference signals on at least three anchor carriers to establish a connection with one or more user equipment (UEs); performing a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period; detecting, based at least in part on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an anticipated collision of uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs during a second time period; transmitting, to the one or more UEs, time division multiplexing information for multiplexing the uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs on a same frequency hop during the second time period; and receiving the uplink transmissions on an uplink channel selected from the plurality of downlink carriers during the second time period based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting a downlink communication on at least one of the plurality of downlink carriers, wherein the downlink communication includes the time division multiplexing information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a same frame.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: transmitting a second discovery reference signal on the at least three anchor carriers; and receiving a second uplink communication on a second uplink channel during a third time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: receiving a third uplink communication on the second uplink channel during a fourth time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period and the fourth time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery reference signals are transmitted according to a threshold transmission power on the at least three anchor carriers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of downlink carriers includes a resource block.

8. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: transmit, by a network device, discovery reference signals on at least three anchor carriers to establish a connection with one or more user equipment (UEs); perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period; detect, based at least in part on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an anticipated collision of uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs during a second time period; transmit, to the one or more UEs, time division multiplexing information for multiplexing the uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs on a same frequency hop during the second time period; and receive the uplink transmissions on an uplink channel selected from the plurality of downlink carriers during the second time period based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information. receive the uplink transmissions on uplink channels selected from the plurality of downlink carriers during the second time period based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: transmit downlink communications on at least one of the plurality of downlink carriers, wherein the downlink communications include the time division multiplexing information.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a same frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: transmit second discovery reference signals on the at least three anchor carriers; and receive second uplink communications on a second uplink channel during a third time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in different frames than the third time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive third uplink communications on the second uplink channel during a fourth time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in different frames than the third time period and the fourth time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the discovery reference signals are transmitted according to a threshold transmission power on the at least three anchor carriers.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of downlink carriers includes resource blocks.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: means for transmitting, by a network device, discovery reference signals on at least three anchor carriers to establish a connection with one or more user equipment (UEs); means for performing a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period; means for detecting, based at least in part on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an expected collision of uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs during a second time period; means for transmitting, to the one or more UEs, time division multiplexing information for multiplexing the uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs on a same frequency hop during the second time period; and means for receiving the uplink transmissions on uplink channels selected from the plurality of downlink carriers during the second time period based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: means for transmitting downlink communications on at least one of the plurality of downlink carriers, wherein the downlink communications include the time division multiplexing information.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a same frame.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: means for transmitting second discovery reference signals on the at least three anchor carriers; and and means for receiving a second uplink communication on a second uplink channel during a third time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: means for receiving a third uplink communication on the second uplink channel during a fourth time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period and the fourth time period.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the discovery reference signal is transmitted according to a threshold transmission power on the at least three anchor carriers.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of downlink carriers comprises a resource block.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to: transmit, by a network device, a discovery reference signal on at least three anchor carriers to establish a connection with one or more user equipment (UEs); perform a first random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure to select a plurality of downlink carriers for a first time period; detect, based at least in part on a second random or pseudo-random frequency hopping procedure within the plurality of downlink carriers, an anticipated collision of uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs during a second time period; transmit, to the one or more UEs, time division multiplexing information for multiplexing the uplink transmissions from the one or more UEs on a same frequency hop during the second time period; and receive the uplink transmissions on an uplink channel selected from the plurality of downlink carriers during the second time period based at least in part on the time division multiplexing information.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to: transmit a downlink communication on at least one of the plurality of downlink carriers, wherein the downlink communication comprises the time division multiplexing information.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a same frame.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to: transmit a second discovery reference signal on the at least three anchor carriers; and receive a second uplink communication on a second uplink channel during a third time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to: receive a third uplink communication on the second uplink channel during a fourth time period, wherein the first time period and the second time period are in a different frame than the third time period and the fourth time period.

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