System and method for managing multicast and unicast communications

Abstract

A method of wireless communication includes transmitting, by a network, downlink control information to a wireless communication device within a time interval, the downlink control information scheduling one or more transmissions (e.g., a multicast or broadcast service (MBS)), and receiving, by the network, feedback from the wireless communication device corresponding to the downlink control information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, and more specifically, to systems and methods for simultaneously performing unicast and multicast transmissions. Background Technology

[0002] In multicast mode, network nodes (e.g., base stations) use the same transport mechanism to transmit the same information to a group of user equipment (UEs). Multicast transmission can occur on the Physical Data Sharing Channel (PDSCH) received by the UE group. This PDSCH carrying multicast transport blocks (TBs) can be called the group common PDSCH or multicast PDSCH. Specifically, various network environments (e.g., channel conditions) exist for different UEs. To improve the efficiency of multicast transmission, it is desirable to classify UEs with similar network environments into a UE group. Then, the selected transport mechanism is better matched to the network environment of each UE in the UE group.

[0003] For a group of UEs receiving the same PDSCH for multicast TB, there are different ways to schedule the PDSCH. One approach is to use the group common physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), so that all UEs in the group will detect the same PDCCH, and the PDSCH will be scheduled by the PDCCH. Another approach is to use a UE-specific PDCCH for each UE in the group, so that each UE will detect its own PDCCH, and different PDCCHs will schedule the same PDSCH.

[0004] For multicast TB / PDSCHs scheduled by downlink control information (DCI) carried on UE-specific PDCCHs, different configuration parameters exist for unicast and multicast transmissions. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between unicast and multicast transmissions scheduled by DCIs carried on UE-specific PDCCHs, which rule should be followed to determine the DCI size, and how to descramble group common PDSCHs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to address problems related to one or more difficulties presented in the prior art, and to provide additional features that will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein according to various embodiments. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not restrictive, and that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.

[0006] In some embodiments, a wireless communication method includes a network transmitting downlink control information to a wireless communication device at time intervals, the downlink control information scheduling one or more transmissions (such as, but not limited to, multicast or broadcast service (MBS) transmissions), and the network receiving feedback from the wireless communication device corresponding to the downlink control information.

[0007] In other embodiments, a wireless communication method includes: receiving downlink control information from a network within a time interval by a wireless communication device, the downlink control information scheduling one or more multicast or broadcast service (MBS) transmissions; and sending feedback corresponding to the downlink control information to the network by the wireless communication device.

[0008] The above and other aspects and their embodiments will be described in more detail in the drawings, specification and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of this solution to aid the reader's understanding. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limitations on the breadth, scope, or applicability of this solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of explanation.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 100 for PDCCH monitoring timing according to various embodiments.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the slot structure corresponding to example configurations of MBS windows for system frame numbers according to various arrangements.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a DL BWP pair for simultaneous unicast and multicast transmission according to various embodiments.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating example methods for determining BWP handover and BWP handover delay according to various embodiments.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example method 400 for determining the size of a DCI according to various embodiments.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating example methods for aligning unicast and multicast resources in a DCI according to various embodiments.

[0016] Figure 7This is a flowchart illustrating example methods for scheduling multiple TBs according to various embodiments.

[0017] Figure 8 It is a table of DL BWP pairs of unicast BWP and multicast BWP according to various embodiments.

[0018] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating example methods for determining BWP switching according to various embodiments.

[0019] Figure 10 It is a table of scheduling DCI values ​​relative to the multicast service index according to various embodiments.

[0020] Figure 11 It is a table of scheduling DCI values ​​relative to service types according to various embodiments.

[0021] Figure 12 It is a table of scheduling DCI values ​​relative to the multicast service index according to various embodiments.

[0022] Figure 13A This is a flowchart illustrating example wireless communication methods for managing simultaneous unicast and multicast transmissions according to various arrangements.

[0023] Figure 13B This is a flowchart illustrating example wireless communication methods for managing simultaneous unicast and multicast transmissions according to various arrangements.

[0024] Figure 14A A block diagram of an example base station according to various arrangements is shown.

[0025] Figure 14B Block diagrams of example user equipment according to various arrangements are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to manufacture and use the solution. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, upon reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of this solution. Therefore, this solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example approach. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of this solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or behaviors in a sample order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, this solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0027] The development of 5G wireless communication systems aims to achieve higher data communication rates (e.g., in Gbps) and a large number of communication links (e.g., 1M / Km). 2 This results in ultra-low latency (e.g., less than 1ms), higher reliability, and improved energy efficiency (e.g., at least 100 times more efficient than previous systems). To achieve these improvements, multicast TB can be carried on a group-shared PDSCH scheduled by a DCI carried on a PDCCH. There are several ways to schedule multicast TB.

[0028] One way to schedule multicast TB is to use a DCI carried on a group common PDCCH, so that all UEs in the group will detect the same PDCCH for receiving PDSCH. The group common PDCCH is scrambled by a corresponding group common radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) configured via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. PDSCH can also be scrambled by the same group common RNTI or another group common RNTI configured similarly via RRC signaling. Another way to schedule multicast TB is to use a DCI carried on a UE-specific PDCCH for each UE in the group. Specifically, each UE will detect its own PDCCH, and different DCIs carried on different PDCCHs will schedule the same PDSCH. DCIs carried on UE-specific PDCCHs can also be used to schedule PDSCHs carrying unicast TB. Monitoring information for “group common PDCCH” or “UE-specific PDCCH”, such as search space set configuration and control resource set (CORESET) configuration, can be indicated in system information or UE-specific RRC signaling.

[0029] In a wireless communication system, a control resource set (CORESET) comprises one or more resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain and one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the time domain. One or more PDCCH candidates are transmitted within a CORESET. The configuration parameters of a CORESET are configured by the network for the UE, including the CORESET index, frequency domain resources, and CORESET duration. One or more CORESETs can be configured for a UE to monitor PDCCH.

[0030] The gNB can configure the CORESET Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) status identifier via RRC signaling or a combination of RRC and MAC signaling. The TCI status includes Quasi-Common Bit (QCL) information, and the QCL information also includes at least one of the following: Reference Signal (RS) configuration information, QCL type, etc. The RS can be a Channel State Indicator (CSI)-RS, or a Synchronization Signal and Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SSB), and the RS configuration information includes a CSI-RS resource identifier or an SSB index.

[0031] For example, a list of TCI states can be configured via RRC signaling, and specific TCI states in this list can be further indicated via Media Access Control (MAC) signaling for CORESET (e.g., MAC Control Element (CE)). The dedicated demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) antenna port for PDCCH reception in CORESET and the RS resource indicated in the TCI state are then quasi-co-located with the indicated QCL type. Two antenna ports are referred to as "quasi-co-located" if the large-scale characteristics of the channel through which symbols are transmitted on one antenna port can be inferred from the channel through which symbols are transmitted on the other antenna port. These large-scale characteristics include one or more of delay spread, Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average gain, average delay, and spatial Rx parameters.

[0032] In a wireless communication system, the network configures one or more search space sets for the UE. Configuration parameters for a search space set include the search space index, the associated CORESET index, the PDCCH monitoring period and offset, the search space duration, the PDCCH monitoring mode within the time slot, and the search space type. Typically, there are two types of search spaces: UE-specific search space (USS) and common search space (CSS). The search space type also indicates the downlink control information (DCI) format monitored by the UE. The search space set is associated with a CORESET. The PDCCH monitoring period and offset indicate the time slot in which the UE needs to monitor the PDCCH. Based on the search space set configuration and the associated CORESET configuration, the UE is configured to monitor the corresponding PDCCH with the DCI format indicated by the search space type on the resources indicated by the CORESET within the time slot indicated by the PDCCH monitoring period and offset.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 100 for PDCCH monitoring timing according to various embodiments. (Reference) Figure 1 Configuration 100 has eight time slots, designated as time slots 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102e, 102f, 102g, and 102h (collectively referred to as time slots 102a-102h). Figure 1In the diagram, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring period is the period during which the UE monitors the PDCCH. In configuration 100, the PDCCH monitoring period is 4 time slots. That is, time slots 102a-102d are within PDCCH monitoring period 106a, and time slots 102e-102h are within PDCCH monitoring period 106b. The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 100 is 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 100 is 2 time slots. As shown, within PDCCH monitoring period 106a, the search space duration 104a includes time slots 102a and 102b. Within PDCCH monitoring period 106b, the search space duration 104b includes time slots 102e and 102f. In configuration 100, within search duration 104a or 104b, two PDCCH monitoring opportunities (MOs) are configured in a given time slot. For example, time slot 102a includes 44 OFDM symbols 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g, 110h, 110i, 110j, 110k, 110l, 110m, and 110n (collectively referred to as symbols 110a-110n). Symbols 110a and 110h are configured as the first symbols of the MO. Therefore, there are a total of 4 MOs within each PDCCH monitoring period. For example, the first symbols of symbols 110a and 110h, as well as the first symbols of two other MOs in time slot 102b, are all within PDCCH monitoring period 106a. The first symbols of two MOs in each time slot of times slots 102e and 102f are all within PDCCH monitoring period 106b. Within each MO, the UE monitors the PDCCH within a resource configured by CORESET.

[0034] In a wireless communication system, there are one or more PDCCH candidates in a search space. Each PDCCH candidate has a PDCCH candidate index. A PDCCH consists of one or more Control Channel Elements (CCEs), and each Control Channel Element has a CCE index.

[0035] Typically, unicast TBs carried on the PDSCH are scheduled within the active downlink (DL) bandwidth portion (BWP) (e.g., with BWP index #1), making the active BWP a portion of the carrier bandwidth used for serving transmissions. A UE can be configured for more than one DL BWP, but only one DL BWP can be active at any given time. The scheduled PDCCH also resides within the active DL BWP.

[0036] To improve the efficiency of multicast or broadcast service (MBS) transmission, it is desirable to classify UEs with similar network environments into a UE group. Therefore, the selected transmission mechanism should better match the network environment of each UE in the UE group. Furthermore, the network environment of each UE changes dynamically, which presents challenges in adjusting transmission parameters to adapt to these changes. To address these issues, according to various embodiments, different PDCCH MOs can be used to transmit to different UE groups.

[0037] In a first embodiment for MBS transmission, the time interval corresponds to one or more MBS TB transmissions or the duration of PDCCH monitoring for one or more MBS TBs. The number of MBS TBs within the time interval can be defined in the specification or configured by the network (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or DCI). The length of the time interval can be defined as one or more PDCCH monitoring periods. Alternatively, the time interval can be defined as an absolute time (e.g., 5 milliseconds, 5 time slots, 1 half-frame, 1 radio frame, etc.). If defined as a time slot, the time slot is determined based on the subcarrier spacing of the downlink control information. Within this time interval, one or more MOs can be configured for scheduling MBS for PDCCH, such that the time interval can also be referred to as an "MBS window". Thus, each MO carries the PDCCH corresponding to the MBS transmission, and all MOs can be configured to be received by the UE for scheduling MBS transmissions.

[0038] More specifically, the MBS window can be defined as the time interval used for PDCCH transmission, which corresponds to MBS services or MBS TBs transmitted in different beams. In this way, different MBS services can share the same search space set and CORESET configuration for PDCCH monitoring, and different MBS services will be distinguished according to their MBS windows. The ID resources of the search space set and CORESET can be reserved. From the UE's perspective, it only needs to monitor the PDCCH within the MBS window corresponding to the MBS service of interest, which helps the UE save energy. MBS windows corresponding to the same MBS service appear periodically to match the cycle of the MBS service.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 200 of the MBS window for the System Frame Number (SFN) according to an exemplary embodiment. (Reference) Figure 2 Configuration 200 has 8 SFNs, designated as SFN 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 202g, and 202h. For example... Figure 2As shown, the MBS window is configured on a frame-by-frame basis, with a period of 5 slots, an offset of 1, and a slot length of 1. The MBS window can be configured by RRC parameters, period, offset, and length, and is given on a slot-by-slot and subframe basis. The offset value is used to indicate the starting point of the MBS window.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to the example configuration 300 of PDCCH MO according to the first embodiment. (See reference...) Figure 3 Configuration 300 has 8 PDCCH MOs within one MBS window 304, designated as MO 302a, 302b, 302c, 302d, 302e, 302f, 302g, and 302h (collectively referred to as MO 302a-302h), and the duration of MBS window 304 is twice the duration of the PDCCH monitoring cycle (i.e., as shown in the image). Figure 3 As shown, there are 10 time slots. The PDCCH in different MOs within the “MBS window” is used to schedule PDSCH for different UE groups (e.g., bearer MBS TB). Figure 3 In this configuration, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 300 is 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 300 is 3 time slots. The number of MBS TBs within an MBS window (e.g., MBS window 304) can be defined in the specification or configured by the network (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or DCI, etc.).

[0041] In some of these embodiments, the PDSCH carries the same MBS TB, and some MOs may not be used for PDCCH transmission. For example, there may be only two UE groups, so that MBS transmission only requires two MOs (i.e., one MO for each UE group). Thus, the gNB can select two MOs from all MOs in the MBS window or select the first two MOs in the MBS window for MBS PDCCH transmission.

[0042] In other embodiments of these examples, although there are only two UE groups, all MOs are used, meaning that more than one MO corresponds to one UE group (i.e., more than one PDCCH will be transmitted to the same UE group). Different PDCCHs corresponding to the same UE group can schedule the same MBS TB or different MBS TBs. In this case, the same MBS TB with repeated transmissions can be transmitted within one MBS window, or more than one MBS TB can be transmitted within one MBS window.

[0043] The UE monitors all MOs within the MBS window, and the Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) feedback is generated based on the received PDSCHs scheduled by the PDCCHs in all MOs. HARQ-ACK feedback can be of one of two types. For the first type of ACK / NACK feedback mode, the UE will send an "ACK" feedback to the network as long as it has successfully received the MBS TB scheduled by the PDCCH in any MO (i.e., correctly received the PDCCH and PDSCH). On the other hand, the UE will send a "NACK" feedback to the network in response to determining that it has failed to receive the MBS TB scheduled by the PDCCH in all MOs (e.g., the UE has received at least one PDCCH but failed to decode all corresponding PDSCHs, or the UE has failed to receive the PDCCH in all MOs within the MBS window). The aforementioned ACK / NACK feedback information is transmitted in the indicated resource (i.e., PUCCH or carried on PUSCH). The feedback resource is typically a UE-specific resource, such that different UEs are indicated / configured with independent resources for the same MBS TB.

[0044] For the second type of the NACK-only feedback mode, the UE will only provide a "NACK" response in response to determining that the UE has failed to receive the MBS TB scheduled by the PDCCH in all MOs (e.g., the UE has received at least one PDCCH but failed to decode all corresponding PDSCHs, or the UE failed to receive the PDCCH in all MOs within the MBS window). The feedback resource here is typically a group-common resource, allowing the same feedback resource to be shared among UE groups receiving the same PDSCH carrying the MBS TB.

[0045] The number of feedback signals is determined based on the number of MBS TBs within the MBS window. For example, in response to determining that only one MBS TB is transmitted within a single MBS window, there is only one bit of ACK / NACK feedback in ACK / NACK feedback mode, or at most one bit of NACK feedback in NACK-only feedback mode. In response to determining that N MBS TBs are transmitted within an MBS window, there are only N bits of ACK / NACK feedback in ACK / NACK feedback mode, and at most N bits of NACK feedback in NACK-only feedback mode.

[0046] In the second embodiment for MBS transmission, feedback and retransmission for MBS are defined based on code block groups (CBGs). For the NACK-only feedback mode, CBG-specific NACK-only feedback resources are defined such that for a given CBG, NACK-only feedback resources are defined, and UEs receiving the same CBG share the same NACK-only feedback resources. If a UE within the MBS group lacks CBG-based feedback capability, both CBG-specific NACK-only feedback resources and TB-specific NACK-only feedback resources are configured. For a UE without CBG-based feedback capability, in response to determining that the UE failed to receive an MBS TB, the UE will use the TB-specific NACK-only feedback resource to provide feedback. For a UE with CBG-based feedback capability, the UE will use the CBG-specific NACK-only feedback resource corresponding to the CBG that the UE failed to receive to provide feedback.

[0047] For ACK / NACK feedback modes, both TB-based (TB level) feedback and CBG-based feedback can be configured. For TB-based feedback, the UE will provide 1 bit for the TB. For CBG-based feedback, a UE with CBG-based feedback capability is configured to perform CBG-based feedback and to specify the number of CBGs contained in the TB. Thus, the UE uses equal bits to provide feedback for each CBG. For example, in response to determining that the UE has 4 CBGs configured within the TB, the UE will provide feedback for each CBG within the TB using 4 bits (e.g., 1110, where "1" represents "ACK" and "0" represents "NACK"). Then, the last CBG in the TB is incorrectly received, and the network can decide to retransmit the NACK CBG based solely on the CBG-based feedback. Alternatively, the network can also decide to retransmit all CBGs or a portion of the CBGs.

[0048] For MBS, more than one UE receives the same MBS TB and the same set of common PDCCHs used to schedule the MBS TB. Some UEs may not have CBG-based feedback capability, while others do. The size of the CBG-based feedback-related fields (i.e., CBG Transmission Information (CBGTI) and CBG Clear Information (CBGFI)) in the DCI carried on the group common PDCCH is determined according to higher-layer parameter configuration. Higher-layer parameter configuration may include codeBlockGroupTransmission (indicating whether CBG-based feedback is enabled), maxCodeBlockGroupsPerTransportBlock (indicating the maximum number of CBGs within a TB), maxNrofCodeWordsScheduledByDCI (indicating the maximum number of codewords), and codeBlockGroupFlushIndicator (indicating whether combined reception is enabled or whether the current buffer can be released).

[0049] In response to the determination that the higher-level parameter codeBlockGroupTransmission of PDSCH is not configured, the size of CBGTI is 0 bits. Otherwise, as defined in Section 5.1.7 of [6, TS38.214], the size is 2, 4, 6, or 8 bits, determined by the higher-level parameters MaxCodeBlockGroupsPerTransportBlock and maxNrofCodeWordsScheduledByDCI of PDSCH. In response to the determination that the higher-level parameter codeBlockGroupFlushIndicator is configured as "TRUE", the size of CBGFI is 1 bit; otherwise, the size is 0 bits.

[0050] In response to determining that the network is configured for MBS transmission with CBG-based feedback, the understanding of the size of CBG-related fields should remain consistent for UEs with and without CBG-based feedback capabilities. This is achieved according to one of two approaches. In the first approach, the size of the CBG-related fields is set to the maximum value for both UEs with and without CBG-based feedback capabilities. For example, regardless of the high-level parameters, the size of CBGTI is fixed at 8 bits, and the size of CBGFI is fixed at 1 bit. In the second approach, higher-level parameters configure codeBlockGroupTransmission for UEs without CBG capabilities, and this configuration is only used to indicate the presence of CBG-related fields in the DCI and to determine the size of CBG-related fields in the DCI. UEs without CBG transmission and feedback capabilities still perform according to TB (i.e., TB-based transmission and feedback).

[0051] In the third embodiment for MBS transmission, a NARQ-ACK feedback timing reference slot for the MBS window is defined. In this embodiment, one or more MBS TBs can be transmitted within the MBS window, and for one MBS window, only one feedback resource is indicated / configured to the UE. Therefore, the same value of the PUCCH Resource Indicator (PRI) is configured in the PDCCH of all MOs within the MBS window. The PRI field is used to indicate PUCCH resources from the set of PUCCH resources configured via RRC signaling. Furthermore, the same value of the "PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator" field is configured in the PDCCH of all MOs within the MBS window and can be marked as "K1". The PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field is the time offset between the timing reference slot and the feedback slot. Thus, the slot used for feedback can be determined according to the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator, and the specific PUCCH resource within the feedback slot can be determined according to the PRI field.

[0052] The timing reference slot for the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator can be defined using various methods. In one method, the timing reference slot is set to the last slot within the MBS window, and the value of the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field in the PDCCH of all MOs within the MBS window is set to the same value (e.g., "1"). Thus, the feedback is transmitted in the slot equal to "timing reference slot + 1" (i.e., the next slot after the timing reference slot). Therefore, the feedback slot can be determined regardless of which MO the UE receives the PDCCH in. Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 400 of the PDCCH MO according to various embodiments. (Reference) Figure 4 Configuration 400 has 8 PDCCH MOs within an MBS window 404, designated as MOs 402a, 402b, 402c, 402d, 402e, 402f, 402g, and 402h (collectively referred to as MOs 402a-402h), and the duration of MBS window 404 is twice the duration of the PDCCH monitoring cycle (i.e., as shown in the image). Figure 4 As shown, there are 10 time slots. The PDCCH in different MOs within the “MBS window” is used to schedule PDSCH for different UE groups (e.g., bearer MBS TB). Figure 4In this configuration, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 400 is 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 400 is 2 time slots. Figure 4 As shown, timing reference slot 406 is given as the end of MBS window 404, where the value of the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field (i.e., K1) is equal to 1.

[0053] In the second method, the timing reference slot is set to include the slot of the last MO within the MBS window, and the value of the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field in the PDCCH of all MOs within the MBS window is set to the same value (e.g., "2"). Thus, the feedback is transmitted in a slot equal to "timing reference slot + 2" (i.e., the slot two slots after the timing reference slot). In this way, the feedback slot can be determined regardless of which MO the UE receives the PDCCH through. Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 500 of the PDCCH MO according to various embodiments. (Reference) Figure 5 The configuration 500 has 8 PDCCH MOs within one MBS window 504, designated as MO 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d, 502e, 502f, 502g, and 502h (collectively referred to as MO 502a-502h), and the duration of the MBS window 504 is twice the duration of the PDCCH monitoring cycle (i.e., as shown in the image). Figure 5 As shown, there are 10 time slots. The PDCCH in different MOs within the “MBS window” is used to schedule PDSCH for different UE groups (e.g., bearer MBS TB). Figure 5 In this configuration, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 500 is 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 500 is 2 time slots. Figure 5 As shown, timing reference slot 506 is given as the end of slot containing MO 502h, which is the last of MO 502a-502h within MBS window 504, where the value of the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field (i.e., K1) is equal to 1.

[0054] In the third method, the timing reference slot is defined as the slot at a time offset (e.g., T) following the slot of the last MO within the MBS window, where T is defined by the specification or configured by the network (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or DCI). The value of the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field in the PDCCH of all MOs within the MBS window is set to the same value (e.g., "1"). Thus, the feedback is transmitted in the slot equal to "timing reference slot + 1" (i.e., the next slot after the timing reference slot). In this way, the feedback slot can be determined regardless of which MO the UE receives the PDCCH through. Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 600 of the PDCCH MO according to various embodiments. (Reference) Figure 6 The configuration 600 has eight PDCCH MOs within an MBS window 604, designated as MOs 602a, 602b, 602c, 602d, 602e, 602f, 602g, and 602h (collectively referred to as MOs 602a-602h), and the duration of the MBS window 604 is twice the duration of the PDCCH monitoring cycle (i.e., as shown). Figure 6 As shown, there are 10 time slots. The PDCCH in different MOs within the “MBS window” is used to schedule PDSCH for different UE groups (e.g., bearer MBS TB). Figure 6 In this configuration, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 600 is 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 600 is 2 time slots. Figure 6 As shown, timing reference slot 606 is given as T slots after the end of slot containing MO 602h, which is the last of MO 602a-402h in MBS window 604, where the value of the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field (i.e., K1) is equal to 1. Figure 6 The value of T in the equation is given as 2.

[0055] In the fourth embodiment, a NARQ-ACK feedback timing reference is defined for the MBS window. One or more MBS TBs can be transmitted within the MBS window, and one or more feedback resources can be indicated / configured to the UE for a single MBS window. According to various embodiments, the first 4 MOs within the MBS window correspond to a first MBS TB, and the last 4 MOs within the MBS window correspond to a second MBS TB. Thus, the value of PRI is indicated in the PDCCH corresponding to the MBS TB, such that a first value of PRI is indicated in the PDCCH of the first 4 MOs, and a second value of PRI is indicated in the PDCCH of the second 4 MOs. The value of the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field is indicated in the PDCCH corresponding to the MBS TB and is referred to as "K1". Similar to the value of PRI, the first value of K1 is indicated in the PDCCH of the first 4 MOs, and the second K1 value is indicated in the PDCCH of the last 4 MOs. The time offset between the timing reference slot and the feedback slot is set, and the feedback slot can then be determined based on the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator. The specific PUCCH resource within the feedback slot can be determined based on the PRI field.

[0056] The timing reference slot can be defined using various methods. In the first method, the timing reference slot is set to the last slot within the MBS window, such that the timing reference slots for the first MBS TB and the second MBS TB are identical. Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 700 of the PDCCH MO according to various embodiments. Reference Figure 7 The configuration 700 has eight PDCCH MOs within one MBS window 704, designated as MO 702a, 702b, 702c, 702d, 702e, 702f, 702g, and 702h (collectively referred to as MO 702a-702h), and the duration of the MBS window 704 is twice the duration of the PDCCH monitoring cycle (i.e., as shown in the image). Figure 7 As shown, there are 10 time slots. As indicated by the dashed ellipsis, MOs 702a-702d correspond to the first MBS TB, and MOs 702e-702h correspond to the second MBS TB. PDCCHs in different MOs within an “MBS window” (e.g., MBS window 704) are used to schedule PDSCHs (e.g., bearer MBS TBs) for different UE groups. Figure 7 In this configuration, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 700 is 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 700 is 2 time slots. Figure 7As shown, timing reference slot 706 is set to the end of MBS window 704, the first K1 value in PDCCH (corresponding to the first MBS TB) is set to a first value (e.g., "1"), and the second K1 value in PDCCH (corresponding to the second MBS TB) is set to a second value (e.g., "2"). The first and second values ​​can be the same or different. In this way, regardless of which MO the UE receives the PDCCH in, the feedback slot corresponding to the MBS TB can be determined.

[0057] In the second method, the timing reference time slot is set to include the time slot of the last MO corresponding to the MBS TB in the MBS window, such that the timing reference time slot of the first MBS TB is the time slot of the fourth MO in the MBS window and the timing reference time slot of the second MBS TB is the time slot of the last MO in the MBS window. Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 800 of the PDCCH MO according to various embodiments. (Reference) Figure 8 The configuration 800 has eight PDCCH MOs within one MBS window 804, designated as MO 802a, 802b, 802c, 802d, 802e, 802f, 802g, and 802h (collectively referred to as MO 802a-802h), and the duration of the MBS window 804 is twice the PDCCH monitoring cycle (i.e., as shown in the image). Figure 8 As shown, there are 10 time slots. As indicated by the dashed ellipsis, MOs 802a-802d correspond to the first MBS TB, and MOs 802e-802h correspond to the second MBS TB. The PDCCH in different MOs within the “MBS window” is used to schedule PDSCH (e.g., bearer MBSTB) for different UE groups. Figure 8 In this configuration, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 800 is set to 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 800 is 2 time slots. Figure 8 As shown, the first timing reference slot 806a is set to include MO 802d (which is the last MO corresponding to the first MBS TB), and the second timing reference slot 808b is set to include MO 802h (which is the last MO corresponding to the second MBS TB). Furthermore, the first K1 value in the PDCCH (corresponding to the first MBS TB) is set to a first value (e.g., "2"), and the second K1 value in the PDCCH (corresponding to the second MBS TB) is set to a second value (e.g., "1"). The first and second values ​​can be the same or different. Thus, regardless of which MO the UE receives the PDCCH in, the feedback slot corresponding to the MBS TB can be determined.

[0058] In the third method, for each of one or more MBS TBs, the timing reference time slot is defined as a time slot based on a time offset (denoted as T) following the time slot containing the last MO corresponding to the MBS TB in the MBS window, such that the timing reference time slot for the first MBS TB is T time slots after the time slot containing the fourth MO within the MBS window, and the timing reference time slot for the second MBS TB is T time slots after the time slot containing the last MO within the MBS window. The value of T can be defined in the specification or configured by the network (e.g., via RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or DCI, etc.), and the value of T can be the same or different for each MBS TB. Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating the time slot structure corresponding to an example configuration 900 of the PDCCH MO according to various embodiments. (Reference) Figure 9 The configuration 900 has nine PDCCH MOs within one MBS window 904, designated as MOs 902a, 902b, 902c, 902d, 902e, 902f, 902g, and 902h (collectively referred to as MOs 902a-902h), and the duration of the MBS window 904 is twice the PDCCH monitoring cycle (i.e., as shown in the image). Figure 9 As shown, there are 10 time slots. As indicated by the dashed ellipsis, MOs 902a-902d correspond to the first MBS TB, and MOs 902e-902h correspond to the second MBS TB. The PDCCH in different MOs within the “MBS window” is used to schedule PDSCH for different UE groups (e.g., bearer MBS TBs). Figure 9 In this configuration, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier or BWP). The PDCCH monitoring offset in configuration 900 is 0 (e.g., no offset). The search space duration in configuration 900 is 2 time slots. Figure 9As shown, the first timing reference slot 906a is set to T slots starting from the end of the slot containing MO 902d (which is the last MO corresponding to the first MBS TB), and the second timing reference slot 906b is set to T slots starting from the end of the slot containing MO 902h (which is the last MO corresponding to the second MBS TB). For both the first and second timing reference slots 906a and 906b, the value of T is 2. Furthermore, the first K1 value in the PDCCH (corresponding to the first MBS TB) is set to a first value (e.g., "1"), and the second K1 value in the PDCCH (corresponding to the second MBS TB) is set to a second value (e.g., "1"). The first and second values ​​can be the same or different. Thus, regardless of which MO the UE receives the PDCCH in, the feedback slot corresponding to the MBS TB can be determined.

[0059] In the fifth embodiment for MBS transmission, a Downlink Allocation Index (DAI) field is defined in the PDCCH. The DAI field in the PDCCH of all MOs within the MBS window has the same value, or the DAI field in the PDCCH of the MO corresponding to the MBS TB has the same value. The value of the DAI field is determined based on a “virtual PDCCH,” which in some embodiments can be the PDCCH of the first MO within the MBS window or the PDCCH of the first MO corresponding to the same MBS TB, or in other embodiments, it can be the PDCCH of the last MO within the MBS window or the PDCCH of the last MO corresponding to the same MBS TB.

[0060] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating the MO used for MBS traffic in example configuration 1000 according to various embodiments. Figure 10 In this diagram, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier wave or BWP). Reference Figure 10 The configuration 1000 has 8 PDCCH MOs, designated MO 1002a, 1002b, 1002c, 1002d, 1002e, 1002f, 1002g, and 1002h (collectively referred to as MO1002a-1002h). The UE receives MBS traffic 1 and MBS traffic 2. For example... Figure 10As shown, the PDCCH for the first MBS traffic (i.e., MBS traffic 1) can be received on any of MOs 1002a-1002h, and the PDCCH for the second MBS traffic (i.e., MBS traffic 2) can be received on any of MOs 1002e-1002h. To determine the dynamic codebook, the DAI field is included in the DCI carried on the PDCCH of each MO, and the UE can receive the PDCCH in any MO. In response to determining that MBS traffic 1 and MBS traffic 2 are indicated to be fed back in the same codebook, it is ambiguous whether MBS traffic 1 or MBS traffic 2 will be fed back first (i.e., occupy the first bit in the codebook). For example, in response to determining that the UE receives the PDCCH for MBS traffic 1 in MO 1002f and the PDCCH for MBS traffic 2 in MO 1002e, then MBS traffic 2 should be fed back first, such that the feedback information for MBS traffic 2 occupies the first bit in the dynamic codebook, and the feedback information for MBS traffic 1 occupies the second bit in the same dynamic codebook. Therefore, the UE and the network have different interpretations of the bit order within the codebook.

[0061] In this fifth embodiment, the virtual PDCCH is defined as the PDCCH in the first or last MO. Thus, any ambiguity can be eliminated. For example, in response to determining that the PDCCH in the first MO is used as the virtual PDCCH, the DAI is determined based on the position of the virtual PDCCH, regardless of which MO the UE receives MBS traffic in. A DAI value (e.g., 1) is set in the PDCCH of all MOs corresponding to MBS traffic 1, and another DAI value (e.g., 2) is set in the PDCCH of all MOs corresponding to MBS traffic 2. Therefore, MBS traffic 1 is fed back first, such that the feedback to MBS traffic 1 occupies the first bit in the dynamic codebook, and the feedback to MBS traffic 2 occupies the second bit in the dynamic codebook.

[0062] In the sixth embodiment used for MBS transmission, the association between RS and MO within the MBS window is defined. Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating the MO within an MBS window according to various embodiments. Figure 11 In this diagram, the x-axis corresponds to time, and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier wave or BWP). Reference Figure 11 Configuration 1100 has 4 PDCCH MOs, designated MO 1102a, 1102b, 1102c, and 1102d (collectively referred to as MO 1102a-1102d). For example... Figure 11As shown, the monitoring period is 5 time slots, the PDCCH monitoring offset for configuration 1100 is 0 (e.g., no offset), the search space duration for configuration 1100 is 2 time slots, and the offset between two adjacent time slots containing MOs is 2. The MBS window is the length of two monitoring periods (i.e., 11 time slots). To support PDCCH or PDSCH repetition, the offset between two adjacent time slots containing MOs is configured by the parameter offset. Thus, the time slot between two adjacent time slots containing MOs can be used for PDCCH or PDSCH repetition. The number of MOs within a monitoring period is configured by the parameter "duration".

[0063] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating the MO within an MBS window according to various embodiments. Figure 12 In this diagram, the x-axis corresponds to time (e.g., in terms of a time slot), and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (e.g., carrier frequency or BWP). Reference Figure 12 The configuration 1200 has four PDCCH MOs, designated MO 1202a, 1202b, 1202c, and 1202d (collectively referred to as MO 1202a-1202d). For example... Figure 12 As shown, the monitoring period is 5 time slots, the PDCCH monitoring offset for configuration 1200 is 0 (e.g., no offset), the search space duration for configuration 1200 is 4 (i.e., 4 consecutive time slots containing MOs), and the repetition number is 2. The MBS window is the length of two monitoring periods (i.e., 10 time slots). For PDCCH or PDSCH repetition support, adjacent MOs correspond to the same reference signal (RS) (e.g., SSB or CSI-RS), and the number of adjacent MOs corresponding to the same RS is configured by the parameter "repetition number". For example, in response to determining the repetition number to be 2, MOs 1202a and 1202b correspond to the same RS and are used to schedule TBs in the same beam direction.

[0064] More specifically, taking SSB as the RS as an example, the [x×(K-1)+1]th MO in the MBS PDCCH of the MBS window corresponds to the Kth transmitted SSB, where x is the repetition count, x=1,...M, M is the maximum repetition count of the configured PDCCH or PDSCH, and K=1,2,...N, N is the number of SSBs actually transmitted as determined by ssb-PositionsInBurst in SIB1. The actually transmitted SSBs are numbered sequentially from the beginning in ascending order of their SSB indices.

[0065] Figure 13AThis is a flowchart illustrating an example wireless communication method 1300a according to various arrangements. Method 1300 can be performed by a BS. Method 1300 begins at 1310, where the BS receives a DCI from the UE via the network during a time interval. The DCI schedules one or more MBS transmissions. At 1320, the BS receives feedback from the UE via the network corresponding to the DCI.

[0066] In some embodiments of method 1300a, the length of the time interval is a multiple of the monitoring period used to monitor downlink control information, or is configured / defined based on at least one of time slots, subframes, half-frames, radio frames, or milliseconds. The time slot is determined based on the subcarrier spacing of the DCI. In other embodiments, the DCI is transmitted at one or more MOs within the time interval. Each MO carries a DCI corresponding to one of one or more MBS transmissions, and receiving feedback at step 1320 further includes receiving feedback from all MOs within the time interval or receiving feedback from the MO corresponding to one of the MBS transmissions within the time interval.

[0067] In some embodiments of method 1300a, the DCI is transmitted at one or more MOs within a time interval, and all MOs are configured to be received by the UE. In other embodiments, the DCI is transmitted at one or more MOs within a time interval, and the feedback is received according to a timing reference time slot, which is one of the following: the last time slot of the time interval, the time slot containing the last MO of the time interval, or a time slot with a time offset following the time slot containing the last MO of the time interval. In other embodiments of these embodiments, the timing reference time slot is the last time slot of the time interval for all MBS transmissions, the time slot containing the last MO of the time interval for each MBS transmission, or a time slot with a time offset following the time slot containing the last MO of each MBS transmission.

[0068] In some embodiments of method 1300a, the DCI includes a DAI field. The value of the DAI field in the DCI schedules the same MBS transmission within the MBS transmission. In some of these embodiments, the value in the DAI field is determined based on a virtual PDCCH, which is transmitted at the first MO within the time interval, at the first MO corresponding to the same MBS transmission in the MBS transmission, at the last MO within the time interval, or at the last MO corresponding to the same MBS transmission in the MBS transmission.

[0069] In some embodiments of method 1300a, the DCI is transmitted at one or more MOs within a time interval, and each MO is associated with an RS. In some of these embodiments, the offset between two adjacent MOs is configured by an offset parameter, and at least one of the DCI or MBS transmissions is repeated according to the offset parameter. In other embodiments of these embodiments, multiple adjacent MOs correspond to the same RS, some of these multiple MOs are configured by a repetition number, and at least one of the DCI or MBS transmissions is repeated according to the repetition number.

[0070] Figure 13B This is a flowchart illustrating an example wireless communication method 1300b according to various arrangements. Method 1300b can be performed by a UE. Method 1300b begins at 1330, where the UE receives a DCI from the network within a time interval. The DCI schedules one or more MBS transmissions. At 1340, the UE sends a feedback corresponding to the DCI to the network.

[0071] In some embodiments of method 1300b, the length of the time interval is a multiple of the monitoring period used to monitor downlink control information, or is configured / defined based on at least one of time slots, subframes, half-frames, radio frames, or milliseconds. The time slot is determined based on the subcarrier spacing of the DCI. In other embodiments, the DCI is transmitted at one or more MOs within the time interval. Each MO carries a DCI corresponding to one of one or more MBS transmissions, and sending feedback at step 1340 further includes sending feedback for all MOs within the time interval or for the MO corresponding to one of the MBS transmissions within the time interval.

[0072] In some embodiments of method 1300b, the DCI is transmitted at one or more MOs within a time interval, and all MOs are configured to be received by the UE. In other embodiments, the DCI is received at one or more MOs within the time interval, and feedback is transmitted according to a timing reference time slot, which is one of the following: the last time slot of the time interval, the time slot containing the last MO of the time interval, or a time slot with a time offset following the time slot containing the last MO of the time interval. In other embodiments of these embodiments, the timing reference time slot is the last time slot of all MBS transmission time intervals, the time slot containing the last MO of the time interval for each MBS transmission, or a time slot with a time offset following the time slot containing the last MO of each MBS transmission.

[0073] In some embodiments of method 1300b, the DCI includes a DAI field. The value of the DAI field in the DCI schedules the same MBS transmission within the MBS transmission. In some of these embodiments, the value in the DAI field is determined based on a virtual PDCCH, which is transmitted at the first MO within the time interval, at the first MO corresponding to the same MBS transmission in the MBS transmission, at the last MO within the time interval, or at the last MO corresponding to the same MBS transmission in the MBS transmission.

[0074] In some embodiments of method 1300b, the DCI is transmitted at one or more MOs within a time interval, and each MO is associated with an RS. In some of these embodiments, the offset between two adjacent MOs is configured by an offset parameter, and at least one of the DCI or MBS transmissions is repeated according to the offset parameter. In other embodiments of these embodiments, multiple adjacent MOs correspond to the same RS, some of these multiple MOs are configured by a repetition number, and at least one of the DCI or MBS transmissions is repeated according to the repetition number.

[0075] Figure 14A A block diagram of an example BS 1402 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 14B A block diagram of an example UE 1401 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. References Figures 1-12 UE 1401 (e.g., wireless communication device, terminal, mobile device, mobile user, etc.) is an example implementation of the UE described herein, and BS 1402 is an example implementation of the BS described herein.

[0076] BS 1402 and UE 1401 can include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, as described above, BS 1402 and UE 1401 can be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment. For example, BS 1402 can be a BS (e.g., gNB, eNB, etc.), a server, a node, or any suitable computing device for implementing various network functions.

[0077] BS 1402 includes a transceiver module 1410, an antenna 1412, a processor module 1414, a memory module 1416, and a network communication module 1418. Modules 1410, 1412, 1414, 1416, and 1418 are operatively coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 1420. UE 1401 includes a UE transceiver module 1430, a UE antenna 1432, a UE memory module 1434, and a UE processor module 1436. Modules 1430, 1432, 1434, and 1436 are operatively coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 1440. BS 1402 communicates with UE 1401 or another BS via a communication channel, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmitting data as described herein.

[0078] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, BS 1402 and UE 1401 can further include, in addition to Figure 14A and 14B Any number of modules other than those shown. The various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are typically described according to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. The embodiments described herein can be implemented appropriately for each specific application, but any implementation decision should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0079] According to some embodiments, UE transceiver 1430 includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to antenna 1432. A duplex switch (not shown) can alternately couple the RF transmitter or receiver to the antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, transceiver 1410 includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which has circuitry coupled to antenna 1412 or an antenna of another BS. A duplex switch can alternatively couple the RF transmitter or receiver to antenna 1412 in a time-duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 1410 and 1430 can be time-coordinated so that while the transmitter is coupled to antenna 1412, the receiver circuitry is coupled to antenna 1432 to receive transmissions over a wireless transmission link. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0080] UE transceiver 1430 and transceiver 1410 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link and cooperate with RF antenna arrangements 1412 / 1432 that are appropriately configured to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some illustrative embodiments, UE transceiver 1430 and transceiver 1410 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited in application to specific standards and related protocols. Rather, UE transceiver 1430 and BS transceiver 1410 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0081] Transceiver 1410 and the transceivers of another BS (such as, but not limited to, transceiver 1410) are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link and cooperate with an RF antenna arrangement appropriately configured to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some illustrative embodiments, transceiver 1410 and the transceivers of the other BS are configured to support industry standards such as LTE and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited in application to specific standards and associated protocols. Rather, transceiver 1410 and the transceivers of the other BS may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0082] According to various embodiments, BS 1402 can be a BS, such as, but not limited to, an eNB, a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell, or a picocell. BS 1402 can be an RN, a DeNB, or a gNB. In some embodiments, UE 1401 can be embodied in various types of user equipment, such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptops, wearable computing devices, etc. Processor modules 1414 and 1436 can be implemented or realized through a general-purpose processor, content-addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor can be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0083] Furthermore, the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 1414 and 1436 respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 1416 and 1434 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 1416 and 1434 can be coupled to processor modules 1414 and 1436 respectively, such that processor modules 1414 and 1436 can read information from and write information to memory modules 1416 and 1434 respectively. Memory modules 1416 and 1434 can also be integrated into their respective processor modules 1414 and 1436. In some embodiments, memory modules 1416 and 1434 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by processor modules 1414 and 1436 respectively. Memory modules 1416 and 1434 may each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 1414 and 1436, respectively.

[0084] Network communication module 1418 typically refers to the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of BS 1402 that enable bidirectional communication between transceiver 1410 and other network components, as well as communication nodes communicating with BS 1402. For example, network communication module 1418 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In deployment, without limitations, network communication module 1418 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface, enabling transceiver 1410 to communicate with conventional Ethernet-based computer networks. In this way, network communication module 1418 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). In some embodiments, network communication module 1418 includes a fiber optic transmission connection configured to connect BS 1402 to a core network. The terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and their conjunctions, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc., that are physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0085] While various embodiments of this solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand exemplary features and functionality of this solution. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this solution is not limited to the exemplary architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the illustrative embodiments described above.

[0086] It should also be understood that any reference to elements in this document using names such as "first," "second," etc., generally does not restrict the number or order of these elements. Rather, these names serve as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, a reference to the first element and the second element does not imply that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0087] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and processes. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that can be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or light particles, or any combination thereof.

[0088] Those skilled in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination thereof), firmware, various forms of program or design code containing instructions (which, for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software module"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above according to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

[0089] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or executed by integrated circuits (ICs), including general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. Logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers for communication with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0090] If implemented as software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium that enables a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer.

[0091] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements used to perform the relevant functions described herein. Furthermore, for ease of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions according to embodiments of this solution.

[0092] Furthermore, in embodiments of this solution, memory or other memory, as well as communication components, may be employed. It should be understood that, for clarity, the above description has referenced various functional units and processors in describing embodiments of this solution. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution among different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without affecting this solution. For example, functions shown to be performed by different processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, references to specific functional units are merely references to appropriate means for providing the described functionality and not indications of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0093] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be endowed with the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: Within a time interval, the network transmits downlink control information to the wireless communication device. This downlink control information schedules one or more transmissions, wherein... The downlink control information is transmitted at one or more monitoring points (MOs) within the time interval, and each MO is associated with a reference signal (RS), wherein... Multiple adjacent MOs in the MO correspond to the same RS in the RS; The number of adjacent MOs is configured by the number of repetitions; and At least one of the downlink control information or transmissions is repeated according to the number of repetitions; as well as The network receives feedback from the wireless communication device corresponding to the downlink control information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The length of the time interval is a multiple of the monitoring period used to monitor the downlink control information; or The length of the time interval is configured or defined based on at least one of time slots, subframes, half-frames, radio frames, or milliseconds, wherein the time slots are determined according to the subcarrier spacing of the downlink control information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The downlink control information is transmitted at one or more monitoring points (MO) within the time interval; Each MO carries downlink control information corresponding to one of the one or more transmissions; and Receiving the feedback includes: Receive feedback from all MOs within the time interval; or Receive feedback from the MO corresponding to one of the transmissions within the time interval.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The downlink control information is transmitted at one or more monitoring points (MO) within the time interval; All MOs within the time interval are configured to be received by the wireless communication device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Downlink control information for the one or more transmissions is transmitted at one or more monitoring times (MO) within the time interval; The feedback is received according to a timing reference time slot; and The timing reference time slot is one of the following: The last time slot of the time interval; The time slot containing the last MO among the MOs within the time interval; or The time slot that includes the time slot following the last MO in the MO within the time interval, with a time offset.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Downlink control information for the one or more transmissions is transmitted at one or more monitoring times (MOs) within the time interval, and downlink control information for each of the one or more transmissions is transmitted at at least one MO. The feedback is received according to a timing reference time slot; and The timing reference time slot is one of the following: For all transmissions in the one or more transmissions, it is the last time slot of the time interval; For each of the one or more transmissions, it is the time slot containing the last MO of at least one MO within the time interval; or For each of the one or more transmissions, it is a time slot that follows the last MO of at least one MO within the time interval by a time offset.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Downlink control information for the one or more transmissions is transmitted at one or more monitoring times (MOs) within the time interval, and downlink control information for each of the one or more transmissions is transmitted using at least one MO. The downlink control information in each MO includes the downlink allocation index (DAI) field; and The values ​​of the DAI field in the downlink control information of the same transmission in scheduling one or more transmissions are the same.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The value of the DAI field is determined based on the Virtual Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) that carries the downlink control information; The virtual PDCCH is one of the following: The MO is transmitted at the first MO within the time interval; It is transmitted at the first MO of at least one MO corresponding to the same transmission in the one or more transmissions; The MO is transmitted at the last MO within the time interval; or It is transmitted at the last MO of at least one MO corresponding to the same transmission in the one or more transmissions.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The offset between two adjacent MOs is configured by the offset parameter; and At least one of the downlink control information or transmissions is repeated based on the offset parameter.

10. A wireless communication device comprising at least one processor and a memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method of claim 1.

11. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, the code, when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 1.

12. A wireless communication method, comprising: Within a time interval, a wireless communication device receives downlink control information from the network, which schedules one or more transmissions, wherein... The downlink control information is received at one or more monitoring points (MOs) within the time interval, and each MO is associated with a reference signal (RS), wherein... Multiple adjacent MOs in the MO correspond to the same RS in the RS; The number of adjacent MOs is configured by the number of repetitions; and At least one of the downlink control information or transmissions is repeated according to the number of repetitions; and The wireless communication device sends feedback to the network corresponding to the downlink control information.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The length of the time interval is a multiple of the monitoring period used to monitor the downlink control information; or The length of the time interval is configured or defined based on at least one of time slots, subframes, half-frames, radio frames, or milliseconds, wherein the time slots are determined according to the subcarrier spacing of the downlink control information.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The downlink control information is received at one or more monitoring points (MO) within the time interval; Each MO carries downlink control information corresponding to one of the one or more transmissions; and Sending the feedback includes: Send feedback for all MOs within the time interval; or Send feedback for the MO corresponding to one of the transmissions within the time interval.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The downlink control information is transmitted at one or more monitoring opportunities (MOs) within the time interval; The wireless communication device is configured to receive all MOs within the time interval.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein: Downlink control information for a transmission is received at one or more monitoring points (MO) within the time interval; The feedback is sent according to a timing reference time slot; and The timing reference time slot is one of the following: The last time slot of the time interval; The time slot containing the last MO among the MOs within the time interval; or The time slot that includes the time slot following the last MO in the MO within the time interval, with a time offset.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Downlink control information for the one or more transmissions is received at one or more monitoring times (MOs) within the time interval, and downlink control information for each of the one or more transmissions is received at at least one MO. The feedback is sent according to a timing reference time slot; and The timing reference time slot is one of the following: For all transmissions in the one or more transmissions, it is the last time slot of the time interval; For each of the one or more transmissions, it is the time slot containing the last MO of at least one MO within the time interval; or For each of the one or more transmissions, it is a time slot that follows the last MO of at least one MO within the time interval by a time offset.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Downlink control information for the one or more transmissions is received at one or more monitoring times (MOs) within the time interval, and downlink control information for each of the one or more transmissions is received using at least one MO. The downlink control information in each MO includes the downlink allocation index (DAI) field; and The values ​​of the DAI field in the downlink control information of the same transmission in scheduling one or more transmissions are the same.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein: The value of the DAI field is determined based on the Virtual Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) that carries the downlink control information; The virtual PDCCH is one of the following: The MO is transmitted at the first MO within the time interval; It is transmitted at the first MO of at least one MO corresponding to the same transmission in the one or more transmissions; The MO is transmitted at the last MO within the time interval; or It is transmitted at the last MO of at least one MO corresponding to the same transmission in the one or more transmissions.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein: The offset between two adjacent MOs is configured by the offset parameter; Multiple adjacent MOs in the MOs correspond to the same RS in the RSs; and At least one of the downlink control information or transmissions is repeated based on the offset parameter.

21. A wireless communication device comprising at least one processor and a memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method of claim 12.

22. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, the code, when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 12.

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