System and method for coverage enhancement in non-terrestrial networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for coverage enhancement in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) are presented. A wireless communication device may send assistance information for the wireless communication device to a wireless communication node, the assistance information indicating a bundled time domain window (TDW) size for the wireless communication device to demodulate a reference signal (DMRS). The wireless communication device may transmit an uplink (UL) transmission to the wireless communication node according to the bundling of the DMRS.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for coverage enhancement in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). Background Art

[0002] The third generation partnership project (3GPP), a standardization organization, is currently developing a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR), as well as the next generation packet core network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: 5G access network (5G-AN), 5G core network (5GC) and user equipment (UE). To facilitate the implementation of different data services and requirements, the elements of 5GC (also known as network functions) have been simplified, some of which are software-based and some are hardware-based, so that they can be adapted as needed. Summary of the invention

[0003] The example embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve problems related to one or more of the problems raised in the prior art, as well as to provide additional features that will become clear by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example, not limitation, and it will be clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art reading this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments (e.g., including combining features from various disclosed examples, embodiments, and / or implementations) while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to the following system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) may send auxiliary information of the wireless communication device to a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS)), the auxiliary information indicating a time domain window (TDW) size (e.g., DRMS ​​TDW or may be used to determine DMRS TDW) used by the wireless communication device for bundling of demodulation reference signals (DMRS). The wireless communication device may send an uplink (UL) transmission to the wireless communication node based on the bundling of the DMRS.

[0005] In some embodiments, the assistance information may include at least one of the following items: capability information of the wireless communication device, which may indicate a TDW size used by the wireless communication device for bundling of DMRS; or an indication of a TDW size used for bundling of DMRS. For all scenarios or for each of one or more scenarios, the capability information may include a corresponding indication of at least one of the following items: whether the wireless communication device supports segment-specific compensation (e.g., specific to each segment) or pre-compensation (e.g., on a per-segment basis) using at least one of timing advance (TA) or frequency adjustment; whether the wireless communication device supports bundling of DMRS for multiple segments transmitted across UL at a length (e.g., duration) indicated by the wireless communication node (e.g., configured by the wireless communication node); whether the wireless communication device supports bundling of DMRS; the maximum TDW size without considering / independently of / regardless of segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation; whether the wireless communication device supports a TDW size for bundling of DMRS (e.g., DMRS TDW or DMRS bundling size) that is longer than the length of the compensated or pre-compensated segment; or the maximum TDW size when the wireless communication device supports a TDW size for bundling of DMRS that is longer than the length of the compensated or pre-compensated segment.

[0006] In some embodiments, sending the auxiliary information may include sending the auxiliary information using one or more transmissions. The one or more transmissions may include at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling or media access control control element (MAC CE) signaling. The indication of the TDW size for the bundle of DMRS may include at least one of the following items: the TDW size for the bundle of DMRS for all scenarios; a scaling factor relative to the length of the segment, wherein the TDW size for the bundle of DMRS is the product of the scaling factor and the length of the segment; a first offset value (e.g., a difference value) relative to the length of the segment, wherein the TDW size for the bundle of DMRS is the sum of the first offset value and the length of the segment; or a second offset value relative to the maximum TDW size without considering segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation, wherein the TDW size for the bundle of DMRS is the sum of the second offset value and the maximum TDW size without considering segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation.

[0007] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may send at least a portion of the assistance information to the wireless communication node after receiving the configuration of the segment of the UL transmission, or before receiving the configuration of the segment. In some embodiments, the configuration of the segment may be determined based on at least some portion of the assistance information.

[0008] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine the TDW size for bundling of DMRS based on at least one of the following: auxiliary information (e.g., which may indicate the duration of UE capabilities); a nominal TDW size configured by the wireless communication node; or a length of a compensated or pre-compensated segment configured by the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may receive a configuration of the segmentation of the UL transmission (e.g., a configuration of (multiple) segment lengths) from the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may perform compensation or pre-compensation on the uplink transmission for each of the segments (e.g., specific to each segment).

[0009] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive at least one of the following from the wireless communication node: confirmation of using at least a portion of the auxiliary information from the wireless communication device in connection with the UL transmission; confirmation of using the TDW size indicated in the auxiliary information in connection with the UL transmission; or an indication of a TDW size different from or the same as the TDW size indicated in the auxiliary information to be used in connection with the UL transmission. The wireless communication device may send the UL transmission to the wireless communication node based on the TDW size (e.g., using the TDW size, or in connection with / together with the TDW size). When the TDW size indicated by the wireless communication device is greater than the segment length configured by the wireless communication node, the wireless communication device may ensure consistency between adjacent segments of the UL transmission within the corresponding TDW (e.g., in compensation / pre-compensation).

[0010] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may receive assistance information of a wireless communication device from a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE), and the assistance information may indicate a time domain window (TDW) size used by the wireless communication device for bundling of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). The wireless communication node may receive an uplink (UL) transmission from the wireless communication device according to the bundling of the DMRS.

[0011] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may compare a metric (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), elevation angle, or distance) with one or more thresholds; and at least one of the following items: the wireless communication device determines, based on the comparison, whether a transmission to the wireless communication node in a physical uplink control channel (e.g., a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) of msg4) needs to be repeated and / or what repetition of the transmission is required; the wireless communication device determines, based on the comparison, whether to indicate to the wireless communication node whether the transmission needs to be repeated and / or what repetition is required; or the wireless communication device sends an indication to the wireless communication node whether the transmission needs to be repeated and / or what repetition is required. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings or figures. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of description, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates an example cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 illustrates an example non-terrestrial network (NTN) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4 illustrates segmented pre-compensation according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0017] Figure 5 A flow chart for coverage enhancement in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment

[0019] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 is illustrated in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100." Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102"; also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as a wireless communication device) that may communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. Figure 1 1 , BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within respective geographic boundaries of cell 126. Each of other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

[0020] For example, BS 102 may operate at an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes", which may generally practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communications.

[0021] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for sending and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution is illustrated. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In an illustrative embodiment, the system 200 may be used in a communication system such as described above. Figure 1 The invention relates to a method for transmitting (eg, sending and receiving) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 of the present invention.

[0022] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the transmission of data as described herein.

[0023] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the system 200 may also include Figure 2Any number of other modules outside the modules shown. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that 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 actual combination thereof. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described according to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on specific applications and design constraints imposed on the entire system. People familiar with the concepts described herein can implement such functions in a suitable manner for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for reception of transmissions made over the wireless transmission link 250 when the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 when the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with minimal guard times between changes in duplex direction.

[0025] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with an appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 capable of supporting a specific wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to specific standards and related protocols. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0026] According to various embodiments, for example, BS 202 may be an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell or a microcell. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user equipment, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or implemented with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0027] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, in firmware, in software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may 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, the memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that the processor modules 210 and 230 may read information from and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0028] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic and / or other components of the base station 202, which enables two-way communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 can be configured to support Internet or WiMAX services. In a typical deployment, without limitation, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet-based computer network. In this way, the network communication module 218 can include a physical interface for connection to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). The terms "configured for", "configured to" and their variations as used herein with respect to a specific operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and / or arranged to perform a specific operation or function.

[0029] The open systems interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "open systems interconnection model") is a concept and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnect and communicate with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer packet transmission by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as a seven-layer OSI model or a seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be a media access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be a radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be a radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is another layer.

[0030] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the present solution. As is clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications may be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example methods. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an example order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0031] 2. System and method for coverage enhancement in non-terrestrial networks (NTN)

[0032] In order to mitigate the performance loss caused by the large distance between the UE and the satellite, coverage enhancement for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) can be supported. The enhancements specified for terrestrial networks (TNs) can be considered as baselines (e.g., demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling and joint channel estimation (JCE)). However, due to the high mobility of satellites in NTNs, the timing drift may be very fast, and the timing advance (TA) pre-compensation value may need to be adjusted frequently. In this case, the length of the DMRS bundling may be shorter than the pre-compensation segment because DMRS with different TA pre-compensations may cause phase discontinuities between segments. If the phase difference is greater than the tolerable range, the DMRS in different segments cannot be bundled together. In the present disclosure, considering the implementation of an advanced user equipment (UE) to expand / extend the time domain window (TDW) extended across multiple uplink (UL) segments / on multiple uplink (UL) segments, coverage enhancement in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) (e.g., how to maximize the DMRS bundling size) can be performed.

[0033] Figure 3 An example representation of an NTN is illustrated, such as a transparent NTN. In some embodiments, the link between the UE and the satellite may be a serving link. The link between the base station (BS) and the satellite may be a feeder link. The feeder link may be common to all UEs in the same cell.

[0034] In a TN system, methods for coverage enhancement may include: repetition and / or joint channel estimation (JCE). For the repetition method, the transmitter may repeatedly send a message over a period of time. The receiver may combine the repetitions of the transmission and may improve the performance of the decoding. For the joint channel estimation (JCE) method, reference signals (RS) at different time instances may be used jointly to estimate the channel. JCE may provide better channel estimation and / or better decoding performance. In the JCE method, DMRS may be bundled (e.g., considered or measured together as a group / bundle) because these bundled DMRS may be considered as quasi collocated (QCL) in channel estimation.

[0035] Segmented precompensation Different precompensations of timing advance (TA) and / or frequency offset (e.g., segmented precompensation) may be applied to different components / segments of a single uplink (UL) transmission. To avoid timing offset / frequency offset (TO / FO) exceeding a tolerable range, the precompensated TA and / or Doppler may be adjusted after a period of time to mitigate timing and / or frequency drift caused by satellite mobility. When the adjustment period is shorter than the total time of a single transmission (with multiple repetitions), the transmission may be divided into multiple segments. Each segment may have a corresponding TA and / or Doppler precompensation value applied or subject to.

[0036] Although segmented pre-compensation is beneficial for maintaining power consistency and phase continuity, segmented pre-compensation may be limited by UE capabilities and / or DMRS bundling size (e.g., the actual TDW size may be shorter than the duration of the UL segment). In other words, if advanced UEs support DMRS bundling that interleaves segmented pre-compensation with the UE's implementation, a larger TDW size can be achieved at the gNB. Otherwise, the insufficient TDW size of DMRS bundling makes it difficult to provide significant gain for joint channel estimation.

[0037] Implementation Example 1: Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) bundling taking into account UE capability signaling

[0038] In New Radio (NR), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling can be considered as a method to enhance coverage performance. In uplink (UL) transmission, DMRS in multiple time slots can be bundled. DMRS in the same bundle can be considered to be quasi-co-located (QCLed). In this case, joint channel estimation (JCE) can be performed across these time slots, which improves the channel estimation performance. The detection performance of the data can also be improved accordingly. Larger DMRS bundles can better improve JCE performance.

[0039] However, if pre-compensation of segments is performed, the DMRS bundling size may be reduced because limited-capability UEs cannot maintain power consistency and phase continuity between UL segments. If advanced UEs are able to support UL transmission segments interleaving their expected time domain window (TDW), the BS can determine a larger DMRS bundling size with knowledge of the UE capabilities via capability (or auxiliary information) signaling.

[0040] To help the BS determine the DMRS bundling TDW size, the UE may send auxiliary information of the UE to the BS, the auxiliary information indicating the UE's time domain window (TDW) size for bundling of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). The UE may send an uplink (UL) transmission based on the bundling of the DMRS. Sending the auxiliary information may include: sending the auxiliary information using one or more transmissions. The one or more transmissions may include at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling or media access control control element (MAC CE) signaling.

[0041] The assistance information may indicate to the BS at least one of the following capabilities: (1) whether the UE supports segment-specific compensation (e.g., specific to each segment) or pre-compensation (e.g., on a per-segment basis) using at least one of timing advance (TA) or frequency adjustment; (2) whether the UE supports bundling of DMRSs for multiple segments transmitted across the UL over a length (e.g., duration) indicated by the BS (e.g., configured); (3) whether the UE supports bundling of DMRSs; a maximum TDW size without regard to / independent of / regardless of segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation; (4) whether the UE supports a TDW size for bundling of DMRSs (e.g., DMRS TDW or DMRS bundling size) that is longer than the length of the compensated or pre-compensated segment; or (5) a maximum TDW size when the UE supports a TDW size for bundling of DMRSs that is longer than the length of the compensated or pre-compensated segment.

[0042] In some embodiments, the above capabilities may be combined. For example, (4) and (5) may be combined in the same signaling (e.g., the UE may report the maximum DMRS TDW size supported when supporting a DMRS TDW size longer than the length of the segment, and whether the UE supports a TDW size longer than the length of the segment). When the UE reports the maximum DMRS TDW size supported when supporting a DMRS TDW size longer than the length of the segment, the capability information may implicitly indicate that the UE supports a DMRS TDW size longer than the length of the segment. In addition, the capability may contain multiple values ​​corresponding to different scenarios. For example, in capability (5), the UE may report multiple maximum DMRS TDW sizes corresponding to different satellite orbits / elevation angles. When the UE has a lower elevation angle with faster timing drift, the maximum DMRS TDW size supported may be a small value. When the UE has a higher elevation angle with slower timing drift, the maximum DMRS TDW size supported may be a larger value.

[0043] In addition, for capability (5), the UE may report the supported DMRS bundling size based on at least one of the following methods: (i) directly reporting the DMRS TDW size taking into account all possible scenarios; (ii) reporting a scaling factor relative to the length of the segment, wherein the DMRS TDW size may be the product of the length of the segment and the scaling factor; (iii) reporting a difference (e.g., an offset value) relative to the length of the segment, wherein the DMRS TDW size may be the sum of the length of the segment and the difference; or (iv) reporting a difference (e.g., an offset value) relative to the maximum DMRS TDW size without considering segment compensation (e.g., segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation), wherein the DMRS TDW size may be the maximum DMRS TDW size without considering segment compensation minus the difference.

[0044] The above capabilities (or auxiliary information) may be reported via at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling or media control control element (MAC CE) signaling. Capabilities (4) and (5) (e.g., whether a DMRS TDW size longer than the length of the segment is supported, and the maximum DMRS TDW size when a DMRS TDW size longer than the length of the segment is supported) may be reported after receiving the configuration of the length of the segment or before receiving the configuration of the length of the segment. In some embodiments, the UE may send at least a portion of the auxiliary information to the BS after receiving the configuration of the segment of the UL transmission or before receiving the configuration of the segment.

[0045] In some embodiments, the time domain window (TDW) can be the actual TDW size or the nominal TDW size of the DMRS bundle. The nominal TDW can refer to the configuration length configured by the BS, which can be the expected length. The actual TDW can refer to the actual TDW that is smaller than the nominal TDW. When the nominal TDW is terminated due to certain events (e.g., power regulation), only the DMRS from the beginning of the TDW to the end of the TDW can be bundled. In this case, the actual TDW can be implemented. Therefore, the actual TDW can be used with caution. According to some definitions, the nominal TDW can be configured by the BS.

[0046] Based on the above considerations, at least one of the following DMRS bundling configuration methods may be supported for NTN:

[0047] (a) The actual TDW size or nominal TDW size of DMRS bundling may be determined based on UE capability signaling of amplifying TDW across UL transmission segments through RRC signaling or MAC CE signaling. The BS may determine the size of the TDW length and may configure the size of the TDW length to the UE.

[0048] (b) The actual TDW size or nominal TDW size of DMRS bundling can be determined based on the TDW size without considering both the segment compensation configured by the network and the length of the compensated segment. For example, the network can configure a large nominal TDW size that excludes the effects of segment compensation and the length of the pre-compensated small segment. The TDW size can be determined as the length of the small segment.

[0049] (c) When the UE supports a DMRS TDW that is longer than the length of the segment as indicated from the UE capability, the actual TDW size or nominal TDW size of the DMRS bundling may be determined based on the length of the segment used for compensation and the maximum DMRS TDW size. When the UE capability to amplify the TDW across UL segments is enabled and the corresponding duration is indicated from the UE capability, the BS may determine the nominal DMRS TDW size as the duration of the UE capability and may configure the nominal DMDS TDW size to the UE. Otherwise, the BS may determine the nominal DMRS TDW size as the length of the segment and may configure (e.g., determine and send as a configuration) the nominal DMRS TDW to the UE.

[0050] (d) The actual TDW size or nominal TDW size of the DMRS bundle may be determined by the TDW size without considering segment compensation, the length of the pre-compensated segment, and the duration indicated from the UE capability. When the UE capability to amplify the TDW across UL transmission segments is enabled, and the configured DMRS bundle size without considering segment compensation is greater than the duration indicated from the UE capability, the final DMRS bundle size may be equal to the duration of the UE capability. For example, The duration (or size of the TDW) of the UE may be signaled / indicated by a scaling factor of the length of the segment (or relative to the length of the segment), a supplementary duration (e.g., an offset / difference) of the length of the segment (or relative to the length of the segment), or a constant or variable duration value. timeduratoin,UEcapabiltiy =SF*L s ,or

[0051] (e) The actual TDW size or nominal TDW size of the DMRS bundle may be equal to the duration reported by the UE capability / auxiliary signaling. As described above, the actual DMRS bundle size is expected to be large, but may not be expected to be larger than the length of the pre-compensated segment. Therefore, directly setting the actual TDW size of the DMRS bundle equal to the duration of the UE capability may be a suitable choice to enable a large DMRS bundle size with better JCE gain.

[0052] In some embodiments, in order to support the above functions, at least one of the following functions may be supported:

[0053] (I) The duration of DMRS bundling may be reported via UE capability to amplify the TDW across UL transmission segments, by / via RRC signaling or MAC CE signaling. The duration of DMRS bundling may be at least one of: a scaling factor of the length of the segment used for pre-compensation, a supplementary duration based on the length of the segment, or a constant or varying duration determined by UE capability.

[0054] (II) When the duration of DMRS bundling is reported by UE capability signaling, the actual TDW size of the DMRS bundling may be determined by or as at least one of the following: the nominal TDW size of the DMRS bundling configured by the network, regardless of the duration of the UE capabilities; the minimum value of the nominal TDW size and the duration of the UE capabilities; the duration of the UE capabilities, regardless of the nominal TDW size.

[0055] Implementation Example 2: Triggering Method for Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) Repetition

[0056] In the initial access, a 4-step RACH process may be applied. In msg4, the UE may receive contention resolution information from the BS. The UE may send a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) for msg4 to the BS in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) to confirm whether msg4 is successfully received. In a TN system, such PUCCH repetition may not be supported. In an NTN system, however, due to poor link budget, it may be necessary to support / use repetition of PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK. Since repetition may not always be required, it may be considered to determine when to trigger PUCCH repetition for HARQ-ACK for msg4.

[0057] Reference signal received power (RSRP) or reference signal received quality (RSRQ) may be used to determine whether to trigger PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK, which is used to mitigate poor coverage performance. At least one of the following examples may be applied.

[0058] Example 1: The RSRP / RSRQ threshold may be predefined or configured to the UE from the network. The network configuration may include at least one of a system information block (SIB), a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a media access control control element (MAC CE) signaling. If the RSRP / RSRQ measured by the UE is lower than or equal to the threshold (or just below the threshold), the UE may indicate to the network a request for repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK. Otherwise, the UE may not indicate the request, or may indicate that repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK is not required / requested.

[0059] Example 2: At least one RSRP / RSRQ threshold corresponding to at least one candidate repetition factor may be predefined or configured from the network to the UE. For example, N thresholds {T1 <T2<……<T N}, which may correspond to N candidate repetition factors {R1, R2, ..., R N}. If the RSRP / RSRQ measured by the UE is lower than or equal to the threshold (or just below the threshold), the corresponding candidate repetition factor may be applied. If the RSRP / RSRQ measured by the UE is greater than the maximum threshold TN, repetition may not be triggered / needed. In this case, the UE may not request PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK, or may indicate to the network that repetition is not required. If RSRP / RSRQ is less than T n But greater than T n-1 , then the UE can request the corresponding repetition factor R n , and the repetition factor R can be indicated to the network n .

[0060] In addition, in NTN, since the line-of-sight channel is dominant, the RSRP / RSRQ variation of UEs within one beam / cell may be small. The difference between the RSRP of UEs at the edge and the center of the beam / cell may be within 3dB. Therefore, RSRP / RSRQ may not be a suitable parameter for determining whether repetition is required. In order to better distinguish the scenarios where repetition is required in NTN, other parameters may be considered, including at least one of the following items: elevation angle, distance between UE and satellite / high altitude platform station (HAPS), ephemeris, location of satellite / HAPS, location of UE, or altitude of satellite / HAPS.

[0061] Similar to the utilization of RSRP / RSQ, the following examples based on the above (or other) parameters may be applied.

[0062] Example 3: The threshold of the elevation angle may be predefined or configurable from the network to the UE. The network configuration may include at least one of a system information block (SIB), a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a media access control control element (MAC CE) signaling. If the elevation angle of the UE is less than or equal to the threshold (or just below the threshold), the UE may indicate to the network a request for repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK. Otherwise, the UE may not indicate the request, or may indicate that repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK is not required / requested.

[0063] Example 4: The threshold of the distance between the UE and the satellite / HAPS may be predefined or configured to the UE from the network. The network configuration may include at least one of a system information block (SIB), a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a media access control control element (MAC CE) signaling. If the distance between the UE and the satellite / HAPS is greater than or equal to the threshold (or just greater than the threshold), the UE may indicate to the network a request for repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK. Otherwise, the UE may not indicate the request, or may indicate that repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK is not needed / requested.

[0064] Example 5: The threshold of the altitude of the satellite / HAPS may be predefined or configured to the UE from the network. The network configuration may include at least one of a system information block (SIB), a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a media access control control element (MAC CE) signaling. If the altitude of the satellite / HAPS is greater than or equal to the threshold (or just greater than the threshold), the UE may indicate to the network a request for repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK. Otherwise, the UE may not indicate the request, or may indicate that repetition of the PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK is not needed / requested.

[0065] Example 6: At least one elevation angle threshold that may correspond to at least one candidate repetition factor may be predefined or configured to the UE from the network. The network configuration may include at least one of a system information block (SIB), a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a media access control element (MAC CE) signaling. For example, N thresholds {T1 <T2<……<T N}, which may correspond to N candidate repetition factors {R1, R2, ..., R N If the elevation angle at the UE is lower than or equal to the threshold (or just lower than the threshold), the corresponding candidate repetition factor may be applied. If the elevation angle at the UE is greater than the maximum threshold T N , repetition may not be triggered. The UE may not request PUCCH repetition for msg4HARQ-ACK, or may indicate to the network that repetition is not required. n But greater than T n-1 , then the UE can request a repetition factor R n , and indicates the repetition factor R to the network n .

[0066] Example 7: At least one distance threshold (between the UE and the satellite / HAPS) that may correspond to at least one candidate repetition factor may be predefined or configured to the UE from the network. The network configuration may include at least one of a system information block (SIB), a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a media access control element (MAC CE) signaling. For example, N thresholds {T1>T2>...>T N}, which may correspond to N candidate repetition factors {R1, R2, ..., R N If the distance (between the UE and the satellite / HAPS) is greater than or equal to the threshold (or just greater than the threshold), the corresponding candidate repetition factor may be applied. If the distance (between the UE and the satellite / HAPS) is less than the minimum threshold T N , repetition may not be triggered / needed. The UE may not request PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK, or may indicate to the network that repetition is not required. If the distance (between the UE and the satellite / HAPS) is greater than T n But less than T n-1 , then the UE can request a repetition factor R n , and indicates the repetition factor R to the network n .

[0067] Example 8: At least one altitude threshold (of a satellite / HAPS) that may correspond to at least one candidate repetition factor may be predefined or configured to the UE from the network. The network configuration may include at least one of a system information block (SIB), a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a media access control element (MAC CE) signaling. For example, N thresholds {T1>T2>...>T N}, which may correspond to N candidate repetition factors {R1, R2, ..., R N}. If the altitude (of the satellite / HAPS) is higher than or equal to the threshold (or just higher than the threshold), the corresponding candidate repetition factor may be applied. If the altitude (of the satellite / HAPS) is lower than the minimum threshold TN, repetition may not be triggered / needed. The UE may not request PUCCH repetition for the corresponding HARQ-ACK request for msg4, or may indicate to the network that no repetition is required. If the altitude (of the satellite / HAPS) is higher than T n But lower than T n-1 , then the UE can request a repetition factor R n , and indicates the repetition factor R to the network n .

[0068] It should be understood that one or more features from the above-described implementation examples are not exclusive to a specific implementation example, but may be combined in any manner (eg, in any priority and / or order, simultaneously or otherwise).

[0069] Figure 5 A flowchart for coverage enhancement in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 1 to Figure 2 The method 500 may be implemented by any one or more of the components and devices described in detail. In summary, in some embodiments, the method 500 may be performed by a wireless communication device. Depending on the embodiment, more, fewer, or different operations may be performed in the method 500. At least one aspect of the operation relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0070] A wireless communication device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) may send auxiliary information of the wireless communication device to a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS)), the auxiliary information indicating a time domain window (TDW) size (e.g., including the DRMS ​​TDW size itself, or including information that can be used to determine the DMRS TDW size) used by the wireless communication device for bundling of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). The wireless communication device may send an uplink (UL) transmission to the wireless communication node based on the bundling of the DMRS.

[0071] In some embodiments, the auxiliary information may include at least one of the following: capability information of the wireless communication device, the capability information may indicate the TDW size used by the wireless communication device for bundling of DMRS; or an indication of the TDW size used for bundling of DMRS. For all scenarios or for each of one or more scenarios, the capability information may include a corresponding indication of at least one of the following: whether the wireless communication device supports segment-specific compensation (e.g., specific to each segment) or pre-compensation (e.g., on a per-segment basis) using at least one of timing advance (TA) or frequency adjustment; whether the wireless communication device supports bundling of DMRS of multiple segments transmitted across UL at a length (e.g., duration) indicated (e.g., configured) by the wireless communication node; whether the wireless communication device supports bundling of DMRS; the maximum TDW size without considering / independent of / regardless of segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation; whether the wireless communication device supports a TDW size for bundling of DMRS (e.g., DMRS TDW or DMRS bundling size) that is longer than the length of the compensated or pre-compensated segment; or the maximum TDW size when the wireless communication device supports a TDW size for bundling of DMRS that is longer than the length of the compensated or pre-compensated segment. For example, different scenarios may be determined based on the distance between the satellite and the UE or the speed of the satellite.

[0072] In some embodiments, sending the auxiliary information may include: sending the auxiliary information using one or more transmissions. The one or more transmissions may include at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling or media access control control element (MAC CE) signaling. The indication of the TDW size of the bundle for the DMRS may include at least one of the following items: the TDW size of the bundle for the DMRS for all scenarios; a scaling factor relative to the length of the segment, wherein the TDW size of the bundle for the DMRS is the product of the scaling factor and the length of the segment; a first offset value (e.g., a difference) relative to the length of the segment, wherein the TDW size of the bundle for the DMRS is the sum of the first offset value and the length of the segment; or a second offset value relative to the maximum TDW size without considering segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation, wherein the TDW size of the bundle for the DMRS is the sum of the second offset value and the maximum TDW size without considering segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation.

[0073] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may send at least a portion of the assistance information to the wireless communication node after receiving the configuration of the segment of the UL transmission, or before receiving the configuration of the segment. In some embodiments, the configuration of the segment may be determined based on at least some portion of the assistance information.

[0074] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine the TDW size for bundling of DMRS based on at least one of the following: auxiliary information (e.g., which may indicate the duration of UE capabilities); a nominal TDW size configured by the wireless communication node; or a length of a compensated or pre-compensated segment configured by the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may receive a configuration of the segmentation of the UL transmission (e.g., a configuration of (multiple) segment lengths) from the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may perform compensation or pre-compensation on the uplink transmission for each of the segments (e.g., specific to each segment).

[0075] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive at least one of the following from the wireless communication node: confirmation of using at least a portion of the auxiliary information from the wireless communication device in connection with the UL transmission; confirmation of using the TDW size indicated in the auxiliary information in connection with the UL transmission; or an indication of a TDW size to be used in connection with the UL transmission that is different from or the same as the TDW size indicated in the auxiliary information. The wireless communication device may send the UL transmission to the wireless communication node based on the TDW size (e.g., using the TDW size, or related to / together with the TDW size). When the TDW size indicated by the wireless communication device is larger than the length of the segment configured by the wireless communication node, the wireless communication device may ensure consistency between adjacent segments of the UL transmission within the corresponding TDW (e.g., in compensation / pre-compensation).

[0076] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may receive assistance information of a wireless communication device from a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE), and the assistance information may indicate a time domain window (TDW) size used by the wireless communication device for bundling of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). The wireless communication node may receive an uplink (UL) transmission from the wireless communication device based on the bundling of the DMRS.

[0077] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may compare a metric (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), elevation angle, or distance) with one or more thresholds; and at least one of the following items: the wireless communication device determines, based on the comparison, whether a transmission to the wireless communication node in a physical uplink control channel (e.g., a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) for msg4) needs to be repeated and / or what repetition of the transmission is required; the wireless communication device determines, based on the comparison, whether to indicate to the wireless communication node whether repetition is required for the transmission and / or what repetition is required; or the wireless communication device sends an indication to the wireless communication node whether repetition is required for the transmission and / or what repetition is required.

[0078] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only by way of example rather than by way of limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict example architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present solution. However, these people will understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of an embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-mentioned illustrative embodiments.

[0079] It should also be understood that any reference to an element using names such as "first," "second," etc., herein generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. Instead, these names can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Therefore, reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0080] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different methods and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols, etc., that may be referenced in the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0081] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes in conjunction with instructions (which, for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. A skilled technician may implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0082] In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed within an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0083] If implemented in software, these functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. As an example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0084] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as is clear to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to an embodiment of the present solution.

[0085] In addition, memory or other storage devices and communication components can be used in the embodiment of the present solution. It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, the above description has described the embodiment of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is clear that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains can be used without departing from the present solution. For example, the functions performed by a separate processing logic element or controller can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a specific functional unit is only a reference to an appropriate manner for providing the described function, rather than representing a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0086] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be consistent with the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as described in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The wireless communication device sends auxiliary information of the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node, wherein the auxiliary information indicates a bundled time domain window (TDW) size used by the wireless communication device for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS); as well as An uplink (UL) transmission is sent by the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node based on the bundling of DMRS.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information comprises at least one of the following items: capability information of the wireless communication device, the capability information indicating the TDW size used by the wireless communication device for the bundling of DMRS; or An indication of the TDW size for the bundling of DMRS.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein for all scenarios or for each of one or more scenarios, the capability information comprises a respective indication of at least one of the following: whether the wireless communication device supports segment-specific compensation or pre-compensation using at least one of timing advance (TA) or frequency adjustment; whether the wireless communication device supports the bundling of DMRS across multiple segments of the UL transmission at a length indicated by the wireless communication node; whether the wireless communication device supports the bundling of DMRS; the maximum TDW size without considering the segment specific compensation or pre-compensation; whether the wireless communication device supports a TDW size for the bundle of DMRS that is longer than a compensated or pre-compensated segment length; or The maximum TDW size when the wireless communication device supports a TDW size for the bundle of DMRS that is longer than a compensated or pre-compensated segment length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the auxiliary information comprises: The assistance information is sent using one or more transmissions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more transmissions include at least one of: radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or medium access control control element (MAC CE) signaling.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication of the TDW size for the bundling of DMRS comprises at least one of: The TDW size of the bundle for DMRS for all scenarios; a scaling factor relative to a segment length, wherein the TDW size for the bundling of DMRS is the product of the scaling factor and the segment length; a first offset value relative to a segment length, wherein the TDW size for the bundle of DMRS is a sum of the first offset value and the segment length; or Relative to a second offset value of the maximum TDW size without considering the segment specific compensation or pre-compensation, wherein the TDW size for the bundle of DMRS is the sum of the second offset value and the maximum TDW size without considering the segment specific compensation or pre-compensation.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising: At least a portion of the assistance information is sent by the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node after receiving the configuration of the segments of the UL transmission or before receiving the configuration of the segments. The method of claim 7 , wherein the configuration of the segments is determined based on at least some portion of the auxiliary information.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The wireless communication device determines the TDW size for the bundling of DMRS according to at least one of the following items: The auxiliary information, a nominal TDW size configured by the wireless communication node; or A compensated or pre-compensated segment length configured by the wireless communication node.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising: A configuration of segments of the UL transmission is received by the wireless communication device from the wireless communication node.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising: Compensation or pre-compensation is performed, by the wireless communication device, on the uplink transmission for each of the segments.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising: Receiving, by the wireless communication device from the wireless communication node, at least one of the following: an acknowledgement of using at least a portion of the assistance information from the wireless communication device in connection with the UL transmission; confirmation of using the TDW size indicated in the assistance information in relation to the UL transmission; or An indication of the TDW size to be used in connection with the UL transmission that is different from or the same as the TDW size indicated in the assistance information.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 10 or 12, comprising: The UL transmission is sent by the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node according to the TDW size.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 10 or 13, wherein when the TDW size indicated by the wireless communication device is larger than the segment length configured by the wireless communication node, the wireless communication device will ensure consistency between adjacent segments of the UL transmission within the corresponding TDW.

15. A method comprising: Receiving, by a wireless communication node, assistance information of the wireless communication device from the wireless communication device, the assistance information indicating a time domain window (TDW) size used by the wireless communication device for bundling of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS); as well as An uplink (UL) transmission is received, by the wireless communication node, from the wireless communication device in accordance with the bundling of DMRS.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

18. A method comprising: comparing, by the wireless communication device, the metric to one or more thresholds; And at least one of the following: Determining, by the wireless communication device based on the comparison, whether repetition of transmissions to the wireless communication node in a physical uplink control channel is required and / or what repetition of transmissions to the wireless communication node in a physical uplink control channel is required; The wireless communication device determines, based on the comparison, whether to indicate to the wireless communication node whether the transmission needs to be repeated and / or what kind of repetition is needed; or An indication is sent by the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node as to whether the transmission needs to be repeated and / or what repetition is needed.

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