Conditional hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for conditional hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK). For example, a user equipment (UE) may estimate an amount of additional energy that may be required to help ensure successful decoding during receiving downlink transmissions with x repetitions. The UE may then represent the estimate as a number (y) of repetitions required for successful reception, and may notify the number to a radio access network (RAN) (e.g., at least one round trip time (RTT) before the last of the x repetitions is transmitted). The RAN may process the message as a conditional positive ACK. The RAN may transmit a number y of repetitions, and may implicitly assume an ACK for the TBS after transmitting the y repetitions. After completion of y repeated transmissions, the RAN may send a subsequent transport block (TBS) for the HARQ process.

Description

[0001] Description of divisional application

[0002] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an application date of 2021.07.14, an application number of 202180055593.X, and an invention name of “Conditional Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Acknowledgement”. Technical Field

[0003] Various embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or other communication systems. For example, certain embodiments may relate to systems and / or methods for conditional hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment. Background Art

[0004] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to next generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G is primarily built on New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks may also be built on E-UTRA radio. It is estimated that NR can provide bit rates in the order of 10-20Gbit / s or higher, and may support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robust, low latency connectivity and large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). With the increasing popularity of the Internet of Things and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, the demand for networks that meet the requirements of low power consumption, low data rates and long battery life will continue to grow. It should be noted that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functions to user equipment (i.e., similar to Node B in UTRAN or eNB in ​​LTE) can be named gNB when built on NR radio and can be named NG-eNB when built on E-UTRA radio. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first embodiment, a method may include receiving a subset of a plurality of scheduled repetitions of a transport block. The plurality of scheduled repetitions may include one or more remaining scheduled repetitions not included in the subset. The method may include estimating a number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block. The method may include sending a message including conditional feedback.

[0006] In one variation, the conditional feedback may include a negative acknowledgement, a conditional acknowledgement indicating a number of remaining repetitions, or a conditional acknowledgement indicating a change in an attribute for one or more of the number of remaining repetitions. In one variation, the method may also include receiving one or more of the number of remaining repetitions when the conditional feedback includes the conditional acknowledgement. In one variation, the method may also include providing the transport block from the buffer to the processing layer, or flushing a buffer associated with the transport block.

[0007] In one variation, the method may further include refreshing the buffer when the conditional feedback includes a negative acknowledgement. In one variation, the transport block may be associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request process. In one variation, estimating the number of remaining repetitions may further include periodically estimating the number of remaining repetitions. In one variation, the method may further include determining whether to transmit the conditional feedback based on a configuration of an uplink opportunity or scheduling gap for the conditional feedback.

[0008] In one variant, the conditional feedback may include a time of sending the conditional feedback or an indication of a number of repetitions included in the received subset when the conditional feedback includes a conditional confirmation. In one variant, when the conditional feedback includes a conditional confirmation, the conditional feedback may indicate a number of requested repetitions, the number of requested repetitions being equal to or greater than a number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block.

[0009] According to a second embodiment, a method may include receiving a subset of a plurality of scheduled repetitions of a transport block. The plurality of scheduled repetitions may include one or more remaining scheduled repetitions not included in the subset. The method may include estimating a number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block. The method may include sending a conditional acknowledgment associated with the number of remaining repetitions. The method may include receiving one or more remaining repetitions of the number of remaining repetitions. The method may include providing the transport block from a buffer to a processing layer.

[0010] In one variant, the conditional confirmation may include a conditional confirmation indicating the number of remaining repetitions, or a conditional confirmation indicating a change in an attribute for one or more of the number of remaining repetitions. In one variant, the method may also include receiving one or more of the number of remaining repetitions. In one variant, the method may also include flushing a buffer associated with the transport block.

[0011] In one variant, the transport block may be associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request process. In one variant, estimating the number of remaining repetitions may also include periodically estimating the number of remaining repetitions. In one variant, the method may also include determining whether to transmit the conditional acknowledgment based on the configuration of an uplink opportunity or scheduling gap for the conditional acknowledgment.

[0012] In one variant, the conditional acknowledgment may include an indication of the time of sending the conditional acknowledgment or the number of repetitions included in the received subset. In one variant, the conditional acknowledgment may indicate a requested number of repetitions, which number of requested repetitions is equal to or greater than the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block.

[0013] According to a third embodiment, a method may include sending a subset of a plurality of scheduled repetitions of a transport block. The plurality of scheduled repetitions may include one or more remaining scheduled repetitions not included in the subset. The method may include receiving a message including conditional feedback associated with a number of remaining repetitions to be sent regarding the transport block. The method may include adjusting a number of the one or more remaining scheduled repetitions based on the number of remaining repetitions.

[0014] In one variant, the transport block may be associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request process. In one variant, the conditional feedback includes a time of sending the conditional feedback or an indication of a number of repetitions received at the user equipment when the conditional feedback may include a conditional confirmation. In one variant, the method may also include determining the number of repetitions received at the user equipment based on the number of repetitions sent and the time of sending the conditional feedback when the conditional feedback includes the conditional confirmation.

[0015] In one variant, when the conditional feedback includes a conditional confirmation, the conditional feedback may indicate a number of remaining repetitions, the number of remaining repetitions being equal to or greater than the number of remaining scheduled repetitions. In one variant, the method may further include scheduling another subset of another plurality of scheduled repetitions of another transport block based on sending one or more of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block, and transmitting another subset of another plurality of scheduled repetitions based on sending one or more of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block. In one variant, the method may further include sending a configuration of an uplink opportunity or a scheduling gap for the conditional feedback.

[0016] In one variation, adjusting the number of one or more remaining scheduled repetitions may further include adjusting the number of one or more remaining scheduled repetitions to be equal to or greater than the number of remaining repetitions indicated in the conditional feedback. In one variation, the method may further include sending one or more remaining scheduled repetitions of the number of one or more remaining scheduled repetitions. In one variation, the method may further include flushing a buffer associated with the transport block.

[0017] In one variant, the method may further include receiving a negative acknowledgement as conditional feedback related to one or more remaining repetitions of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception, and determining not to transmit the one or more remaining repetitions of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception. In one variant, the method may further include adjusting an attribute for the number of remaining repetitions. In one variant, when the conditional feedback includes a conditional acknowledgement, the number of remaining repetitions may be zero, or when the conditional feedback includes a negative acknowledgement, the number of remaining repetitions may be a positive integer.

[0018] A fourth embodiment may be directed to an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory comprises computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform a method according to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment, or any variants discussed above.

[0019] A fifth embodiment may be directed to an apparatus which may include circuitry configured to perform a method according to the first, second, or third embodiment, or any variations discussed above.

[0020] The sixth embodiment may be directed to a device that may include a component for performing a method according to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment, or any variant discussed above. Examples of the component may include one or more processors, memories, and / or computer program codes to cause the execution of an operation.

[0021] A seventh embodiment may be directed to a computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method according to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment, or any variations discussed above.

[0022] An eighth embodiment may be directed to a computer program product encoding instructions for performing at least the method according to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment, or any variants discussed above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] For a proper understanding of the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 An example of conditional HARQ acknowledgment according to some embodiments is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented by a UE according to some embodiments is shown;

[0026] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented by a network node according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 4 shows an example of uplink signaling according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 5 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0029] Figure 6 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0030] Figure 7 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0031] Figure 8a An example block diagram showing an apparatus according to one embodiment; and

[0032] Figure 8b An example block diagram of an apparatus according to another embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for conditional HARQ acknowledgments is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but rather represents selected example embodiments.

[0034] The features, structures or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments", "some embodiments" or other similar language throughout this specification refers to the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments that may be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the appearance of the phrases "certain embodiments", "in some embodiments", "in other embodiments" or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. In addition, the phrase "set" refers to a set including one or more referenced set members. Therefore, the phrases "set", "one or more" and "at least one" or equivalent phrases may be used interchangeably. In addition, "or" is intended to mean "and / or" unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0035] In addition, if desired, the different functions or operations discussed below can be performed in different orders and / or concurrently with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the described functions or operations can be optional or can be combined. Therefore, the following description should be regarded as merely illustrating the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, rather than limiting them.

[0036] NR can provide 5G NR services to users on Earth, for example, through low earth orbit (LEO), geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, and high altitude platform systems (HAPS). Some challenges associated with these operations may include poor link budgets. The link budget of high altitude transmission points may be poor, especially for GEO satellites and considering that Internet of Things (IoT) devices may have simple antennas and receivers. In addition, there may be large delays, which may cause large round trip times (RTT), which means that the feedback loop may be slower.

[0037] Narrowband (NB)-IoT can be used for infrequent and short messages between UE and network. NB-IoT can be used for low power wide area terrestrial network, which targets long range (20 decibels (dB) better than Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)) and low device power consumption (e.g., 10-year battery life) with communication latency of up to 10 seconds (s).

[0038] One possible way to achieve long distances may include using repetitions of the coded payload to ensure that sufficient energy is obtained in the receiver. NB-IoT may allow a large number of repetitions (e.g., up to 2048 repetitions in the downlink and up to 128 repetitions in the uplink). The mobile management entity (MME) may configure up to 3 coverage enhancement (CE) levels (CE level 0 to CE level 2). One impact of different CE levels may be that, depending on the UE location (for the current CE level), the message may have to be repeated multiple times. The number of repetitions can be further increased in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) environment to deal with link budget issues. Another challenge of NTN may include long propagation delays.

[0039] Based on this, the time between when the UE sends an acknowledgement (ACK) / negative ACK (NACK) and when the radio area network (RAN) receives the ACK / NACK may be much longer than in terrestrial networks. This may cause stalls because the network cannot send a subsequent transport block (TBS) for the associated HARQ process until the network can determine whether the previous transport block was received correctly. Because NB-IoT devices may have to be cheap, they may be configured with a limited number of HARQ processes, with a minimum of 1 HARQ process, and this stall probability may be further increased. For example, an IoT device may have a limited number of HARQ processes to save costs (e.g., a NB-IoT UE may support 1 or 2 HARQ processes, depending on the capabilities of the UE).

[0040] At the same time, as described above, the round trip time (RTT) in NTNs can be quite large. Due to one or more of long transmission time, low number of HARQ processes, and long feedback delays, stalls in data transmission to the UE may occur. For example, stalls may occur due to the time to fill the HARQ process being shorter than the RTT. For example, when the RTT is 20 milliseconds (ms), the efficiency of utilizing 4 HARQ processes may be reduced to 20%, while the efficiency of utilizing 1 HARQ process may be reduced to 5%. Based on this, data transmission may take longer, causing the UE to stay awake longer, thereby experiencing lower throughput, and / or consuming more power than otherwise required.

[0041] Some embodiments described herein may provide conditional HARQ acknowledgments (e.g., in the presence of a large number of repetitions, such as in NTNs, when the link budget is poor). For example, a UE may estimate the amount of additional energy that may be required to help ensure successful decoding during reception of a downlink transmission with x repetitions. The UE may then express this estimate as the number of repetitions required for successful reception (y), and may notify the RAN (e.g., one or more network nodes) of the number (e.g., at least one RTT before the last of the x repetitions is sent). The RAN may process this message as a conditional positive ACK. The RAN may send the number of repetitions y, and may implicitly assume an ACK for the transport block after sending y repetitions (e.g., the RAN may not need to wait for an ACK from the UE after completing the transmission of y repetitions). The RAN may send subsequent transport blocks for the HARQ process after completing the transmission of y repetitions and based on the implicit assumption of an ACK. In this way, certain embodiments described herein may reduce or eliminate the described stall problem, which may save computing resources of the UE that would otherwise be consumed due to stalls. In addition, this may increase the throughput of the UE, thereby improving the operational performance of the UE.

[0042] Figure 1An example 100 of conditional HARQ acknowledgment according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 1 Example 100 shows a RAN and a UE that may include one or more network nodes. As shown at 102, the RAN may schedule x repetitions of a transport block to the UE. The RAN may send, and the UE may receive, a number z of scheduled x repetitions. After receiving the z repetitions, the UE may send, and the RAN may receive conditional feedback. For example, the conditional feedback may include a conditional ACK or NACK. Figure 1 An example of conditional feedback may include a conditional ACK including an indication of the number y of repetitions that may be required to correctly receive (e.g., successfully decode) the transport block at 104. In some embodiments, the UE may send a NACK instead of the conditional ACK, or at a time after sending the conditional ACK but before the reception of the y repetitions is complete. The NACK may cause the RAN to stop sending repetitions for the transport block. Alternatively, the NACK may cause the RAN to send additional repetitions for the transport block.

[0043] During the estimation of y and after sending the indication, the UE may receive one or more of the x repetitions. Based on the indication of y from the UE, the RAN may adjust the total number of repetitions to be sent for the transport block based on the number of y repetitions. Specifically, the RAN may determine the total number of repetitions to be sent to be equal to a total of z+y repetitions. By the time the RAN receives the indication of y repetitions, a certain amount of time may have passed (e.g., Figure 1 y). During this elapsed time, the RAN may send one or more repetitions. Based on this, the RAN may account for one or more transmissions that the RAN has sent during the time between the UE sending the indication of y and the RAN receiving the indication of y by sending less than the number y repetitions after receiving the indication of y, such that the total number of repetitions sent by the RAN is equal to z+y.

[0044] As shown, the RAN may send the number of remaining repetitions, and the UE may receive the number of remaining repetitions. As shown at 106, after receiving the number of remaining repetitions, the UE may read a narrowband physical downlink control channel (NPDCCH). Additionally or alternatively, the UE may move packets associated with the transport block to a higher processing layer of an application of the UE. For example, the UE may receive repetitions in a buffer (e.g., a physical layer buffer, such as a layer 1 (L1) buffer), and the UE may move the received data from the buffer to a media access control (MAC) processing layer, then to a radio link control (RLC) processing layer, then to a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) processing layer, etc. (e.g., where each layer has a header and various protocols for processing packets). Additionally or alternatively, the UE may clear the buffer, such as by refreshing the buffer. As shown at 108, after receiving the last remaining repetition for the transport block, the UE may begin receiving repetitions for one or more subsequent TBSs.

[0045] In some embodiments, after sending the conditional ACK at a first time, the UE may switch from receiving a transport block on a narrowband physical downlink shared channel (NPDSCH) to monitoring the NPDCCH at a second time to obtain scheduling information for a next transport block. The second time may be based on the conditional ACK message and the RTT (e.g., based on the conditional ACK and the quantity y indicated in the RTT).

[0046] As mentioned above, providing Figure 1 As an example. According to some embodiments, other examples are possible.

[0047] Figure 2 A flow chart of an example method 200 implemented by a UE according to some embodiments is shown. For example, the UE may be Figure 8a The device 10 shown and described in FIG.

[0048] As shown at 202, the UE may receive a downlink (DL) allocation for repetitions of a transport block on the NPDCCH. For example, the DL allocation may schedule x repetitions associated with a HARQ process.

[0049] As shown at 204, the UE may begin receiving repetitions on the NPDSCH. For example, the UE may receive a subset z of x repetitions. As shown at 206, during the reception of the repetitions, the UE may estimate the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block. For example, the UE may estimate the number of remaining repetitions y that may be required to correctly receive the transport block. In some embodiments, the UE may estimate the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception at intervals during the reception of the repetitions. The intervals may be every repetition or every nth repetition, depending on the number of repetitions received, before a scheduling gap, after a certain number of repetitions have been received, etc.

[0050] As shown at 208, the UE may determine whether to send a conditional ACK. For example, the UE may determine whether it is time to send a conditional ACK. This may depend on the actual RTT, the number of scheduled repetitions, or the number of remaining repetitions y, or may be based on a transmission gap set by the network. If the UE determines not to send a conditional ACK (208-No), the UE may return to perform the operations shown at 204. If the UE determines to send a conditional ACK (208-Yes), the UE may send a conditional ACK with a value of the number of remaining repetitions to the RAN at 210. For example, if it is time for the UE to send a conditional ACK, the UE may send a conditional ACK indicating the number of remaining repetitions y from that point in time. In some embodiments, the signaling by the UE may include an indication of the time at which the conditional ACK is sent or the current number of received repetitions z.

[0051] As shown at 212, the UE may receive the number of remaining repetitions. For example, the UE may receive y repetitions after sending the conditional ACK, so the total number of repetitions received at the UE is y+z. As shown at 214, the UE may flush the buffer for receiving repetitions. In some embodiments, the UE may move the packet to a higher processing layer and / or may expect one or more subsequent TBSs.

[0052] In some embodiments, the UE may send information about Figure 2 For example, the UE may determine whether to send a NACK in conjunction with determining whether to send an ACK at 208, or determine whether to send a NACK without determining whether to send an ACK, and may send a NACK instead of sending an ACK. In this case, the UE may not perform the operations at 210 and / or 212 based on sending a NACK. Alternatively, the UE may determine to send a NACK during the operations at 212, which may cause the UE to receive less than the number y of remaining repetitions. After sending the NACK, the UE may perform operations at 214.

[0053] As mentioned above, Figure 2 Provided as examples. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0054] Figure 3 A flow chart of an example method 300 implemented by a network node of a RAN according to some embodiments is shown. For example, the network node may be Figure 8b shown in and about Figure 8b The device 20 is described.

[0055] As shown at 302, the network node may schedule a certain number of repetitions to the UE. For example, the network node may schedule x repetitions to the UE, where the x repetitions may belong to a HARQ process. As shown at 304, the network node may schedule an uplink (UL) possibility for a conditional ACK for the UE. For example, the RAN may configure an uplink opportunity or scheduling gap for the UE to send the conditional ACK. Alternatively, the uplink opportunity or scheduling gap may be predefined at the UE.

[0056] As shown at 306, the network node may receive a conditional ACK from the UE. For example, the network node may receive a conditional ACK indicating a value of y as described elsewhere herein. Additionally or alternatively, the conditional ACK may include an indication of the time at which the UE sent the conditional ACK or the number z of current received repetitions that the UE has received. In some embodiments, the network node may calculate the number of repetitions to send after z repetitions based on the time of sending or receiving the conditional ACK (e.g., to allow the UE to estimate the UE's transmit time based on information about the receive time and / or propagation delay).

[0057] As shown at 308, the network node may adjust the number of repetitions. For example, the network node may adjust the number of repetitions to reflect the value of y. The network node may adjust the number so that a total of z+y repetitions are sent. In some embodiments, the network node may perform one or more other adjustments, such as adjustments to the transmit power for the repetitions, the transmit timing for the repetitions, and the like. As shown at 310, the network node may send the remaining repetitions for the adjusted number of repetitions. For example, the network node may send repetitions until z+y repetitions have been sent. In certain embodiments, the network node may receive a NACK from the UE instead of a conditional ACK, wherein the NACK is associated with causing the network node to stop sending repetitions. Based on the receipt of the NACK, the network node may adjust the number of repetitions to zero to stop sending additional repetitions.

[0058] As shown at 312, the network node may refresh the buffer after sending the last repetition. For example, the network node may refresh the buffer without receiving an ACK indicating that the transport block was correctly received. In this way, the network node can assume that the transport block was successfully received at the UE based on sending z+y repetitions, and can eliminate signaling that would otherwise be used to indicate successful reception of the transport block to the network node. This can save computing resources of the UE and the network node, and can save network resources, such as bandwidth. As shown at 314, the network node can schedule one or more subsequent TBSs. After scheduling one or more subsequent TBSs, the network node can return to performing operations at 302.

[0059] As mentioned above, providing Figure 3As an example. According to some embodiments, other examples are possible.

[0060] Figure 4 An example of uplink signaling according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 4 Example mappings 400 and 402 between bits of conditional feedback signaling and indications provided by the bits are shown.

[0061] As described above, because the uplink budget may be limited, the signaling space for indication described herein may be limited. Therefore, the number of bits for signaling the value of y may be limited. If the number of bits is not limited, the exact value of y may be indicated. In the example mappings 400 and 402 for uplink signaling, two bits may be used. These two bits may be used to indicate the value of y based on the original number x of scheduled repetitions. The percentage indicated by the bit may be broadcast by the RAN, or dedicated signaling may be used (which may allow different values ​​for each UE). In the two mappings 400, 402, the combination 00 may be used to indicate the number of planned repetitions for assuming ACK. This may provide the advantage that the network can assume ACK after sending repetitions, which reduces the delay that would otherwise wait for ACK from the UE.

[0062] In this way, the conditional feedback can indicate a number of requested repetitions (e.g., a percentage of the original scheduled number of repetitions to be sent), which is equal to or greater than the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block. For example, the indication in the conditional feedback can be based on a number of scheduled repetitions x for the transport block, where the indication of y repetitions can be a number greater or less than x. Due to signaling limitations (e.g., the number of available bits), the number y may not be directly indicated, and an approximation of y may be indicated. In some embodiments, the approximation may be equal to or greater than the number y. If the network sends less than y repetitions, transport block decoding may fail.

[0063] According to the mappings 400, 402, it is shown that the original number of scheduled repetitions from the RAN can be made larger or smaller. In the mapping 402, there may be an option to indicate a NACK. Based on the reception of the NACK, the RAN may stop the repetitions. This may be used, for example, if the number of repetitions is greater than a threshold (e.g., in NTNs, the time in a cell may be limited (e.g., 6-10s) because LEO satellites may move quickly in the sky and there may not be enough time in the cell for more than a certain number of repetitions).

[0064] In addition to defining the content of the uplink signaling, the UE can also perform uplink signaling at specific times. For example, if the UE is capable of providing a conditional ACK, the network node can schedule one or more opportunities to send a conditional ACK. From a signaling perspective, the uplink transmission opportunity can be configured when the downlink scheduling is signaled, or by predefining when the conditional ACK transmission opportunity is available based on the number of repetitions and / or RTT. If the network entity receives a conditional ACK indicating a percentage of x repetitions that may be required at multiple different times, the network node can adjust its resource allocation (number of repetitions) to be distributed more freely. This may affect the configuration of the signaling bits in mappings 400 and 402. For example, if x becomes low enough that the percentage of scheduled repetitions cannot be signaled within a reasonable reception time, the network node can reconfigure or disable the use of conditional ACK.

[0065] As mentioned above, Figure 4 Provided as examples. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0066] Figure 5 An example flow chart of a method 500 according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 5 shows that the UE (for example, Figure 8a Shown in and about Figure 8a Example operation of the described apparatus 20). Figure 5 Some of the operations shown in Figures 1 to 4 As shown in and about Figures 1 to 4 Describes some of the operations.

[0067] In one embodiment, the method may include receiving, at 502, a subset of a plurality of scheduled repetitions of a transport block, for example, in a manner similar to Figure 2 The plurality of scheduled repetitions may include one or more remaining scheduled repetitions not included in the subset. The method may include, at 504, estimating the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block, for example, in the manner described at 204 of FIG. Figure 2 In a manner similar to that described at 206. The method may include, at 506, sending a message including conditional feedback.

[0068] UE can be combined with Figure 5The method shown performs one or more other operations. In some embodiments, the conditional feedback may include a negative acknowledgement, a conditional acknowledgement indicating the number of remaining repetitions, or a conditional acknowledgement indicating a change in an attribute (e.g., transmit power, quantity, etc.) for one or more of the remaining repetitions in the number of remaining repetitions. In some embodiments, the method may also include receiving one or more of the remaining repetitions in the number of remaining repetitions when the conditional feedback includes the conditional acknowledgement. In some embodiments, the method may also include providing the transport block from the buffer area to a processing layer (e.g., a higher processing layer), or refreshing a buffer associated with the transport block.

[0069] In some embodiments, the method may further include, when the conditional feedback includes a negative acknowledgment and the received repetition is not provided to the processing layer, refreshing the buffer. In some embodiments, the transport block may be related to a hybrid automatic repeat request process. In some embodiments, estimating the number of remaining repetitions may also include periodically estimating the number of remaining repetitions. In some embodiments, the method may further include determining whether to send conditional feedback based on the configuration of an uplink opportunity or scheduling gap for conditional feedback. In some embodiments, the conditional feedback may include: an indication of the number of repetitions included in the received subset when the conditional feedback includes a conditional acknowledgment, or a transmission time of the conditional feedback. In some embodiments, when the conditional feedback includes a conditional acknowledgment, the conditional feedback may indicate the number of requested repetitions, the number of requested repetitions being equal to or greater than the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block.

[0070] As mentioned above, Figure 5 Provided as examples. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0071] Figure 6 An example flow chart of a method 600 according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 6 shows that the UE (for example, Figure 8a Shown in and about Figure 8a Example operation of the described apparatus 20). Figure 6 Some of the operations shown in can be similar to Figures 1 to 4 As shown in and about Figures 1 to 4 Describes some of the operations.

[0072] In one embodiment, the method may include receiving, at 602, a subset of a plurality of scheduled repetitions of a transport block, for example, in a manner similar to Figure 2 The plurality of scheduled repetitions may include one or more remaining scheduled repetitions not included in the subset. The method may include estimating, at 604, the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 204 of FIG. 1 . Figure 2The method may include sending a conditional confirmation corresponding to the number of remaining repetitions at 606, for example, in the form of Figure 2 The method may include, at 608, receiving one or more remaining repetitions of the number of remaining repetitions, for example, in a manner similar to that described at 210 of FIG. Figure 2 The method may include providing the transport block from the buffer to the processing layer at 610 .

[0073] UE can be combined with Figure 6 The method shown in the embodiment of the present invention performs one or more other operations. In some embodiments, the conditional confirmation may include a conditional confirmation indicating the number of remaining repetitions, or a conditional confirmation indicating a change in the attribute of one or more remaining repetitions in the number of remaining repetitions. In some embodiments, the method may also include receiving the number of one or more remaining repetitions. In some embodiments, the method may include refreshing a buffer associated with a transport block.

[0074] In some embodiments, the transport block may be associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request process. In some embodiments, estimating the number of remaining repetitions may also include periodically estimating the number of remaining repetitions. In some embodiments, the method may also include determining whether to send a conditional acknowledgment based on the configuration of an uplink opportunity or scheduling gap for conditional acknowledgment. In some embodiments, the conditional acknowledgment may include an indication of the number of repetitions included in the received subset or the time of sending the conditional acknowledgment. In some embodiments, the conditional acknowledgment may indicate the number of requested repetitions, the number of requested repetitions being equal to or greater than the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block.

[0075] As mentioned above, Figure 6 Provided as examples. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0076] Figure 7 An example flow chart of a method 700 according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 7 The network nodes (for example, Figure 8b Shown in and about Figure 8b Example operation of the described apparatus 10). Figure 7 Some of the operations shown in can be similar to Figures 1 to 4 As shown in and about Figures 1 to 4 Describes some of the operations.

[0077] In one embodiment, the method may include, at 702, sending a subset of a plurality of scheduled repetitions of a transport block. The plurality of scheduled repetitions may include one or more remaining scheduled repetitions not included in the subset. The method may include, at 704, receiving a message including conditional feedback associated with a number of remaining repetitions to be sent regarding the transport block, e.g., in a manner consistent with Figure 3 The method may include, at 706, adjusting the number of one or more remaining scheduled repetitions based on the number of remaining repetitions, for example, to Figure 3 The method is similar to the method described in 308.

[0078] Network nodes can combine Figure 7 The method shown performs one or more other operations. In some embodiments, the transmission block may be related to a hybrid automatic repeat request process. In some embodiments, the conditional feedback may include a transmission time of the conditional feedback or an indication of the number of repetitions received at the user equipment when the conditional feedback includes a conditional confirmation. In some embodiments, the method may include determining the number of repetitions received at the user equipment based on the number of repetitions sent and the transmission time of the conditional feedback when the conditional feedback includes a conditional confirmation.

[0079] In some embodiments, when the conditional feedback includes a conditional confirmation, the conditional feedback may indicate a number of remaining repetitions, the number of remaining repetitions being equal to or greater than the number of remaining scheduled repetitions. In some embodiments, the method may further include scheduling another subset of another plurality of scheduled repetitions of another transport block based on sending one or more of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block, and sending another subset of another plurality of scheduled repetitions based on sending one or more of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception of the transport block. In some embodiments, the method may include sending a configuration of an uplink opportunity or a scheduling gap for conditional feedback.

[0080] In some embodiments, adjusting the number of one or more remaining scheduled repetitions may further include adjusting the number of one or more remaining scheduled repetitions to be equal to or greater than the number of remaining repetitions indicated in the conditional feedback. In some embodiments, the method may further include sending one or more remaining scheduled repetitions of the number of one or more remaining scheduled repetitions. In some embodiments, the method may further include flushing a buffer associated with the transport block.

[0081] In some embodiments, the method may further include receiving a negative acknowledgement as conditional feedback related to one or more of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception, and determining not to send one or more of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception. In some embodiments, the method may further include adjusting an attribute for the number of remaining repetitions. In some embodiments, the number of remaining repetitions may be zero when the conditional feedback includes a conditional acknowledgement, or the number of remaining repetitions may be a positive integer when the conditional feedback includes a negative acknowledgement.

[0082] As mentioned above, Figure 7 Provided as examples. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0083] Figure 8a An example of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a network node, a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), and / or a WLAN access point, associated with a radio access network, such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR. In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be an eNB in ​​LTE or a gNB in ​​5G.

[0084] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality (such as transport of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management, etc.). The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs via a fronthaul interface. Depending on the functional splitting option, the DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of the gNB functionality. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 8a Components or features not shown.

[0085] like Figure 8aAs shown in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 12 may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 8a A single processor 12 is shown in the figure, but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the device 10 may include two or more processors, which may form a multi-processor system that can support multi-processing (e.g., in this case, the processor 12 may represent a multi-processor). In some embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0086] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including processes related to management of communications or communication resources.

[0087] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory (such as a magnetic disk or optical disk), hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0088] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software executed by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0089] In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for sending signals and / or data to and receiving signals and / or data from the device 10. The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to (multiple) antennas 15. The radio interfaces may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio frequency identification (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, fast Fourier transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks, and receive symbols (e.g., via an uplink).

[0090] Thus, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0091] In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. Memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0092] According to some embodiments, processor 12 and memory 14 may be included in processing circuitry or control circuitry, or may form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 18 may be included in transceiver circuitry or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0093] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a hardware circuitry implementation only (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software (including a digital signal processor) that work together to package a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) or portions thereof that operate using software but that may not be present when not required for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also encompass an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also encompass, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0094] As described above, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be a network node or a RAN node, such as a base station, an access point, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a WLAN access point, etc.

[0095] According to some embodiments, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as in Figures 1 to 4 and 7 show and about Figures 1 to 4 and some operations described in 7. For example, the device 10 can be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform Figure 7 method.

[0096] Figure 8b An example of an apparatus 20 according to another embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a mobile device (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a static device, an IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, a mobile device, a mobile unit, a mobile device, a user equipment, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a tablet, a smart phone, an IoT device, a sensor or a NB-IoT device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and its applications (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and its applications (e.g., a robot and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of an industrial and / or automated processing chain), a consumer electronic device, a device operating on a commercial and / or industrial wireless network, etc. As an example, the apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the apparatus 20 may include Figure 8b Components or features not shown.

[0098] like Figure 8b As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 22 may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 8b A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in which case, the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0099] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processes related to communication resource management.

[0100] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage (such as a magnetic disk or optical disk), a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0101] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software executed by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0102] In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals from the device 20 and for transmitting via an uplink. The device 20 may also include a transceiver 28 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0103] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by (multiple) antennas 25, and demodulate information received via (multiple) antennas 25 for further processing by other elements of the device 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 is capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0104] In one embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0105] According to some embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in the processing circuit system or the control circuit system, or may form part of the processing circuit system or the control circuit system. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in the transceiver circuit system or may form part of the transceiver circuit system. As described above, according to some embodiments, the device 20 may be, for example, a UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or a NB-IoT device. According to some embodiments, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as Figures 1 to 6 shown in or relating to Figures 1 to 6 For example, in one embodiment, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform Figure 5 and 6 method.

[0106] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and / or apparatus 20) may include a method for performing the method or any variant discussed herein (e.g., with respect to Figures 5 to 7 Examples of such components may include one or more processors, memories, and / or computer program code for causing the execution of operations.

[0107] Thus, certain exemplary embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages over prior art processes. For example, some exemplary embodiments provide benefits of reduced occurrence of stalls, lower power consumption and / or higher throughput. Thus, use of some exemplary embodiments results in improved functionality of communication networks and nodes thereof, and thus constitutes improvements in at least the technical field of reception of transport blocks, among others.

[0108] Although certain embodiments have been described in the context of NB-IoT, certain embodiments described herein may be applicable to any radio access technology that may use long RTT and / or repetitions.

[0109] In some exemplary embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, signal diagram, algorithm or flow chart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or portion of code stored in a memory or other computer-readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

[0110] In some example embodiments, an apparatus may include or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit or entity configured for (multiple) arithmetic operations, or configured as a program or part thereof (including added or updated software routines), executed by at least one computing processor. Programs including software routines, applets and macros (also referred to as program products or computer programs) may be stored in any apparatus-readable data storage medium and may include program instructions for performing specific tasks.

[0111] A computer program product may include one or more computer executable components, which are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or part of a code. Modifications and configurations for implementing the functions of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) added or updated software routines. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded to a device.

[0112] As an example, the software or computer program code or part of the code may be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers may include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals and / or software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0113] In other exemplary embodiments, the functions may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the functions may be implemented as a signal, such as an intangible means that may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0114] According to example embodiments, an apparatus (such as a node, a device or a corresponding component) may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for (multiple) arithmetic operations and / or an operation processor for performing (multiple) arithmetic operations.

[0115] The example embodiments described herein are equally applicable to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in conjunction with describing certain embodiments. For example, embodiments describing the operation of a single network node are equally applicable to embodiments including multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

[0116] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be practiced with operations in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a configuration different from that disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these exemplary preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0117] Partial Glossary

[0118] ACK

[0119] NACK Negative Acknowledgement

[0120] RAN Radio Access Network

[0121] RTT Round Trip Time

[0122] TBS Transfer Block

[0123] UE User Equipment

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising: transmitting, by a network node, a subset of a plurality of scheduled repetitions of a transport block, wherein the plurality of scheduled repetitions includes one or more remaining scheduled repetitions not included in the subset; receiving a message including conditional feedback associated with a number of remaining repetitions to be sent regarding the transport block; as well as The number of the one or more remaining scheduled repetitions is adjusted based on the number of remaining repetitions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport block is related to a hybrid automatic repeat request process.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the conditional feedback comprises a conditional confirmation, the conditional feedback comprises an indication of a sending time for the conditional feedback or a number of repetitions received at the user equipment.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: When the conditional feedback comprises a conditional acknowledgement, the number of repetitions received at the user equipment is determined based on the number of repetitions sent and the time at which the conditional feedback was sent.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the conditional feedback comprises a conditional confirmation, the conditional feedback indicates the number of remaining repetitions, the number of remaining repetitions being equal to or greater than the number of remaining scheduled repetitions.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: scheduling another subset of another plurality of scheduled repetitions of another transport block based on sending one or more remaining repetitions of the number of remaining repetitions for correctly receiving the transport block; and The further subset of the further plurality of scheduled repetitions is sent based on sending the one or more remaining repetitions of the number of remaining repetitions for correctly receiving the transport block.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: A configuration of uplink opportunities or scheduling gaps for the condition feedback is sent.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein adjusting the number of the one or more remaining scheduled repetitions further comprises: The number of the one or more remaining scheduled repetitions is adjusted to be equal to or greater than the number of remaining repetitions indicated in the conditional feedback.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: One or more remaining scheduled repetitions of the number of the one or more remaining scheduled repetitions are transmitted.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: A buffer associated with the transport block is flushed.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: receiving a negative acknowledgement as said conditional feedback regarding one or more remaining repetitions of said number of remaining repetitions for correct reception; as well as A determination is made not to transmit the one or more remaining repetitions of the number of remaining repetitions for correct reception.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: The properties for the stated number of remaining repetitions are adjusted.

13. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein when the conditional feedback comprises a conditional confirmation, the number of remaining repetitions is zero, or Wherein when the conditional feedback includes a negative confirmation, the number of remaining repetitions is a positive integer.

14. A communication device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is performed.

15. A communication device, comprising: Components for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13. 16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to execute the method according to claim 1 .

17. A communication device, comprising: A circuit system configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

18. A computer program product encoding instructions for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images