Non-terrestrial network (NTN) uplink coverage enhancements

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to non-terrestrial network (NTN) uplink coverage enhancements. Methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed for performing operations including: receiving configuration data specifying a repetition factor of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) for a Message B Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ-ACK); receiving a reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold value of PUCCH repetition for the HARQ-ACK transmission; transmitting a capability report for the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission or a request for the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; the number of PUCCH repetitions transmitted by the HARQ-ACK is received; and applying the indicated number of PUCCH repetitions to the HARQ-ACK transmission.

Description

[0001] Priority claim

[0002] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 63 / 531,599, filed on August 9, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Wireless communication networks provide integrated communication platforms and telecommunication services to wireless user devices. Example telecommunication services include telephone, data (e.g., voice, audio and / or video data), messaging and / or other services. Wireless communication networks have wireless access nodes that exchange wireless signals with wireless user devices using wireless network protocols (such as protocols described in various telecommunication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)). Example wireless communication networks include time division multiple access (TDMA) networks, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) networks, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) networks, long term evolution (LTE) and fifth generation new radio (5G NR). Wireless communication networks use technologies such as OFDM, multiple input multiple output (MIMO), advanced channel coding, massive MIMO, beamforming and / or other features to facilitate mobile broadband services. Summary of the invention

[0004] The processes and systems described herein include signaling and procedures for performing physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetitions for message B hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ-ACK) in response to message B transmitted by the network. The processes and systems described in further detail below describe the priority sorting between physical random access channel (PRACH) repetitions, PUCCH repetitions for Msg4 / MsgB HARQ-ACK, and sidelink transmission / reception. Specifically, the UE can perform UL and SL at the same time. The UE may need to prioritize the SL or UL for transmission. In a conventional system, if the UE is to transmit PRACH repetitions and PUCCH repetitions for Msg4 or Msg 4 HARQ-ACK repetitions, a new message for HARQ-ACK repetitions is introduced for use across multiple time slots. Prioritization of this message with SL transmission is defined herein. The processes and systems described in further detail below describe the capabilities or auxiliary information reported by the UE for determining the size of the TDW.

[0005] In general terms, a process includes receiving configuration data specifying a repetition factor of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ-ACK) transmission associated with a random access message; receiving a reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold for PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; transmitting a capability report for a number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission or a request for the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; receiving an indication of the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; and repeatedly transmitting the HARQ-ACK transmission based on the indicated number of PUCCH repetitions.

[0006] In some implementations, the repetition factor of the PUCCH for the HARQ-ACK transmission is one of 1, 2, 4, or 8.

[0007] In some implementations, the process includes applying a different repetition factor to a PUCCH repetition for message 4 HARQ-ACK than to the PUCCH repetition used for the HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0008] In some implementations, the RSRP threshold for PUCCH repetitions for HARQ-ACK transmission is different from that for PUCCH repetitions for Msg4 HARQ-ACK.

[0009] In some implementations, the capability report or the request for the HARQ-ACK transmission is based on a 2-step random access channel (RACH) capability of a user equipment (UE). In some implementations, the capability report or the request includes a 1-bit indication configured to indicate: a first state indicating no repetition capability or request or a second state indicating the repetition capability or request of the UE.

[0010] In some implementations, the process includes determining that the RSRP measurement result is below the RSRP threshold and the UE has PUCCH repetition capability; and transmitting the request for the PUCCH repetition for the HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0011] In some implementations, the RSRP threshold is not configured or is configured with a specific value. The process may include transmitting the capability report regarding PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK.

[0012] In some implementations, the capability report or the request is transmitted using message A physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). In some implementations, a reserved bit in a medium access control (MAC) subheader indicates the repetition capability report or the request for the PUCCH repetition number. In some implementations, a logical cell identifier (LCID) code point indicates the repetition capability or request. In some implementations, the repetition capability report or the request for the PUCCH repetition number is transmitted using message A physical random access channel (PRACH). In some implementations, a message B scheduling downlink control information (DCI) field is configured to indicate the PUCCH repetition number. In some implementations, these DCI fields include one or more of reserved bits or bits in the MCS field.

[0013] In some implementations, one or more fields of successRAR are configured to indicate the PUCCH repetition number. In some implementations, the one or more fields of successRAR include a channel access CPext field, a reserved bit, a transmit power control (TPC) field, a HARQ feedback timing indicator, or a combination thereof.

[0014] In some implementations, this PUCCH repetition for HARQ-ACK transmission has a higher priority than sidelink transmission or reception.

[0015] In general terms, a process includes: transmitting a user equipment (UE) capability indicating a maximum demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling duration of a maximum time domain window (TDW) size of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or whether the UE supports a timing advance (TA) pre-compensation update within an actual TDW that does not violate a phase difference limit; receiving a configuration of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) TDW length; transmitting assistance information based on the UE capability; receiving an actual TDW determination regarding an event; and applying an indicated actual TDW determination based on receiving the actual TDW determination.

[0016] In some embodiments, the process includes: transmitting a second maximum TDW size that takes into account the TA pre-compensation. In some embodiments, the nominal TDW size includes the minimum value between the second maximum TDW size and the maximum TDW size of the UE capability. In some embodiments, the process includes: transmitting the maximum demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling duration representing the maximum TDW size of the NTN and the UE capability of the TA pre-compensation update that does not violate the phase difference limit within the actual TDW, wherein the nominal TDW size is based on the maximum TDW size. In some embodiments, the auxiliary information is transmitted when the new epoch time is broadcast and the old epoch time has exceeded the valid duration. The process may include: adjusting the TA value during the actual TDW size. In some embodiments, the UE capability is transmitted using MAC CE, radio resource control signaling, or uplink control information signaling. In some embodiments, the TA adjustment timing of the UE capability includes one of absolute timing or relative timing relative to the transmission timing. In some implementations, the TA adjustment timing of the UE capability is based on a current epoch time and a valid duration.

[0017] In a general aspect, a system comprises: one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions thereon, which instructions, when executed by the one or more computers, are operable to cause the one or more computers to perform operations including: receiving configuration data specifying a repetition factor of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for a message B hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ-ACK); receiving a reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold for PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; transmitting a capability report for the PUCCH repetition number for the HARQ-ACK transmission or a request for the PUCCH repetition number for the HARQ-ACK transmission; receiving the PUCCH repetition number for the HARQ-ACK transmission; and applying the indicated PUCCH repetition number to the HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0018] In a general aspect, a non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations including: receiving configuration data specifying a repetition factor for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for a message B hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ-ACK); receiving a reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold for PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; transmitting a capability report for the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission or a request for the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; receiving the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; and applying the indicated number of PUCCH repetitions to the HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0019] In a general aspect, one or more non-transitory computer storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform a process described herein.

[0020] In a general aspect, a system includes one or more computers and one or more storage devices having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, are operable to cause the one or more computers to perform a process described herein.

[0021] The details of one or more embodiments of these systems and methods are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of these systems and methods will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A wireless network according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0023] Figure 2 Flowcharts illustrating example methods according to some implementations are shown.

[0024] Figure 3 Example resources for PUCCH repetition are illustrated.

[0025] Figure 4 Flowcharts illustrating example methods according to some implementations are shown.

[0026] Figure 5 An example user equipment (UE) according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0027] Figure 6 Example access nodes according to some implementations are illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] For non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), satellites communicating with user equipment (UEs) are moving at relatively high speeds. The movement of the satellites may result in phase shifts between the UE and the satellites acting as base stations. Positioning changes between the satellites and the UEs may affect the downlink / uplink timing between the UEs and the satellites for establishing a communication link between the UEs and the satellites. Furthermore, positioning changes between the satellites and the UEs may affect the channel estimation being performed by the UEs for establishing a communication link between the UEs and the satellites.

[0029] For NTN communications, the UE uses the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) to establish downlink / uplink timing with the satellite. The UE and base station are configured to transmit Physical Downlink Shared Channel or Control Channel (PDCCH / PDSCH) transmissions or Physical Uplink Control Channel or Shared Channel (PUCCH / PUSCH) transmissions.

[0030] The UE is configured for NTN coverage enhancement by adapting to positioning changes between the UE and the satellite. To achieve coverage enhancement for NTN scenarios, the UE includes PUCCH enhancements for Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition. These enhancements help the UE overcome NTN specific issues, such as time-frequency pre-compensation. For example, when dedicated PUCCH resource configuration is not provided, PUCCH repetition for NTN coverage enhancement is supported for PUCCH transmissions. By using common PUCCH resources, the PUCCH for Msg4 HARQ-ACK is applied to any PUCCH transmission. By using common PUCCH resources, the same repetition factor is applied to the PUCCH for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and subsequent PUCCH transmissions. The base station can use Msg4 PDSCH to provide dedicated PUCCH configuration.

[0031] The UE is configured to update the time domain window (TDW) size to adapt to the positioning change between the UE and the satellite. The duration of the nominal TDW, which is no longer than the maximum duration, is configured by the satellite (base station). The TDW includes consecutive time slot indices that the UE expects to perform transmissions for demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundles. Specifically, the TDW represents the time that the transmission performed by the UE is guaranteed to maintain phase continuity and power continuity even if the satellite moves rapidly relative to the UE.

[0032] The UE is configured to report its capabilities or auxiliary information for determining the updated time domain window (TDW) size. The actual TDW is determined by existing events and one of the following options. If there are no additional events, there is no change in the actual TDW determination. If there is a new event dynamically indicated by a base station (e.g., a next generation node gNB) for TA pre-compensation timing, the TA pre-compensation timing may be dynamically indicated by the base station. The UE may perform a TA pre-compensation update at the indicated timing. The detailed indication may be dynamically indicated by the base station. Specifically, the actual TDW is dynamically indicated by the base station. In some specific implementations, new events are defined based on epoch time. The epoch time represents the satellite position at a given time, which becomes outdated if not updated. The UE uses satellite orbit information to calculate TA. When the epoch time becomes outdated, the UE recalculates the epoch time and updates the TA for TDW determination. In some specific implementations, new events are defined based on antenna switching.

[0033] The UE may report auxiliary information specifying the TDW size. The first option is that the UE does not report auxiliary information. The second option is that the UE reports the maximum TDW size based on the reporting timing. The third option is that the UE reports the TA adjustment timing. The fourth option is that the UE reports the antenna switching interval.

[0034] The UE is configured to perform DMRS bundling of PUSCH to adapt to the changing positioning of the satellite relative to the UE. DMRS bundling enables improved channel estimation, where the same or coherent DMRS is transmitted in multiple time slots for coverage enhancement. The UE is configured to perform time / frequency pre-compensation and modification of the physical random access channel (PRACH). Specifically, the UE is configured to reduce the number of transmissions for RACH procedures to simplify the RACH process. This can reduce the requirement for timing adjustment or compensation when the satellite moves relative to the UE.

[0035] There are 4-step RACH and 2-step RACH. Here, the 4-step RACH is modified. In 2-step RACH, message one and message three are combined. The UE makes one transmission from the two transmissions in Msg A. For message B (MsgB), messages 2 and 4 are combined. Here, Msg4 HARQ-ACK is modified. In some scenarios, after Msg4 PUCCH transmission, the UE may still not be configured with dedicated PUCCH resources. At this time, the same repetition factor as that used for PUCCH for Msg4 HARQ-ACK is applied to PUCCH retransmission. After Msg4 HARQ-ACK, PUCCH repetition is performed using common PUCCH resource configuration.

[0036] Figure 1A wireless network 100 is illustrated according to some implementations. The wireless network 100 includes UEs 102 and base stations 104 connected via one or more channels 106A, 106B across an air interface 108. The UEs 102 and base stations 104 communicate using a system that supports control for managing access of the UEs 102 to the network via the base stations 104.

[0037] In some implementations, the wireless network 100 may be a non-standalone (NSA) network that combines Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication standards as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical specifications. For example, the wireless network 100 may be an E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access)-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) network or an NR-EUTRA dual connectivity (NE-DC) network. In some other implementations, the wireless network 100 may be a standalone (SA) network that combines only 5G NR. In addition, other types of communication standards are possible, including future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G)), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11a; IEEE 802.11b; IEEE802.11g; IEEE 802.11-2007; IEEE 802.11n; IEEE 802.11-2012; IEEE802.11ac; or other currently or future developed IEEE 802.11 technologies), IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), etc. Although various aspects may be described herein using terms generally associated with 5G NR, various aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to other systems, such as 3G, 4G, and / or systems after 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0038] In the wireless network 100, the UE 102 and any other UE in the system may be, for example, any of a laptop computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a machine type device (such as a smart meter or a dedicated device for healthcare), an intelligent transportation system, or any other wireless device. In the network 100, the base station 104 provides the UE 102 with network connectivity to a wider network (not shown). The UE 102 connectivity is provided via an air interface 108 in a base station service area provided by the base station 104. In some specific implementations, this wider network may be a wide area network operated by a cellular network provider, or may be the Internet. Each base station service area associated with the base station 104 is supported by one or more antennas integrated with the base station 104. The service area may be divided into several sectors associated with one or more specific antennas. Such sectors may be physically associated with one or more fixed antennas, or may be assigned to a physical area with one or more tunable antennas or antenna settings, which may be adjusted in a beamforming process for directing signals to a particular sector.

[0039] UE 102 includes control circuitry 110 coupled to transmission circuitry 112 and reception circuitry 114. Transmission circuitry 112 and reception circuitry 114 may each be coupled to one or more antennas. Control circuitry 110 may include various combinations of dedicated circuitry and baseband circuitry. Transmission circuitry 112 and reception circuitry 114 may be adapted to transmit and receive data, respectively, and may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry and / or front end module (FEM) circuitry.

[0040] In various implementations, aspects of the transmission circuitry 112, reception circuitry 114, and control circuitry 110 may be integrated in various ways to implement the operations described herein. The control circuitry 110 may be adapted or configured to perform various operations, such as various operations related to a UE described elsewhere in this disclosure.

[0041] The transmission circuit 112 may perform various operations described in this specification. Additionally, the transmission circuit 112 may use a plurality of multiplexed uplink physical channels for transmission. The plurality of uplink physical channels may be multiplexed, for example, according to time division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency division multiplexing (FDM) and carrier aggregation. The transmission circuit 112 may be configured to receive block data from the control circuit 110 for transmission across the air interface 108.

[0042] The receiving circuit 114 may perform various operations described in this specification. Additionally, the receiving circuit 114 may receive a plurality of multiplexed downlink physical channels from the air interface 108 and relay these physical channels to the control circuit 110. The plurality of downlink physical channels may be multiplexed, for example, according to TDM or FDM and carrier aggregation. The transmitting circuit 112 and the receiving circuit 114 may transmit and receive control data and content data (e.g., messages, images, videos, etc.) structured within data blocks carried by the physical channels, respectively.

[0043] Figure 1 A base station 104 is also illustrated. In some implementations, the base station 104 may be a 5G radio access network (RAN) or a next-generation RAN, an E-UTRAN, a non-terrestrial cell, or a traditional RAN (such as a UTRAN). As used herein, the term "5G RAN" or the like may refer to a base station 104 operating in an NR or 5G wireless network 100, and the term "E-UTRAN" or the like may refer to a base station 104 operating in an LTE or 4G wireless network 100. The UE 102 utilizes connections (or channels) 106A, 106B, each of which includes a physical communication interface or layer.

[0044] The base station 104 circuitry may include control circuitry 116 coupled to transmission circuitry 118 and reception circuitry 120. The transmission circuitry 118 and reception circuitry 120 may each be coupled to one or more antennas that may be used to enable communication via the air interface 108. The transmission circuitry 118 and reception circuitry 120 may be adapted to transmit and receive data, respectively, to any UE connected to the base station 104. The reception circuitry 120 may receive a plurality of uplink physical channels from one or more UEs including the UE 102.

[0045] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment, one or more channels 106A, 106B are illustrated as air interfaces for implementing communication coupling, and may conform to cellular communication protocols, such as UMTS protocols, 3GPP LTE protocols, advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) protocols, LTE-based unlicensed spectrum access (LTE-U), 5G protocols, NR protocols, NR-based unlicensed spectrum access (NR-U) protocols, and / or any other communication protocols. In a specific implementation, UE 102 may directly exchange communication data via the ProSe interface. The ProSe interface may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface and may include one or more logical channels, including, but not limited to, a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), and a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0046] The UE extends coverage of the NTN communication link between the UE and the satellite through a cha procedure for PUCCH / PUSCH repetition for HARQ-ACK transmission (such as MsgB HARQ-ACK). The process includes PRACH repetition, PUCCH repetition for Msg4 / MsgB HARQ-ACK, and prioritization between sidelink transmission / reception. The PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK may include the following. In the first step, the PUCCH repetition factor for Msg B HARQ-ACK is configured. In the second step, the same or different received signal received power (RSRP) threshold is applied to the PUCCH repetition. PUCCH repetition is for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and can be applied to PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK. In the third step, the UE reports the UE capability or request for PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK, which is based on the UE's 2-step random access channel (RACH) capability. The UE may transmit a 1-bit (or 2-state) indication.

[0047] For capability reporting for NTN-specific PUSCH DMRS bundling, the UE may use one or more of the following options. DMRS bundling enables improved channel estimation, where the same or coherent DMRS is transmitted in multiple time slots for coverage enhancement. The first option is to report no new capabilities except FG44-2. However, FG 30-4 is reported with consideration of pre-compensation for keeping the phase rotation due to timing drift within the phase difference limit and without consideration of TA pre-compensation updates. The second option includes reporting the maximum TDW size for pre-compensation for keeping the phase rotation due to timing drift within the phase difference limit and without consideration of TA pre-compensation updates. In this case, FG 30-4 is not reported for the NTN band. The third option is for the UE to report support for antenna switching with DMRS bundling in NTN. The fourth option is for the UE to report the maximum TDW size per NTN platform (e.g., low earth orbit, medium earth orbit, or geosynchronous orbit) with consideration of TA pre-compensation updates. The fifth option is for the UE to report the maximum TDW size for each elevation angle with consideration of TA pre-compensation updates. The sixth option is for the UE to report support for actual TDW across pre-compensation segments. The segments defined in Release 17 of IoT to NTN (IoT-NTN) are used as a baseline. The seventh option is for the UE to report support for TA pre-compensation updates within the actual TDW that do not violate the phase difference limit.

[0048] In NTN communications, in order to communicate with the satellite, the UE performs DMRS bundling of PUSCH / PUCCH. DMRS bundling enables improved channel estimation, where the same or coherent DMRS is transmitted in multiple time slots for coverage enhancement. DMRS bundling is performed for PUSCH repetition type A scheduled by downlink control information (DCI) format 0_1 ​​or 0_2, for PUSCH repetition type A with configuration grant, for PUSCH repetition type B, for transport block (TB) processing over multiple time slots PUSCH, and for PUCCH repetition of PUCCH formats 1, 3 and 4. The UE can report the maximum duration in number of consecutive time slots during which the UE can maintain power consistency and phase continuity with a certain tolerance level.

[0049]

[00136] For NR NTN, uplink (UL) coverage enhancement includes PUCCH enhancement for Message 4 HARQ-ACK. Message 4 (Msg 4) is related to initial access. The UE transmits Message 1 for PRACH. The network transmits Message 2 including RA grant. Message 3 is transmitted from the UE to the network for contention resolution. Message 4 includes contention resolution and downlink configuration. Message 4 includes HARQ-ACK from the network to the UE. The present disclosure includes details about feedback from the UE to the network, including how to configure repetition for Message 4 HARQ-ACK.

[0050] For PUSCH DMRS bundling, the UE may use a nominal TDW determination, but update the UE capabilities or auxiliary information report. The nominal TDW determination is included in the DMRS PUSCH bundling. The nominal TDW includes a time domain window. In a conventional system, channel estimation is performed in one time slot. In order to have better channel estimation, multiple time slots may be used. These time slots are time domain windows. The network may perform channel estimation within those time slots. In order to perform DMRS bundling across different time slots of PUSCH transmission, the timing advance (TA) remains unchanged. Additionally, continuity requirements are met for neighbors of the time slot. For example, the phase shift should not be greater than 25 degrees. In the NTN scenario, because the satellite is moving, there is a TA drift due to the changing distance between the UE and the satellite. Pre-compensation is required to meet the continuity requirements. In this document, there is a nominal TDW and an actual TDW. The nominal TW is a window size (e.g., of a time slot) that can be configured based on the UE. The actual TDW includes the nominal TDW, but the DMRS bundling is interrupted. For example, if the nominal TDW size is five slots, but due to some event occurring (eg, UL / DL timing or location event), the actual TDW is only the first three slots. The actual TDW is usually less than or equal to the nominal TDW.

[0051] The duration of the nominal time domain window (TDW) that is no longer than the maximum duration is configured by the satellite (base station). The TDW includes consecutive time slot indices where the UE is expected to perform transmission for DMRS bundling. Specifically, the TDW represents the time that the transmission performed by the UE is guaranteed to maintain phase continuity and power continuity.

[0052] One or more nominal TDWs are determined for PUSCH transmission or PUCCH repetition. The nominal TDW consists of one or more actual TDWs. The UE or satellite defines an event that causes power consistency and phase continuity to not be maintained across PUSCH transmission or PUCCH repetition within the nominal TDW. The actual TDW terminates when the event occurs. A new actual TDW is created in response to a semi-static event that is not triggered by DCI or MAC-CE. Whether a new actual TDW is created in response to a dynamic event triggered by DCI depends on the UE capabilities. Frequency hopping and UL beam switching for multiple transmission / reception point (TRP) operations are considered semi-static events. The UE maintains power consistency and phase continuity across PUSCH transmission or PUCCH repetition within the actual TDW.

[0053] In some implementations, the TDW may need to be extended to accommodate positioning changes between the UE and the satellite. The time domain window is used by the UE for channel estimation. During the time domain window, the UE measures the signals received from the satellite. For example, the UE may perform channel estimation over multiple time slots rather than over a single time slot.

[0054] For NTN specific PUSCH DMRS bundling, clause 6.1.7 in TS38.214 applies to nominal TDW determination, in addition to aspects related to UE capabilities and auxiliary information (if required). For example, if PUSCH-TimeDomainWindowLength is configured, the nominal TDW is determined by PUSCH-TimeDomainWindowLength. Otherwise, the nominal TDW is determined based on UE capabilities or capability signaling.

[0055] The PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK is now described, including general procedures and signaling. The PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK may include the following. In a first step, the PUCCH repetition factor for Msg B HARQ-ACK is configured. The repetition factor for the PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK may be {1,2,4,8}. The same or different repetition factor for the PUCCH repetition for Msg 4 HARQ-ACK may be applied to the PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK.

[0056] In the second step, the received signal received power (RSRP) threshold for triggering PUCCH repetitions for MsgB HARQ-ACK is the same as or different from the RSRP threshold for triggering PUCCH repetitions for Msg4 HARQ-ACK. The RSRP threshold for triggering PUCCH repetitions for Msg4 HARQ-ACK may be applied to trigger PUCCH repetitions for MsgB HARQ-ACK with an offset. The RSRP threshold for triggering 2-step RACH in the NTN band may be lower than the RSRP threshold for triggering 2-step RACH in the TN band in the IE of "RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA" (i.e., "MsgA-RSRP-Threshold").

[0057] In the third step, the UE reports the UE capability or request for PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK, which is based on the UE's 2-step RACH capability. The UE may transmit a 1-bit (or 2-state) indication. State 1 indicates no repetition capability or request. State 2 indicates repetition or request. If the RSRP threshold is configured, the UE reports the UE request for PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK if the UE RSRP measurement result is lower than the RSRP threshold and when the UE has the capability of PUCCH repetition. Otherwise, the UE indicates no request for PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK. In another example, if the RSRP threshold is not configured or is configured with a specific value, the UE reports the UE capability for PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK. In some specific implementations, the UE uses Msg A PUSCH to perform capability or request reporting. In some specific implementations, the UE uses a reserved bit in the MAC subheader to indicate repetition capability or request. In some implementations, the UE uses the same or different reserved bits to indicate a repeat capability or request for PUCCH repetition for Msg 4 HARQ-ACK. The UE may use a logical cell identifier (LCID) code point to indicate a repeat capability or request. The UE may use Msg A PRACH to transmit a capability or request report. In some implementations, a dedicated PRACH preamble in a dedicated PRACH opportunity or a shared PRACH opportunity indicates a repeat capability or request.

[0058] In the fourth step, for PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK, the following may be configured. The UE may receive a MsgB scheduling DCI field indicating the number of PUCCH repetitions. The UE may use reserved bits to receive a signal of the number of PUCCH repetitions. In another example, the UE may use some bits in the MCS field to receive a signal of the number of PUCCH repetitions. In some implementations, if the network detects a unique preamble in MsgA, the UE detects a fallback random access response (RAR), and then Msg3 is scheduled with a RAR grant, and there is no PUCCH for MsgB.

[0059] The PUCCH repetition for Msg B HARQ-ACK may include the following indications. The bits of the field in successRAR may be reused to indicate the number of PUCCH repetitions for MsgB HARQ-ACK. If the UE is operating on non-shared spectrum, the UE may re-interpret the channel access CPext. The UE may re-interpret the bits in the HARQ feedback timing indicator. The UE may re-interpret the 2-bit TPC command. The UE may re-interpret using one reserved bit and 1 bit of another field.

[0060] The priority sorting between PUCCH repetition for Msg4 / B and sidelink transmission or reception may be as follows. Generally speaking, PRACH repetition, PUCCH repetition for Msg4 HARQ-ACK or MsgB HARQ-ACK has a higher priority than sidelink transmission / reception. The UE may be scheduled to perform UL transmission and SL transmission simultaneously, where only a single transmission may be performed. The UE determines the high priority of UL transmission or SL transmission. In one example, for a half-duplex scenario, there may be an ongoing UL transmission, which prevents the performance of SL repetition. For example, PRACH transmission and HARQ-ACK feedback are transmissions from the UE to the network. These UL transmissions have a higher priority than SL transmission. For the repetition of message 4, the PUCCH for Msg4 HARQ-ACK may last for more than one time slot. If the repetition of Msg 4 is on a time slot with SL transmission or reception, the UE will perform priority sorting.

[0061] PUCCH repetition for Msg4 HARQ has a higher priority than SL transmission or reception. MsgB HARQ-ACK PUCCH repetition also has a higher priority than SL transmission or reception. PRACH repetition also has a higher priority than SL transmission or reception, and PRACH and its repetition or retransmission can also be extended to multiple time slots.

[0062] When the data processing system is configured for prioritizing between sidelink transmissions or physical sidelink feedback channel, secondary synchronization channel, or physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSFCH / S-SS / PSBCH) block reception, and for uplink transmissions other than PRACH and its repetitions, or PUSCH and its retransmissions scheduled by UL grant in a random access response (RAR), or PUSCH and its retransmissions corresponding to a type 2 random access procedure, PUCCH and its retransmissions / repetitions with HARQ-ACK information in response to a success RAR, or PUCCH and its retransmissions / repetitions indicated by DCI format 1_0 with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a corresponding temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), or PUCCH with a sidelink HARQ-ACK information report. In the first scenario, UL transmission is for PUSCH or for PUCCH with priority index 1, and if sl-PriorityThreshold-UL-URLLC is provided, if the priority value of SL transmission or reception is less than sl-PriorityThreshold-UL-URLLC, SL transmission or reception has a higher priority than UL transmission; otherwise, UL transmission has a higher priority than SL transmission or reception. If the first scenario is not satisfied, UL transmission has a higher priority than SL transmission or reception.

[0063] In other scenarios, if the priority value of SL transmission or reception is less than the value of the sl-PriorityThreshold field, SL transmission or reception has a higher priority than UL transmission. Otherwise, UL transmission has a higher priority than SL transmission or reception.

[0064] PRACH transmission and its repetition, or PUSCH and its retransmission scheduled by UL grant in RAR, or PUSCH and its retransmission for type 2 random access procedure, or PUCCH and its retransmission / repetition with HARQ-ACK information in response to successRAR, or PUCCH and its retransmission / repetition indicated by DCI format 1_0 with CRC scrambled by corresponding TC-RNTI have higher priority than SL transmission or reception.

[0065] The UE generates a report for DMRS bundling, which is now described. The UE report for DMRS bundling includes the UE's capability information. Specifically, the nominal TDW size determination can be performed based on the capability information. The UE reports the maximum TDW size with pre-compensation, which maintains the rotation caused by the timing drift within the phase difference limit. The maximum TDW size does not take into account the TA pre-compensation update. The UE then reports the maximum TDW size taking into account the TA pre-compensation update. The network determines the minimum value between the two reported maximum TDW sizes to determine the nominal TDW size.

[0066] In some implementations, the UE additionally reports whether the UE supports TA precompensation updates within the actual TDW that do not violate the phase difference limit. The network uses the first reported maximum TDW size to determine the nominal TDW size.

[0067] In another example, the UE performs actual TDW size determination. In a scenario where the UE's reported capabilities do not support TA pre-compensation updates within the actual TDW that do not violate phase difference constraints, the UE may report assistance information. Trigger conditions include the following. When a new epoch time is broadcast and the old epoch time has exceeded its valid duration, the UE adjusts the TA value during the actual TDW size. The epoch time represents the satellite position at a given time, which becomes outdated if not updated. The UE uses satellite orbit information to calculate TA. When the epoch time becomes outdated, the UE recalculates the epoch time and updates the TA for TDW determination.

[0068] The container for UE reporting may be one of the following: The UE may use Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE), Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, or Uplink Control Information (UCI) signaling.

[0069] The content of the report for DMRS bundling in the container includes the following: In a first example, the TA adjustment timing of the UE includes an absolute timing or a relative timing relative to the reporting timing. In another example, the TA timing includes the epoch time currently used by the UE and the valid duration.

[0070] When the UE's reported capabilities support TA pre-compensation updates within the actual TDW that do not violate the phase difference limit, then the UE does not report its TA adjustment timing as auxiliary information. The network dynamically indicates the actual TDW time window for TA adjustment based on the auxiliary information reported by the UE. Whether to use MAC CE or DCI to indicate the actual TDW time window will be based on the auxiliary information reported by the UE. These processes are described in more detail later.

[0071] Figure 2A flowchart of an example method 200 according to some specific implementations is illustrated. For clarity of presentation, the following description generally describes the method 200 in the context of other figures in this specification. For example, the method 200 may be performed by Figure 1 It should be understood that the method 200 may be performed by any suitable system, environment, software, hardware, or a combination of systems, environments, software, and hardware, as appropriate. In some specific implementations, the steps of the method 200 may be executed in parallel, in combination, in a loop, or in any order.

[0072] Method 200 includes: receiving (202) by the UE a configuration of a repetition factor for PUCCH repetition of MsgB HARQ-ACK. The repetition factor for PUCCH repetition of Msg B HARQ-ACK may be {1,2,4,8}. The same or different repetition factor for PUCCH repetition of Msg 4 HARQ-ACK may be applied to PUCCH repetition for MsgB HARQ-ACK. Generally speaking, for PUCCH repetition, factor 1 specifies no repetition (as in a conventional system). Factors two, four, or eight describe the number of times the message is repeated. If the network supports both two-step RACH and four-step RACH, the network may configure the same number of repetitions for Msg4 HARQ-ACK feedback and Msg B HARQ-ACK feedback. In another example, the network may have two separate configurations. For example, for Msg4 HARQ-ACK feedback, 1, 2, and 4 are used, and for MsgB HARQ-ACK feedback, 2, 4, or 8 are supported.

[0073] The method 200 includes: receiving (204) by the UE an RSRP threshold for PUCCH repetition for MsgB HARQ-ACK. In Msg4 HARQ-ACK, if the RSRP measurement result for the synchronization signal block (SSB) is lower than the threshold, the UE may request Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition. The UE monitors the SSB and measures the RSRP value. If the value is lower than the threshold, the UE requests Msg4 HARQ-ACK feedback. The same applies to MsgB HARQ-ACK feedback. The corresponding thresholds for requesting Msg4 HARQ-ACK feedback and MsgB HARQ-ACK feedback may be different from each other. In a terrestrial network, if the RSRP is greater than the threshold, a 2-step RACH is triggered. The UE applies a first RSRP threshold test to determine whether to apply PUCCH repetition. The second threshold test (MsgA RSRP threshold) determines whether to trigger a 2-step RACH. The RSRP threshold for triggering 2-step RACH in the NTN band is usually greater than the RSRP threshold for triggering 2-step RACH in the terrestrial network (TN) band ("msgA-RSRP-Threshold" in RACHConfigCOmmonTwoStepRA). In the NTN scenario, 2-step RACH is preferred due to the large propagation delay between the UE and the satellite, and 2-step RACH has a smaller latency. In order to favor 2-step RACH for NTN, the RSRP is set lower than the RSRP normally set for the TN band. The RSRP threshold for triggering PUCCH repetitions and the RSRP threshold for triggering 2-step RACH are independent of each other.

[0074] The method 200 includes: reporting (206) by the UE a UE capability or request for PUCCH repetition for MsgB HARQ-ACK. Once the UE determines that a 2-step RACH is being used and the repetition factor of the PUCCH is determined, the UE may report the UE capability or its request for PUCCH repetition for message B based on the UE capability of the 2-step RACH (2-step RACH is optional). In other words, the UE reports its capability or reports its request for MsgB feedback repetition. There is a 1-bit (two-state) indicator. State 1 indicates no capability or no repetition request. State 2 indicates that the repetition capability is met or a repetition request is transmitted. If an RSRP threshold is configured, i.e., an RSRP threshold (threshold 1 or threshold 2), the UE reports its request for MsgB HARQ-ACK feedback repetition. If the threshold is not configured, the UE indicates that it can perform PUCCH repetition for MsgB. Therefore, this is a capability report or request report. If these conditions are not met, the UE does not request PUCCH repetition for MsgB. In some implementations, the UE uses Msg A PUSCH to perform capability or request reporting. In some implementations, the UE uses a reserved bit in the MAC subheader to indicate the repeat capability or request. In some implementations, the UE uses the same or different reserved bits to indicate the repeat capability or request for PUCCH repetition for Msg 4 HARQ-ACK. The UE may use a logical cell identifier (LCID) code point to indicate the repeat capability or request. The UE may use Msg APRACH to transmit the capability or request reporting. In some implementations, a dedicated PRACH preamble in a dedicated PRACH opportunity or a shared PRACH opportunity indicates the repeat capability or request.

[0075] Method 200 includes: receiving (208) at the UE the number of PUCCH repetitions indicated in a DCI scheduled MsgB PDSCH. Once the UE reports its capabilities or requests MsgB repetitions, the network indicates the number of repetitions used for MsgB HARQ-ACK. This is indicated by MsgB. This can be indicated by scheduling at the DCI field of MsgB to indicate the actual number of repetitions. For example, the network can configure four repetition numbers: 1, 2, 4, or 8. The number of repetitions being used by the UE can be indicated in the DCI scheduling field. The DCI scheduling MsgB has many reserved bits. One or two of the reserved bits can be used to indicate the number of repetitions. In another example, a bit in the MCS (modulation and coding scheme) field can be used to indicate the actual number of repetitions. The DCI format can be a variant of the DCI structure described in Section 7.3.1.2.1 of TS 38.212 (Version 17.5.0).

[0076] The method 200 comprises applying (210) by the UE the indicated number of PUCCH repetitions for MsgB HARQ-ACK. In an alternative, some bits in the MAC layer (such as Success RAR) may be used. Figure 3 An example of this alternative is shown.

[0077] Figure 3 Example resources 300 for PUCCH repetition are illustrated. Bits from successRAR may be used by the UE to indicate the number of PUCCH repetitions. The UE may reuse bits of fields in successRAR. For example, if the UE is operating on non-shared spectrum, the UE may reinterpret the channel access CPext. The UE may reinterpret bits in the HARQ feedback timing indicator. The UE may reinterpret two bits of the TPC command. The UE may reinterpret using 1 reserved bit and 1 bit of another of these fields.

[0078] In one example, the UE may reuse Figure 3 The bits shown in octet 7 in . Specifically, the UE may reinterpret the reserved bit R, the channel access CPext bit, the TPC bit, or the HARQ feedback timing indicator bit of octet 7. These fields are typically used for unlicensed spectrum. In the NTN scenario described herein, the UE typically operates using licensed spectrum. One or more of these bits may be used to signal the number of repetitions to the UE. In some implementations, the repetition number signaling may use bits from a combination of fields, such as reserved bits, TPC commands, HARQ feedback timing indicator bits, and / or channel access CP extensions. In these implementations, higher layer signaling may be used to signal the number of repetitions to the UE. For example, the maximum CE of successRAR may indicate the number of repetitions. In another example, the number of repetitions may be indicated in the DCI field being used for scheduling messages, as previously described. In some implementations, successRAR is a modification of the successRAR structure of Section 6.2.3a of TS38.321 (Version 17.4.0).

[0079] Figure 4 A flowchart of an example method 400 according to some specific implementations is illustrated. For clarity of presentation, the following description generally describes the method 400 in the context of other figures in this specification. For example, the method 400 may be performed by Figure 1 It should be understood that the method 400 may be performed by any suitable system, environment, software, hardware, or a combination of systems, environments, software, and hardware, as appropriate. In some specific implementations, the steps of the method 400 may be executed in parallel, in combination, in a loop, or in any order.

[0080] The method 400 includes: reporting (402) by the UE a maximum DMRS bundling duration (maximum TDW size) for NTN and / or a UE capability of whether the UE supports TA precompensation updates within an actual TDW that do not violate phase difference constraints. For DMRS bundling in NTN, the UE reports its capability of maximum TW or TW size for the maximum DMRS bundling duration for the NTN environment taking into account TA precompensation updates. The UE reports whether the UE supports TA precompensation updates within the actual TDW. The UE reports these capabilities, and the UE may or may not receive this configuration of the PUSCH TDM length.

[0081] The method 400 includes: receiving (404) a configuration of a PUSCH-TimeDomainWindow length by the UE. Then, the UE may additionally report UE assistance information based on the capabilities reported by the UE. The method 400 includes: reporting (406) assistance information by the UE based on the capabilities reported by the UE. Specifically, if the UE reports that the UE can support TA pre-compensation updates within the actual TDW, the UE may additionally report some assistance information on how to determine the TDW size. The UE may receive a dynamic indication of an event regarding actual TDW determination to apply the event to determine the actual TDW based on the configured TDW.

[0082] The UE reports the maximum TDW size based on the pre-compensation used to maintain the phase continuity limit, but the UE does not consider TA pre-compensation. The UE may report the maximum TDW without considering TA pre-compensation. In another example, the UE may report two maximum TDW sizes. The first reported maximum TDW size is without considering the pre-compensation update. The second reported maximum TDW size is taking into account the TA pre-compensation update.

[0083] When the UE reports the maximum TDW size, the UE may additionally report whether the UE supports TA precompensation. The additional report may include one information bit. In this example, the UE uses a first value to indicate that the UE supports precompensation.

[0084] For step 406, when the UE does not support TA pre-compensation updates within the actual TDW that do not violate the phase difference limit, the following trigger conditions may be used to indicate when the UE transmits assistance information. For example, if a new epoch time is broadcast and the old epoch time has expired or exceeded its valid duration, the UE may need to adjust the TA during the actual TDW size. The UE reports assistance information such as TA adjustment timing, or uses the currently used epoch timing or valid duration. These indications are included in the reported assistance information. The container for reporting may be a MAC CE, RRC, or UCI.

[0085] In some implementations, the UE capability indicates that the UE does not perform TA pre-compensation update during the time difference to meet the phase discontinuity requirement. Then, the UE does not report the adjustment timing as assistance information.

[0086] The method 400 includes receiving (408) at the UE a dynamic indication of an event regarding an actual TDW determination, as previously described. The method 400 includes applying (410) by the UE the indicated actual TDW determination. The UE receives a dynamic indication of a TDW size. The actual TDW window size is determined based on a network indication, such as by the gNB via a MAC CE or DCI, based on assistance information reported by the UE.

[0087] Figure 5 An example UE 600 according to some implementations is illustrated. The UE 600 may be similar to Figure 1 UE 102 and is substantially interchangeable therewith.

[0088] UE 600 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet, an industrial wireless sensor (e.g., a microphone, a pressure sensor, a thermometer, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, an inventory sensor, a voltage / current meter, etc.), a video device (e.g., a camera, a camcorder, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), or a loose IoT device.

[0089] UE 600 may include a processor 602, an RF interface circuit 604, a memory / storage 606, a user interface 608, a sensor 610, a driver circuit 612, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 614, one or more antennas 616, and a battery 618. The components of UE 600 may be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC), a portion of an integrated circuit, a discrete electronic device or other module, logic component, hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Figure 5 The block diagram of UE 600 is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components of UE 600. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other implementations.

[0090] Components of UE 600 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 620, which may represent any type of interface, input / output, bus (local, system, or extension), transmission line, trace, optical connection, etc., that allows various circuit components (on a common or different chip or chipset) to interact with each other.

[0091] The processor 602 may include processor circuits such as a baseband processor circuit (BB) 622A, a central processor unit circuit (CPU) 622B, and a graphics processor unit circuit (GPU) 622C. The processor 602 may include any type of circuit or processor circuit that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions (such as program codes, software modules, or functional processes from the memory / storage device 606) to cause the UE 600 to perform operations as described herein.

[0092] In some implementations, the baseband processor circuit 622A may access a communication protocol stack 624 in the memory / storage device 606 to communicate over a 3GPP compatible network. Generally speaking, the baseband processor circuit 622A may access a communication protocol stack to perform user plane functions at the physical (PHY) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, the radio link control (RLC) layer, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and the PDU layer; and perform control plane functions at the PHY layer, the MAC layer, the RLC layer, the PDCP layer, the RRC layer, and the non-access layer. In some implementations, the PHY layer operations may be additionally / alternatively performed by components of the RF interface circuit 604. The baseband processor circuit 622A may generate or process a baseband signal or waveform that carries information in a 3GPP compatible network. In some implementations, the waveform used for NR can be based on cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) "CP-OFDM" in uplink or downlink, and discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM "DFT-S-OFDM" in uplink.

[0093] The memory / storage 606 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions (e.g., the communication protocol stack 624) that may be executed by one or more of the processors 602 to cause the UE 600 to perform various operations described herein. The memory / storage 606 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that may be distributed throughout the UE 600. In some implementations, some of the memory / storage 606 may be located on the processor 602 itself (e.g., L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage 606 are located external to the processor 602 but may be accessed via a memory interface. The memory / storage 606 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0094] The RF interface circuit 604 may include a transceiver circuit and a radio frequency front end module (RFEM), which allows the UE 600 to communicate with other devices through a radio access network. The RF interface circuit 604 may include various elements arranged in a transmission path or a reception path. These elements may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuits, control circuits, etc.

[0095] In the receive path, the RFEM may receive the radiated signal from the air interface via antenna 616 and proceed to filter and amplify the signal (using a low noise amplifier). The signal may be provided to the transceiver's receiver, which down-converts the RF signal to a baseband signal provided to the baseband processor of processor 602.

[0096] In the transmit path, the transmitter of the transceiver up-converts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM may amplify the RF signal through a power amplifier before the signal is radiated across the air interface via the antenna 616. In various specific implementations, the RF interface circuit 604 may be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with the NR access technology.

[0097] Antenna 616 may include one or more antenna elements to convert electrical signals into radio waves to travel through the air and convert received radio waves into electrical signals. These antenna elements may be arranged into one or more antenna panels. Antenna 616 may have an antenna panel that is omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to achieve beamforming and multiple-input / multiple-output communications. Antenna 616 may include a microstrip antenna, a printed antenna made on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, a patch antenna, a phased array antenna, etc. Antenna 616 may have one or more panels designed for a specific frequency band including a band in FR1 or FR2.

[0098] The user interface 608 includes various input / output (I / O) devices designed to enable the user to interact with the UE 600. The user interface 608 includes input device circuits and output device circuits. The input device circuit includes any physical or virtual components for accepting input, including in particular one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., reset button), physical keyboards, keypads, mice, touch pads, touch screens, microphones, scanners, headphones, etc. The output device circuit includes any physical or virtual components for showing information or otherwise conveying information (such as sensor readings, actuator positioning, or other similar information). The output device circuit may include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, including in particular one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary state indicators, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs)) and multi-character visual outputs, or more complex outputs, such as display devices or touch screens (e.g., liquid crystal displays "LCDs", LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.), where the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc. is generated or produced by the operation of the UE 600.

[0099] Sensor 610 may include a device, module, or subsystem that is designed to detect events or changes in its environment and transmit information about the detected events (sensor data) to some other device, module, subsystem, etc. Examples of such sensors include, among others: an inertial measurement unit including an accelerometer, gyroscope, or magnetometer; a microelectromechanical system or nanoelectromechanical system including a three-axis accelerometer, three-axis gyroscope, or magnetometer; a fluid level sensor; a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor); a pressure sensor; an image capture device (e.g., a camera or a lensless aperture); a light detection and ranging sensor; a proximity sensor (e.g., an infrared radiation detector, etc.); a depth sensor; an ambient light sensor; an ultrasonic transceiver; a microphone or other similar audio capture device; and the like.

[0100] The driver circuit 612 may include software and hardware elements that operate to control specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 600. The driver circuit 612 may include separate drivers to allow other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may be present in or connected to the UE 600. For example, the driver circuit 612 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touch screen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touch screen interface, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings of the sensor 610 and controlling and allowing access to the sensor 610, a driver for obtaining actuator positioning of an electromechanical component or controlling and allowing access to an electromechanical component, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0101] The PMIC 614 may manage the power provided to various components of the UE 600. Specifically, with respect to the processor 602, the PMIC 614 may control power source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC to DC conversion.

[0102] In some implementations, the PMIC 614 may control or otherwise function as part of various power saving mechanisms of the UE 600. The battery 618 may power the UE 600, but in some examples, the UE 600 may be installed or deployed in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to a power grid. The battery 618 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery (such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc.). In some implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, the battery 618 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0103] Figure 6 An example access node 700 (e.g., a base station or gNB) is illustrated according to some implementations. Access node 700 may be similar to base station 104 and substantially interchangeable therewith. Access node 700 may include a processor 702, RF interface circuitry 704, core network (CN) interface circuitry 706, memory / storage circuitry 708, and one or more antennas 710.

[0104] The components of access node 700 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 712. Processor 702, RF interface circuitry 704, memory / storage circuitry 708 (including communication protocol stack 714), antenna 710, and interconnect 712 may be similar to those of reference 700. Figure 5Like-named elements are shown and described.For example, processor 702 may include processor circuits such as, for example, baseband processor circuit (BB) 716A, central processor unit circuit (CPU) 716B, and graphics processor unit circuit (GPU) 716C.

[0105] The CN interface circuit 706 may provide connectivity to a core network (e.g., a 5GC using a 5th Generation Core Network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol such as a Carrier Ethernet protocol or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity may be provided to / from the access node 700 via optical fiber or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuit 706 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuit 706 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0106] As used herein, the terms "access node", "access point", etc. may be described as a device that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between a network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP or TRP, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms "NG RAN node", etc. may refer to an access node 700 (e.g., a gNB) operating in an NR or 5G system, and the terms "E-UTRAN node", etc. may refer to an access node 700 (e.g., an eNB) operating in an LTE or 4G system. According to various specific implementations, the access node 700 may be implemented as one or more of a dedicated physical device such as a macrocell base station and / or a low power (LP) base station for providing a femtocell, picocell or other similar cell with a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity or higher bandwidth than a macrocell.

[0107] In some implementations, all or part of the access node 700 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network that may be referred to as a CRAN and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In a V2X scenario, the access node 700 may be or act as a "road side unit". The term "road side unit" or "RSU" may refer to any traffic infrastructure entity used for V2X communications. The RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable RAN node or a stationed (or relatively stationed) UE, where an RSU implemented in or by a UE may be referred to as a "UE-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by an eNB may be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by a gNB may be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU", and so on.

[0108] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Representing a component configured to perform one or more tasks expressly intends that the component does not invoke the interpretation of 35 U.S.C. §112(f).

[0109] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, or methods described in the following example section. For example, the baseband circuit described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the following examples. For another example, the circuits associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc. described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the example section below.

[0110] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

Claims

1. One or more processors configured to perform wireless communications by performing operations including: receiving configuration information specifying a repetition factor for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ-ACK) transmission associated with a random access message; receiving information indicating a reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold for PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; encoding, based on the RSRP threshold and the configuration information specifying the repetition factor, a capability report indicating a number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission or a request for the number of PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission; receiving an indicated PUCCH repetition number for the HARQ-ACK transmission based on the capability report or the request; and The HARQ-ACK transmission is prepared for repetition based on the indicated number of PUCCH repetitions.

2. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the repetition factor of the PUCCH for the HARQ-ACK transmission is one of 1, 2, 4, or 8.

3. The one or more processors of claim 1 , the operations further comprising: PUCCH repetitions are encoded for transmission based on a PUCCH repetition factor different from the PUCCH repetition factor for the HARQ-ACK transmission.

4. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the RSRP threshold for the PUCCH repetitions for the HARQ-ACK transmission is different from the PUCCH repetitions for the Msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission.

5. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the capability report or the request is based on a 2-step random access channel (RACH) capability of a user equipment (UE).

6. The one or more processors of claim 5, wherein the capability report comprises one bit indicating that the UE does not have repeat capability or indicating that the UE has repeat capability.

7. The one or more processors of claim 1, the operations further comprising: Determining that the RSRP measurement result is lower than the RSRP threshold and the UE has PUCCH repetition capability; as well as The request for the PUCCH repetition for the HARQ-ACK transmission is encoded for transmission.

8. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the RSRP threshold is not configured or is configured with a specific value, the operations further comprising: Transmitting the capability report regarding PUCCH repetition for the HARQ-ACK transmission.

9. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the capability report or the request is transmitted using a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

10. The one or more processors of claim 9, wherein a reserved bit in a medium access control (MAC) subheader indicates the PUCCH repetition number or the request for the PUCCH repetition number.

11. The one or more processors of claim 9, wherein a logical cell identifier (LCID) code indicates the PUCCH repetition number or the request for the PUCCH repetition number.

12. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the capability report or the request for the PUCCH repetition number is transmitted using a physical random access channel (PRACH).

13. The one or more processors of claim 1, the operations further comprising: The scheduling downlink control information (DCI) field is configured to indicate the PUCCH repetition number.

14. The one or more processors of claim 13, wherein the DCI field comprises one or more of one or more reserved bits or bits in an MCS field.

15. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein one or more fields of a message for a successful random access response (sucessRAR) are configured to indicate the PUCCH repetition number.

16. The one or more processors of claim 15, wherein the one or more fields of the successRAR include a channel access CPext field, a reserved bit, a TPC field, a HARQ feedback timing indicator, or a combination thereof.

17. The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the PUCCH repetition for the HARQ-ACK transmission has a higher priority than a sidelink transmission or reception.

18. One or more processors configured to perform wireless communications by performing operations comprising: Encoding information representing the following for transmission: a maximum demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling duration representing a maximum time domain window (TDW) size of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a UE capability indicating whether a user equipment (UE) supports a timing advance (TA) pre-compensation update within an actual TDW without violating a phase difference limit; receiving information indicating a configuration of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) TDW length; encoding auxiliary information for transmission based on the information indicating the UE capability; receiving information indicative of an indication of a TDW determination regarding an event; as well as The TDW determination is applied based on receiving the indication.

19. The one or more processors of claim 18, the operations further comprising: A second maximum TDW size considering the TA pre-compensation update is encoded for transmission.

20. The one or more processors of claim 19, wherein a nominal TDW size comprises a minimum value between the second maximum TDW size and the maximum TDW size of the UE capabilities.

21. A method performed by any one of the one or more processors of claims 1 to 20.

Images