Coverage enhancement

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for wireless communication are described. A method of wireless communication includes receiving, by a wireless device, a plurality of signals in a burst of signals. The method further includes performing, by the wireless device, further communication based on the plurality of signals. The described techniques may be employed by a network device or by a wireless device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent document relates generally to digital wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Mobile telecommunication technologies are driving the world towards an increasingly interconnected and networked society. Compared to existing wireless networks, next-generation systems and wireless communication technologies will need to support a wider range of use cases and provide more complex and sophisticated access requirements and flexibility.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a standard for wireless communications for mobile devices and data terminals developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) is a wireless communications standard that enhances the LTE standard. The fifth-generation wireless system, known as 5G, advances the LTE and LTE-A wireless standards and is committed to supporting higher data rates, a large number of connections, ultra-low latency, high reliability, and other emerging business requirements. Summary of the invention

[0004] Techniques for enhancing connectivity between a user equipment (UE) and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) are disclosed.

[0005] A first exemplary wireless communication method includes receiving, by a wireless device, a plurality of signals in a signal burst. The method also includes performing, by the wireless device, further communications based on the plurality of signals.

[0006] A second example wireless communication method includes receiving, by a wireless device, an indication of resources for downlink transmission. The method also includes performing, by the wireless device, further communications based on the indication of resources.

[0007] A third exemplary wireless communication method includes receiving, by a wireless device, configuration information for a shared data channel. The method also includes performing, by the wireless device, further communications based on the configuration information.

[0008] A fourth exemplary wireless communication method includes receiving, by a wireless device, a plurality of repetitions of a message 4 (Msg4) in a random access procedure. The method also includes performing, by the wireless device, further communications based on the plurality of repetitions of Msg4.

[0009] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a device configured or operable to perform the above method is disclosed. The device may include a processor configured to implement the above method.

[0010] In another exemplary embodiment, the above method is embodied in the form of processor executable code and stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The code included in the computer readable storage medium causes the processor to implement the method described in this patent document when executed by the processor.

[0011] The above and other aspects and implementations thereof are described in more detail in the drawings, the description and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 An exemplary diagram of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) is shown.

[0013] Figure 2 An exemplary synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 An exemplary SSB transmission with a quasi co-location (QCL) window is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 is an exemplary flow chart for receiving multiple signals.

[0016] Figure 5 is an exemplary flow diagram for receiving an indication of a resource.

[0017] Figure 6 is an exemplary flow chart for receiving configuration information.

[0018] Figure 7 is an exemplary flow chart for receiving data having multiple repetitions.

[0019] Figure 8 An exemplary block diagram of a hardware platform that may be part of a network device or a communication device is shown.

[0020] Fig. 9 An exemplary wireless communication including a base station (BS) and a user equipment (UE) based on some implementations of the disclosed technology is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The example titles of the following sections are used to facilitate understanding of the disclosed subject matter and do not limit the scope of the claimed subject matter in any way. Therefore, one or more features of one example section can be combined with one or more features of another example section. In addition, 5G terminology is used for clarity of explanation, but the technology disclosed in this document is not limited to 5G technology and can be used in wireless systems that implement other protocols.

[0022] I. Introduction

[0023] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) have been supported in 3GPP. However, for user equipment (UE) devices such as smartphones, direct access to NTNs may not be available due to low antenna gain. In order to support direct access from smartphones to NTNs, a method for coverage enhancement is studied in this patent document.

[0024] The structure of transparent NTN is as follows Figure 1 As shown in . The link between the UE and the satellite is the serving link. The link between the BS and the satellite is the feeder link and is common to all UEs in the same cell.

[0025] In conventional systems, the following methods have been considered for coverage enhancement:

[0026] (1) Repetition: The transmitter can send a message repeatedly over a period of time. The receiver can then combine the repetitions and improve decoding performance.

[0027] (2) Aggregation: For PDCCH transmission, the time-frequency resources are divided into multiple control channel elements (CCEs). Multiple CCEs can be aggregated to transmit one PDCCH. With higher aggregation levels, more time-frequency resources will be used to transmit the message, i.e., a lower code rate will be achieved and better decoding performance can be expected.

[0028] (3) Joint channel estimation: For channel estimation, RSs at different time instances can be used jointly to estimate the channel, which provides better channel estimation and can be expected to have better decoding performance. In this method, the RSs used for channel estimation should be QCLed.

[0029] II. Implementation Method 1

[0030] Joint channel estimation and coherent combining in SSB detection.

[0031] In traditional NR, SSB transmission is like Figure 2 As shown in . SSB bursts are transmitted periodically by the network. And in each SSB burst, multiple SSBs can be transmitted in a specific pattern. It can be assumed that the SSBs in the same position in each SSB burst are the same. However, it cannot be ensured that different SSBs in the same SSB burst are the same or QCLed.

[0032] At initial access, the SSB period is assumed to be 20ms. At such a large interval, the channel coherence is very weak. Therefore, it is difficult to perform joint channel estimation or coherent combining between SSBs in different SSB bursts.

[0033] To obtain gain, consideration should be given to performing JCE within an SSB burst, where the interval between adjacent SSBs is much shorter. In this case, the SSBs used for JCE should be QCLed. Otherwise, the SSBs may experience different channels and fail to perform JCE. However, in legacy NR, there is no such restriction. As a result, if JCE within an SSB burst is supported, the UE should know which SSBs are QCLed. A simple approach is to define a QCL window, which indicates how many consecutive SSBs in an SSB burst can be considered QCLed. For example, Figure 3 The case where the QCL window length is 2 is shown. The QCL window can be predefined or indicated by the network. Another approach is to define a new SSB mode where multiple SSBs in an SSB burst are QCLed.

[0034] If a gain in coherent combining is expected (e.g., in PSS / SSS detection and time / frequency synchronization), then consideration should also be given to performing the combining within an SSB burst. In this case, the SSBs to be combined should be the same or have the same SSB index. Of course, there is no such restriction in conventional NR. Therefore, in order to support coherent combining within an SSB burst, the UE should know which SSBs are the same or have the same SSB index. A simple approach is to define an SSB index window, which indicates how many consecutive SSBs in an SSB burst can be considered to be the same or have the same SSB index. The definition of the SSB index window is similar to the QCL window in the above paragraph. Another approach is to define a new SSB mode in which multiple SSBs in an SSB burst are the same or have the same SSB index.

[0035] In addition, if multiple SSBs share the same SSB index, the PRACH resources mapped to these SSBs can be combined. That is, in order for the UE to successfully decode any SSBs sharing the same SSB index within an SSB burst, the same PRACH resource set will be used for random access.

[0036] In general, to support the above functions, at least one of the following may be supported:

[0037] 1. The QCL window is determined by the UE based on:

[0038] (1) Predefined / prestored QCL window length;

[0039] (2) Network type and / or predefined / prestored QCL window length table;

[0040] (3) Instructed by the network through RRC signaling.

[0041] 2. The SSB index window is determined by the UE based on the following:

[0042] (1) Predefined / prestored SSB index window length;

[0043] (2) Network type and / or predefined / prestored SSB index window length table;

[0044] (3) Instructed by the network through RRC signaling.

[0045] 3. Define at least one SSB mode where multiple SSBs in an SSB burst are QCLed.

[0046] 4. Define at least one SSB pattern where multiple SSBs in an SSB burst are the same or have the same SSB index.

[0047] 5. All SSBs in an SSB burst are QCLed or have the same SSB index.

[0048] In some implementations, the SSB detection performance can be improved by combining more SSBs in the initial access. Two approaches can be considered:

[0049] 1. Reduce the assumed SSB period in the initial access. Then, transmit more SSB bursts within 80ms. The UE can combine more repetitions of SSB to achieve better detection performance.

[0050] 2. Increase the update period of MIB. Currently, the update period of MIB is 80ms. Therefore, SSB combination can only be performed within 80ms. By increasing the MIB period, more SSB bursts can be transmitted with a fixed SSB period. UE can combine more repetitions of SSB to achieve better detection performance.

[0051] III. Implementation Method 2

[0052] Improvements to PDCCH detection.

[0053] In conventional NR, the aggregation level is at most AL=16, and the REG bundle size is at most L=6. The aggregation level indicates how many CCEs are used to transmit a PDCCH. Each CCE contains 6 REGs. With a larger aggregation level, more resources will be used for transmission, which means a lower code rate and better detection performance. The REG bundle size indicates how many REGs are contained in the REG bundle. Interleaving is performed based on the REG bundle. In addition, the precoding within the REG bundle is the same. Therefore, JCE can be performed within the REG bundle. With a larger REG bundle size, channel estimation in low SNR areas can be more accurate, which means better detection performance.

[0054] Note that when the aggregation level or CCE size increases, more time-frequency resources need to be occupied. However, the bandwidth used for PDCCH transmission may be limited. Therefore, it is necessary to consider using more time domains (e.g., more OFDM symbols) to transmit a PDCCH. In the current standard, a PDCCH transmission can use up to 3 OFDM symbols. In order to support larger ALs and CCEs, more OFDM symbols for a PDCCH transmission should be supported.

[0055] To improve PDCCH detection performance, the following methods can be considered:

[0056] 1. Increase the resources used for PDCCH transmission by at least one of the following:

[0057] (1) Increase the aggregation level;

[0058] (2) Increase the CCE size.

[0059] 2. Increase resources for JCE by doing at least one of the following:

[0060] (1) Increase the REG bundle size;

[0061] (2) Assume that multiple REG bundles are interleaved (if interleaving is applied) and use the same precoding;

[0062] (3) It is assumed that multiple CCEs can be bundled into a bundle, where the CCEs in the bundle share the same precoding.

[0063] Note that when the CCE size or REG bundle size increases, the CCE to REG mapping method also needs to be updated. In the traditional standard specification, the CCE to REG mapping of the control resource set can be interleaved or non-interleaved and is described by the REG bundle:

[0064] - A REG bundle i is defined as REG{iL,iL+1,...,iL+L-1}, where L is the REG bundle size, and is the number of REGs in the CORESET.

[0065] - CCE j consists of a REG bundle {f(6j / L),f(6j / L+1),...,f(6j / L+6 / L-1)}, where f(·) is the interleaver.

[0066] When a larger CCE size or REG bundle size is supported, CCE j consists of REG bundles {f(L C j / L),f(L C j / L+1),...,f(L C j / L+L C / L-1)}, where f(·) is the interleaver, L C is the supported CCE size, and L is the REG bundle size.

[0067] To support the above methods, additional signaling and configuration may be required:

[0068] 1. To support a larger aggregation level, at least one of the following may be supported:

[0069] (1) The network indicates a new higher AL level (e.g., 18, 20, 32, 64) to the UE through MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast, or dedicated RRC signaling;

[0070] (2) The network indicates the scaling factor (e.g., 2, 4) to the UE via MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast, or dedicated RRC signaling. The actual AL level is the product of the AL level indicated in the traditional signaling and the scaling factor.

[0071] 2. To support a larger CCE size, at least one of the following may be supported:

[0072] (1) The network indicates the CCE size to the UE through MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast or dedicated RRC signaling;

[0073] (2) The network indicates the scaling factor (eg, 2, 4) to the UE via MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast, or dedicated RRC signaling. The number of REGs in a CCE is the product of 6 and the scaling factor.

[0074] 3. To increase the REG bundle size, at least one of the following may be supported:

[0075] (1) The network indicates a new larger REG bundle size (e.g., 12, 16, 24) to the UE via MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast, or dedicated RRC signaling;

[0076] (2) The network indicates the scaling factor (eg, 2, 4) to the UE via MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast, or dedicated RRC signaling. The REG bundle size is the product of the conventional REG bundle size and the scaling factor.

[0077] 4. To implement the use of multiple REG bundles, at least one of the following may be supported:

[0078] (1) The network indicates the number of REG bundles that can be used to perform JCE;

[0079] (2) The network indicates the number of REG bundles that are considered as units of interleaving and share the same precoding.

[0080] 5. To support a larger number of OFDM symbols for PDCCH transmission, at least one of the following may be supported:

[0081] (1) The network indicates a new larger number of OFDM symbols for PDCCH transmission through MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast or dedicated RRC signaling;

[0082] (2) The network indicates support for a larger number of OFDM symbols for PDCCH transmission through MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast, or dedicated RRC signaling;

[0083] (3) At least one new PDCCH search space is defined by a larger number of OFDM symbols.

[0084] 6. To implement CCE bundling, at least one of the following may be supported:

[0085] (1) The network indicates the CCE bundle size to the UE through MIB broadcast, SIB broadcast or dedicated RRC signaling;

[0086] (2) CCEs in the same bundle share the same precoding;

[0087] (3) The REG bundle size defaults to 6, or defaults to the CCE size.

[0088] In addition, in legacy NR, PDCCH repetition is not allowed. By enabling PDCCH repetition, coverage performance can also be enhanced. Note that for each repetition, PDCCH repetition may not be attached with PDSCH. In this case, the network will repeatedly transmit the same PDCCH via at least one of the following methods:

[0089] 1. Transmit repetitions of PDCCH periodically with a period Δt. The period may be equal to the time domain width of the PDCCH, i.e., there is a zero gap between PDCCH repetitions.

[0090] 2. Transmit multiple repetitions of PDCCH in a specific pattern, where the intervals between different repetitions may be different.

[0091] When PDCCH repetition is enabled, the RAR window of Msg2 should be extended. Otherwise, the UE may not be able to successfully receive the repetition of the PDCCH that schedules Msg2. The RAR window can be extended via at least one of the following methods:

[0092] 1. The network indicates the number of repetitions of the PDCCH. The RAR window is expanded by multiplying the original RAR window by the number of repetitions. That is, L.

[0093] 2. The network indicates the number and period of PDCCH repetitions. The RAR window is extended with an offset, where the offset is the product of the number of repetitions and the repetition period.

[0094] 3. A default number of repetitions or a default repetition period for the PDCCH may be defined. In some embodiments, the RAR window is extended by multiplying the original RAR window by the number of repetitions. In some embodiments, the RAR window is extended using an offset that is the product of the number of repetitions and the repetition period.

[0095] In addition, when Msg1 (PRACH preamble) repetition is enabled, RAR window extension is also expected. Otherwise, RAR may be missed. In some embodiments, the RAR window can be extended via at least one of the following methods:

[0096] 4. The network indicates the number of repetitions of the PRACH preamble. The RAR window is expanded by multiplying the original RAR window by the number of repetitions.

[0097] 5. The network indicates the number and period of the PRACH preamble. The RAR window is extended with an offset that is the product of the number of repetitions and the repetition period.

[0098] 6. A default number of repetitions or a default repetition period for the PRACH preamble may be defined. In some embodiments, the RAR window is extended by multiplying the original RAR window by the number of repetitions. In some embodiments, the RAR window is extended using an offset that is the product of the number of repetitions and the repetition period.

[0099] IV. Implementation Method 3

[0100] Improvements to PDSCH detection.

[0101] In NTN, traditional PDSCH detection may fail due to poor link budget and power flux density limitation. To improve the detection performance, more frequency redundancy can be introduced. At least one of the following methods can be considered:

[0102] 1. Frequency domain repetition. In 3GPP, time domain repetition of PDSCH is already supported. However, frequency domain repetition is not yet supported. In this method, the UE can repeat the same TB in multiple subbands. The network can combine repetition in the frequency domain when decoding to obtain better performance.

[0103] 2. Introduce lower code rates in the MCS / TBS table. In the current MCS / TBS table, the code rate may not be low enough. If we want to use more frequency resources to transmit one TB, we may need to introduce lower code rates in the MCS / TBS table. Alternatively, we should define new MCS / TBS tables specifically for scenarios with poor coverage (such as NTN).

[0104] V. Implementation Method 4

[0105] Msg4 is repeated.

[0106] During the RACH process, the network will transmit Msg4 to the UE in response to Msg3 to resolve contention. In NTN, the detection of Msg4 may fail due to poor link budget and power flux density limitations. To improve performance, time domain repetition can be introduced for Msg4. However, when repetition is introduced, it takes the UE longer to receive Msg4. As a result, the ra-ContentionResolutionTimer may expire when the UE is receiving a repetition of Msg4. To avoid this, the ra-ContentionResolutionTimer can be extended by the following method:

[0107] 3. Add additional larger candidate values ​​for ra-ContentionResolutionTimer configuration.

[0108] 4. Extend the length of ra-ContentionResolutionTimer with an additional offset. The offset can be at least one of the following:

[0109] (1) The configured repetition duration of Msg4, or the configured repetition duration of Msg4 minus the duration of 1 repetition.

[0110] (2) The maximum supported repetition duration of Msg4, or the maximum supported repetition duration of Msg4 minus the duration of one repetition.

[0111] (3) The number of times the configuration of Msg4 is repeated, or the number of times the configuration of Msg4 is repeated minus 1.

[0112] (4) The maximum number of supported repetitions of Msg4, or the maximum number of supported repetitions of Msg4 minus 1.

[0113] Figure 4 is an exemplary flow chart for receiving multiple signals. Operation 402 includes receiving multiple signals in a signal burst by a wireless device. Operation 404 includes performing further communication by the wireless device based on the multiple signals. In some embodiments, the method can be implemented according to embodiment 1. In some embodiments, performing further communication can be based on a lower code rate and better decoding performance than traditional protocols.

[0114] In some embodiments, the plurality of signals include at least one of a synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) transmission. In some embodiments, the plurality of signals in a signal burst are quasi-co-located (QCLed). In some embodiments, the plurality of signals in a signal burst have the same SSB index. In some embodiments, the plurality of signals in a signal burst are identical.

[0115] In some embodiments, receiving the plurality of signals comprises receiving, by the wireless device, the plurality of signals in a time window. In some embodiments, receiving the plurality of signals comprises receiving, by the wireless device, the plurality of signals in a pattern. In some embodiments, the plurality of signals in the time window are QCLed. In some embodiments, the plurality of signals in the time window have the same SSB index. In some embodiments, the plurality of signals in the time window are identical.

[0116] In some embodiments, the time window is predefined or prestored at the wireless device. In some embodiments, the time window is based on a time window length table. In some embodiments, the method further includes determining, by the wireless device, the time window based on a type of network or a type of wireless node. In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by the wireless device, the time window via signaling. In some embodiments, the signaling includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling or system information block (SIB) signaling.

[0117] Figure 5 is an exemplary flow chart for receiving an indication of resources. Operation 502 includes receiving, by a wireless device, an indication of resources for downlink transmission. Operation 504 includes performing, by the wireless device, further communication based on the indication of resources. In some embodiments, the method may be implemented according to Embodiment 2. In some embodiments, performing further communication may be based on a lower code rate and better decoding performance than conventional protocols.

[0118] In some embodiments, the downlink transmission comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission. In some embodiments, receiving the indication comprises receiving a scaling factor associated with an aggregation level (AL). In some embodiments, receiving the scaling factor associated with the AL comprises receiving the scaling factor associated with the AL via at least one of a master information block (MIB) broadcast, a system information block (SIB) broadcast, and a radio resource control (RRC) signaling. In some embodiments, receiving the indication comprises receiving a value associated with an aggregation level (AL) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In some embodiments, receiving the value associated with the AL of the NTN comprises receiving the value associated with the AL of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

[0119] In some embodiments, receiving the indication includes receiving a scaling factor associated with a control channel element (CCE) size. In some embodiments, receiving the scaling factor associated with the CCE size includes receiving the scaling factor associated with the CCE size via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling. In some embodiments, receiving the indication includes receiving a value associated with a control channel element (CCE) size of a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In some embodiments, receiving the value associated with the CCE size of the NTN includes receiving the value associated with the CCE size of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

[0120] In some embodiments, receiving the indication comprises receiving a scaling factor associated with a resource element group (REG) bundle size. In some embodiments, receiving the scaling factor associated with the REG bundle size comprises receiving the scaling factor associated with the REG bundle size via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling. In some embodiments, receiving the indication comprises receiving a value associated with a resource element group (REG) bundle size of a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In some embodiments, receiving the value associated with the REG bundle size of the NTN comprises receiving the value associated with the REG bundle size of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

[0121] In some embodiments, receiving the indication comprises receiving a value associated with a count of resource element group (REG) bundles of a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In some embodiments, the REG bundle is a unit of interleaving. In some embodiments, the REG bundles share the same precoding.

[0122] In some embodiments, receiving the indication comprises receiving a value associated with a CCE bundle size. In some embodiments, a CCE bundle is a unit of interleaving. In some embodiments, CCEs in a CCE bundle share the same precoding.

[0123] In some embodiments, receiving the indication comprises receiving a value associated with a symbol number of a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In some embodiments, the symbol comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. In some embodiments, receiving the value associated with the symbol number of the NTN comprises receiving the value associated with the symbol number of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling. In some embodiments, the downlink transmission has a search space determined by the value associated with the symbol number of the NTN.

[0124] In some embodiments, receiving the indication includes receiving at least one of a repetition number and a repetition period. In some embodiments, the method further includes extending a random access response (RAR) window by multiplying a RAR window length by the repetition number. In some embodiments, receiving the indication includes receiving an offset value associated with the random access response (RAR) window. In some embodiments, the method further includes extending the random access response (RAR) window by adding the offset value to the RAR window length.

[0125] In some implementations, the method further includes periodically receiving, by the wireless device, downlink transmissions.

[0126] Figure 6 is an exemplary flow chart for receiving configuration information. Operation 602 includes receiving, by a wireless device, configuration information for a shared data channel. Operation 604 includes performing, by the wireless device, further communication based on the configuration information. In some embodiments, the method may be implemented according to Embodiment 3. In some embodiments, performing further communication may be based on a lower bit rate and better decoding performance than a conventional protocol.

[0127] In some embodiments, the shared data channel includes a physical data shared channel (PDSCH). In some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one of a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a transport block size (TBS), and a frequency domain repetition configuration. In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by the wireless device, a transport block (TB) based on the configuration information. In some embodiments, receiving the TB includes receiving a repetition of a transmission of the TB in the frequency domain. In some embodiments, receiving the TB includes receiving a repetition of the TB in a plurality of subbands.

[0128] Figure 7 is an exemplary flow chart for receiving data with multiple repetitions. Operation 702 includes receiving multiple repetitions of message 4 (Msg4) by the wireless device in a random access process. Operation 704 includes performing further communication by the wireless device based on the multiple repetitions of Msg4. In some embodiments, the method can be implemented according to embodiment 4. In some embodiments, performing further communication can be based on a lower code rate and better decoding performance than traditional protocols.

[0129] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by the wireless device, at least one signaling indicating at least one of: a time offset associated with Msg4; a number of repetitions of Msg4; a maximum number of repetitions of Msg4; a repetition duration of Msg4; and a maximum repetition duration of Msg4.

[0130] In some embodiments, a random access contention resolution timer associated with random access is extended with at least one of: a time offset associated with Msg4; the number of repetitions of Msg4; the number of repetitions of Msg4 minus 1; the maximum number of repetitions of Msg4; the maximum number of repetitions of Msg4 minus 1; the repetition duration of Msg4; the repetition duration of Msg4 minus the duration of a single repetition; the maximum number of repetitions of Msg4; and the maximum number of repetitions of Msg4 minus the duration of a single repetition.

[0131] In some embodiments, a method includes transmitting, by a network device, a plurality of signals in a signal burst, and performing further communications, by the network device, based on the plurality of signals. In some embodiments, a method includes transmitting, by a network device, an indication of resources for downlink transmission, and performing further communications, by the network device, based on the indication of the resources. In some embodiments, a method includes transmitting, by a network device, configuration information for a shared data channel, and performing further communications, by the network device, based on the configuration information. In some embodiments, a method includes transmitting, by a network device, multiple repetitions of a message 4 (Msg4) during a random access procedure, and performing further communications, by the network device, based on the multiple repetitions of Msg4. Various embodiments of a network device may be configured to provide information to a wireless device about a wireless access request. Figures 4 to 7 Describes the various messages.

[0132] Apparatus configured or operable to perform the above-described methods are within the scope and spirit of this patent document.

[0133] In some embodiments, the above method is embodied in the form of processor executable code and stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The code included in the computer readable storage medium causes the processor to implement the method described in this patent document when executed by the processor.

[0134] Figure 8 An exemplary block diagram of a hardware platform 800 that may be part of a network device (e.g., a base station) or a communication device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) is shown. The hardware platform 800 includes at least one processor 810 and a memory 805 having instructions stored thereon. The instructions, when executed by the processor 810, configure the hardware platform 800 to execute the Figures 1 to 7 The operations described in various embodiments described in this patent document. Transmitter 815 transmits or sends information or data to another device. For example, a network device transmitter can send a message to a user device. Receiver 820 receives information or data transmitted or sent by another device. For example, a user device can receive a message from a network device. For example, as described in this document, a hardware platform 800 can be used to implement NTN.

[0135] The implementation method described above will be applied to wireless communications. Fig. 9 An example of a wireless communication system (e.g., a 5G or NR cellular network) including a base station 920 and one or more user equipments (UEs) 911, 912, and 913 is shown. In some embodiments, the UE uses a communication link to the network (sometimes referred to as an uplink direction, as shown by dashed arrows 931, 932, 933) to access the BS (e.g., the network), which then enables subsequent communication from the BS to the UE (e.g., shown in the direction from the network to the UE, sometimes referred to as a downlink direction, as shown by arrows 941, 942, 943). In some embodiments, the BS sends information to the UE (sometimes referred to as a downlink direction, as shown by arrows 941, 942, 943), which then enables subsequent communication from the UE to the BS (e.g., shown in the direction from the UE to the BS, sometimes referred to as an uplink direction, as shown by dashed arrows 931, 932, 933). For example, the UE can be a smartphone, a tablet, a mobile computer, a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. The NTN described in this document may be communicatively coupled via a base station 920 (e.g., Figure 1 shown in ) to Fig. 9 UE depicted in FIG.

[0136] In this document, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "an example of," and does not imply an ideal or preferred embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0137] Some embodiments described herein are described in the general context of a method or process, and in one embodiment, may be implemented by a computer program product contained in a computer-readable medium, which includes computer-executable instructions (e.g., program code) executed by a computer in a network environment. Computer-readable media may include removable and non-removable storage devices, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), etc. Therefore, computer-readable media may include non-transitory storage media. Typically, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. Computer or processor executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program codes for executing the steps of the methods disclosed herein. A specific sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents an example of corresponding actions for implementing the functions described in such steps or processes.

[0138] Some disclosed embodiments can be implemented as devices or modules using hardware circuits, software or a combination thereof. For example, a hardware circuit implementation may include discrete analog and / or digital components, such as being integrated as a part of a printed circuit board. Alternatively or additionally, the disclosed components or modules may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) devices. Some implementations may additionally or alternatively include a digital signal processor (DSP), which is a dedicated microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the operational requirements of digital signal processing associated with the functions disclosed in this application. Similarly, various components or subcomponents within each module may be implemented in software, hardware or firmware. Any of the connection methods and media known in the art may be used to provide connections between modules and / or between components within a module, including but not limited to communication on the Internet, wired or wireless networks using appropriate protocols.

[0139] Although this document contains many details, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the claimed invention or the scope of possible protection, but rather as descriptions of features specific to a particular embodiment. Appropriate features described in the text of different embodiments in this document may also be applied in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the individual features described in the text of a single embodiment may also be applied in multiple separate embodiments, or in any suitable sub-combination. In addition, although features may be described above as working in certain combinations, or even initially claimed as such, in some cases, one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from the combination, and the claimed combination may point to a sub-combination or a variant of a sub-combination. Similarly, although the operations are described in a specific order in the diagram, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or all the operations shown to be performed, to achieve the desired result.

[0140] Only a few implementations and examples are described, and other implementations, enhancements, and variations may be made based on what is described and illustrated in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising: receiving, by a wireless device, a plurality of signals in a signal burst; as well as Further communications are performed by the wireless device based on the plurality of signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of signals include at least one of a synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) transmission.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein: The multiple signals in the signal burst are quasi co-located (QCLed).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The multiple signals in the signal burst have the same SSB index.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The multiple signals in the signal burst are identical.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein: Receiving the plurality of signals includes receiving, by the wireless device, the plurality of signals in a time window.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein: Receiving the plurality of signals includes receiving, by the wireless device, the plurality of signals in a pattern.

8. The method according to any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein: The multiple signals are quasi co-located (QCLed).

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: The multiple signals have the same SSB index.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein: The multiple signals are identical.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6 and 8 to 10, wherein The time window is predefined or prestored at the wireless device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 6 and 8 to 10, wherein Time windows are based on a table of time window lengths.

13. The method according to any one of claims 6 and 8 to 10, further comprising: The time window is determined by the wireless device based on the type of network or the type of wireless node.

14. The method according to any one of claims 6 and 8 to 10, further comprising: A time window is received by the wireless device via signaling.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The signaling includes Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or System Information Block (SIB) signaling.

16. A method of wireless communication, comprising: receiving, by a wireless device, an indication of resources for downlink transmission; as well as Further communications are performed by the wireless device based on the indication of the resource.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The downlink transmission includes a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission.

18. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a scaling factor associated with an aggregation level (AL).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: Receiving the scaling factor associated with the AL includes receiving the scaling factor associated with the AL via at least one of a master information block (MIB) broadcast, a system information block (SIB) broadcast, and a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a value associated with an aggregation level (AL) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: Receiving the value associated with the AL of the NTN includes receiving the value associated with the AL of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a scaling factor associated with a control channel element (CCE) size.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: Receiving the scaling factor associated with the CCE size includes receiving the scaling factor associated with the CCE size via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a value associated with a control channel element (CCE) size of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein: Receiving the value associated with the CCE size of the NTN includes receiving the value associated with the CCE size of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

26. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a scaling factor associated with a resource element group (REG) bundle size.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein: Receiving the scaling factor associated with the REG bundle size includes receiving the scaling factor associated with the REG bundle size via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

28. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a value associated with a resource element group (REG) bundle size of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein: Receiving the value associated with the REG bundle size of the NTN includes receiving the value associated with the REG bundle size of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

30. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a value associated with a control channel element (CCE) bundle size of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein: The CCE bundle is a unit of interleaving.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein: The CCEs in the CCE bundle share the same precoding.

33. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving a value associated with a symbol number of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

34. The method of claim 33, wherein: The symbols include Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

35. The method according to any one of claims 33 and 34, wherein: Receiving the value associated with the symbol number of the NTN includes receiving the value associated with the symbol number of the NTN via at least one of a MIB broadcast, a SIB broadcast, and RRC signaling.

36. A method according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein: The downlink transmission has a search space determined by the value associated with the symbol number of the NTN.

37. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving at least one of a repetition number and a repetition period.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising: The random access response (RAR) window is extended by multiplying the RAR window length by the number of repetitions.

39. The method according to any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein: Receiving the indication includes receiving an offset value associated with a random access response (RAR) window.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising: The random access response (RAR) window is extended by adding the offset value to the RAR window length.

41. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 40, further comprising: The downlink transmission is periodically received by the wireless device.

42. A method of wireless communication, comprising: receiving, by a wireless device, configuration information for a shared data channel; as well as Further communications are performed by the wireless device based on the configuration information.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein: The shared data channel comprises a physical data shared channel (PDSCH).

44. The method according to any one of claims 42 and 43, wherein: The configuration information includes at least one of a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a transport block size (TBS), and a frequency domain repetition configuration.

45. The method according to any one of claims 42 to 44, further comprising: A transport block (TB) is received by the wireless device based on the configuration information.

46. ​​The method of claim 45, wherein: Receiving the TB includes receiving a repetition of a transmission of the TB in the frequency domain.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein: Receiving the TB includes receiving repetitions of the TB in a plurality of subbands.

48. A method of wireless communication, comprising: Receiving multiple repetitions of message 4 (Msg4) by the wireless device during a random access procedure; as well as Further communication is performed by the wireless device based on the multiple repetitions of the Msg4.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising: At least one signaling is received by the wireless device, the at least one signaling indicating at least one of the following: The time offset associated with the Msg4; The number of repetitions of the Msg4; The maximum number of repetitions of the Msg4; the repetition duration of the Msg4; and The maximum repetition duration of the Msg4.

50. The method according to any one of claims 48 and 49, wherein: A random access contention resolution timer associated with the random access is extended by at least one of: The time offset associated with the Msg4; The number of repetitions of the Msg4; The number of repetitions of Msg4 is reduced by 1; The maximum number of repetitions of the Msg4; The maximum number of repetitions of Msg4 is reduced by 1; The repetition duration of the Msg4; The repetition duration of Msg4 minus the duration of a single repetition; The maximum number of repetitions of the Msg4; and The maximum number of repetitions of Msg4 minus the duration of a single repetition.

51. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a processor, wherein: The processor is configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 50.

52. A computer-readable program storage medium having codes stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 50.

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