Subframe-based hybrid automatic repeat request feedback

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for dynamically enabling and disabling hybrid automatic repeat request feedback without changing downlink control information even for the same hybrid automatic repeat request process. For example, a method may include determining a starting subframe index of a transport block. The method may also include deciding to provide hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determined subframe index.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to communications including mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or other communications systems including subsequent generations of the same or similar standards. For example, certain example embodiments may generally relate to dynamically enabling and disabling hybrid automatic repeat request feedback even for the same hybrid automatic repeat request process without changing downlink control information. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to next generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G systems are primarily built on 5G New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks may also be built on E-UTRA radio. Starting with Release 18 (Rel-18), 5G is referred to as Advanced 5G. It is estimated that NR provides bit rates of approximately 10-20 Gbit / s or higher and may support at least service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to achieve extreme broadband and ultra-robust, low latency connectivity and massive networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more widespread, the demand for networks that meet the needs of lower power, low data rates, and long battery life will continue to grow. Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) represents the RAN for 5G, which can provide NR and LTE (and Advanced LTE) radio access. Note that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functions to user equipment (i.e., similar to a Node B, NB in ​​UTRAN or an evolved NB, eNB in ​​LTE) can be named a Next Generation NB (gNB) when built on an NR radio, and can be named a Next Generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on an E-UTRA radio. 6G is currently under development and may replace 5G and Advanced 5G. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining a subframe index of a start of a transport block. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining provision of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determined subframe index.

[0004] Embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the apparatus to at least perform: configuring a user equipment using a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining a hybrid automatic repeat request action for the user equipment. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least perform: providing a transmission block having a starting subframe index corresponding to the hybrid automatic repeat request action in the configuration to the user equipment.

[0005] Embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include determining a subframe index of a start of a transport block. The method may also include determining provision of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determined subframe index.

[0006] Embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include configuring a user equipment with a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options. The method may also include determining a hybrid automatic repeat request action for the user equipment. The method also provides to the user equipment a transport block having a starting subframe index corresponding to the hybrid automatic repeat request action in the configuration.

[0007] Embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include means for determining a subframe index for a start of a transport block. The apparatus may also include means for determining provision of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determined subframe index.

[0008] Embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include a component for configuring a user equipment using a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options. The apparatus may also include a component for determining a hybrid automatic repeat request action for the user equipment. The apparatus may also include: a component for providing a transmission block having a starting subframe index corresponding to the hybrid automatic repeat request action in the configuration to the user equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a proper understanding of the example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1shows a signal flow of a method according to some embodiments;

[0011] Figure 2 An example sequence with four subframe intervals according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 A communication structure providing feedback according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0013] Figure 4 illustrates a communication structure without providing feedback according to some embodiments; and

[0014] Figure 5 An example block diagram of a system according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamically enabling and disabling hybrid automatic repeat request feedback without changing downlink control information even for the same hybrid automatic repeat request process is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but is representative of selected example embodiments.

[0016] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

[0017] Certain embodiments may have various aspects and features. These aspects and features may be applied alone or in any desired combination with each other. Other features, processes and elements may also be applied in combination with some or all aspects and features disclosed herein.

[0018] In addition, if desired, the different functions or processes discussed below can be performed in different orders and / or performed simultaneously with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the described functions or processes can be optional or can be combined. Therefore, the following description should be considered as an explanation of the principles and teachings of some example embodiments, rather than a limitation thereof.

[0019] Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) implemented in the Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol can be used as a retransmission system for the fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR). The HARQ protocol in the downlink (DL) can be classified as an asynchronous protocol. DL transmissions may require explicit signaling in the downlink control information (DCI). Once the DL data is sent, feedback can be sent from the user equipment (UE) to the base station or next generation Node B (gNB) after each received transport block (TB).

[0020] If the decoding of data at the receiving end causes an error, the UE may buffer the received data and may request a retransmission. The gNB may also need to buffer the sent data until an acknowledgment is received from the UE. In doing so, the gNB may retransmit the data to the UE when a negative acknowledgment (NACK) is received. In order to correct the erroneous packet, the UE may receive the retransmitted data and may combine the retransmitted data with the buffered data for another decoding attempt. Thus, the HARQ mechanism may be based on feedback on the success or failure of the downlink transmission. Feedback on success may be referred to as an acknowledgment (ACK), while NACK may refer to feedback on failure. In principle, feedback-based retransmission may operate using only ACK, only NACK, or both ACK and NACK. Thus, for example, the UE may feedback ACK upon successful decoding, but may not feedback anything in an ACK-only method. Similarly, the UE may feedback NACK upon unsuccessful decoding, but may not feedback anything in a NACK-only method.

[0021] HARQ can also be a stop and wait (SAW) automatic repeat request (ARQ) protocol implemented in multiple parallel processes. The HARQ protocol can use the ACK / NACK feedback of the receiver to ensure reliable DL transmission in each parallel process. Multiple processes can be identified by the HARQ process number harq_process in the DCI carried by the PDCCH.

[0022] A large round trip time (RTT) may result in HARQ stalling that prohibits the transmission of other processes. In particular, non-terrestrial network (NTN) scenarios may have significant round trip delays, such as 541.46ms for geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) and 25.77ms for low earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 600km. Since the RTT can be considered large, one RTT can span many transmission time intervals (TTIs), resulting in a condition known as HARQ stalling. Disabling HARQ feedback can mitigate the impact of HARQ stalling on UE data rate. On the other hand, not providing HARQ feedback may reduce reliability. In other words, there are reasons in favor of HARQ feedback, but there are also challenges caused by HARQ feedback, especially in scenarios with long RTT.

[0023] The Internet of Things (IoT) on NTN in Release 18 (Rel-18) may consider that a small number of HARQ processes may be used for narrowband (NB) IoT (NB-IoT). For NB-IoT devices with only one HARQ process, disabling HARQ feedback may prevent the eNB from knowing whether the control message has been received by the UE. For IoT devices with two or more HARQ processes, the network may configure at least one process to enable feedback to support confirmation and reliable data transmission of control messages. However, for NB-IoT devices with only one HARQ process, if HARQ feedback is disabled, the network may not get confirmation of the control message. For those devices, switching between enabling feedback and disabling feedback may be a technique to provide throughput and power saving benefits to the UE and ensure reliable delivery of control messages.

[0024] IoT UEs can operate in half-duplex mode. For half-duplex UEs, more DL scheduling opportunities can be created without HARQ feedback in the uplink (UL), which can increase DL throughput.

[0025] The throughput gain from disabling HARQ feedback in NTN has been analyzed. While every scenario can benefit from disabling HARQ feedback in terms of throughput, the scenario with the biggest improvement can be the GEO scenario, while in general, NB-IoT transmissions with one HARQ process scenario can have significant improvements even in LEO scenarios. This increase in throughput can be achieved by avoiding HARQ stalls, but in the case of LEO scenarios, also by more scheduling opportunities from omitted ACK / NACK transmissions. Therefore, disabling HARQ feedback for DL ​​transmissions can improve downlink throughput.

[0026] Therefore, it may be beneficial to be able to disable the HARQ process. Options for enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) and NB-IoT may be considered separately. In this discussion, NB-IoT is used as an example, but similar principles may be applied to other cases.

[0027] For IoT NTN, to configure / indicate the enabling / disabling of HARQ feedback for downlink transmission, the enabling / disabling may be per HARQ process via UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling, may be per HARQ process via system information block (SIB) signaling, may be explicitly indicated in a field of downlink control information (DCI), may be implicitly determined by a configured / indicated parameter such as the number of repetitions or transport block size (TBS), or may be per HARQ process via a MAC control element (CE). Other options, combinations of these options, or other combinations are also possible.

[0028] Certain embodiments provide mechanisms and procedures for disabling HARQ in an appropriate and efficient manner.

[0029] As mentioned above, in non-terrestrial networks, the long propagation time between the UE and the enhanced Node B (eNB) or gNB via satellite may cause HARQ stalls, which may become a bottleneck that limits the achievable user throughput. On the other hand, MAC CE messages sent by the eNB / gNB to the UE (such as discontinuous reception (DRX) commands, timing advance commands (TAC), etc.) may require HARQ-ACK bits to confirm the receipt of the commands before these commands can take effect. RRC signaling messages may also require HARQ-ACK to confirm that the command has been received. In this case, reception may refer to successful decoding rather than reception with errors.

[0030] In Release 17 (Rel-17) NR, HARQ feedback can be semi-statically disabled on a per-HARQ process basis via RRC configuration. The network can configure some processes to enable feedback for control message transmission and some processes to disable feedback to support continuous data transmission. This semi-static disabling may also not work for NB-IoT devices, as those low-complexity devices may support one or two HARQ processes. In particular, for UEs with only one HARQ process, feedback may not be semi-statically disabled without affecting MAC CE and RRC signaling mechanisms.

[0031] In addition, HARQ feedback can be used for adaptation of transmission resources, such as modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and codeword repetition. Insufficient HARQ feedback may affect link performance. For NB-IoT connections, a scheduling request (SR) can be sent on the same UL resources together with HARQ-ACK. If HARQ feedback is disabled, the NB-IoT device can resort to the narrowband physical random access channel (NPRACH) to send the SR. This use of NPRACH may risk exhausting the NPRACH capacity required for initial access.

[0032] Dynamically turning feedback on and off through additional DCI indications would require changing the DCI format and increase the complexity of DCI detection for the UE.

[0033] Certain embodiments provide a mechanism and process that may allow the network to dynamically enable and disable HARQ feedback even for the same HARQ process without changing the DCI. Certain embodiments avoid problems associated with NB-IoT devices with fewer HARQ processes operating in NTN scenarios.

[0034] Figure 1 2 shows a signal flow of a method according to some embodiments. Figure 1 As shown, a method may include: at 110, configuring a user equipment with a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options. Figure 2 Some examples of how to achieve this configuration are provided. As a further alternative, the UE may be pre-configured or configured by higher layer signals.

[0035] At 120, a device of the access network (such as an eNB or gNB) may decide whether to enable or disable HARQ feedback. The decision may be made at various granularities. For example, the decision may be made at a cell level, a UE level, or a transport block level. The decision may take into account the type of UE with which communication is desired. The decision may also take into account whether a control message such as a MAC CE or an RRC message is to be transmitted on a transport block. The decision may also take into account whether the UE is located near the center of the cell or near the edge of the cell. Therefore, the decision at 120 may determine a hybrid automatic repeat request action for the user equipment. The decision may be based on whether there is a control message to be sent on a scheduled TB and whether the network requires HARQ-ACK for link adaptation, such as for adjustment of MCS or codeword repetition. The action may enable HARQ feedback or disable HARQ feedback. In this example, disabling HARQ feedback may refer to completely avoiding the use of HARQ feedback for one or more downlink communications, rather than applying only ACK or only NACK feedback. At 110, a sequence may be assigned to the UE for communication of the TB via a configuration message. The sequence may be indicated by the parameters k and n discussed above. The UE may then receive the TB in the allocated sequence for transmitting the TB. The configuration may identify to the UE the sequence allocated for the UE. After configuration, the UE may know what feedback action to take for the received TB based on the starting subframe of the TB. The network may also know how to schedule the TB on the subframe based on the feedback decision of the NW at 120.

[0036] At 130, the access network may schedule a transport block to the user equipment using a starting subframe index corresponding to a hybrid automatic repeat request action in the configuration. Thus, if feedback is expected, the TB block may start at a first subframe index, and if feedback is not expected, the TB block may start at a second subframe index different from the first subframe index. If the TB starts at any index in the sequence, HARQ feedback may be required. For example, considering a sequence with k=1, n=4, {1, 5, 9, 13, ...}, the network may schedule a TB starting at any subframe index (1, 5, 9, or 13) in the sequence, and the UE may send feedback for the TB accordingly. In some embodiments, if the TB starts at any subframe index that is not in the sequence, HARQ feedback is not sent. In the example of k=1, n=4, {1, 5, 9, 13, ...}, if the TB starts from a subframe index that is not in {1, 5, 9, 13, ...} (e.g., a subframe indexed as 7 or 10), there is no feedback. Therefore, the first and second are merely labels for distinguishing the feedback desired index from the feedback undesired index, without limiting the index to the first index or the second index of the sequence, and without limiting the index to index 1 or index 2. The knowledge of which subframe index corresponds to enabling HARQ feedback and which subframe index corresponds to disabling HARQ feedback may be provided to the UE via the configuration at 110. The index may refer to a subframe index, which may be an indication of the system timing for the subframe. The subframe index may run from 0 to 10239 within a period of 10.24 seconds.

[0037] The offset parameter k and the interval parameter n are parameters that characterize the subframe index sequence for the UE in the configuration at 110. A TB on the NPDSCH may occupy many subframes due to repetition. In certain embodiments, all UEs must determine the subframe index at the start of the TB (NPDSCH) and check whether the index is in the sequence configured for the UE. If the starting index is in the sequence, HARQ feedback should be sent, otherwise HARQ feedback should not be sent in this embodiment. Optionally, the opposite convention can be used, such that if the start of the TB is in the configured sequence, HAR0 feedback should not be sent, otherwise HARQ feedback should be sent. The following discussion Figure 3 and Figure 4 An example with the same subframe index sequence k=3, n=4, {3, 7, 11, ...} is shown, as indicated by the arrows. Figure 3 The transmission of HARQ-ACK in may be due to the fact that TB starts at index 7 in the sequence. In contrast, Figure 4 The absence of HARQ-ACK transmission in may be due to the TB starting at index 6 which is not in the sequence.

[0038] The network may also allocate uplink resources for hybrid automatic repeat request feedback to the user equipment based on the hybrid automatic repeat request action. For example, if the action is to enable HARQ feedback, the HARQ feedback resources in the uplink may be allocated by the network, but if the action is to disable HARQ feedback, the HARQ feedback resources may not be allocated by the network.

[0039] exist Figure 1 In the example of , the transport block at 130 may include at least one medium access control control element or at least one radio resource control message. In this case, HARQ feedback may be enabled.

[0040] The Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement Resource field in the downlink control information may be used by the network to indicate the uplink HARQ feedback resource based on the decision that the Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request action 120 is to enable Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request feedback. Otherwise, such a field in the DCI may be omitted or reused for another purpose.

[0041] At 140, the UE may determine a subframe index for the start of a transport block. As described above, the UE may be a NB-IoT device. At 150, the UE may decide to provide hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determined subframe index. For example, the UE may have received a configuration of a relationship between multiple subframe indices and multiple hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options provided at 110. Thus, the decision may be performed based on the configuration. For example, the decision may include searching the configuration for a hybrid automatic repeat request action corresponding to a subframe index for the start of a transport block relative to the configuration. The HARQ action may be enabling HARQ feedback or disabling HARQ feedback from a network perspective, and providing HARQ feedback or not providing HARQ feedback from a UE perspective.

[0042] If the UE operates to provide HARQ feedback at 160, the UE may optionally multiplex a scheduling request with the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback on the UL resources indicated by the DCI based on the decision to provide hybrid automatic repeat request feedback.

[0043] If the UE operates to provide HARQ feedback or for other reasons, the UE may suspend monitoring downlink control information during the round trip time when providing hybrid automatic repeat request feedback at 170. In the case of communications with a GEO satellite, this may allow the UE to limit power usage since the UE may not desire to receive further communications until the HARQ feedback is received, processed, and a retransmission is sent by the satellite.

[0044] Therefore, in some embodiments, the enabling or disabling of HARQ feedback for a received transport block may be determined by the subframe used for the transmission of the TB. The network may control whether a TB is to be acknowledged by selecting the subframe for transmission. The UE may determine whether HARQ feedback should be sent for a received TB by the subframe in which the TB is scheduled.

[0045] The network can configure a subframe index sequence to determine whether HARQ feedback should be sent. The subframe index can be the order of the subframes in the DL frame structure. The sequence can be determined by the offset parameter k and the interval parameter n. Considering the load balancing between different sequences, a group of UEs can be assigned to a sequence. Therefore, Figure 1 The decision at 120 in may be made by associating a given UE with a group having a particular sequence structure for enabling or disabling HARQ feedback. The decision to group the UEs may be based on the type of UE as well as load balancing considerations and other considerations.

[0046] The UE may determine whether HARQ feedback is to be sent for a TB based on the subframe in which the TB is sent. For example, if the TB starts from a subframe whose subframe index falls in the allocated sequence, the UE may send HARQ feedback. Otherwise, the UE may avoid sending HARQ feedback. When the UE is to send HARQ feedback, the HARQ-ACK resource field in the DCI may only be used for UL resource indication. When the UE has a scheduling request (SR) to send, the UE may multiplex SR and HARQ feedback on the same UL resources.

[0047] At 130, the network may send MACCE and RRC messages on the TBs with HARQ feedback enabled according to the UE's assigned sequence. The network may only need to allocate UL resources for HARQ feedback for those TBs with HARQ feedback according to the UE's assigned sequence. After sending the HARQ feedback, if the UE has only one HARQ process, the UE may stop monitoring the PDCCH (DCI) to save power until the round trip time has passed. If the UE has multiple HARQ processes, it may need to monitor the PDCCH because the NW may schedule data transmission on other processes.

[0048] The UE may always know the current system frame number (SFN) and subframe number in the DL system frame. In the frequency division duplex (FDD) long term evolution (LTE) frame structure for NB-IoT, for example, the SFN may identify a 10ms radio frame in a 10.24s period, and each radio frame may include ten 1ms subframes, as described in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 36.211. The current SFN and subframe number may be derived from information in the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) and synchronization signals. The network may utilize the UE's explicit understanding of the SFN and subframe number to indicate whether HARQ feedback is required for a transport block (TB) based on the subframe in which the TB transmission starts.

[0049] Assuming that there are 10 subframes in a radio frame, the index of the subframe can be calculated as t=SFN*10+i based on the SFN (SFN=0, 1, 2, ..., 1023) and the subframe number i (i=0, 1, 2, ..., 9). The network can allocate a subframe index sequence {k, k+n, k+2n, k+3n, ...} for HARQ feedback determination. If a TB is scheduled starting from a subframe with an index in a specific sequence, HARQ feedback for the TB is required. If a TB is scheduled starting from a subframe with an index that is not in a specific sequence, HARQ feedback for the TB is not required. The sequence used for HARQ feedback decision consists of two parameters: k is the index offset and n is the interval. Figure 2 An example sequence with four subframe intervals is shown in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0050] The network can plan a set of sequences with various intervals and divide the connected UEs into groups according to the connected UEs' demand for HARQ feedback, and then assign a group of UEs to a sequence. The index in the sequence can represent the scheduling opportunity for the TB with HARQ feedback. The smaller the parameter n, the more scheduling opportunities for HARQ feedback. To avoid HARQ stagnation, the network may prefer to use opportunities not represented in the sequence to schedule payload data without feedback. In this case, the larger the parameter n, the more scheduling opportunities for payload data and the higher the throughput.

[0051] exist Figure 2 In the example sequence of , the offset parameter is different between groups, but the interval parameter is the same. In another example, the interval parameter can also be different in different groups.

[0052] Figure 3 1 shows a communication structure for providing feedback according to some embodiments. Figure 4 A communication structure is shown that does not provide feedback according to some embodiments. Figure 3 and Figure 4Represents two different ways of scheduling transport blocks, which can be used to enable or disable HARQ feedback by the UE, respectively.

[0053] When the UE detects a DCI in the NPDCCH that signals the transmission of a transport block in the NPDSCH, the UE may know the subframe index at the start of the NPDSCH. The UE may check whether the index is in the UE's allocated sequence. The NPDSCH may start from subframe t0, and the allocated sequence may be represented by {k, n}. If t0 mod n=k, the subframe index t0 may be in the sequence. In this example, the UE may send HARQ feedback only when this condition is met. In this example, the UL resources for HARQ feedback may be indicated in the HARQ-ACK resource field of the DCI. When HARQ feedback is not required, such as when t0 mod n≠k, the HARQ-ACK resource field may be ignored or used for another purpose.

[0054] When the UE determines that HARQ feedback should be sent, the UE may check whether the UE has any scheduling request for UL data transmission.The scheduling request indication (eg, one bit) may be multiplexed with the ACK / NACK bit on the same UL HARQ-ACK resource.

[0055] In NTN, the subframe offset between DL and UL can be indicated in the system information block (SIB) as K offset For HARQ operation, the round trip time between the UE sending feedback and receiving the next data transmission can be K offset +X, where X is the eNB processing time. For NB-IoT with one HARQ process, the UE can send feedback within K offset Stop monitoring NPDCCH for a duration of +X subframes to reduce power consumption, or for any other desired reason.

[0056] Figure 5 An example of a system including an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is shown. In an embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, a host, or a server in a communication network, or a node, a host, or a server serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a network node, a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), a TRP, a HAPS, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR). In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be, for example, a gNB or other similar radio node.

[0057] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functions. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functions such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management. The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs via a midhaul interface referred to as the F1 interface, and the (multiple) DUs may have one or more radio units (RUs) connected to the (multiple) DUs via a fronthaul interface. Depending on the functional division option, the DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of gNB functions. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 5 Components or features not shown.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 12 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture or any other processing device. Although Figure 5 A single processor 12 is shown in the figure, but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the device 10 may include two or more processors that can form a multi-processor system that can support multi-processing (e.g., in this case, the processor 12 can represent a multi-processor). In some embodiments, the multi-processor system can be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0059] The processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of the device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of the device 10, including processes related to dynamically enabling and disabling hybrid automatic repeat request feedback even for the same hybrid automatic repeat request process without changing the downlink control information.

[0060] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium or other suitable storage device. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code, which, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0061] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0062] In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for sending signals and / or data to the device 10 and receiving signals and / or data from the device 10. The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to (multiple) antennas 15, or may include any other suitable transceiver device. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BT-LE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Ultra Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via uplinks).

[0063] Thus, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the device 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices) or input / output components.

[0064] In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0065] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in a processing circuit / component or a control circuit / component or may form a part of a processing circuit / component or a control circuit / component. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in a transceiver circuit / component or may form a part of a transceiver circuit / component.

[0066] As used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to a hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., analog and / or digital circuits), a combination of hardware circuits and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software that works together to enable a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuits and / or processors or portions thereof that operate using software, but the software may not be present when the software operation is not required. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit" may also cover an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuit may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0067] As described above, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be a network element or a RAN node or may be part of a network element or a RAN node, such as a base station, an access point, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a TRP, a HAPS, an IAB node, a relay node, a WLAN access point, a satellite, etc. In an example embodiment, the device 10 may be a gNB or other radio node, or may be a CU and / or DU of a gNB. According to some embodiments, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with any embodiment described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be configured to perform one or more of the processes depicted in any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein, such as Figures 1 to 4 In some embodiments, as discussed herein, for example, the apparatus 10 can be configured to perform processes related to providing for dynamically enabling and disabling hybrid automatic repeat request feedback even for the same hybrid automatic repeat request process without changing the downlink control information.

[0068] Figure 5 An example of an apparatus 20 according to an embodiment is further shown. In an embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a communication node, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, a mobile equipment, a mobile unit, a mobile device, a user device, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a tablet, a smart phone, an IoT device, a sensor or an NB-IoT device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and its application (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and its application (e.g., a robot and / or other wireless device operating in an industrial and / or automated processing chain environment), a consumer electronic device, a device operating on a commercial and / or industrial wireless network, etc. As an example, the apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0069] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include Figure 5 Components or features not shown.

[0070] like Figure 5 As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 22 may include one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 5 A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, apparatus 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in which case processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0071] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processes related to management of communication resources.

[0072] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transient machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0073] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0074] In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals from the device 20 and transmitting via an uplink. The device 20 may also include a transceiver 28 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols (such as OFDM symbols) carried by the downlink or uplink.

[0075] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the device 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0076] In an embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology (such as NR).

[0077] According to some embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in a processing circuit or a control circuit or may form a part of a processing circuit or a control circuit. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in a transceiver circuit or may form a part of a transceiver circuit.

[0078] As described above, according to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be, for example, a UE, a SL UE, a relay UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or a NB-IoT device, etc. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as in Figures 1 to 4 shown in or about Figures 1 to 4 One or more of the operations described herein, or any other method described herein. For example, in an embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled to perform processes related to providing dynamic enabling and disabling of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback even for the same hybrid automatic repeat request process without changing the downlink control information, as described in detail elsewhere herein.

[0079] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and / or apparatus 20) may include a component for performing a method, process, or any variation discussed herein. Examples of such components may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program codes for causing any operation discussed herein to be performed.

[0080] In view of the foregoing, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages over prior art processes and constitute improvements in at least the technical field of wireless network control and / or management. Certain embodiments may provide various benefits and / or advantages. For example, certain embodiments may provide a way to facilitate control message confirmation and link adaptation when it is desired to disable HARQ feedback to avoid throughput limit stagnation. Certain embodiments may have the advantage of not having to modify the DCI or reinterpret the field. Although such NB-IoT devices have few HARQ processes, certain embodiments may alleviate the application of the Rel-17RRC configuration solution to NB-IoT devices.

[0081] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, diagram, algorithm, or flowchart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code, or portions of code, stored in a memory or other computer-readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the device may include or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit or entity, which is configured for arithmetic operations, or is configured as a program or part of a program (including added or updated software routines), which can be executed by at least one operation processor or controller. The program (also referred to as a program product or computer program, including software routines, applets and macros) can be stored in any device-readable data storage medium and can include program instructions for performing specific tasks. The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components, which are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is running. One or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or part of a code. The modifications and configurations required to implement the functions of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) software routines added or updated. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded into the device.

[0083] As an example, the software or computer program code or part of the code can be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form, and can be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium, which can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers may include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals and / or software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program can be executed in a single electronic digital computer, or can be distributed in multiple computers. Computer-readable media or computer-readable storage media can be non-transient media. As used herein, the term "non-transient" is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than a signal), rather than a limitation of data storage persistence (e.g., RAM to ROM).

[0084] In other example embodiments, the functions of the example embodiments may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device, such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functions of the example embodiments may be implemented as a signal carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network, such as a non-tangible component.

[0085] According to example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit, a computer or a microprocessor (such as a single-chip computer element) or a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for arithmetic operations and / or an operation processor for performing arithmetic operations.

[0086] The example embodiments described herein may apply to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in conjunction with describing certain embodiments. For example, an embodiment describing the operation of a single network node may also apply to example embodiments including multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

[0087] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments described above may be practiced with processes in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a configuration different from that disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative configurations will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments.

[0088] Partial glossary:

[0089] ACK

[0090] ARQ Automatic Repeat Request

[0091] BLER Block Error Rate

[0092] CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check

[0093] DCI Downlink Control Information

[0094] DL Downlink

[0095] HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0096] GEO Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit

[0097] gNB gNodeB

[0098] MAC Media Access Control

[0099] MAC CE MAC Control Element

[0100] MCS Modulation and Coding Scheme

[0101] NACK Negative Acknowledgement

[0102] NTN Non-Terrestrial Network

[0103] NR New Radio

[0104] UE User Equipment

[0105] LEO Low Earth Orbit

[0106] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0107] PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0108] RTT Round Trip Time

[0109] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0110] SAW Stop and Wait

[0111] SR Scheduling Request

[0112] SFN System Frame Number

[0113] TB Transfer Block

[0114] TTI Transmission Time Interval

[0115] UL Uplink

Claims

1. A device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining a subframe index of a start of a transport block; and Providing of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback is determined based on the determined subframe index.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least perform: A configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options is received, wherein the determining is performed based on the configuration.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises: A hybrid automatic repeat request action is looked up in the configuration corresponding to the subframe index relative to the start of the transport block of the configuration.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least perform: Based on the decision to provide the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, a scheduling request is multiplexed with the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback and the scheduling request are sent on uplink resources indicated by downlink control information.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least perform: When providing hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the decision, monitoring of downlink control information is suspended during the round trip time.

7. A device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: configuring a user equipment using a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options; determining a hybrid automatic repeat request action for the user equipment; as well as A transport block having a starting subframe index corresponding to the hybrid automatic repeat request action in the configuration is provided to the user equipment.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform at least: Based on the hybrid automatic repeat request action, uplink resources for hybrid automatic repeat request feedback are allocated to the user equipment.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the determining comprises: Based on the transport block comprising at least one medium access control control element or at least one radio resource control message, it is decided to enable hybrid automatic repeat request feedback.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least perform: Based on the determining, the hybrid automatic repeat request action is to enable hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, using a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement resource field in the downlink control information.

11. A method comprising: Determine a starting subframe index of a transport block; as well as Providing of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback is determined based on the determined subframe index.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: A configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options is received, wherein the determining is performed based on the configuration.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises: A hybrid automatic repeat request action is looked up in the configuration corresponding to the subframe index relative to the start of the transport block of the configuration.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising: Based on the decision to provide the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, a scheduling request is multiplexed with the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback and the scheduling request are sent on uplink resources indicated by downlink control information.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, further comprising: When providing hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the decision, monitoring of downlink control information is suspended during the round trip time.

17. A method comprising: configuring a user equipment using a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options; determining a hybrid automatic repeat request action for the user equipment; as well as A transport block having a starting subframe index corresponding to the hybrid automatic repeat request action in the configuration is provided to the user equipment.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: Based on the hybrid automatic repeat request action, uplink resources for hybrid automatic repeat request feedback are allocated to the user equipment.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein the determining comprises: Based on the transport block comprising at least one medium access control control element or at least one radio resource control message, it is decided to enable hybrid automatic repeat request feedback.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, further comprising: The hybrid automatic repeat request action enables hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determining, using a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement resource field in downlink control information.

21. An apparatus comprising: means for determining a subframe index of a start of a transport block; as well as Means for determining provision of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determined subframe index.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising: Means for receiving a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options, wherein said determining is performed based on said configuration.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the determining comprises: A hybrid automatic repeat request action is looked up in the configuration corresponding to the subframe index relative to the start of the transport block of the configuration.

24. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, further comprising: Means for multiplexing a scheduling request with hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the decision to provide the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the hybrid automatic repeat request feedback and the scheduling request are sent on uplink resources indicated by downlink control information.

26. The apparatus according to any one of claims 21 to 25, further comprising: means for discontinuing monitoring downlink control information within the round trip time when providing hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on the determining.

27. An apparatus comprising: means for configuring a user equipment with a configuration of a relationship between a plurality of subframe indices and a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request feedback options; means for determining a hybrid automatic repeat request action for said user equipment; as well as Means for providing to the user equipment a transport block having a starting subframe index corresponding to the hybrid automatic repeat request action in the configuration.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising: means for allocating uplink resources for hybrid automatic repeat request feedback to the user equipment based on the hybrid automatic repeat request action.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 or 28, wherein the determining comprises: Based on the transport block comprising at least one medium access control control element or at least one radio resource control message, it is decided to enable hybrid automatic repeat request feedback.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 27 to 29, further comprising: Means for enabling hybrid automatic repeat request feedback based on said determining said hybrid automatic repeat request action to use a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement resource field in downlink control information.

31. A computer program product encoding instructions for executing the method according to any one of claims 11 to 20.

32. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that when executed in hardware perform the method of any one of claims 11 to 20.

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