Link adaptation for retransmission of transport blocks based on target block error probability (BLEP)

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method in a network node. The method includes obtaining, from a previous transmission of the transport block, a cumulative number of transmitted bits and a quality metric for the previous transmission of the transport block. The network node then estimates a BLEP for retransmission of the transport block based on using the selected modulation, and compares the estimated BLEP to a target BLEP. In response to the estimated BLEP being less than the target BLEP, the network node retransmits the transport block using the selected modulation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for link adaptation for retransmissions by a network node. Background Art

[0002] In a New Radio (NR) communication system, the scheduler in the gNB is responsible for allocating resources to user equipment (UE) in connected mode in both uplink (UL) and downlink (DL). Figure 1 The diagram illustrates how the scheduler 120 in the network 100 interacts with the QoS unit 110 in the core network and the link adaptation function 130 that may reside in the gNB. In particular, Figure 1 As shown, the scheduler 120 receives inputs related to the required quality of service (QoS) for each UE / service handled by the gNB from the QoS unit 110 in the core network. The scheduler 120 works closely with the link adaptation (LA) function 130 to select the appropriate transport block format for uplink and downlink transmissions to / from the UE 150. The LA function 130 decides the appropriate radio resource assignment for the UE 150 based on the estimated signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), the results of the UE's previous transmissions (ACK / NACK), the UE's power headroom, and the available bandwidth.

[0003] The network sends the resource assignment determined by the scheduler 120 to the UE 150. A power control function 140 in the network controls the transmit power of the UE 150 via transmit power control (TPC) commands. The UE 150 provides channel feedback to the network in the form of channel state information (CSI).

[0004] The scheduler 120 and link adaptation function 130 in the gNB have the task of selecting a transport format consisting of resource allocation, number of layers, and modulation and coding scheme for downlink transmissions based on the reported CSI from the UE. For uplink transmissions, the selection is based on the CSI measured by the gNB. For services with high reliability requirements, this can be a challenging task, especially if the transmission format should also be spectrally efficient. Since the transmission for which link adaptation is performed occurs after the CSI is measured, the scheduler 120 and link adaptation function 130 have to predict the SINR at the time of transmission based on the "observed" SINR that can be determined from the reported or measured CSI. One such prediction that is typically used is that the predicted SINR is equal to the last "reported / measured" SINR.

[0005] A fundamental problem with link adaptation is that, in general, it is difficult for a gNB to accurately predict the SINR that future transmissions will experience. That is, there is an associated uncertainty for any predicted SINR. Traditional link adaptation mitigates this uncertainty by relying on hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmissions. However, for services with latency requirements, the number of HARQ retransmissions that can be performed may be limited, which means that this uncertainty may need to be addressed in link adaptation.

[0006] The uncertainty in the predicted SINR may depend on several factors, including:

[0007] Age of CSI report

[0008] CSI report quantification

[0009] CQI to SINR mapping error

[0010] Channel variations, such as fading and mobility

[0011] Inter-cell / intra-cell interference changes

[0012] Measurement errors, such as SRS, CSI-RS / IM measurement errors

[0013] To account for the uncertainty in the predicted SINR, a common approach is to choose a backoff (in the logarithmic domain) on the “predicted” SINR to make the SINR prediction more conservative:

[0014] SINR used-prediction =SINR predicted -backoff[1]

[0015] Where SINR used-prediction is the SINR used as the prediction, and SINR predicted is the "predicted" SINR, which is often the same as the last "observed" SINR. In some cases, SINR predicted The determination may be made in a manner that addresses one or more of the factors that cause the uncertainty. In such a case, the remaining uncertainty may be reduced, and thus the backoff may also be reduced.

[0016] In a typical link adaptation process, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) value is selected for a transmission such that the actual SINR of the transmission is assumed to be equal to the SINR used-prediction , the block error probability (BLEP) does not exceed 10%.

[0017] HARQ retransmissions are also an efficient way to mitigate the uncertainty in the predicted SINR. When link adaptation is performed on retransmissions, the transport block size is the same as that used for the initial transmission. However, the transmission parameters for the retransmission, such as the number of layers, resource allocation size, redundancy version, and modulation, may be different from the initial transmission. The number of layers, resource allocation size, and modulation determine the number of coded bits that can be sent, and the redundancy version determines which coded bits are sent in a so-called rate matching process. If the number of coded bits used for the initial transmission is n 0 , and n i is the number of coded bits sent for the i-th retransmission, then the effective code rate cr for the i-th retransmission is i is given as:

[0018]

[0019] Where n info is the number of information bits sent. The number of information bits is equal to the transport block size in bits plus the number of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits. In NR, due to the fact that the basegraph of the low-density parity check (LDPC) coding used for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) depends on the transport block size and the initial code rate (excluding CRC), and due to the fact that if the transport block size is large enough, it is split into several blocks and encoded into several code blocks respectively (each code block is attached with a code block CRC), the details for determining the code rate are more complicated than shown above. For the description in this article, it is sufficient to consider a simplified approach, because it is tedious but straightforward to adapt the description with the precise details. Summary of the invention

[0020] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a network node, a user equipment, a core network node and methods therein, which can perform link adaptation for retransmission of transport blocks in a more efficient manner.

[0021] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method in a network node is provided. The method includes obtaining a cumulative number of transmitted bits from previous transmissions of a transport block, and a quality metric for the previous transmissions of the transport block. The network node then estimates a block error probability (BLEP) for the retransmission of the transport block based on using the selected modulation for the retransmission of the transport block, and compares the estimated BLEP with a target BLEP. In response to the estimated BLEP being less than the target BLEP, the network node retransmits the transport block using the selected modulation.

[0022] In an embodiment, the method may further include, in response to the estimated BLEP being less than the target BLEP, selecting a second modulation having a lower number of bits per symbol than the selected modulation used in the previous estimation, and estimating the BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on using the second modulation for the retransmission of the transport block. The network node then compares the estimated BLEP based on the second modulation to be less than the target BLEP. And, in response to the estimated BLEP based on the second modulation being less than the target BLEP, the network node selects the second modulation for the retransmission.

[0023] In an embodiment, in the event that the estimated BLEP based on any selected modulation is not less than the target BLEP, a larger resource allocation will be requested for retransmission.

[0024] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a network node is provided. The network node comprises a processing circuit and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuit, whereby the network node is operable to perform the method according to the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The above and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 The diagram shows the scheduler in the network interacting with the QoS unit in the core network and the link adaptation function residing in the gNB.

[0027] Figure 2 Illustrated is the operation of a gNB for performing link adaptation for retransmission of a transport block in accordance with some embodiments.

[0028] Figure QQ1 An example of a communication system according to some embodiments is shown.

[0029] Figure QQ2 An example of a UE QQ 200 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0030] Figure QQ3 An example of a network node QQ 300 is shown according to some embodiments.

[0031] Figure QQ4 According to various aspects and Figure QQ1 An embodiment of the host corresponds to a block diagram of the host QQ400.

[0032] Figure QQ5 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.

[0033] Figure QQ6A communication diagram illustrating a host communicating with a UE via a network node over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] There are some challenges. When performing LA, a coding model of the UE's decoding capabilities is often used. The coding model can be used in link adaptation to determine whether the code rate is low enough to achieve a specific BLEP given a specific SINR. The coding model can be viewed as a function blep(n info ,cr initial ,cr effective ,rbir), which returns the BLEP value as a function of the following parameters: the number of information bits n info , initial bit rate cr initial , effective bit rate cr effective and the value rbir as the effective received bit information rate (RBIR), which is given as follows:

[0035]

[0036] Quantity RBI i is the received bit information for transmission i (i=0: initial transmission, i: i-th retransmission), which is a theoretical value of information that depends on SINR, allocation size and modulation.

[0037] When LA is performed for an upcoming DL transmission i, rbi i It is often determined directly from the latest CSI report. For i>0 (retransmission), the gNB does not know the true RBI for j=0,1,…,i-1 that prevailed in the previous transmission. j The gNB knows from the HARQ-ACK report that the previous transmission could not be decoded correctly, but does not know what the real quality was like. Therefore, LA is often performed in the same way as for the initial transmission, but with the constraint that the determined transport block size should be the same as the one used for the initial transmission. The problem with performing retransmission LA in such a way is that the UE may be allocated more resources than actually needed to correctly decode the transport block.

[0038] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these or other challenges. In particular, some embodiments provide a method performed by a gNB of a wireless communication network when performing link adaptation for an upcoming retransmission of a transport block (TB) to a UE. The gNB obtains accumulated transmitted coded bits and quality metrics for previous transmissions of the TB and obtains a number of coded bits to be used for retransmitting the TB based on resources to be assigned for retransmission for possible modulations. The gNB determines whether a modulation may be used for retransmitting the TB based at least on the obtained accumulated coded bits and the obtained quality metrics for previous transmissions of the TB.

[0039] Some embodiments are described herein with reference to DL transmissions from the network to the UE. However, it will be appreciated that the methods described herein may also be applied to UL transmissions. The main difference between DL and UL is that the gNB can directly measure the quality of PUSCH transmissions on the UL, whereas for the DL there is currently no mechanism for the gNB to know the quality of PDSCH transmissions other than its failed PDSCH transmissions.

[0040] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. In particular, some embodiments may reduce resource consumption of a gNB or UE, improve spectrum efficiency, reduce interference, and / or improve system throughput.

[0041] Detailed Description

[0042] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. Additional information may also be found in the document(s) provided in the appendix.

[0043] Figure 2 The operation of a gNB for performing link adaptation for retransmission of a transport block according to some embodiments is illustrated. Figure 2 As shown, the gNB obtains the cumulative number of coded bits sent from previous transmissions of the transport block (block 202) and obtains a quality metric for previous transmissions of the transport block (block 204). Using this information, the gNB determines the effective RBIR for previous transmissions and retransmissions of the transport block (block 206).

[0044] The gNB then iterates through the list of potential modulations that can be used for the retransmission and determines if any of the potential modulations are candidates for the retransmission. At block 208, the gNB selects a potential modulation for the retransmission. At block 210, the gNB calculates the BLEP that is expected to be achieved using the selected potential modulation based on the effective RBIR determined in block 206 and the resource allocation provided by the scheduler. If the BLEP predicted for the retransmission is less than the target BLEP, then at block 212 the selected potential modulation is added to the list of candidate modulations for further consideration, and operation proceeds to block 214. If the BLEP is not less than the target BLEP, then the selected potential modulation is not added to the list of candidate modulations.

[0045] At block 214, the gNB determines if there are any additional potential modulations to consider. If so, operation returns to block 208 and another potential modulation is selected. Otherwise, operation proceeds to block 216, where the gNB determines if the foregoing process identified any candidate modulations (i.e., the gNB determines if there are any modulations with a BLEP less than the target BLEP given the resource allocation and the effective RBIR).

[0046] If no candidate modulation is found, the gNB requests the scheduler to provide a larger resource allocation (block 218) and the process is repeated.

[0047] If one or more candidate modulations are found, the gNB selects a candidate modulation for use in the retransmission (block 220). In selecting a candidate modulation for use in the retransmission, the gNB may consider the bits per symbol of the modulation. For example, the gNB may select the modulation that uses the smallest number of bits per symbol.

[0048] The gNB then retransmits the TB using the selected modulation (block 222).

[0049] At block 202, accumulated coded bits may be obtained from a storage device, wherein the number of coded bits used is stored each time a transmission is performed. The number of coded bits may be stored explicitly, or may be stored implicitly. An example of implicit storage is storing the modulation used in the transmission and the number of modulation symbols used.

[0050] At block 204, the UE may report an indicator indicating a quality metric of the PDSCH used to transmit the transport block. The indicator may be, for example, a CQI value reported by the UE. Based on the reported indicator, a SINR or RBI value may be determined by the gNB using a coding model.

[0051] In another example, the UE may not report quality metrics other than HARQ-ACK / NACK indicating whether the TB is correctly received. In this case, one or more of the following methods may be used to obtain an estimate of the channel quality.

[0052] For example, a fixed quality metric may be used to estimate the channel quality, such as SINR = X dB, where X may be selected based on, for example, the radio environment, the load in the cell, and so on.

[0053] In another example, the channel quality may be estimated using a value relative to the quality predicted when performing LA. For example, if the SINR is predicted as SINR=Y dB at the time of the initial transmission, then the quality metric obtained for the initial transmission may be YB dB, where B is a fixed backoff value. The backoff value B may be a function of the transmissions that have been performed. For example, if the predicted SINR is Y for each of transmissions 0, 1, ..., i-1, then when performing LA for the i-th (re)transmission, the quality metric obtained for transmissions 0, 1, ..., i-1 may be determined as YB 0 ,YB 1 ,…,YB (i-1) , where B j Is a fixed value.

[0054] In another example, the channel quality may be estimated using a value that is a function of the predicted quality and the uncertainty value of the predicted quality when performing LA. For example, the predicted quality and the uncertainty value are the expected SINR m for transmission j. j and the standard deviation of the expected SINR s j In this case, the quality value obtained can be B 0 ,B 1 ,…,B_(i-1), where B j is a product with average value m j and standard deviation s j The percentile value of a normally distributed random variable. In some examples, B j Can be a j Percentile value. In some examples, the percentile is the same percentile for all j=0,1,…,i-1, but the percentile depends on i. For example, if i=1, then B 0 can be the 25th percentile value, and if i = 2, then B 0 =B 1 Can be the 10th percentile value.

[0055] There is a way to get B j For example, one other method is B j=E{X j |X j j}, where X j is a product with average value m j and standard deviation s j A normally distributed random variable, E{.} represents the expected value X j (When it is below the threshold A j Value A j It can be determined as the SINR value for which the probability of error in sending a TB will exceed a threshold, such as 25%.

[0056] In some embodiments, the method used to obtain the quality estimate for the previous transmission of the transport block depends on the delay requirement of the TB. For example, if the delay requirement allows N transmissions, and the upcoming i-th transmission is the last transmission, the quality value obtained for the previous transmission is determined in a conservative way. For example, the SINR in dB can be obtained as -∞, which will result in the RBI contribution from the previous transmission being zero.

[0057] In some examples, the gNB has frequency selective knowledge about the quality. Such knowledge may be obtained from: frequency selective CQI reporting, or code block group (CBG) HARQ-ACK, and / or an indicator that the UE reports a frequency selective quality metric of the reception of the PDSCH used to transmit the transport block. In such examples, the quality metric may be stored / obtained frequency selectively. For example, if the UE reports a frequency selective CQI, a quality statistic may be determined for each of the reported CSI subbands, and the predicted quality and uncertainty may be determined based on the average and std SINR of the subbands where the PDSCH transmissions overlap.

[0058] In another embodiment, after obtaining the quality estimate, the gNB may decide to use a code block group refresh indicator (CBGFI) in the next downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling retransmissions. The decision may be based on one or more quality metrics reported by the UE. In one example, the gNB may decide to refresh the soft buffers for one or more CBGs if the accumulated bits received by the UE are below a defined threshold, which may be an absolute value or a percentage of the number of bits sent. In such an example, the gNB refreshes / resets its associated / corresponding quality metric storage (e.g., the corresponding RBI contribution is set to zero).

[0059] ​In some examples, the gNB needs to interrupt transmission to the UE. The gNB will then send a PI (pre-emption indicator) to the UE indicating the time-frequency location where the preemption occurred, so that the UE can refresh its soft buffer accordingly. When the PI is sent to the UE, the gNB also refreshes / resets the associated / corresponding quality metric storage (e.g., the corresponding RBI contribution is set to zero).

[0060] In yet other embodiments, the UE may report the CBG HARQ-ACK, and the gNB may obtain the quality metric based on the CBG HARQ-ACK. CBG CBGs are used for corresponding PDSCH transmissions, then the ratio m / n CBG Provides an estimate of the CBG error rate. In NR, the interleaved VRB to PRB mapping can be used to average the SINR differences across all CBGs, making the CBG error probability approximately the same for all CBGs. This can enable the gNB to use the coding model to determine the likely SINR that is dominant for PDSCH transmission. Furthermore, by assuming that the number of CBGs incorrectly decoded by the UE is a binomially distributed random variable X~Bi(p CBG ,n CBG ), the gNB can estimate the ratio m / n for the assumed SINR or CBG error probability CBG How high is the probability. For a given CBG error probability p CBG , the probability that at most m CBGs are incorrect is equal to:

[0061]

[0062] This enables the gNB to determine the assumed SINR ratio m / n that prevails for PDSCH reception. CBG For example, if the assumed SINR corresponds to p CBG =3% and n CBG =8, then m / n CBG ≤25% occurs with ~99.9% probability. With 99.9% certainty, the gNB can then assume that if the UE reports CBG HARQ-ACK with m=2, the prevailing SINR is no lower than the assumed SINR.

[0063] Take the normal distribution assumption of SINR as an example. In some embodiments, a different SINR distribution may be assumed, such as a skew-normal distribution. Such an assumption may require knowing / estimating more than just the mean and standard deviation, e.g., for a skew-normal distribution, the skewness is required. Although the calculations may be more complex, applying the methods described herein is straightforward.

[0064] In order to evaluate the potential modulation to be used for the retransmission TB, the quality value obtained for the previous transmission is mapped to an RBI value at block 206. More precisely, when performing LA at the i-th transmission, the RBI value rbi for transmission j=0, ..., i-1 is determined based on the obtained quality value j For tentative modulation, the number of coded bits n for the upcoming i-th transmission is determined based on the resource assignment intended for the i-th transmission and the tentative modulation. i The cumulative number of coded bits where n j (j=0,1,…,i-1) is the number of coded bits obtained for the previous transmission. Next, the predicted received bit information rbi to be assumed for the i-th transmission is i .

[0065] In some examples, rbi i This is determined based on the latest CSI report.

[0066] In some examples, rbi i It is based on RBI j (j=0,1,…,i-1). For example, Another example could be to determine the RBI based on the average SINR i (SINR is the obtained quality value). Several other examples are possible, where the minimum value (min), maximum value (max), median (median) or other statistical measures can be used to obtain the RBI based on the quality values ​​obtained for previous transmissions. i Another example of this is In yet other examples, the minimum value may be in rbi j / n j and rbi cqi / n i Between, among which rbi cqi This is determined based on the latest CSI report.

[0067] In one example, in determining rbi i When , the method that will be conservative in the LA function for the smallest transmission within the delay bound is performed. If the i-th transmission is not the last transmission within the delay bound, rbi can be determined based on the latest CSI report i , but if it is the last transmission, then In some examples, the level of conservatism in the LA function depends on how many transmissions are left within the delay budget. and can be determined, and if N transmissions are possible within the delay budget, then rbi i Can be determined as:

[0068]

[0069] This would mean that if i=1, then rbi i =rbi max , i.e., it is the first retransmission, and if i=N-1, then rbi i =rbi min , i.e., it is the last possible (re)transmission within the delay budget.

[0070] Once the RBI has been determined i , the effective RBIR can be determined as

[0071] According to the transport block size and the number of coded bits n 0 ,…,n i , the initial bit rate cr can be determined initial and effective bit rate cr effective According to the encoding model, the function blep(n info ,cr initial ,cr effective ,rbir) determines the BLEP for tentative modulation, where n info is the number of information bits corresponding to a transport block. If the BLEP for a modulation is below the target value, then at block 210 the modulation is determined to be an acceptable candidate modulation.

[0072] In some variations of this embodiment, the BLEP for the tentative modulation is determined as the numerical integral over the probability density distribution of rbir. For example, the SINR for the i-th transmission may be assumed to be normally distributed. Since the SINR value may be mapped to the RBI value, rbi i will be a random variable that is a function of a normally distributed random variable. Therefore, rbir will also be a function of a normally distributed random variable. BLEP can then be determined as the numerical integral:

[0073] BLEP=∫blep(n info ,cr initial ,cr effective ,rbir(x))p X (x)dx [6]

[0074] where p X(x) is the probability density function of SINR, and rbir(.) is a function that maps SINR values ​​for upcoming transmissions to effective RBIR.

[0075] In some variations of this embodiment, the target value is a fixed value, such as 10%, while in other variations, the target value is a function of i and the initial BLEP target. target (i) = BLEP target (0) i .

[0076] In yet other variations, the BLEP for the initial transmission is not limited to a threshold. In such variations, the BLEP for the initial transmission is the result of a LA decision targeting high throughput and / or high spectral efficiency. In such examples, the target BLEP for the i-th transmission (BLEP threshold) may be the same as the expected BLEP for the initial transmission, or a function of i and the BLEP for the initial transmission. For example, if the BLEP for the initial transmission is equal to BLEP(0), then the BLEP target or threshold for the i-th transmission may be determined to be BLEP target (i) = BLEP target (0) α , where α is a parameter. For example, we can assume that BLEP target (0) = 0.5, which will give BLEP for i = 1, 2, 3 with α = 1.0 target (i) = 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125, while α = 1.5 will give BLEP for i = 1, 2, 3 target (i)≈0.354, 0.125 and 0.044.

[0077] In some variants, the UE may be configured with CBG HARQ-ACK, where the gNB may retransmit only CBGs for which the UE reports HARQ NACK (i.e., an indication of incorrect decoding). In such an example, the gNB may choose to have a BLEP target with respect to CBGs instead of transport blocks (TBs). As described above, the gNB may assume the number of incorrectly decoded CBGs to be a random variable X~Bi(p CBG ,n CBG ). Then the CBG error probability p CBG and TB error probability p TB The relationship between TB =1-(1-p CBG ) (nCBG) .

[0078] In another embodiment, the gNB may configure the UE to provide more extensive CSI reporting for single and multiple transmission points (multi-TRP). The LA functionality in the gNB may decide to use single or multiple TRPs in order to be able to adjust the reliability of the transmission. In this case, the quality metric obtaining step may depend on whether the transmission is a single TRP or a multi-TRP transmission. It is also possible to determine the rbi when performing LA for the i-th transmission depending on whether the i-th transmission is a single TRP transmission or a multi-TRP transmission. i .

[0079] At block 220, if the LA function finds more than one suitable modulation for the same resource allocation size, then the modulation with fewer bits per symbol is preferably selected. If the LA function finds no suitable modulation, then the LA may indicate to the scheduler at block 218 that a larger resource allocation is required.

[0080] In further embodiments, obtaining and determining the quality metric and mapping to the RBI may also depend on the number of MIMO layers, MIMO user multiplexing, SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO, and / or whether a TB is transmitted together with a second TB.

[0081] Figure QQ1 An example of a communication system QQ 100 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0082] In this example, the communication system QQ100 includes a telecommunications network QQ102 including an access network QQ104 such as a radio access network (RAN) and a core network QQ106 including one or more core network nodes QQ108. The access network QQ104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes QQ110a and QQ110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network node QQ110), or any other similar third generation partnership project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. The network node QQ110 facilitates direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UE QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c, and QQ112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE QQ112) to the core network QQ106 via one or more wireless connections.

[0083] Example wireless communications via wireless connections include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transferring information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. In addition, in different embodiments, the communication system QQ100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired or wireless connection. The communication system QQ100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0084] UE QQ 112 may be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node QQ 110 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node QQ 110 is arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE QQ 112 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network QQ 102 to implement and / or provide network access (such as wireless network access) and / or perform other functions (such as management in telecommunication network QQ 102).

[0085] In the depicted example, the core network QQ106 connects the network node QQ110 to one or more hosts, such as the host QQ116. These connections may be direct or indirect connections via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node may be directly coupled to the host. The core network QQ106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node QQ108) constructed with hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UE, network nodes, and / or hosts, so that their descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node QQ108. The example core network node includes a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a subscription identifier de-hiding function (SIDF), a unified data management (UDM), a security edge protection agent (SEPP), a network open function (NEF), and / or a user plane function (UPF) One or more functions.

[0086] The host QQ 116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network QQ 104 and / or the telecommunications network QQ 102, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host QQ 116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include real-time and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (such as retrieving and editing data about various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analysis functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by a server.

[0087] As a whole, Figure QQ1 The communication system QQ100 implements the connection between UE, network node and host. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures such as specific standards, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standards (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standards, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0088] In some examples, telecommunication network QQ 102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, telecommunication network QQ 102 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to telecommunication network QQ 102. For example, telecommunication network QQ 102 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or providing massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to other UEs.

[0089] In some examples, UE QQ112 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from access network QQ104, the UE can be designed to send information to access network QQ104 according to a predetermined schedule. Additionally, the UE can be configured to operate in a single RAT or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE can operate using any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0090] In this example, the hub QQ114 communicates with the access network QQ104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and a network node (e.g., network node QQ110b). In some examples, the hub QQ114 can be a controller, a router, a content source and analysis, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to the UE. For example, the hub QQ114 can be a broadband router that enables the UE to access the core network QQ106. As another example, the hub QQ114 can be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions can be received from the UE, the network node QQ110, or received through executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub QQ114. As another example, the hub QQ114 can be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, analysis or other processing of the data can be performed. As another example, the hub QQ114 can be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub QQ 114 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, and then the hub QQ 114 provides it to the UE directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In another example, the hub QQ 114 acts as a proxy server or coordinator for the UE, especially when one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0091] The hub QQ114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node QQ110b. The hub QQ114 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between the hub QQ114 and the UE (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and between the hub QQ114 and the core network QQ106. In other examples, the hub QQ114 is connected to the core network QQ106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. In addition, the hub QQ114 may be configured to be connected to an M2M service provider via the access network QQ104 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, the UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node QQ110 while still being connected via a wired or wireless connection via the hub QQ114. In some embodiments, the hub QQ114 may be a dedicated hub, that is, its main function is to route communications from the network node QQ110b to the UE / from the UE to the network node QQ110b. In other embodiments, hub QQ 114 may be a non-dedicated hub, that is, a device operable to route communications between UEs and network node QQ 110b, but also capable of operating as a communications origin and / or endpoint for certain data channels.

[0092] Figure QQ2 UE QQ200 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, UE refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communications (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0093] The UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, the UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user owning and / or operating the associated device. Instead, the UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user, but the device may not be associated with a particular human user, or may not initially be associated with that particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, the UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user, but the device may be associated with a user or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0094] UE QQ200 includes processing circuit QQ202, which is operatively coupled to input / output interface QQ206, power supply QQ208, memory QQ210, communication interface QQ212 and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via bus QQ204. Figure QQ2 All or a subset of the components shown in . The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another UE. In addition, some UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0095] The processing circuit QQ202 is configured to process instructions and data, and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in the memory QQ210 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit QQ202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs), and appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit QQ202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0096] In this example, the input / output interface QQ206 can be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device can allow a user to capture information into the UE QQ200. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, direction pads, trackpads, rollers, smart cards, etc. The presence-sensitive display can include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device can use an interface port of the same type as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port can be used to provide input devices and output devices.

[0097] In some embodiments, the power supply QQ208 is configured as a battery or a battery pack. Other types of power supplies may be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., an electrical socket), a photovoltaic device, or a power battery. The power supply QQ208 may also include a power circuit for delivering power from the power supply QQ208 itself and / or an external power supply to various parts of the UE QQ200 via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. The delivered power may be used, for example, to charge the power supply QQ208. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power supply QQ208 so that the power is suitable for various components of the UE QQ200 to which the power is supplied.

[0098] The memory QQ210 may be or be configured to include a memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a hard disk, a removable tape cartridge, a flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory QQ210 includes one or more application programs QQ214, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data QQ216. The memory QQ210 may store any of a variety of operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE QQ200.

[0099] The memory QQ210 may be configured to include a plurality of physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory (such as a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), including one or more user identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM), other memories, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card". The memory QQ210 may allow the UE QQ200 to access instructions, applications, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary storage medium to unload data or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in memory QQ210, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0100] The processing circuit QQ202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface QQ212. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more communication subsystems, and may include an antenna QQ222 or be communicatively coupled to the antenna QQ222. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more transceivers for communication, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter QQ218 and / or a receiver QQ220 suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). In addition, the transmitter QQ218 and the receiver QQ220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna QQ222), and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may be implemented separately alternatively.

[0101] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication interface QQ212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near field communication, location-based communication such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. Communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, new radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), QUIC, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and the like.

[0102] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE can provide an output of the data captured by its sensor via a wireless connection to a network node through its communication interface QQ212. The data captured by the UE's sensor can be transmitted to the network node via another UE via a wireless connection. The output can be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., in order to load balance reports from multiple sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., sending an alarm when moisture is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0103] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change. For example, the UE can include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight based on the received input, or adjusts a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0104] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a UE may be a device used in one or more application areas including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are the following devices or devices embedded in the following devices: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, connected lighting, an electric meter, a robotic vacuum cleaner, a voice-activated smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / humidity sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system (such as a heat pump), an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable device for tactile enhancement or sensory enhancement, a sprinkler, an animal or item tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device (such as a heart rate monitor or a remotely controlled surgical robot). In addition to the description of Figure QQ2 In addition to the other components described for UE QQ200 shown in FIG. 1 , a UE in the form of an IoT device includes circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0105] As another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or a network node. In this case, the UE may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, a UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other device that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or capable of performing other functions associated with its operation.

[0106] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE may be or be integrated into a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller for operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the speed of the drone. The first and / or second UE may also include more than one of the above functions. For example, the UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle the communication of data for the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0107] Figure QQ3A network node QQ300 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR NodeBs (gNBs)).

[0108] Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, based on their transmit power level), and thus may be referred to as a femto base station, a pico base station, a micro base station, or a macro base station, depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), which is sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Portions of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0109] Other examples of network nodes include a multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access node, a multi-standard radio (MSR) device such as an MSR BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile positioning center (E-SMLC)) and / or a minimization of drive tests (MDT).

[0110] The network node QQ300 includes a processing circuit QQ302, a memory QQ304, a communication interface QQ306 and a power supply QQ308. The network node QQ300 may be composed of a plurality of physically separated components (e.g., a NodeB component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node QQ300 includes a plurality of separated components (e.g., a BTS and a BSC component), one or more of the separated components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control a plurality of NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be regarded as a single separated network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node QQ300 may be configured to support a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be repeated (e.g., separate memories QQ304 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna QQ310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node QQ300 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for different wireless technologies (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node QQ300. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node QQ300.

[0111] The processing circuit QQ302 may include a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic, which can be operated to provide the functionality of the network node QQ300 alone or in conjunction with other network node QQ300 components (such as memory QQ304).

[0112] In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and a baseband processing circuit QQ314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0113] The memory QQ304 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit QQ302. The memory QQ304 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including computer programs, software, applications, including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit QQ302 and utilized by the network node QQ300. The memory QQ304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuit QQ302 and / or any data received via the communication interface QQ306. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 and the memory QQ304 are integrated.

[0114] The communication interface QQ306 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks and / or UEs. As shown in the figure, the communication interface QQ306 includes one or more ports / terminals QQ316, which are used to send data to the network and receive data from the network, for example, via a wired connection. The communication interface QQ306 also includes a radio front-end circuit QQ318, which can be coupled to the antenna QQ310, or in some embodiments is a part of the antenna QQ310. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 includes a filter QQ320 and an amplifier QQ322. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 can be connected to the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 can use a combination of a filter QQ320 and / or an amplifier QQ322 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be sent via the antenna QQ310. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna QQ310 may collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuit QQ318. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit QQ302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0115] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node QQ300 does not include a separate radio front end circuit QQ318, but rather the processing circuit QQ302 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna QQ310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or part of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 is part of the communication interface QQ306. In other embodiments, the communication interface QQ306 includes one or more ports or terminals QQ316, the radio front end circuit QQ318, and the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface QQ306 communicates with the baseband processing circuit QQ314 as part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0116] Antenna QQ310 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna QQ310 may be coupled to radio front end circuit QQ318 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna QQ310 is separate from network node QQ300 and may be connected to network node QQ300 via an interface or port.

[0117] Antenna QQ310, communication interface QQ306 and / or processing circuit QQ302 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain acquisition operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna QQ310, communication interface QQ306 and / or processing circuit QQ302 may be configured to perform any sending operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be sent to a UE, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0118] The power supply QQ308 provides power to the various components of the network node QQ300 in a form suitable for the various components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each corresponding component). The power supply QQ308 may further include or be coupled to a power management circuit to supply power to the components of the network node QQ300 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as a cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit of the power supply QQ308. As another example, the power supply QQ308 may include a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack, which is connected to the power circuit or integrated in the power circuit. If the external power supply fails, the battery can provide backup power.

[0119] An embodiment of the network node QQ300 may include Figure QQ3Additional components beyond those shown are used to provide certain aspects of the network node functionality, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node QQ300 and to allow information to be output from the network node QQ300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions of the network node QQ300.

[0120] Figure QQ4 is a block diagram of a host QQ400 according to various aspects described herein, and the host QQ400 may be Figure QQ1 116. As used herein, host QQ 400 may be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including processing resources in a standalone server, blade server, cloud-implemented server, distributed server, virtual machine, container, or server farm. Host QQ 400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0121] The host QQ400 includes a processing circuit QQ402, which is operably coupled to an input / output interface QQ406, a network interface QQ408, a power supply QQ410, and a memory QQ412 via a bus QQ404. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the previous figures (such as Figure QQ2 and Figure QQ3 )'s features described in the device make its description generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host QQ400.

[0122] The memory QQ412 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host applications QQ414 and data QQ416, which may include user data (e.g., data generated by the UE for the host QQ400 or data generated by the host QQ400 for the UE). An embodiment of the host QQ400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application QQ414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., general video coding (VVC), high efficiency video coding (HEVC), advanced video coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, advanced audio coding (AAC), MPEG, and G.711), including code conversion for multiple different categories, types, or implementations of UE (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application QQ414 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health status, routing, and content availability to a central node (such as a device in a core network or on the edge). Therefore, the host QQ 400 can select and / or indicate different hosts for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application QQ 414 can support various protocols, such as HTTP real-time streaming (HLS) protocol, real-time messaging protocol (RTMP), real-time streaming protocol (RTSP), dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0123] Figure QQ5 It is a block diagram showing a virtualized environment QQ500, in which the functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or equipment, which can include virtualizing a hardware platform, a storage device, and a network resource. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device or component thereof described herein, and relates to such an implementation, in which at least a portion of a function is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein can be implemented as virtual components performed by one or more virtual machines (VMs), which are implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ500 hosted by one or more hardware nodes (such as hardware computing devices operating as network nodes, UEs, core network nodes, or hosts). In addition, in an embodiment where a virtual node does not require a radio connection (e.g., a core network node or a host), the node can be fully virtualized.

[0124] Application QQ502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) runs in a virtualized environment Q400 to implement some features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0125] Hardware QQ504 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. The software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers QQ506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VM QQ508a and QQ508b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VM QQ508), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some of the embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer QQ506 may present a virtual operating platform that looks like network hardware to VM QQ508.

[0126] VM QQ508 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer QQ506. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices QQ502 can be implemented on one or more of VM QQ508 and can be implemented in different ways. Virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV) in some contexts. NFV can be used to integrate many network device types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0127] In the context of NFV, VM QQ508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of VM QQ508 and the portion of hardware QQ504 on which the VM executes, whether hardware dedicated to the VM and / or hardware shared by the VM with other VMs in the VM, form a separate virtual network element. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more VM QQ508 on top of hardware QQ504 and corresponds to application QQ502.

[0128] Hardware QQ504 can be implemented in an independent network node with general or specific components. Hardware QQ504 can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware QQ504 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (for example, in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and coordination QQ510, where management and coordination QQ510 especially supervises the life cycle management of application QQ502. In some embodiments, hardware QQ504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio unit can communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and can be used in combination with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to virtual nodes such as radio access nodes or base stations. In some embodiments, a control system QQ512 can be used to provide some signaling, which can be alternatively used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0129] Figure QQ6 A communication diagram showing a host QQ 602 communicating with a UE QQ 606 via a network node QQ 604 over a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments.

[0130] Now refer to Figure QQ6 Describes the UE (such as Figure QQ1 UEQQ112a and / or Figure QQ2 UE QQ200), network nodes (such as Figure QQ1 The network node QQ110a and / or Figure QQ3 network nodes QQ300) and hosts (such as Figure QQ1 Host QQ116 and / or Figure QQ4 An example implementation of the host QQ400).

[0131] Similar to the host QQ400, an embodiment of the host QQ602 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host QQ602 also includes software stored in the host QQ602 or accessible by the host QQ602 and executable by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application that is operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE QQ606 connected via an over-the-top transfer (OTT) connection QQ650 extending between the UE QQ606 and the host QQ602. In the process of providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data sent using the OTT connection QQ650.

[0132] Network node QQ 604 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with host QQ 602 and UE QQ 606. Connection QQ 660 may be direct or through a core network such as Figure QQ1 The core network QQ106 of the present invention) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private or managed networks. For example, the intermediate network can be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0133] UE QQ606 includes hardware and software, which is stored in UE QQ606 or accessible by UE QQ606 and can be executed by the processing circuit of UE. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "application", which is operable to provide services to human or non-human users via UE QQ606 with the support of host QQ602. In host QQ602, the executing host application can communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection QQ650 terminated at UE QQ606 and host QQ602. In the process of providing services to users, the client application of UE can receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection QQ650 can transmit request data and user data. The client application of UE can interact with the user to generate user data provided to the host application via OTT connection QQ650.

[0134] The OTT connection QQ650 may extend via a connection QQ660 between the host QQ602 and the network node QQ604 and via a wireless connection QQ670 between the network node QQ604 and the UE QQ606 to provide connectivity between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606. The connection QQ660 and the wireless connection QQ670 over which the OTT connection QQ650 may be provided are drawn abstractly to illustrate communications between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 via the network node QQ604 without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0135] As an example of sending data via OTT connection QQ650, in step QQ608, host QQ602 provides user data, which can be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with UE QQ606. In other embodiments, user data is associated with UE QQ606, which shares data with host QQ602 without explicit human interaction. In step QQ610, host QQ602 initiates a transmission carrying user data to UE QQ606. Host QQ602 can initiate transmission in response to a request sent by UE QQ606. The request can be caused by human interaction with UE QQ606 or by the operation of a client application executed on UE QQ606. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission can pass through network node QQ604. Therefore, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, in step QQ612, network node QQ604 sends user data carried in the transmission initiated by host QQ602 to UE QQ606. In step QQ614 , UE QQ606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on UE QQ606 that is associated with a host application executed by host QQ602 .

[0136] In some examples, UE QQ606 executes a client application that provides user data to host QQ602. User data can be provided in response to or in response to data received from host QQ602. Therefore, in step QQ616, UE QQ606 can provide user data, which can be performed by executing the client application. In the process of providing user data, the client application can further consider the user input received from the user via the input / output interface of UE QQ606. Regardless of the specific way of providing user data, in step QQ618, UE QQ606 initiates the transmission of user data to host QQ602 via network node QQ604. In step QQ620, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node QQ604 receives user data from UE QQ606 and initiates the transmission of the received user data to host QQ602. In step QQ622, host QQ602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE QQ606.

[0137] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of an OTT service provided to a UE QQ 606 using an OTT connection QQ 650 in which a wireless connection QQ 670 forms the last segment. More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the likelihood of successful retransmission of a transport block and thereby provide benefits such as reduced latency, reduced user waiting time, and / or reduced network resource utilization.

[0138] In an example scenario, host QQ602 can collect and analyze plant status information. As another example, host QQ602 can process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from UE for use in creating a map. As another example, host QQ602 can collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., control traffic lights). As another example, host QQ602 can store surveillance videos uploaded by UE. As another example, host QQ602 can store media content (such as video, audio, VR or AR) that can be broadcast, multicast or unicast to UE, or control access to the media content. As other examples, host QQ602 can be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads to balance power generation needs, positioning services, presentation services (such as compiling charts based on data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing and / or sending data.

[0139] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, delays, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. There may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection QQ650 between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in the software and hardware of the host QQ602 and / or the UE QQ606. In some embodiments, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with other devices through which the OTT connection QQ650 passes; the sensor may participate in the measurement process by supplying the values ​​of the monitored quantities illustrated above or supplying the values ​​of other physical quantities based on which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection QQ650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node QQ604. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve dedicated UE signaling, which facilitates the host QQ602 to measure throughput, propagation time, delay, etc. The measurement can be achieved in the following way: the software enables the sending of messages, especially empty messages or "dummy" messages, using the OTT connection QQ650, while monitoring the propagation time, errors, etc.

[0140] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE, network node, host) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition or similar operations described herein may be performed by a processing circuit, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with the information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information, and making a determination as a result of the processing. In addition, although the components are depicted as being located in a larger box or a single box nested in multiple boxes, in practice, the computing device may include multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and the functions may be divided between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any one of the components described herein, and / or the functions of the components may be divided between the processing circuit and the communication interface. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0141] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be provided by a processing circuit that executes instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by a processing circuit without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these specific embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functions, regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to the processing circuit itself or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or generally by end users and wireless networks.

[0142] Example

[0143] Group A Embodiment

[0144] A1. A method performed by a network node for performing link adaptation for retransmission of a transport block by the network node, the method comprising:

[0145] Obtaining (202) a cumulative number of transmitted bits from previous unsuccessful transmissions of the transport block;

[0146] obtaining (204) a quality metric for a previous unsuccessful transmission of the transport block;

[0147] estimating (210) a block error probability BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on using the proposed modulation for the retransmission of the transport block;

[0148] determining (210) whether the estimated BLEP is less than a target probability; and

[0149] In response to determining that the estimated BLEP is less than the target probability, the transport block is retransmitted (222) using the suggested modulation.

[0150] A2. The method of embodiment A1 wherein estimating the BLEP is based at least in part on resource allocations for retransmissions of the transport block.

[0151] A3. The method as described in any of the preceding embodiments further includes:

[0152] In response to determining that the estimated BLEP is less than the target probability:

[0153] Selecting a second modulation;

[0154] estimating (210) a BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on using the second modulation for the retransmission of the transport block;

[0155] determining (210) whether the estimated BLEP is less than a target probability; and

[0156] In response to determining that the estimated BLEP is less than the target probability, the transport block is retransmitted (222) using a second modulation.

[0157] A4. The method as described in any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0158] In response to determining that the estimated BLEP is not less than the target probability for any candidate modulation, a larger resource allocation is obtained for retransmissions of the transport block.

[0159] A5. The method as described in any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0160] Repeat for each modulation in the set of possible modulations:

[0161] selecting (208) a potential modulation from a set of possible modulations;

[0162] estimating (210) a BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on using the selected modulation for the retransmission of the transport block;

[0163] determining (210) whether the estimated BLEP is less than a target probability; and

[0164] In response to determining that the estimated BLEP is less than the target probability, the potential modulation is added (212) to a list of candidate modulations for retransmitting the transport block.

[0165] A6. The method as described in embodiment A5, further comprising:

[0166] selecting (220) a modulation from a list of candidate modulations; and

[0167] The transport block is retransmitted (222) using a modulation selected from the list of candidate modulations.

[0168] A7. A method as described in embodiment A5, wherein the modulation with the lowest number of bits per symbol in the list of candidate modulations is selected as the modulation used for retransmitting the transport block.

[0169] A8. A method as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein obtaining (202) the cumulative number of transmitted bits from a previous unsuccessful transmission of a transport block comprises: calculating the cumulative number of transmitted bits based on the modulation used in the previous unsuccessful transmission and the number of modulation symbols used.

[0170] A9. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the quality metric of the previous unsuccessful transmission comprises: a channel quality indicator (CQI) associated with at least one of the previous unsuccessful transmissions.

[0171] A10. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the quality metric of the previous unsuccessful transmission comprises: a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment of at least one of the previous unsuccessful transmissions.

[0172] A11. The method as in any preceding embodiment, wherein the quality metric of the previous unsuccessful transmission comprises a fixed quality metric selected based on radio conditions of a cell used for the previous unsuccessful transmission.

[0173] A12. The method as in any preceding embodiment, wherein the quality metric of the previous unsuccessful transmission comprises a value determined relative to a value of the channel quality predicted for at least one of the previous unsuccessful transmissions.

[0174] A13. A method as described in embodiment A12, wherein the value of the channel quality predicted for at least one of the previous unsuccessful transmissions includes: a signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR predicted for at least one of the previous unsuccessful transmissions, and wherein the value of the quality metric for at least one of the previous unsuccessful transmissions includes SINR minus a fixed backoff B.

[0175] A14. A method as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the quality metric of the previous unsuccessful transmission includes: a code block group CBG HARQ acknowledgment.

[0176] A15. The method as described in embodiment A1 further comprising:

[0177] An effective received bit information rate (RBIR) for previous unsuccessful transmissions and retransmissions of the transport block is estimated (206), wherein the BLEP is estimated based on the effective RBIR for previous unsuccessful transmissions and retransmissions of the transport block.

[0178] A16. The method of embodiment A15, wherein the effective RBIR is estimated according to the following formula:

[0179]

[0180] Among them RBI j is the received block information RBI of the jth transmission of the transport block, and n tot is the total number of bits sent in previous unsuccessful transmissions and retransmissions of a transport block.

[0181] A17. A method as described in embodiment A15 or A16, wherein estimating the BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block is performed based on a coding model having the following form:

[0182] BLEP=∫blep(n info ,cr initial ,cr effective ,rbir(x))p X (x)dx

[0183] where n info is the number of information bits corresponding to a transport block, cr initial is the initial bit rate used to send the transport block, cr effective is the effective code rate used to send the transport block, and p x (x) is the probability density function of the signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR of the previous transmission of the transport block.

[0184] A18. A method performed by a network node for performing link adaptation for retransmission of a transport block by the network node, the method comprising:

[0185] Obtaining (202) a cumulative number of transmitted bits from previous unsuccessful transmissions of the transport block;

[0186] obtaining (204) a quality metric for a previous unsuccessful transmission of the transport block;

[0187] For each modulation in the set of possible modulations:

[0188] estimating (210) a block error probability BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on using the modulation for the retransmission of the transport block; determining (210) whether the estimated BLEP is less than a target probability; and

[0189] In response to determining that the estimated BLEP is less than the target probability, adding the modulation to a list of candidate modulations;

[0190] selecting a modulation from a list of candidate modulations; and

[0191] The transport block is retransmitted (222) using the selected modulation.

[0192] A19. The method as described in any of the above embodiments, further comprising:

[0193] obtain user data; and

[0194] Forwards user data to the host or user device.

[0195] Group B Example

[0196] B1. A user equipment, comprising:

[0197] A processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any one of Group A embodiments; and

[0198] A power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the processing circuit.

[0199] B2. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising:

[0200] processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and

[0201] A network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the network node being configured to perform any operation of any one of the embodiments of Group A to transmit user data from a host to a UE.

[0202] B3. A host as described in the preceding embodiment, wherein:

[0203] The processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides user data; and

[0204] The UE includes processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with a host application to receive a transmission of user data from the host.

[0205] B4. A method implemented in a host, the host being configured to operate in a communication system, the communication system further comprising a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

[0206] Providing user data to the UE; and

[0207] A transmission carrying user data is initiated to the UE via a cellular network including a network node, wherein the network node performs any operation of any one of Group A embodiments to send user data from a host to the UE.

[0208] B5. The method as described in the above embodiment also includes: at the network node, sending user data provided by the host to the UE.

[0209] B6. A method as described in any one of the above two embodiments, wherein user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executed on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application.

[0210] B7. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top service, the communication system comprising:

[0211] A host computer, which includes:

[0212] a processing circuit configured to provide user data for a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with an over-the-top service; and

[0213] A network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a cellular network node for transmission to a UE, the network node having a communication interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the network node being configured to perform any operation of any one of the embodiments of Group A to transmit user data from a host to a UE.

[0214] B8. The communication system as described in the above embodiment further includes:

[0215] Network nodes; and

[0216] User equipment.

[0217] B9. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising:

[0218] processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and

[0219] A network interface configured to receive user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the network node being configured to perform any operation of any one of Group A embodiments to receive user data from a user equipment (UE) for a host.

[0220] B10. A host as described in the above embodiment, wherein:

[0221] The processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application program to provide user data; and

[0222] The host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0223] B11. A host as described in any one of the two aforementioned embodiments, wherein initiating reception of user data includes: requesting user data.

[0224] B12. A method implemented by a host, the host being configured to operate in a communication system, the communication system also comprising a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

[0225] At the host, reception of user data from the UE is initiated, the user data originating from a transmission that the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any steps of any one of Group A embodiments to receive user data from the UE for the host.

[0226] B13. The method as described in the above embodiment also includes: sending the received user data to the host at the network node.

Claims

1. A method for link adaptation for retransmission of a transport block performed by a network node, the method comprises: obtaining (202) the cumulative number of bits transmitted from a previous transmission of the transport block; obtaining (204) a quality metric for the previous transmission of the transport block; estimating (210) a block error probability BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on using a selected modulation for the retransmission of the transport block; comparing the estimated BLEP with a target BLEP; and in response to the estimated BLEP being less than the target BLEP, retransmitting (222) the transport block using the selected modulation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprises: in response to the estimated BLEP being less than the target BLEP: selecting a second modulation having fewer bits per symbol than the selected modulation used in a previous estimation; estimating (210) the BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on using the second modulation for the retransmission of the transport block; comparing the estimated BLEP based on the second modulation to be less than the target BLEP; wherein retransmitting (222) the transport block comprises: in response to the estimated BLEP based on the second modulation being less than the target BLEP, selecting the second modulation for retransmitting (222) the transport block.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, retransmitting (222) the transport block comprises: in response to the estimated BLEP based on the second modulation not being less than the target BLEP, selecting a previously selected modulation for which the estimated BLEP is less than the target BLEP.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, estimating the BLEP is at least partially based on resource allocation for the retransmission of the transport block.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprises: in response to the estimated BLEP not being less than the target BLEP, obtaining a larger resource allocation for the retransmission of the transport block.

6. The method according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein: selecting (208) the second modulation from a set of possible modulations; in response to determining that the estimated BLEP based on the second modulation is less than the target BLEP, adding (212) the second modulation to a list of candidate modulations for retransmitting the transport block.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprises: selecting (220) the modulation from the list of candidate modulations before estimating (210) the BLEP for the retransmission of the transport block based on the selected modulation.

8. The method according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein, obtaining (202) the cumulative number of bits transmitted from a previous transmission of the transport block comprises: calculating the cumulative number of bits transmitted based on the modulation used in the previous transmission and the number of modulation symbols used.

9. The method according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein, The quality metric of the previous transmission includes: a channel quality indicator CQI associated with at least one unsuccessful transmission among the previous unsuccessful transmissions.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, the quality metric of the previous transmission includes: a hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ acknowledgement for at least one unsuccessful transmission among the previous unsuccessful transmissions.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, the quality metric of the previous transmission includes: a fixed quality metric selected based on the radio conditions of the cell for the previous unsuccessful transmission.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, the quality metric of the previous transmission includes: a value determined relative to the value of the channel quality predicted for at least one unsuccessful transmission among the previous unsuccessful transmissions.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, the value of the channel quality predicted for at least one unsuccessful transmission among the previous unsuccessful transmissions includes: the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio SINR predicted for the at least one unsuccessful transmission among the previous unsuccessful transmissions, and wherein the value of the quality metric for the at least one unsuccessful transmission among the previous unsuccessful transmissions includes: SINR minus a fixed backoff B.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the quality metric of the previous transmission includes: a code block group CBG HARQ acknowledgement.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprises: estimating (206) the effective received bit information rate RBIR for the previous transmission and the retransmission of the transmission block, wherein the BLEP is estimated based on the effective RBIR for the previous transmission and the retransmission of the transport block.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, the effective RBIR is estimated according to the following formula: where rbi j is the received block information RBI for the j-th transmission of the transport block, and n tot is the total number of bits sent in the previous unsuccessful transmissions and the retransmissions of the transport block.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein, estimating the BLEP for the retransmission of the transmission block is performed based on a coding model having the following form: BLEP = ∫blep(n info , cr initial , cr effective , rbir(x))p x (x)dx where n info is the number of information bits corresponding to the transport block, cr initial is the initial code rate for transmitting the transport block, cr effective is the effective code rate for transmitting the transport block, and p x (x) is the probability density function of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio SINR of the previous transmission of the transport block.

18. A network node configured to perform link adaptation for retransmission of a transmission block, comprising: a processing circuit, a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuit, whereby the network node is operable to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

Images