Perforation assumption for control channels in narrowband new radio operation

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for dynamically changing gap priority. A method may include detecting a synchronization signal on a synchronization grating point on a frequency band of interest. The method may also include determining a puncturing assumption pattern associated with the synchronization signal for the communication channel based on the bits of the radio parameter. The method may also include demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the perforation assumption associated with the synchronous grating point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunications systems, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), or Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) access technologies, Beyond 5G, 5G Advanced (NR Rel-18 and above), or other communication systems. For example, certain example embodiments may relate to an apparatus, system, and / or method for puncturing assumptions of control channels in NarrowBand (NB) NR operations. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunications systems may include: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), LTE Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or Fifth Generation (5G) radio access technologies, or NR access technologies. 5G wireless systems refer to Next Generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. Most 5G network technologies are based on New Radio (NR) technologies, but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRAN radios. It is estimated that NR will provide a bit rate of about 10 - 20 Gbit / s or higher, and will support at least Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), as well as Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC). NR is expected to provide extreme broadband and ultra-robust low-latency connections and large-scale networks to support IoT. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Some example embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include: detecting a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. The method may further include: determining a puncturing assumption pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The method may further include: demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the puncturing assumption associated with the synchronization raster point.

[0004] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may further be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: detect a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. The apparatus may further be caused to: determine a puncturing assumption pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The apparatus may further be caused to: demodulate and decode the communication channel based on the puncturing assumption associated with the synchronization raster point.

[0005] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include: components for detecting a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. The apparatus may further include: components for determining a puncturing hypothesis pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The apparatus may further include: components for demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the puncturing hypothesis associated with the synchronization raster point.

[0006] According to other example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, may perform a method. The method may include: detecting a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. The method may further include: determining a puncturing hypothesis pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The method may further include: demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the puncturing hypothesis associated with the synchronization raster point.

[0007] Other example embodiments may be directed to a computer program product that performs a method. The method may include: detecting a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. The method may further include: determining a puncturing hypothesis pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The method may further include: demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the puncturing hypothesis associated with the synchronization raster point.

[0008] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus that may include: circuitry configured to detect a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. The apparatus may further include: circuitry configured to determine a puncturing hypothesis pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The apparatus may further include: circuitry configured to demodulate and decode the communication channel based on the puncturing hypothesis associated with the synchronization raster point. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] To correctly understand the example embodiments, reference should be made to the drawings, in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a deployment scenario.

[0011] Figure 2 An example of an existing NR initial access signal and channel with a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 3 An example of different puncturing patterns of a synchronization signal block (SSB) is illustrated.

[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of control resource set (CORESET) #0 resource allocation signaling.

[0014] Figure 5 Illustrates an overview of a predefined set of parameters.

[0015] Figure 6 Illustrates an example principle of synchronizing raster points in the frequency range of 0 - 3000 MHz.

[0016] Figure 7 Illustrates an example synchronization raster consideration for a 3 MHz bandwidth.

[0017] Figure 8 Illustrates a valid synchronization raster point table of n100 based on the synchronization raster design.

[0018] Figure 9 Illustrates examples of synchronization raster points for punctured and non - punctured SSBs in the band of interest.

[0019] Figure 10 Illustrates an example of a control channel element (CCE) index.

[0020] Figure 11 Illustrates an example performance degradation due to puncturing.

[0021] Figure 12 Illustrates the resource blocks and time slot symbol sets of a CORESET according to some example embodiments.

[0022] Figure 13 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb and CORESET#0 according to some example embodiments.

[0023] Figure 14 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, and SSB / CORESET alignment according to some example embodiments.

[0024] Figure 15 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, SSB / CORESET alignment, and resource element group to control channel element (REG to CCE) mapping according to some example embodiments.

[0025] Figure 16 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, SSB / CORESET alignment, REG to CCE mapping, and PBCH size verification according to some example embodiments.

[0026] Figure 17 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, SSB / CORESET alignment, Type0 physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) repetition, and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) size verification according to some example embodiments.

[0027] Figure 18 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET #0, SSB / CORESET alignment, SSB subcarrier offset, and PBCH size verification according to certain example embodiments.

[0028] Figure 19 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb bits, the number of RBs of CORESET #0, and SSB / CORESET alignment according to certain example embodiments.

[0029] Figure 20 Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, SSB subcarrier offset, the number of RBs of CORESET #0, and PBCH size verification according to certain example embodiments.

[0030] Figure 21 Illustrates an example flowchart of another method according to certain example embodiments.

[0031] Figure 22 Illustrates a set of apparatuses according to certain example embodiments. Detailed Description

[0032] It is readily understood that, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, the components of certain example embodiments can be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. The following is a detailed description of some example embodiments of a system, method, apparatus, and computer program product for puncturing assumptions of control channels in NB NR operations. For example, certain example embodiments can be directed to determining puncturing assumptions of control channels based on k_ssb NB NR operations.

[0033] Features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "specific embodiment", "example embodiment", or "certain embodiments" throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in certain embodiments", "example embodiments", "in some embodiments", or other similar language throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. Additionally, throughout this specification, the terms "cell", "node", "gNB", "network", or other similar language can be used interchangeably.

[0034] As used herein, "at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of <list of two or more elements>" and similar phrases (where the list of two or more elements is joined by "and" or "or") mean at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0035] Certain example embodiments described herein may be directed to NB NR, or otherwise referred to as NR support for dedicated spectrum less than 5 MHz. NB NR is a convergence scenario driven by the future of railway communication requirements and some smart grid operators. There may also be other usage scenarios in the future related to railway communication requirements (e.g., machine type communication or special bandwidth scenarios for smartphones).

[0036] A future railway mobile communication system (FRMCS) may need to consider certain factors, including, for example, protocols for soft handover from the Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway (GSM-R) that requires parallel operation of GSM-R and NR using NR, 2×5.6 MHz Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) (874.4 - 880 MHz / 919.4 - 925 MHz), and in some cases, it may be assumed that NR can be allocated at 3 MHz channels.

[0037] For NR Downlink (DL) / Uplink (UL) and GSM-R DL / UL, potential deployment scenarios may include: adjacent channel deployment, overlay deployment with a compact GSM-R channel layout, overlay deployment with GSM-R channels distributed over a 4 MHz core band, and overlay deployment with GSM-R channels distributed over the entire Extended Railway GSM (ER-GSM) band. Adjacent channel deployment of NR and GSM-R may have the advantage of easier implementation of the NR scheduler, and there is only one boundary between NR and GSM-B, resulting in simpler and more predictable coexistence.

[0038] Narrowband NR is also considered for "smart grid", including 2×3 MHz FDD in the 900 MHz band in the United States. NB NR is also considered for public safety applications, including 2×3 MHz FDD in band 28 for European Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR).

[0039] In NR Rel-15 to Rel-17, channel bandwidth (CBW) below 5 MHz is not currently supported. It has been proposed to adapt NR to 3 - 5 MHz spectrum allocations with minimal changes on top of the existing NR ecosystem. Additionally, it has been determined that in some cases, enabling 5G NR to operate within a bandwidth narrower than the originally designed 5 MHz channels can be beneficial. For example, operation as low as 3 MHz and the deployment of NR in the 900 MHz FRMCS band will operate with any traditional GSM-R carrier within a 5.6 MHz bandwidth, which allows approximately 3.6 MHz of bandwidth to be used for NR. Similarly, in some cases, 3 MHz channels can be used for NR.

[0040] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a deployment scenario. Specifically, Figure 1 illustrates the co-deployment options of NR and GSM-R within 5.6 MHz DL (left) and UL (right). As shown in Figure 1, adjacent channel deployment of NR and GSM-R can be preferred. By doing so, it can be easier to implement the NR scheduler. Additionally, there can be a boundary between NR and GSM-R, which may result in simpler and more predictable coexistence. Furthermore, NB-NR can be considered for smart grids, including, for example, 2×3 MHz FDD in the 900 MHz band in the United States. NB-NR can also be considered for public safety measures, including, for example, 2×3 MHz FDD in band 28 for public protection and disaster relief (PPDR). Different from Reduced Capability (RedCap) user equipment (UE), there are no significant restrictions on device size, complexity, number of antennas, and power consumption in the target market. Therefore, optimization of these characteristics may be redundant. In NR, CBW less than 5 MHz is not supported, and the overall goal can be to adapt NR to approximately 3 - 5 MHz spectrum allocations with minimal changes on top of the existing NR ecosystem.

[0041] Figure 2 An example of an existing NR initial access signal and channels with a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing is illustrated. In some scenarios, enabling 5G NR to operate within a bandwidth narrower than the originally designed 5 MHz channels (e.g., as low as approximately 3 MHz) can be beneficial. For example, the deployment of NR in the 900 MHz FRMCS band may need to be carried out together with traditional GSM-R carriers within a 5.6 MHz bandwidth, which allows approximately 3.6 MHz to be used for NR. Similarly, in some cases, only 3 MHz channels or even narrower channels can be used for NR.

[0042] The basic signals and channels transmitted by an NR base station (gNB) (more specifically, the signals and channels of the synchronization signal and the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB)) are not designed for transmission in such narrow channels.

[0043] After detecting the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), in addition to the physical cell ID, the UE can also know the slot timing and symbol timing within a 5 ms half-frame. The UE can then determine the resource elements of the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) and the data for receiving the PBCH payload. The PBCH can carry the Master Information Block (MIB) signaling, which can be related to the frequency position (SSB frequency domain allocation related to the Common Resource Block (CRB) grid) and timing (half-frame timing and frame timing). This information can be included in the higher layer payload (i.e., MIB), as part of the physical layer bits in the transport block payload, or in the DMRS.

[0044] Figure 3 The figure illustrates examples of different puncturing patterns for SSB. Assuming a 90% spectral utilization, allocating 3 MHz to the NR system can represent a maximum of 15 Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) channel bandwidth. For SSB, this can mean that 5 PRBs need to be punctured. Since the PSS / SSS can be unaffected, up to 4 PRBs can be punctured on each side. In other words, as Figure 3 shown, the applicable puncturing patterns can include 1+4, 2+3, 3+2, and 4+1.

[0045] Puncturing of the transmitted signal can be used to narrow the transmission bandwidth with minimal changes. For example, in the puncturing operation, the base station clears any signal mapped to certain predefined PRBs that are outside the desired transmission bandwidth. In this way, the base station will not transmit these signals. When the UE receives a transmission with punctured PRBs, the UE can make the punctured PRBs empty at the receiver. The UE can also make the punctured PRBs empty, for example, by setting the Log-Likelihood Ratio (LLR) to zero in the channel decoder.

[0046] An alternative to puncturing can include rate matching, where the input bits are matched to the available resources. Thus, the sequence of rate-matched bits can vary according to the resource size. With rate matching, the receiver should know the resource size in order to correctly decode the packet.

[0047] Puncturing can also refer to the case where at least part of the signal generation process (e.g., encoding and rate matching) is performed according to a specific resource allocation but the generated signal part is not transmitted. The discarded signal part can be mapped to the punctured frequency domain resources (e.g., subcarriers or resource blocks). Puncturing can be performed with a predefined resolution, e.g., with Resource Block (RB) resolution or with Control Channel Element (CCE) resolution. The resolution can vary depending on the scenario.

[0048] Figure 4 illustrates the resource allocation signaling for Example Control Resource Set (CORESET) #0. A CORESET can be defined as a set of physical resources and a set of parameters used to carry Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) / Downlink Control Information (DCI). Functionally, it is conceptually equivalent to the LTE PDCCH region (the first 1, 2, 3, or 4 OFDM symbols in a subframe). In the LTE PDCCH region, the PDCCH is spread across the entire channel bandwidth, but the NR CORESET region is located in a specific region in the frequency domain. For a CORESET, is the number of resource blocks (RBs) of the CORESET in the frequency domain. is the number of symbols of the CORESET in the time domain. is the number of resource element groups (REGs) in the CORESET. In addition, L is the REG bundle size, which can be set by the parameter CORESET-REG-bundle-size.

[0049] In the determination of CORESET #0 allocation by a User Equipment (UE), after the UE detects the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) and demodulates the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), the UE can read the configuration index from the PBCH / Master Information Block (MIB). The configuration index can reference the CORESET #0 configuration table, and more specifically, can reference certain time and frequency resource allocation parameters. One of these parameters can define the RB offset between the first Physical Resource Block (PRB) of CORESET #0 and the first Physical Resource Layer (PRL) in which the first subcarrier of the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) can be located (the SSB can be in the same subcarrier raster as CORESET = 0, but not necessarily in the same RB raster as CORESET #0).

[0050] As described above, the SSB can be in the same subcarrier raster as the common RB grid, but may not be aligned at the RB level. The subcarrier offset between the SSB and the common RB grid can be provided by the k_SSB parameter provided in the MIB. The k_SSB parameter can have several characteristics; for example, the k_SSB parameter in Frequency Range 1 (FR1) can have 5 bits, with values ranging from 0 to 23, for indicating the subcarrier offset between the SSB and the common RB grid. In addition, when the SSB and CORESET #0 have the same Subcarrier Spacing (SCS), only the values 0,..., 11 can be used.

[0051] In some cases, CORESET #0 can be the CORESET for the PDCCH used to transmit the scheduling of System Information Block 1 (SIB1). CORESET #0 may not be configured by Radio Resource Control (RRC) because it is used before RRC connection establishment. Thus, as Figure 5As shown, CORESET #0 can be configured through a separate procedure and predefined parameters. CORESET #0 can also be configured in PDCCH-ConfigCommon included in SIB1, or configured for the UE through dedicated signaling. In particular, this configuration can be achieved by indicating a 4-bit value as an index to the table provided in the MIB.

[0052] Figure 6 The figure illustrates an example principle of synchronous raster points in the frequency range of 0 - 3000 MHz. The channel raster can define a subset of radio frequency (RF) reference frequencies that can be used to identify the RF channel positions in UL and DL. The RF reference frequencies of the RF channels can be mapped to resource elements on the carrier. The channel raster for the n8, n26, and n28 bands (intended for FRMC) can be 100 kHz. In addition, the synchronous raster can indicate that when there is no explicit signaling of the synchronization block position, the frequency position of the synchronization block can be used by the UE for system acquisition. To speed up cell search, the synchronous raster can be much sparser than the channel raster. In the frequency band of interest, the channel raster typically can have a 100 kHz spacing, and the synchronous raster points can be defined as clusters of three points, where the points within the cluster are spaced 100 kHz apart (the raster offset within the cluster is 50, 150, and 250 kHz), and the clusters can be spaced 1200 kHz apart from each other.

[0053] Figure 7 The figure illustrates an example synchronous raster consideration for a 3 MHz bandwidth. As Figure 7 shown, for an allowed bandwidth of 3 MHz, according to the principle of not modifying the PSS and SSS, the clusters of synchronous raster points can be spaced less than 1.2 MHz to facilitate two synchronous clusters. In Figure 7 it, the two channels of 3 MHz bandwidth are spaced 100 kHz apart, and the synchronous raster can be redesigned for NB NR operation. For a 3 MHz bandwidth, when the PSS and SSS are not modified, the clusters of synchronous raster points can be spaced less than 1.2 MHz so that when a 100 kHz channel raster is applied, there is at least one effective synchronous raster point for each 3 MHz channel.

[0054] Figure 8 The figure illustrates a table of effective synchronous raster points for n100 based on the synchronous raster design. For the analysis of the n100 band, two guard band assumptions can be considered. The first band assumption can include 142.5 kHz, assuming a bandwidth allocation of 3 MHz, and the second band assumption can include 242.5 kHz, assuming a bandwidth allocation of 5 MHz. Both of these assumptions can be made at a 90% spectral utilization (SU). In addition, as Figure 8 shown, the effective synchronous raster points for n100 (to allow PSS / SSS in the band) can be based on the synchronous raster design.

[0055] From Figure 8 It can be observed that when assuming a guard band of 5 MHz NR allocation, the current synchronization raster design in FR1 may not be able to provide synchronization raster points in n100 to support narrow channel bandwidth allocation at the band edge. Additionally, when assuming the guard band required for 3 MHz NR allocation (e.g., 142.5 kHz guard), the PSS / SSS can be allocated in the lower part of the n100 band. Therefore, the n100 synchronization raster may require a new design to support NB NR allocation at both ends of the band. Moreover, for 3 MHz NR operation, the synchronization raster points (or clusters) can be placed closer than every 1.2 MHz. Although it may be desirable to define the synchronization raster points with a 100 kHz raster (i.e., the same as the channel raster), only a single SSB puncturing pattern for a given SSB Tx bandwidth needs to be defined. As an example, Figure 9 illustrates the synchronization raster points of punctured and non-punctured SSBs in the band of interest.

[0056] Figure 10 illustrates an example of CCE indices. Specifically, Figure 10 illustrates the CCE indices of 2-symbol and 3-symbol CORESET interleaved mappings. Figure 10 Also illustrated is the possible Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission of CORESET#0. For example, it can be assumed that the transmission bandwidth can be reduced from one side (i.e., from the higher frequency / larger PRB index). Here, CORESET#0 can utilize the interleaved mapping between CCE and Resource Element Group (REG) bundles (consisting of 6 REGs). However, using this interleaved mapping may result in some drawbacks.

[0057] For example, for a 2-symbol CORESET, AL8 (aggregation level 8) cannot be transmitted without puncturing (assuming the bandwidth is less than 4.32 MHz). Additionally, the minimum bandwidth for AL4 (without puncturing) can be 3.24 MHz. Meanwhile, 1 / 3 of the PRB resources ( Figure 10 PRBs 6 - 11 therein) can be unused. Moreover, since it is desired that the UE averages the channel estimates within the CCE, CCE-level puncturing resolution can be preferred. However, the PRB level can also be considered, where the PRB level allows for finer granularity than the CCE level.

[0058] As Figure 10As further shown in [reference], with a 3-symbol CORESET, AL8 may not be able to be transmitted without puncturing (provided that the bandwidth is less than 3.6 MHz). At the same time, 20% of the PRB resources may be unused. In addition, the minimum bandwidth of AL4 (without puncturing) may be 2.88 MHz, where 50% of the PRB resources may be unused. In this example, the puncturing resolution at the CCE level may be preferred (since it is desired that the UE averages the channel estimates within the CCE), but the PRB level may also be considered (the PRB level may allow for a finer granularity than the CCE level).

[0059] As described herein, excessive puncturing may reduce the PDCCH coverage. In particular, the PDCCH detection performance may be affected by puncturing, especially on high-AL PDCCH candidates, where the impact of puncturing can be significant. Similar findings can also be found in PBCH simulations.

[0060] As Figure 11 shown in [reference], in the case of unknown puncturing, through PBCH simulations, the UE may experience a significant performance degradation. Specifically, Figure 11 The figure illustrates a simulation scenario where the PBCH has unilateral puncturing. In addition, additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) interference can be used to simulate GSM-R interference, and the gNB may not transmit the PBCH on these GSM-R PRBs. In addition, the UE may assume an incorrect PBCH Tx bandwidth (BW) to perform the detection. As Figure 11 shown in [reference], for different numbers of PRB puncturing (i.e., 2, 4, and 6 PRBs), the signal-to-noise ratio (dSNR) degradation required for sufficient PBCH detection performance is shown. Depending on the interference power, the PBCH detection performance may be reduced by more than 5 dB. This may indicate that the UE often fails to access the cell. It can also be noted that in deployment scenarios such as GSM-R reframing, the GSM and NR BSs may be located at the same site, making higher GSM power levels more likely.

[0061] Based on the above drawbacks, PDCCH performance improvement may be required. However, problems may arise when only using AL4 and AL8. For example, when only using AL4 to support more CCEs with a given minimum BW, the link performance difference between AL4 and AL8 may exceed 3 dB. Regarding the issue of using AL8, if no puncturing is performed, the aggregation level 8 may not be usable. Based on the PBCH results, without the UE knowing the actual puncturing pattern, 25% of the puncturing can exceed 5 dB (see Figure 11 ). As Figure 7 shown in [reference], this can be a typical puncturing amount for NB NR.

[0062] Another problem that may arise can stem from the need to support different deployment options. For example, for use cases related to n8, n26, and n28 frequency bands, a 3 MHz channel bandwidth and a maximum Tx BW of 15 RBs can be a reasonable assumption. For these bands, due to the coverage deficiencies of the narrower BW, there may be no incentive to consider a maximum Tx bandwidth narrower than 15 RBs. However, the 5.6 MHz frequency band n100 allocated to railway mobile radio may require further consideration as bandwidths below 5 MHz may be needed during the migration from GSM-R to FRMCS. It is foreseeable that there may be many different types of migration scenarios depending on the operations and characteristics of the relevant railway and GSM-R network deployments. This can indicate that FRMCS can have multiple BWs.

[0063] When the available BW is between 4 MHz and 5 MHz (i.e., 20 to 25 RBs), an NR design with, for example, 20 RB SSB works like this. That is, the system can occupy a small portion of the 5 MHz channel bandwidth. However, the CORESET#0 configuration may not be fully compatible with bandwidths below 24 RBs. On the other hand, when the available BW is between 3 MHz and less than 4 MHz (i.e., 15 to 19 RBs), the UE can assume a 3 MHz / 15 RB BW for SSB acquisition. However, having an incorrect assumption in PDCCH puncturing may further degrade performance and prevent access to the system.

[0064] Traditionally, secure railway communication on the n100 band may require approximately 10 - 14 GSM-R carriers. 10 - 14 GSM-R carriers can occupy 2 - 2.8 MHz, leaving 3.6 - 2.8 MHz for the NR-based FRMCS and the necessary guard bands. While 15 TB BW can be narrow enough to leave sufficient space for 10 GSM-R carriers, it may be too wide to coexist with 14 GSM-R carriers. Therefore, it can be reasonable to consider an optional second narrow BW for SSB down to 15 RB Tx BW. For example, 12 or 13 RB BW can be considered as the optional second narrow bandwidth, leaving a total of 640 kHz or 460 kHz for guard bands at the lower edge of n100 and between GSM-R and NR.

[0065] According to some example embodiments, based on Figure 7 the considered synchronization raster design, there are different synchronization raster points for punctured SSB and non-punctured SSB. Using a punctured SSB with the full transmission bandwidth (e.g., 15 full RBs within a 15 RB channel bandwidth) indicates that the subcarrier offset between the first subcarrier of the SSB and the first subcarrier of the RB in the common RB (CRB) grid can be zero. In other words, the L1 parameter k SSBcan be zero. In other example embodiments, the NBNR with the considered synchronization raster design can support multiple transmission bandwidths with even and odd numbers of RBs. In some example embodiments, when the transmission bandwidth (e.g., 18 RBs) is wider than the SSB BW (e.g., 15 RBs), and the number of RBs in the Tx BW and the number of RBs in the SSB have different parities, a 6 sub - carrier offset can be used between the SSB and the CRB grid. According to some example embodiments, the use of the 6 sub - carrier offset can come from a 90 kHz or 1 / 2 PRB offset between the channel raster and the synchronization raster. In this example embodiment, the L1 parameter k SSB can support values 0 and 6.

[0066] In some example embodiments, the UE can be instructed (or can determine on its own) to make the assumption that for additional synchronization raster points intended for NB operation, the offset between the first sub - carrier of the SSB and the first sub - carrier of the CRB can be 0 (i.e., k SSB = 0). This can be regarded as a conditional reuse of k SSB . For example, the conditional reuse can correspond to the need to fully (or almost fully) utilize the transmission bandwidth to reduce possible offsets or align the CRB and SSB grids. As described above, the conditional reuse can be based on the considered synchronization raster design. Additionally, in some example embodiments, the condition can be that the UE is located on a predefined frequency band (e.g., n100) and PSS / SSS is detected on the synchronization raster used with the punctured SSB. As for the reuse, the UE can interpret the k SSB bits differently in this case than when detecting the SSB at (multiple) conventional synchronization raster points. In other example embodiments, for a Tx BW with the same RB parity as the SSB, the sub - carrier offset can be 0, while for a Tx BW with a different RB parity from the SSB, the sub - carrier offset can be 6. In other example embodiments, this can be regarded as a conditional reuse of k SSB , where the parity of the CORESET#0 RBs indicated by k SSB also indicates the SSB sub - carrier offset (which can implicitly assume that CORESET = 0 spans the entire Tx BW). In additional example embodiments, a subset of bits (e.g., one bit) in k SSB can be conditionally reused. In this example embodiment, CORESET#0 may not need to span the entire Tx BW. Additionally, in some example embodiments, conditionally reusing k SSBThe subset of bits can indicate that at least one UE is located on a predefined frequency band (e.g., n100), and the UE can determine that the SSB is punctured based on, for example, the detected PSS / SSS position (the synchronization raster point or the frequency position near the band edge) or based on the decoded PBCH content or the detected PBCH DMRS.

[0067] According to some example embodiments, the bit k for indicating the offset SBB or k SBB or a predetermined subset of bits can be reused to carry different additional information to facilitate NR NB operation. For example, the information can include at least one of the following items: the active RBs of CORESET#0; at least one parameter indicating the size; the position or structure of CORESET#0; the PBCH puncturing pattern (i.e., the active RBs for the confirmed PBCH); whether the CORESET#0 resource of Type0-PDCCH is interleaved; whether Type0-PDCCH is repeatedly transmitted; or the transmission bandwidth in terms of RBs, or the increment between the transmission bandwidth and the channel bandwidth. Thus, according to some example embodiments, for the synchronization raster point determined for NB NR operation, the UE can assume that the offset between the first subcarrier of the SSB and the first subcarrier of the CRB is 0 (or a finite set of values). In addition, the bits in the PBCH used to carry k SBB can be reused (i.e., re-used) to carry new additional information.

[0068] Figure 12 Illustrates an example set of RBs and time slot symbols of a CORESET. Specifically, Figure 12 Illustrates the set of RBs and time slot symbols of the CORESET of the Type0-PDCCH search space set when the (SS / PBCH block, PDCCH) SCS of a frequency band with a minimum channel bandwidth of 5 MHz or 10 MHz is {15, 15} kHz. As described in the following example embodiments, there can be several ways to indicate the active RBs of CORESET#0. For example, in some example embodiments, Figure 12 defines the position of CORESET#0 relative to a conventional (i.e., according to the operation of an SSB with 20 RBs) SSB. In addition, k SSB can define the active (non-punctured) RBs of CORESET#0 (similar results can also be achieved if k SSB defines the invalid (punctured) RBs of CORESED#0). In other example embodiments, k SSB can indicate at least one attribute of CORESET#0 (while some parameters can still be derived based on Figure 12 ). The at least one attribute can include the CORESET#0 size (which can replace Figure 12("number of RBs"), the position of CORESET=0 relative to the punctured SSB (which can be replaced Figure 12 the offset (number of RBs) in, and / or the Reg-to-CCE mapping corresponds to interleaved and non-interleaved. As described below, it can be interpreted according to the option for indicating the valid RBs of the above CORESET#0 Figures 13 - 16 the example shown.

[0069] Figure 13 illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb and CORESET#0 according to some example embodiments. In this example, the relationship between k_ssb and CORESET#0 can be based on Figure 13 the table shown. Specifically, in this example, CORESET#0 can be aligned with the lowest RB of the punctured SSB, and the size of the punctured SSB in this example can be 12.

[0070] Figure 14 illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, and SSB / CORESET alignment according to some example embodiments. As Figure 14 shown, Figure 14 the difference between the table in Figure 13 and the table in

[0071] Figure 15 illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, SSB / CORESET alignment, and REG-to-CCE mapping according to some example embodiments. Specifically, the difference from the table of Figure 14 is that in Figure 15 , k_ssb can not only indicate the CORESET position relative to the punctured SSB, but also indicate the REG-to-CCE mapping (interleaved and non-interleaved) of CORESET#0. In addition, Figure 16 illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, SSB / CORESET alignment, REG-to-CCE mapping, and PBCH size verification according to some example embodiments. In particular, compared with the table of Figure 15 , Figure 16k_ssb in may also indicate the PBCH size (validation). Here, it may be assumed that for the considered synchronization raster point, there are two valid PBCH size options: 12 (or 13) RBs and 15 RBs. Furthermore, even with an incorrect assumption about the PBCH size, the UE may (occasionally) succeed in correctly decoding the PBCH. Furthermore, Figure 16 The PBCH size verification in can ensure that the UE obtains correct knowledge of the PBCH size (this information can be crucial as it can be used in other scenarios, such as determining the valid RBs for CORESET#0).

[0072] Figure 17 1 illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, SSB / CORESET alignment, Type0-PDCCH repetition, and PBCH size verification according to certain example embodiments. Figure 17 As shown in Figure 16 Compared to the table of , the difference is that k_ssb can indicate whether to repeat the transmission of Type0-PDCCH (instead of indicating REG to CCE mapping). In certain example embodiments, when Type0-PDCCH is repeatedly transmitted, the same Type0-PDCCH can be repeated at consecutive Type0-PDCCH opportunities. According to certain example embodiments, the repetition pattern can be predetermined and bound to the time slot index, and the repetition can be limited to certain PDCCH candidates (for example, with AL8).

[0073] Figure 18 1 illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, CORESET#0, SSB / CORESET alignment, SSB subcarrier offset, and PBCH size verification according to certain example embodiments. Figure 18 As shown in , CORESET#0 may span the entire TxBW. In certain example embodiments, it may be assumed that for the synchronization raster point under consideration, there may be two valid PBCH (or SSB) size options, such as 13 RBs and 15 RBs.

[0074] Figure 19 0 illustrates an example relationship between the k_ssb bit, the number of RBs of CORESET#0, and the SSB / CORESET alignment according to certain example embodiments. Specifically, Figure 19 An example with 20 RB SSB is shown. Figure 20Illustrates an example relationship between k_ssb, SSB subcarrier offset, number of RBs of CORESET#0, and PBCH size verification according to certain example embodiments. According to legacy / Rel 15, the NR synchronization raster can be used for NB NR operation. For example, the NR synchronization raster can be used with a 4.4 MHz Tx BW, which represents 22 RBs of CORESET#0. Alternatively, considering not using the 100 kHz synchronization raster but using the Rel 15 NR synchronization raster or its variant, the NR synchronization raster can be used for NB NR operation. In this case, certain example embodiments may assume that the set of SSB subcarrier offsets that can be indicated by k_ssb can be reduced. For example, as shown in Figure 19 and Figure 20 , k_ssb can be reduced to 4, 6, 8 subcarriers (requiring 2 bits), or reduced to 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 subcarriers. Additionally, in this case, some k_ssb bits or signaling states can be reused to indicate CORESET#0 related information. Alternatively, in this case, the k_ssb bits can be reused to jointly indicate CORESET#0 related information and the SSB subcarrier offset. Although Figures 12 - 19 illustrates some example embodiments, different modifications can be made in other example embodiments. For example, in some example embodiments, entries from two or more tables can be combined (e.g., to create a new table). Additionally, in other example embodiments, a subset of an existing table can be used to create a new table. Furthermore, in additional example embodiments, k_ssb (and the principle of conditional reuse) can be used to indicate additional attributes of CORESET#0, Type0_PDCCH, or other use cases.

[0075] Figure 21 Illustrates an example flowchart of a method according to certain example embodiments. In one example embodiment, Figure 21 the method can be performed by a network entity or a set of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system such as LTE or 5G-NR. For example, in certain example embodiments, Figure 21 the method can be performed by a UE similar to one of the apparatuses 10 or 20 shown in Figure 22 .

[0076] According to certain example embodiments, Figure 21 the method can include: at 100, detecting a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. The method can further include: at 105, determining a puncturing assumption pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The method can further include: at 110, demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the puncturing assumption associated with the synchronization raster point.

[0077] According to certain example embodiments, the method may further include: in response to detecting a synchronization signal, determining whether the synchronization raster point is associated with narrowband new radio operation. In some example embodiments, the synchronization raster frequency position may be determined by a specification and may be explicitly associated with one or more frequency bands. Thus, when the UE performs a search, the UE may search for certain synchronization raster points associated with a (plural) specific frequency band (e.g., intended for NB NR operation). According to some example embodiments, bits of radio parameters may indicate: a synchronization signal subcarrier offset, and information facilitating narrowband new radio operation. According to other example embodiments, the method may further include: reusing a portion of the bits of radio parameters to carry information for facilitating narrowband new radio operation. In certain example embodiments, a first subset of bits in the bits of radio parameters may be reserved for indicating a synchronization signal block subcarrier offset. In other example embodiments, a second subset of bits in the bits of radio parameters may be conditionally reused.

[0078] In certain example embodiments, the information may include at least one of the following items: valid resource blocks of a control resource set; at least one parameter indicating the size, location, or structure of the control resource set; a physical broadcast channel puncturing pattern; whether the resources of the control resource set for the physical downlink control channel are interleaved; whether the physical downlink control channel is repeatedly transmitted; or a transmission bandwidth in terms of resource blocks or in terms of a change between a transmission bandwidth and a channel bandwidth. In other example embodiments, the narrowband new radio associated with the synchronization raster point may support multiple transmission bandwidths including an even and an odd number of resource blocks. In some example embodiments, the method may further include: performing conditional reuse on the bits of radio parameters. According to certain example embodiments, performing conditional reuse on the bits of radio parameters may include: assuming that for an additional synchronization raster point intended for narrowband new radio operation, the offset between the first subcarrier of the synchronization signal block and the first subcarrier of the common resource block is zero.

[0079] Figure 22 Illustrated is a set of apparatuses 10 and 20 according to certain example embodiments. In certain example embodiments, apparatus 10 may be an element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a mobile device (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, an installed mobile device, or other similar devices. It should be noted that those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that apparatus 10 may include Figure 22 components or features not shown in

[0080] In some example embodiments, device 10 may include: one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some example embodiments, device 10 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that device 10 may include Figure 22 components or features not shown

[0081] As Figure 22 shown in the example of, device 10 may include or be coupled to a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 12 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In fact, by way of example, processor 12 may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 22 a single processor 12 is shown, multiple processors may be used according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in certain example embodiments, device 10 may include two or more processors, and the two or more processors may form a multi-processor system that can support multi-processing (e.g., in this case, processor 12 may represent a multi-processor). According to certain example embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0082] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, and as some examples, include precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including the processes and examples shown in FIGS. 1 - Figure 21 shown

[0083] Device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions executable by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for a local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer-readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enable the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0084] In certain example embodiments, device 10 may also include or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port configured to receive and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10 to perform any of the methods and examples shown in FIG. 1- Figure 21 as shown.

[0085] In some example embodiments, device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting via UL from the device 10. Device 10 may also include a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 15. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc. to process symbols carried by the downlink or UL, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0086] For example, transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by antennas 15 and demodulate information received via antennas 15 for further processing by other elements of device 10. In other example embodiments, transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, device 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In certain example embodiments, device 10 may further include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0087] In certain example embodiments, memory 14 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or a program, that provide additional functionality for device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to certain example embodiments, device 10 may optionally be configured to communicate with device 20 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0088] According to certain example embodiments, processor 12 and memory 14 may be included in a processing circuitry or a control circuitry, or may form part of a processing circuitry or a controller circuitry. Additionally, in some example embodiments, transceiver 18 may be included in a transceiver circuitry or may form part of a transceiver circuitry.

[0089] For example, in certain example embodiments, device 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to detect a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band. Device 10 may also be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to determine a puncturing assumption pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. Device 10 may also be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to demodulate and decode the communication channel based on the puncturing assumption associated with the synchronization raster point.

[0090] As Figure 22 shown in the example, device 20 may be a network, a core network element, or an element in a communication network, or associated with such a network, such as a gNB, NW, base station (BS), access point (AP), or a similar device. It should be noted that those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that device 20 may include Figure 9 components or features not shown in

[0091] As Figure 22As shown in the example of, device 20 may include a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 22 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. For example, by way of example, processor 22 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 22 a single processor 22 is shown, multiple processors may be used according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in certain example embodiments, device 20 may include two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system that can support multiprocessing (e.g., in such a case, processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In certain example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0092] According to certain example embodiments, processor 22 may execute functions associated with the operation of device 20, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including the processes and examples shown in FIGS. 1 - Figure 20 as shown.

[0093] Device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processor 22. Memory 24 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for a local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer-readable medium. The instructions stored in memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 22, enable device 20 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0094] In some example embodiments, apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to (internally or externally) a drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 22 and / or apparatus 20 to perform the methods and examples shown in FIGS. 1- Figure 20 as shown.

[0095] In some example embodiments, apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for transmitting signals and / or data to and receiving signals and / or data from apparatus 20. Apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. Transceiver 28 may include, for example, a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to (the) antennas 25. The radio interfaces may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio frequency identifier (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interfaces may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, fast Fourier transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via UL).

[0096] Thus, transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by (the) antennas 25 and demodulate information received via (the) antennas 25 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 20. In other example embodiments, transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, apparatus 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0097] In some example embodiments, memory 24 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for apparatus 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, that provide additional functionality for apparatus 20. The components of apparatus 20 may be implemented in hardware or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0098] According to some example embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in a processing circuitry or a control circuitry, or may form part of a processing circuitry or a controller circuitry. Additionally, in some example embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in a transceiver circuitry, or may form part of a transceiver circuitry.

[0099] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a pure hardware circuit implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuits and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, any part of a (plurality of) hardware processors (including digital signal processors) with software that work together to cause a device (e.g., devices 10 and 20) to perform various functions, and / or a (plurality of) hardware circuits and / or a (plurality of) processors or parts thereof that operate using software, but the software may be absent when not needed for operation. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also cover an implementation of only a hardware circuit or a processor (or processors), or a part of a hardware circuit or a processor, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0100] In some example embodiments, a device (e.g., device 10 and / or device 20) may include components for performing the methods, procedures, or any variations discussed herein. Examples of such components may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program code for causing the execution of operations.

[0101] Certain example embodiments may be directed to a device that includes components for performing any of the methods described herein, including, for example, components for detecting a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on a frequency band of interest. The device may further include: components for determining a puncturing hypothesis pattern associated with a synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of radio parameters. The device may further include: components for demodulating and decoding a communication channel based on a puncturing hypothesis associated with a synchronization raster point.

[0102] Certain example embodiments described herein provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or advantages. For example, in some example embodiments, when monitoring is performed after or during initial access (e.g., PDCCH monitoring for SIB1 scheduling), the UE can explicitly determine the puncturing pattern assumed for the PDCCH (e.g., on CORESET #0) and the PBCH. In addition, the UE can also be able to perform optimal demodulation and decoding. In other example embodiments, different puncturing assumptions can be implemented on the SSB and the PDCCH (CORESET #0). In additional example embodiments, better performance of PDCCH (CORESET #0) detection can be achieved via the correct puncturing assumptions for different bandwidth options for different deployments. In addition, the UE can avoid hardware changes.

[0103] A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components that, when the program runs, are configured to perform some example embodiments. The one or more computer-executable components can be at least one software code or a portion thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functions of certain example embodiments can be performed as routines, which can be implemented as added or updated software routines. The software routines can be downloaded to the device.

[0104] For example, the software or computer program code or a portion thereof can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and can be stored in some carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such a carrier can include a recording medium, computer memory, read-only memory, electro-optical and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program can be executed in a single electronic digital computer or can be distributed among multiple computers. The computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium can be a non-transitory medium.

[0105] In other example embodiments, the functions can be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), such as by using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable gate array (PGA), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functions can be implemented as a signal, a non-tangible component that can be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0106] According to certain example embodiments, a device (such as a node, apparatus, or corresponding component) may be configured as a circuitry, a computer, or a microprocessor (such as a single-chip computer element), or a chipset, which includes at least a memory for providing storage capacity for arithmetic operations and an arithmetic processor for performing arithmetic operations.

[0107] Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the above disclosure may be practiced with programs in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a configuration different from the disclosed configuration. Accordingly, although this disclosure has been described based on these example embodiments, certain modifications, variations, and alternative configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments. Although the above embodiments relate to 5G NR and LTE technologies, the above embodiments may also be applied to any other current or future 3GPP technology, such as Advanced LTE, and / or Fourth Generation (4G) technology.

[0108] Glossary of terms:

[0109] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0110] 5G: Fifth Generation

[0111] 5GCN: 5G Core Network

[0112] 5GS: 5G System

[0113] BS: Base Station

[0114] CBW: Channel Bandwidth

[0115] DCI: Downlink Control Information

[0116] DL: Downlink

[0117] DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal

[0118] eNB: Evolved Node B

[0119] E-UTRAN: Evolved UTRAN

[0120] gNB: 5G or Next Generation Node B

[0121] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0122] MIB: Master Information Block

[0123] NB: Narrow Band

[0124] NR: New Radio

[0125] NW: Network

[0126] OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0127] PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel

[0128] PRB: Physical Resource Block

[0129] PSS: Primary Synchronization Signal

[0130] RE: Resource Element

[0131] RB: Resource Block

[0132] RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0133] SCS: Subcarrier Spacing

[0134] SIB: System Information Block

[0135] SSB: Synchronization Signal Block

[0136] SSS: Secondary Synchronization Signal

[0137] UE: User Equipment

[0138] UL: Uplink

Claims

1. A method, comprising: Detecting a synchronization signal at synchronization raster points on an interested frequency band; Determining a puncturing hypothesis pattern for a communication channel, associated with the synchronization signal, based on bits of radio parameters; And Demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the puncturing hypothesis associated with the synchronization raster points.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determining whether the synchronization raster points are associated with narrowband new radio operation in response to detecting the synchronization signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bits of the radio parameters indicate: synchronization signal subcarrier offset, and information facilitating the narrowband new radio operation.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: Reusing a portion of the bits of the radio parameters to carry information for facilitating the narrowband new radio operation, wherein a first subset of the bits of the radio parameters is reserved for indicating synchronization signal block subcarrier offset, and wherein a second subset of the bits of the radio parameters is conditionally reused.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the information comprises at least one of the following items: Valid resource blocks of a control resource set, At least one parameter indicating the size, location, or structure of the control resource set, Physical broadcast channel puncturing pattern, Whether the resources of the control resource set for a physical downlink control channel are interleaved, Whether the physical downlink control channel is repeatedly transmitted, or Transmission bandwidth in terms of resource blocks, or in terms of a change between the transmission bandwidth and the channel bandwidth.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the narrowband new radio support associated with the synchronization raster points includes multiple transmission bandwidths with even and odd numbers of resource blocks.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: Performing conditional reuse on the bits of the radio parameters, wherein performing the conditional reuse on the bits of the radio parameters includes: assuming that the offset between the first subcarrier of a synchronization signal block and the first subcarrier of a common resource block is zero for additional synchronization raster points intended for the narrowband new radio operation.

8. An apparatus, comprising: At least one processor; And At least one memory, including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to store instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Detect a synchronization signal at synchronization raster points on an interested frequency band; Determine a puncturing hypothesis pattern for a communication channel, associated with the synchronization signal, based on bits of radio parameters; And Demodulate and decode the communication channel based on the puncturing hypothesis associated with the synchronization raster points.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to store instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: In response to detecting the synchronization signal, determine whether the synchronization raster point is associated with narrowband new radio operation.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the bit of the radio parameter indicates: synchronization signal subcarrier offset, and information facilitating the narrowband new radio operation.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to store instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: reuse a portion of the bits of the radio parameter to carry information for facilitating the narrowband new radio operation, wherein a first subset of bits of the radio parameter is reserved for indicating the synchronization signal block subcarrier offset, and wherein a second subset of bits of the radio parameter is conditionally reused.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the information includes at least one of the following items: valid resource blocks of a control resource set, at least one parameter indicating the size, location, or structure of the control resource set, physical broadcast channel puncturing pattern, whether the resources of the control resource set for the physical downlink control channel are interleaved, whether the physical downlink control channel is repeatedly transmitted, or transmission bandwidth in terms of resource blocks or in terms of the change between the transmission bandwidth and the channel bandwidth.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the narrowband new radio support associated with the synchronization raster point includes multiple transmission bandwidths with even and odd numbers of resource blocks.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to store instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: perform conditional reuse on the bits of the radio parameter, Performing the conditional reuse on the bits of the radio parameters includes: assuming that the offset between the first subcarrier of the synchronization signal block and the first subcarrier of the common resource block is zero for additional synchronization raster points intended for the narrowband new radio operation.

15. An apparatus, comprising: means for detecting a synchronization signal at a synchronization raster point on an interested frequency band; means for determining a puncturing assumption pattern associated with the synchronization signal for a communication channel based on bits of a radio parameter; and means for demodulating and decoding the communication channel based on the puncturing assumption associated with the synchronization raster point.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: means for determining whether the synchronization raster point is associated with narrowband new radio operation in response to detecting the synchronization signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the bit of the radio parameter indicates: synchronization signal subcarrier offset, and information facilitating the narrowband new radio operation.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17, further comprising: A component for reusing a portion of the bits of the radio parameter to carry information for facilitating narrowband new radio operation wherein a first subset of the bits of the radio parameter is reserved for indicating a synchronization signal block subcarrier offset, and wherein a second subset of the bits of the radio parameter is conditionally reused.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the information includes at least one of the following items: Valid resource blocks of a control resource set, At least one parameter indicating the size, location, or structure of the control resource set, Physical broadcast channel puncturing pattern, Whether the resources of the control resource set for a physical downlink control channel are interleaved, Whether the physical downlink control channel is repetitively transmitted, or Transmission bandwidth in terms of resource blocks or in terms of a change between the transmission bandwidth and the channel bandwidth.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the narrowband new radio support associated with the synchronization raster point includes multiple transmission bandwidths with an even and an odd number of resource blocks.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 20, further comprising: A component for performing conditional reuse of the bits of the radio parameter, wherein performing the conditional reuse of the bits of the radio parameter includes: assuming that the offset between the first subcarrier of the synchronization signal block and the first subcarrier of the common resource block is zero for an additional synchronization raster point intended for the narrowband new radio operation.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

23. An apparatus, comprising circuitry configured to cause the apparatus to perform the process according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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