User equipment, radio network node and methods performed therein

Abstract

Methods of a terminal device and a network node communicating in a non-terrestrial network are disclosed. A terminal device obtains a configuration related to data transmission using an orthogonal cover code, and transmits an uplink signal using an OCC. A network node sends a configuration related to uplink data transmission using OCC to a plurality of terminal devices. And the terminal equipment shares the same OCC and is used for sending data on the same time-frequency resource.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 555111, filed February 19, 2024, entitled “User Equipment, Radio Network Node, and Method Performed Therein,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments described herein relate to user equipment (UE), radio network nodes, and methods for wireless communication performed therein. Specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to processing communications (such as uplink transmissions) in a wireless communication network. Background Technology

[0003] In a typical wireless communication network, a UE (also referred to as a wireless communication device, mobile station, station (STA), and / or wireless device) communicates with one or more core networks (CNs) via a radio access network (RAN). RAN coverage is divided into geographical areas of service, or cells, where each service area or cell is served by radio network nodes (such as access nodes, e.g., Wi-Fi access points or radio base stations (RBS)). In some networks, an RBS may also be referred to as, for example, a NodeB, gNodeB, or eNodeB. A service area or cell is a geographical area of ​​radio coverage provided by radio network nodes. Radio network nodes operate on radio frequency to communicate with UEs within their range via an air interface. Radio network nodes communicate with UEs via downlink (DL), and UEs communicate with radio network nodes via uplink (UL).

[0004] Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third-generation (3G) telecommunications network evolved from the second-generation (2G) Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). The UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) is essentially a RAN that uses Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) and / or High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) to communicate with user equipment. In a forum known as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), telecommunications vendors propose and agree on standards for current and future generations of networks, and study enhancements such as data rates and radio capacity. In some RANs, such as in UMTS, several radio network nodes can be connected, for example via terrestrial lines or microwave, to controller nodes, such as Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) or Base Station Controllers (BSCs), which supervise and coordinate the various activities of the multiple radio network nodes connected to them. The RNC is typically connected to one or more core networks.

[0005] Specifications for the Evolved Packet System (EPS) have been finalized within 3GPP, and upcoming 3GPP releases such as New Radio (NR) are under development. EPS comprises the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) (also known as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Access Network) and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) (also known as the System Architecture Evolution (SAE) Core Network). E-UTRAN / LTE is a 3GPP radio access technology in which radio network nodes are directly connected to the EPC core network. Thus, the EPS's radio access network (RAN) has a largely "flat" architecture, consisting of radio network nodes directly connected to one or more core networks.

[0006] With the emergence of new 5G technologies such as NR, the extensive use of transmit and receive antenna elements is likely to generate significant interest, as it enables the utilization of beamforming, such as transmit-side and receive-side beamforming. Transmit-side beamforming means that the transmitter can amplify the transmitted signal in one or more selected directions while suppressing the transmitted signal in other directions. Similarly, on the receiver side, the receiver can amplify signals from one or more selected directions while suppressing unwanted signals from other directions. NR is connected to the 5G core network (5GC), which includes multiple network functions (NFs), such as Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Authentication Service Function (AUSF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Unified Data Manager (UDM), Network Repository Function (NRF), Network Open Function (NEF), and to name a few. Within the 5GC, NFs can discover other NFs using the discovery service provided by the Network Repository Function (NRF).

[0007] In Release (Rel)-17, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) were introduced for NR, LTE Machine-Type Communications (MTC), and Narrowband (NB)-Internet of Things (IoT). Descriptions of the capabilities added to NR, LTE-MTC, and NB-IoT for operation as Non-Terrestrial Networks can be found in published documents such as References 1-3.

[0008] NTN will continue to evolve in 3GPP Rel-19, and as part of this evolution, the industry is considering increasing the uplink capacity of the data channel known as the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). The rationale for increasing the uplink capacity of the PUSCH for NR in Rel-19 is described in RP-234078 [Reference 4] as follows:

[0009]

[0010] During 3GPP RAN plenary meeting #102, as a result of several Rel-19 workshops and discussions, the Rel-19 objective of increasing uplink capacity for PUSCH was as follows [Reference 4]:

[0011] Summary of the Invention

[0012] As part of developing the embodiments described herein, one or more issues have been identified.

[0013] According to one of the 3GPP Rel-19 goals for NR-NTN, companies have expressed interest in using Orthogonal Cover Codes (OCCs) to increase uplink capacity for PUSCH. However, the exact OCC design is completely open, and in an NTN environment, OCC is expected to be affected by several factors, such as the interactions between nodes involved in the communication, which may compromise orthogonality.

[0014] The embodiments described herein are intended to process communications in wireless communication networks in an efficient manner.

[0015] According to one aspect, and according to some embodiments herein, this objective is achieved by providing a method performed by a UE for processing communications in a wireless communication network. The UE transmits UL transmissions using OCC in an NTN environment.

[0016] According to another aspect, and according to some embodiments herein, this objective is achieved by providing a method for processing communications in a wireless communication network, performed by a radio network node (such as a gNB). The radio network node configures the UE to perform UL transmissions using OCC in an NTN environment.

[0017] According to another aspect, this objective is achieved by providing a UE and a radio network node respectively configured to perform the methods described herein.

[0018] Based on the embodiments described herein, one or more solutions are provided herein for supporting OCC to increase uplink capacity for NR-NTN.

[0019] This article provides one or more design considerations to support OCC for increasing uplink capacity for NTN:

[0020] • Support OCC within the NR physical layer, taking into account the reference granularity (e.g., slot level, symbol level) and the possible position of the OCC-related spreading in the NR physical layer processing chain.

[0021] • The orthogonality preserved for multiple OCC-based PUSCH transmissions received at a second receiver associated with the feeder link can be conditional on the first receiver associated with the serving link.

[0022] ○ Where P(A and B) is the probability of preserving complete orthogonality for multiple PUSCH transmissions received at the first and second receivers.

[0023] ○ P(A) and PP(B|A) vary depending on several factors, such as the number of OCC-based PUSCHs transmitted simultaneously, the satellite speed, and the receiver’s ability to compensate for / correct impairments associated with, for example, Doppler shift and phase distortion.

[0024] Therefore, the embodiments described herein address efficient communication in wireless communication networks. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 An overview depicting a wireless communication network according to embodiments herein is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 These are flowcharts and signaling schemes based on combinations of some embodiments described herein;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart depicting a method performed by a UE according to embodiments herein;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart depicting a method performed by a radio network node according to embodiments herein;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic overview depicting solutions according to some embodiments described herein;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic overview depicting solutions according to some embodiments described herein;

[0032] Figure 7 A block diagram depicting an embodiment of a UE according to the embodiments described herein is shown;

[0033] Figure 8 A block diagram depicting an embodiment of a radio network node according to embodiments described herein is shown;

[0034] Figure 9 An example of a communication system QQ100 according to some embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The embodiments described herein generally relate to wireless communication networks. Figure 1 This is a schematic overview depicting a wireless communication network 1. Wireless communication network 1 includes one or more RANs and one or more CNs. Wireless communication network 1 may use one or more different technologies. The embodiments in this document relate to recent technology trends of particular interest in the context of new radio (NR); however, the embodiments are also applicable to the further development of existing wireless communication systems such as LTE or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA).

[0036] In a wireless communication network 1, there are one or more UEs, such as user equipment (UE) 10 exemplified herein as wireless devices (e.g., mobile stations), non-access point (non-AP) stations (STAs), STAs, and / or wireless terminals, communicating to one or more core networks (CNs) via, for example, one or more access networks (ANs) (e.g., radio access networks (RANs)). Those skilled in the art will understand that “UE” is a non-limiting term that refers to any terminal, wireless communication terminal, user equipment, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) device, machine-type communication (MTC) device, device-to-device (D2D) terminal, or node, such as a smartphone, laptop, mobile phone, sensor, repeater, mobile tablet, or even a small base station capable of communicating wirelessly with radio network nodes within an area served by radio network nodes.

[0037] Wireless communication network 1 includes a first radio network node 12 that provides radio coverage over a geographic area (first service area 11 or first cell) of a first radio access technology (RAT) (such as NR, LTE, or similar technologies). The first radio network node 12 may be a transmission and reception point (such as an access node), an access controller, a base station, an NG-RAN node (e.g., a radio base station such as a gNodeB (gNB)), an evolved Node B (eNB, eNode B), a NodeB, a base transceiver station, a radio remote unit, an access point base station, an NG-LAN-CU-UP node, a base station router, a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point or access point station (AP STA), a transmission arrangement of a radio base station, a stand-alone access point, or any other network element or node capable of communicating with a UE within the area served by the first radio network node, depending on, for example, the first radio access technology and terminology used. The first radio network node may be referred to as a master node or a primary radio network node, where the service area may be referred to as a primary serving cell, and the master node communicates with the wireless device in the form of DL transmissions to the wireless device and UL transmissions from the wireless device. It should be noted that the service area can be represented as a cell, beam, beam group or the like to define the area of ​​radio coverage.

[0038] Wireless communication network 1 includes a second radio network node 13 that provides radio coverage over a geographic area (second service area 14 or second cell) using a second radio access technology (RAT) (such as NR, LTE, or similar technologies). The second radio network node 13 may be a transmission and reception point (such as an access node), an access controller, a base station (e.g., a radio base station such as a gNodeB (gNB), evolved Node B (eNB, eNode B), or NodeB), a base transceiver station, a radio remote unit, an NG-RAN-CU-CP node, an access point base station, a base station router, a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point or access point station (AP STA), a transmission arrangement of a radio base station, a stand-alone access point, or any other network element or node capable of communicating with wireless devices within the area served by the second radio network node, depending on, for example, the first radio access technology and terminology used. The second radio network node may be referred to as a secondary or secondary service radio network node, where the service area may be referred to as a secondary cell or secondary service cell, and the second radio network node communicates with the UE in the form of DL transmissions to the UE and UL transmissions from the UE. It should be noted that the service area can be represented as a cell, beam, beam group or the like to define the area of ​​radio coverage.

[0039] The first RAT can be the same as the second RAT, or the first RAT can be a different RAT from the second RAT.

[0040] The wireless communication network 1 may also include multiple network nodes, such as a first network node 15, for example, an AMF, that provide network functions (NFs) or actual instantiations of NFs (also referred to as NF instances). Different NF instances may have different tasks. Other functions may be used for LTE, such as an MME or the like.

[0041] Each node can be a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a server farm, or a processing resource within the same node. The embodiments described herein can be implemented as physical bare metal, virtual, or cloud-native, such as in a Kubernetes environment, for example, in a hyper-cloud network.

[0042] Design considerations for supporting OCC to increase uplink capacity for NTN include OCC reference granularity and the location of extended operations within the physical layer processing chain, which need to be addressed to use OCC within the NTN context.

[0043] The embodiments described herein can provide possible techniques for introducing OCC into the NR physical layer.

[0044] Design considerations help estimate the potential increase in uplink capacity by taking into account several factors, such as the interactions of nodes involved in NTN communication, which may disrupt the orthogonality of the OCC used to send PUSCH.

[0045] Examples of network nodes include NodeB, Base Station (BS), Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) radio nodes (such as MSRBS), eNodeB, gNodeB, MeNB, SeNB, Location Measurement Unit (LMU), Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) node, Network Controller, Radio Network Controller (RNC), Base Station Controller (BSC), Repeater, Donor Node Control Repeater, Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Central Unit (e.g. in gNB), Distributed Unit (e.g. in gNB), Baseband Unit, Centralized Baseband, C-RAN, Access Point (AP), Transmission Point, Transmission Receiver Point (TRP), RRU, RRH, nodes in Distributed Antenna System (DAS), Core Network Nodes (e.g., MSC, MME, etc.), O&M, OSS, SON, Location Nodes (e.g., E-SMLC), etc.

[0046] The non-restrictive term UE refers to any type of wireless device that communicates with a network node and / or with another UE in a cellular or mobile communication system. Examples of UEs are target devices, device-to-device (D2D) UEs, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) UEs, machine-type UEs, MTC UEs or UEs capable of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, PDAs, tablets, mobile terminals, smartphones, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, etc.

[0047] The term Radio Access Technology or RAT can refer to any RAT, such as UTRA, E-UTRA, Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), WiFi, Bluetooth, Next Generation RAT, New Radio (NR), 4G, 5G, etc. Any device represented by the terms Node, Network Node, or Radio Network Node can support one or more RATs.

[0048] The term "signal" or "radio signal" used in this document can refer to any physical signal or physical channel. Examples of physical signals in DL are reference signals (RS), such as PSS, SSS, CSI-RS, DMRS signals in SS / PBCH blocks (SSBs), discovery reference signals (DRS), CRS, PRS, etc. RS can be periodic; for example, RS timing carrying one or more RSs can occur at a certain periodicity (e.g., 20 ms, 40 ms, etc.). RS can also be aperiodic. Each SSB carries NR-PSS, NR-SSS, and NR-PBCH in four consecutive symbols. One or more SSBs are transmitted in an SSB burst that is repeated at a certain periodicity (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, and 160 ms). The UE is configured with information about the SSBs on a cell at a specific carrier frequency through one or more SS / PBCH block measurement timing configurations (SMTC). SMTC configuration includes parameters such as SMTC periodicity, the duration or length of the SMTC timing, and the SMTC time offset relative to a reference time (e.g., the serving cell's SFN). Therefore, SMTC timing can occur at certain periods (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, and 160 ms). Examples of UL physical signals are reference signals such as SRS and DMRS. The term physical channel refers to any channel carrying higher-layer information (e.g., data, control, etc.). Examples of physical channels are PBCH, NPBCH, PDCCH, PDSCH, sPUCCH, sPDSCH, sPUCCH, sPUSCH, MPDCCH, NPDCCH, NPDSCH, E-PDCCH, PUSCH, PUCCH, NPUSCH, etc.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a flowchart and signaling scheme based on a combination of some embodiments described herein.

[0050] Action 201. Radio network node 12 may send indications (such as values ​​or index values) for configuration to use OCC.

[0051] Action 202. UE 10 can apply a configuration for performing UL transmissions using OCC.

[0052] Action 203. UE 10 performs uplink transmissions using OCC in the NTN. Therefore, radio network node 12 can receive UL transmissions using OCC.

[0053] Now refer to Figure 3The flowcharts depicted herein describe method actions performed by UE 10 for processing communications in a wireless communication network according to embodiments herein. These actions do not necessarily have to be performed in the order stated below, but can be performed in any suitable order. Actions performed in some embodiments are marked with dashed boxes.

[0054] Action 301. UE 10 can obtain this configuration. UE 10 can receive configuration data from the radio network node. The configuration data is related to OCC transmission in the uplink of the NTN. The configuration data may include values, index values, or the like.

[0055] Action 302. UE 10 uses OCC to send UL transmissions in an NTN environment. OCC is used with a configuration that includes one or more features (where, how, and / or when) for performing UL transmissions.

[0056] Now refer to Figure 4 The flowcharts depicted herein describe method actions performed by radio network node 12 for processing communications in a wireless communication network according to embodiments herein. These actions are not necessarily performed in the order stated below, but may be performed in any suitable order. Actions performed in some embodiments are marked with dashed boxes.

[0057] Action 401. Radio network node 12 sends the configuration to UE 10. The configuration includes data related to OCC transmissions in the uplink of the NTN. The configuration data may include values, index values, or the like.

[0058] Action 402. Radio network node 12 can then receive UL transmissions using OCC in the NTN environment. OCC is used in a configuration that includes one or more characteristics (where, how, and / or when) for performing UL transmissions.

[0059] The embodiments described herein disclose one or more of the following:

[0060] In NTN environments, uplink capacity is an additional consideration when using OCC.

[0061] In one embodiment, multiple OCCs are assigned to multiple users for transmitting PUSCH within the context of NTN operation, wherein when DFT-s-OFDM is enabled for PUSCH, the OCC at each UE is implemented before Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) precoding or after DFT precoding on the transmitter side.

[0062] In one embodiment, OCC is applied to a combination of frequency and time domains, wherein the extension of one or more OCC sequences can be performed toward frequency and time domain resources (e.g., OCC can span m frequency resources and n time resources assigned to the UE, where m and n can be equal or different integers).

[0063] In one embodiment of applying polarization multiplexing (e.g., left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) and right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) polarization or cross polarization), OCC is applied to the polarization domain.

[0064] In one embodiment of application space reuse, OCC is applied to the spatial domain.

[0065] In one embodiment, when OCC is applied in the frequency domain, the transport block (TB) size calculation and rate matching are related to the spread factor of the orthogonal cover code. For example, TB size (TBS) = Nre * Q * R * v / Nsf, where Nsf is the spread factor, and the number of coded bits before spread is the number of coded bits = Nre * Q * R / Nsf. Note: "Nre" refers to the number of resource elements, "Q" refers to the modulation order, "R" refers to the target code rate, and "v" refers to the number of layers.

[0066] In a dependent embodiment, the OCC needs to implement extensions, which can be implemented using any of the following granularities: slot level, OFDM symbol level, resource element (RE) level, and resource block (RB) level.

[0067] Figure 5 An example of OCC applied in the frequency-time domain using slot-level extended granularity is shown.

[0068] In one embodiment, UE 1 is configured with a slot-level OCC for uplink transmission to the gNB. UE 2, acting as another transmitter, is also configured with a slot-level OCC for uplink transmission and therefore shares the OCC with UE 1, comprising a 2x2 matrix [+1 +1; +1 -1]. This matrix can be a Walsh matrix or a Hadamard matrix, which is multiplied by two consecutive time slots of UE 1 and UE 2 (time slot 1 and time slot 2 as a time slot group).

[0069] In another embodiment, the NB sends a code index for obtaining the OCC by any of these UEs. It may be indicated in the configuration itself or in additional signaling such as downlink control information. UE1 then multiplies the first row of the matrix [+1 +1; +1 -1] with time slots 1 and 2, and UE2 multiplies the second row of the matrix [+1 +1; +1 -1] with the same two consecutive time slots.

[0070] In one embodiment, the OCC can have a length of 2 to be multiplied by 2 UEs, or a length of 4 to be multiplied by up to 4 UEs (where... Figure 5 This also applies to two UEs in the scenario.

[0071] In one embodiment, the redundant version (RV) should be identical within the time slot group associated with the time slot-based OCC. Figure 5 In the example, UE1 has a RV value of 0 in both time slot 1 and time slot 2, and the same is true for UE2.

[0072] In one embodiment, OCC can be implemented using either a bit-level or symbol-level basis. The extension can be implemented after channel coding and bit-level rate matching, or it can be implemented after symbol-level modulation.

[0073] In such Figure 5 In one embodiment, UE1 and UE2 transmit uplink data via their respective channels (PUSCH) on the same time and frequency resources (such as the same resource block (RB1)). On the receiver side, the gNB receives signals from the UE, such as multiple PUSCH transmissions, where the uplink data is processed according to the OCC configuration from the NB.

[0074] The gNB then multiplies the local OCC with each of the two time slots and combines the results. As an example, to receive data from UE1, the local OCC in the NB for UE1 could include a matrix [+1 +1; +1 +1]. Therefore, the combination of the two multiplied time slots from UE2 is 0, meaning the gNB can receive UE1's uplink data without interference from UE2. Similarly, the local OCC for UE2 can also prevent Rx interference from UE1's transmissions to the NB on UE2's data.

[0075] Figure 6 An example of a physical layer processing chain is shown, which includes possible locations of frequency domain extensions resulting from the introduction of OCC in the NR physical layer.

[0076] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6As shown, depending on the expansion granularity, such as whether it is slot-based (slot-level) or symbol-based OCC, the orthogonal overlay code is multiplied after the modulation step or DFT step.

[0077] In one embodiment, on the receiver side, OCC multiplexing and combining can be performed between the channel estimation and demodulation steps, for example, it can be performed before equalization, IDFT, or demodulation.

[0078] In one embodiment, the orthogonal coverage code (OCC) can be generated on the transmitter side or using a default code table, where the code index is indicated by the network. The UE obtains the OCC by generating it itself based on the indicated code index, or by obtaining the OCC from a code table known to the UE based on the indicated code index.

[0079] In one subordinate embodiment, a code index is indicated to the UE using dynamic signaling via downlink control information (DCI).

[0080] In one dependent embodiment, the DCI size may be increased by one or more bits to introduce a new field associated with the code index.

[0081] In one dependent embodiment, the DCI size is not increased, and one or more bits from the existing DCI field are reused or modified with the intention of introducing a new field associated with the code index.

[0082] In one subordinate embodiment, a code index is indicated to the UE using semi-static signaling via Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration.

[0083] In one embodiment, multiple orthogonal coverage codes (OCCs) are assigned to multiple users for transmitting PUSCHs, wherein the multiple PUSCHs are transmitted orthogonally across two different radio links (feed link and service link), and wherein the receiver nodes associated with the feed link and service link are equipped with different types of receivers.

[0084] In one dependent embodiment, the different types of receivers can be, for example, one of the following: a simple receiver (such as a single-user minimum mean square (MMSE) receiver) or an advanced receiver MMSE-IRC or a transponder equipped with RF filtering, frequency conversion and amplification.

[0085] In one dependent embodiment, the degree of orthogonality maintained for multiple PUSCH transmissions received at the second receiver is conditioned on the first receiver.

[0086] In a subordinate embodiment, P(A) is the probability that multiple PUSCH transmissions received at a first receiver located at the service link retain complete orthogonality.

[0087] In a dependent embodiment, P(B|A) is the probability of preserving complete orthogonality for multiple PUSCH transmissions received at a second receiver at a feeder link, given the probability of preserving complete orthogonality for multiple PUSCH transmissions received at a first receiver at a serving link.

[0088] In a dependent embodiment, P(A and B) is the probability that the multiple PUSCH transmissions received at the first and second receivers retain perfect orthogonality.

[0089] In a dependent embodiment, if one or more of the impairments, such as Doppler shift or phase distortion, experienced by multiple transmitted PUSCHs are compensated / corrected at the first receiver, the chance of P(A) approaching 1 is increased.

[0090] In a dependent embodiment, if one or more of the impairments, such as Doppler shift or phase distortion, experienced by the multiple transmitted PUSCHs are further compensated / corrected at the second receiver, the chance of P(B|A) increasing to close to 1 is increased.

[0091] In a subordinate embodiment, if multiple PUSCH transmissions correspond to a larger number of users, then P(A) increases the chance of moving away from 1.

[0092] In a subordinate embodiment, if multiple PUSCH transmissions correspond to a larger number of users, then P(B|A) increases the chance of moving away from 1.

[0093] In one dependent embodiment, depending on the satellite orbit, for example due to the satellite's high speed, P(A) increases the chance of moving away from 1.

[0094] In one dependent embodiment, depending on the satellite orbit, such as due to the satellite's high speed, P(B|A) increases the chance of moving away from 1.

[0095] In one embodiment, the degree of orthogonality preserved for multiple PUSCH transmissions received at the second receiver (conditional on the first receiver) and all other embodiments apply to both NR-NTN and IoT-NTN, wherein the latter includes both LTE-MTC and NB-IoT over NTN.

[0096] In one embodiment, at least one of the receivers involved in NTN communication attempts to first decode a UE that is already in better radio conditions based on information available in the network prior to UL scheduling, such as recent transmissions, HARQ feedback reports, short-term records, long-term (e.g., for static devices) records, or any other NTN performance-related metrics.

[0097] In a subordinate embodiment, the receiver performs OCC despreading of the received signal and attempts to recover data first for a UE that has been assumed to have the best performance among the UEs involved in the simultaneous uplink transmission, according to the previous embodiment, and once the first data has been recovered, it is subtracted from the OCC received signal, which has been despread using CC assigned to the second UE to recover the data of the second UE.

[0098] In one embodiment, the network identifies candidate UEs that can potentially be scheduled to transmit simultaneously using OCC based on service characteristics, number of repetitions, modulation scheme, location, power, short-term performance record, long-term performance record, or any other NTN-related performance metric.

[0099] In one embodiment, the UE may use OCC-based uplink transmissions, such as notifying or requesting the network in Msg 4 to be scheduled.

[0100] In a dependent embodiment, the UE may use OCC-based uplink transmissions based on its scheduled requests, depending on its buffer state or data service application / use case.

[0101] In a subordinate embodiment, in a subsequent downlink message, the network may explicitly ACK or NACK the UE's request for uplink transmission using OCC-based transmission.

[0102] In one embodiment, the demodulation reference symbol (DMRS) associated with the PUSCH of the multiplexed UE is multiplexed using separate time division, frequency division and / or code division, and is not part of the orthogonal overlay code used for data symbols.

[0103] In one embodiment, the demodulation reference symbol (DMRS) associated with the PUSCH of the multiplexed UE is multiplexed using the same orthogonal overlay code used for the data symbol.

[0104] In some embodiments, the orthogonal covering code is defined by a Fourier matrix, a Walsh matrix, or a Hadamard matrix.

[0105] In one embodiment where transmission is affected by time drift due to satellite movement or UE movement, the transmitter pre-compensates the timing and / or phase of its transmitted signals to eliminate the effects of time drift, thereby maintaining the orthogonality of the orthogonal overlay code.

[0106] In one dependent embodiment, the transmitter predicts the amount of time drift based on satellite ephemeris data provided by the network and / or UE position / rate data provided by GNSS measurements.

[0107] Overview

[0108] In one embodiment, one or more embodiments from the preceding section are used in one or more beams of a given satellite.

[0109] In one embodiment, one or more of the embodiments in the preceding section are used in an NTN deployment using "one beam per cell".

[0110] In one embodiment, one or more of the embodiments in the preceding section are used in a beam group for a given satellite.

[0111] In one embodiment, the NTN NR UE may also include a UE with reduced capability to support non-terrestrial communications, also known as RedCap.

[0112] In one embodiment, one or more embodiments in the foregoing section are used or applicable to IoT-NTN, including both LTE-MTC on NTN and NB-IoT on NTN.

[0113] In one embodiment, one or more embodiments in the foregoing section are equally applicable to non-terrestrial network scenarios based on transparent or regenerative payloads.

[0114] In one embodiment, one or more embodiments in the preceding section are equally applicable to different satellite orbits, such as LEO, MEO, and GEO.

[0115] In one embodiment, one or more embodiments in the preceding section are applicable to FDD and / or TDD.

[0116] Figure 7 This is a block diagram depicting a UE 10 for processing communications in a wireless communication network 1 according to embodiments herein.

[0117] UE 10 may include processing circuitry 1301, such as one or more processors, configured to perform the methods described herein.

[0118] UE 10 and / or processing circuit 1301 are configured to use OCC to transmit UL transmissions in an NTN environment.

[0119] OCC is used with a configuration that includes one or more characteristics (where, how, and / or when) for performing UL transfers.

[0120] UE 10 and / or processing circuitry 1301 can be configured to obtain this configuration. UE 10 and / or processing circuitry 1301 can be configured to receive from a radio network node or retrieve from within.

[0121] UE 10 may include memory 1305. Memory 1305 includes one or more units that will be used to store data (such as data packets, indications, configurations, OCC information, one or more priority ordering rules, reference signal information, auxiliary information, application information, messages, measurements, events, and applications) to perform the methods disclosed herein when executed, etc. Furthermore, UE 10 may include a communication interface 1306, such as including a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, and / or one or more antennas.

[0122] The methods for UE 10 according to the embodiments described herein are implemented, for example, by a computer program product 1307 including instructions (i.e., software code portions), which, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the actions described herein as performed by UE 10. The computer program product 1307 may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium 1308, such as a disk, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) stick, or the like. The computer-readable storage medium 1308 on which the computer program product is stored may include instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the actions described herein as performed by UE 10. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may be a transient or non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Therefore, the embodiments herein may disclose a UE for processing communications in a wireless communication network, wherein the UE includes processing circuitry and a memory including instructions executable by the processing circuitry, thereby enabling the UE to perform any of the methods herein.

[0123] Figure 8 This is a block diagram depicting a radio network node 12 for processing communications in a wireless communication network 1 according to embodiments herein.

[0124] Radio network node 12 may include processing circuitry 1401, such as one or more processors, configured to perform the methods described herein.

[0125] Radio network node 12 and / or processing circuitry 1401 are configured to send configuration to UE 10. This configuration includes data related to OCC transmissions in the uplink of the NTN. The configuration data may include values, index values, or the like.

[0126] Radio network node 12 and / or processing circuitry 1401 can be configured to receive UL transmissions using OCC in an NTN environment. OCC is used in a configuration that includes one or more characteristics (where, how, and / or when) for performing UL transmissions.

[0127] Radio network node 12 may include memory 1405. Memory 1405 includes one or more units for storing data (such as data packets, indications, configurations, OCC information, one or more priority ordering rules, reference signal information, auxiliary information, application information, messages, measurements, events, and applications) to execute the methods disclosed herein when performed, etc. Furthermore, radio network node 12 may include a communication interface 1406, such as including a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, and / or one or more antennas.

[0128] The methods for a radio network node 12 according to the embodiments described herein are implemented, for example, by a computer program product 1407 including instructions (i.e., software code portions), which, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the actions described herein as performed by the radio network node 12. The computer program product 1407 may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium 1408, such as a disk, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) stick, or the like. The computer-readable storage medium 1408 on which the computer program product is stored may include instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the actions described herein as performed by the radio network node 12. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may be a transient or non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Therefore, the embodiments herein may disclose a radio network node for processing communications in a wireless communication network, wherein the radio network node includes processing circuitry and a memory including instructions executable by the processing circuitry, thereby enabling the radio network node to operate to perform any of the methods herein.

[0129] In some embodiments, the more general term "network node" or "radio network node" is used, and it can correspond to any type of radio network node or any network node that communicates with the UE and / or another network node.

[0130] In some embodiments, the term wireless device or user equipment (UE) is used without limitation, and it refers to any type of wireless device that communicates with a network node and / or another wireless device in a cellular or mobile communication system. Examples of UEs are target devices, device-to-device (D2D) UEs, UEs with proximity capabilities (also known as ProSe UEs), devices with IoT capabilities, machine-type UEs or UEs capable of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, tablets, mobile terminals, smartphones, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, etc.

[0131] The embodiments are applicable to any RAT or multi-RAT system in which wireless devices receive and / or transmit signals (e.g., data), such as NR, Wi-Fi, LTE, LTE-Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications / Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution (GSM / EDGE), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMax), or Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), to name just a few possible implementations.

[0132] Those familiar with communication design will readily understand that functional devices or circuits can be implemented using digital logic and / or one or more microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other digital hardware. In some embodiments, several or all of the various functions can be implemented together, such as in a single application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or in two or more separate devices with appropriate hardware and / or software interfaces between them. For example, some of the functions may be implemented on a processor shared with other functional components of a wireless device or network node.

[0133] Alternatively, some functional elements of the processing device under discussion may be provided using dedicated hardware, while other functional elements may be equipped with hardware for executing software in association with appropriate software or firmware. Therefore, the terms "processor" or "controller" as used herein do not specifically refer to hardware capable of executing software and may implicitly include, but are not limited to, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware and / or program or application data. Other conventional and / or custom hardware may also be included. Designers of communication equipment will understand the inherent cost, performance, and maintenance trade-offs in these design choices.

[0134] Any suitable steps, methods, features, functions, or benefits disclosed herein may be performed by one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may include multiple such functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware, including digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, and instructions for executing one or more techniques described herein. In some implementations, according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the processing circuitry may be used to cause corresponding functional units to perform corresponding functions.

[0135] Figure 9An example of a communication system QQ100 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0136] In this example, the communication system QQ100 includes a telecommunications network QQ102 and a core network QQ106. The telecommunications network QQ102 includes an access network QQ104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and the core network QQ106 includes 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 generally be referred to as network node QQ110), as examples of a first radio network node 12 and a second radio network node 13, or any other similar 3GPP access node or non-3GPP access point. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, the network nodes exemplified as entities herein are not necessarily limited to implementations in which the radio and baseband portions are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Therefore, it will be understood that network nodes include decomposed implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunications network QQ102 includes one or more Open RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunications network QQ102 that supports ORAN specifications (e.g., specifications published by the O-RAN Alliance or any similar organization) and can operate alone or with other nodes to perform one or more functions of any node in the telecommunications network QQ102 (including one or more network nodes QQ110 and / or core network node QQ108).

[0137] Examples of ORAN network nodes include Open Radio Units (O-RUs), Open Distributed Units (O-DUs), Open Central Units (O-CUs) including an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), RAN Intelligent Controllers (near real-time or non-real-time) hosting software or software plug-ins (such as near real-time control applications (e.g., xApp) or non-real-time control applications (e.g., rApp)), or any combination thereof (the adjective "open" indicates support for the ORAN specification). Network nodes can support the specification by, for example, supporting interfaces defined by the ORAN specification (such as A1, F1, W1, E1, E2, X2, Xn interfaces, Open Fronthaul User Plane Interface, or Open Fronthaul Management Plane Interface). Furthermore, ORAN access nodes can be logical nodes within physical nodes. Additionally, ORAN network nodes can be implemented in a virtualized environment (described further below), in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualized environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Consortium or similar technologies. Network node QQ110 facilitates direct or indirect connections of user equipment (UE) 10, such as connecting UE QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c and QQ112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE QQ112) to core network QQ106 via one or more wireless connections.

[0138] Examples of wireless communication via wireless connection include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information without the use of wires, cables, or other conductors. Furthermore, in various 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 can 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 interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0139] UE QQ112 can be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are deployed, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node QQ110 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node QQ110 is deployed, capable of, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE QQ112 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network QQ102 to achieve and / or provide network access (such as wireless network access) and / or perform other functions (such as management in telecommunication network QQ102).

[0140] In the depicted example, core network QQ106 connects network node QQ110 to one or more hosts, such as host QQ116. These connections can be direct or indirect connections via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes can be directly coupled to hosts. Core network QQ106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node QQ108), such as network node 15, constructed with hardware and software components. The characteristics of these components can be substantially similar to those described with respect to UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the description generally applies to the corresponding components of core network node QQ108. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of the following: Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier Dehiding Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Secure Edge Protection Agent (SEPP), Network Open Function (NEF), and / or User Plane Function (UPF).

[0141] The QQ116 host may be owned or controlled by a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network QQ104 and / or the telecommunications network QQ102, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The QQ116 host 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), analytics 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 the server.

[0142] As a whole, Figure 9The QQ100 communication system enables connections between the UE, network nodes, and the 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 standard (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as 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.

[0143] In some examples, the QQ102 telecommunications network is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, the QQ102 network can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to it. For example, the QQ102 network can provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive machine-type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to yet another UE.

[0144] 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 single RAT, multi-RAT, or multi-standard modes. 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).

[0145] In this example, the central hub QQ114 communicates with the access network QQ104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEQQ112c and / or QQ112d) and a network node (e.g., network node QQ110b). In some examples, the central hub QQ114 may be a controller, router, content source, and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to the UE. For example, the central hub QQ114 may be a broadband router that enables the UE to access the core network QQ106. As another example, the central hub QQ114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. Commands or instructions may be received from the UE, network node QQ110, or via executable code, scripts, procedures, or other instructions in the central hub QQ114. As another example, the central hub QQ114 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, it may perform data analytics or other processing. As another example, the central hub QQ114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE acting as a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the central QQ114 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via network nodes, and then provide them to the UE directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the central QQ114 acts as a proxy server or coordinator for the UE, particularly when one or more devices in the UE are low-power IoT devices.

[0146] The central hub QQ114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node QQ110b. The central hub QQ114 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between the central hub QQ114 and the UE (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and between the central hub QQ114 and the core network QQ106. In other examples, the central hub QQ114 is connected to the core network QQ106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Furthermore, the central hub QQ114 may be configured to connect 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 the central hub QQ114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the central hub QQ114 may be a dedicated hub, meaning its primary function is to route communication from the network node QQ110b to the UE and from the UE to the network node QQ110b. In other embodiments, the central hub QQ114 may be a non-dedicated hub, that is, a device capable of operating to route communication between the UE and the network node QQ110b, but also capable of operating as the starting point and / or end point of communication for certain data channels.

[0147] While the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE, network node, host) may include the illustrated combinations 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 processing circuitry that processes information by, for example, converting acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing. Furthermore, although components are depicted as single boxes located within larger boxes or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between individual components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of a component may be partitioned between processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0148] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be provided by processing circuitry that executes instructions stored in 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 processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuitry may be configured to perform the described functions, whether or not instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to the processing circuitry itself or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or generally by the end user and wireless network.

[0149] Modifications and other embodiments of the disclosed embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art, benefiting from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it will be understood that the embodiments(s) are not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Although specific terminology may be used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

[0150] References

[0151] 1. X. Lin et al., “5G from Space: An Overview of 3GPP”, IEEE Communications Standards Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 147-153, December 2021.

[0152] 2. MS Hassan et al., “NTN: from 5G NR to 6G”, 2023 IEEE International Conference on Wireless for Space and Extreme Environments (WiSEE), Aveiro, Portugal, 2023, pp. 173-178, doi: 10.1109 / WiSEE58383.2023.10289427.

[0153] 3. NTN & Satellite in Rel-17 & 18, Munira Jaffar and Nicolas Chuberre, [online], available: https: / / www.3gpp.org / news-events / partner-news / ntn-rel17.

[0154] 4. RP-234078, “New WID: Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) for NR Phase 3”, 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #102, Edinburgh, Scotland, 11-15 December 2023.

[0155] Example

[0156] A1. A method performed by a UE for processing communications in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

[0157] - Use OCC to send UL transmissions in an NTN environment.

[0158] A2. The method according to embodiment A1 further includes:

[0159] - Obtain the configuration from the radio network node, wherein the configuration relates to the OCC transmission in the uplink of the NTN.

[0160] A3. The method according to any one of embodiments A1-A2, wherein one or more features (where, how and / or when) for performing the UL transmission are used when transmitting the UL transmission.

[0161] B1. A method for processing communications in a wireless communication network, performed by a radio network node, the method comprising:

[0162] - Send the configuration for transmitting UL using OCC to the UE in the NTN environment.

[0163] C1. A UE for processing communications in a wireless communication network, wherein the UE is configured to:

[0164] - Use OCC to send UL transmissions in an NTN environment.

[0165] D1. A radio network node for processing communications in a wireless communication network, wherein the radio network node is configured to:

[0166] - Send the configuration for implementing OCC in the NTN environment.

[0167] E1. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method performed by a UE and a radio network node, respectively, according to any one of embodiments A1-A3 and B1.

[0168] F1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program product including instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method performed by a UE and a radio network node, respectively, according to any one of embodiments A1-A3 and B1.

[0169] abbreviation 3GPP Third Generation Partner Program DCI Downlink control information DFT Discrete Fourier Transform DFT-s-OFDM DFT Extended OFDM DL downlink DMRS Demodulation reference symbols FDD Frequency Division Duplex GEO Geostationary orbit HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request LEO Low Earth Orbit MEO Medium Earth Orbit MMSE Minimum mean square error MMSE-IRC Minimum Mean Square Error Interference Suppression Combiner NR New Radio NTN Non-terrestrial networks OCC Orthogonal covering code OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing PDCCH Physical downlink control channel PUSCH Physical uplink shared channel PRB Physical resource blocks RAN Radio access network RB resource blocks RE Resource Elements RRC Radio Resource Control RV Redundant version TDD Time Division Duplex TN Land network TS Technical Specifications Tx transmission UE User equipment UL uplink WI Work Projects WID Work Project Description

Claims

1. A method for processing communications in a wireless communication network in a terminal device, comprising: - Obtain configuration from radio network nodes in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), wherein the configuration relates to transmission using orthogonal coverage codes (OCC) in the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PUSCH); and - Based on the configuration, an uplink UL transmission using OCC is sent in the PUSCH.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The configuration includes a slot-based OCC with an OCC length of 2 or 4.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, In the UL transmission, the same redundant version RV is used for each time slot in the time slot group of the time slot-based OCC.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The time-slot-based OCC includes the Hadamard matrix.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, When the OCC length is 2, the slot-based OCC is defined by [1 1; 1 -1].

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Before sending UL transmissions using OCC, the following is also included: - Generate the OCC based on the code index; or - Obtain the OCC from the code table based on the code index; The code index is received from the radio network node.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises: - When multiplexing is performed at the bit level, multiply by the OCC after rate matching; or - When multiplexing is performed at the symbol level, the OCC is multiplied after modulation.

8. A method for processing communications in a wireless communication network in a radio network node RNN within a non-terrestrial network (NTN), comprising: - Send the configuration to the terminal device for uplink UL transmission using orthogonal coverage code OCC in the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PUSCH); as well as - Receive UL transmissions using OCC in the PUSCH.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The configuration includes a slot-based OCC with an OCC length of 2 or 4.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, In the received UL transmission, the same redundant version RV is used for each time slot in the time slot group of the time slot-based OCC.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein, After receiving the UL transmission in the PUSCH, the following is also included: - After channel estimation and before demodulation, multiply each time slot in the time slot group of the time slot-based OCC in the received UL transmission by the local OCC; and - The result of combining each multiplexed time slot.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising: Send the code index of the OCC to the terminal device; or The configuration includes a code index for the terminal device to obtain the OCC.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising: Send the configuration for UL transmission using OCC in PUSCH to another terminal device; And receive UL transmissions using the OCC in the corresponding PUSCH.

14. A terminal device in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), comprising: Communication interfaces are deployed for wireless communication. Processing circuit, and The terminal device includes a memory containing instructions that can be executed by the processing circuitry, thereby enabling the terminal device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

15. A radio network node RNN in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) for processing communications in a wireless communication network, comprising: Communication interface, Processing unit, and The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the RNN to perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

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