Apparatus, method and computer program for adjustment of subcarrier spacing

Abstract

According to various but not necessarily all examples, an apparatus is provided that includes means for determining an adjustment to a subcarrier spacing for a multicarrier communication system in accordance with a change to an input bit rate for transmission via the multicarrier communication system and means for sending an instruction to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Examples of this disclosure relate to apparatus, methods, and computer programs for adjusting subcarrier spacing. Some examples relate to adjusting subcarrier spacing in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing for wireless access networks. Background Technology

[0002] Signals can be modulated to aid in information transmission. Some modulation schemes, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), use multiple subcarrier signals to allow more information to be transmitted. These subcarriers are modulated to operate at different frequencies.

[0003] Subcarrier spacing (SCS) is the interval between the peak frequencies of adjacent subcarriers in the frequency domain. Subcarrier spacing constitutes a part of the digital definition of a signal. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, an apparatus is provided comprising: means for determining an adjustment of the subcarrier spacing of a multi-carrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system; and means for sending instructions to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system.

[0005] A multi-carrier communication system may include a communication channel. Adjusting the subcarrier spacing applied to the multi-carrier communication system includes adjusting the subcarrier spacing applied to the communication channel.

[0006] Instructions for applying adjustments to the subcarrier spacing in a multicarrier communication system may include instructions for applying adjustments to the time gaps between symbols. Adjusting the time gaps may include adding or removing time gaps. The time gaps and subcarrier spacing can be adjusted so that the symbol rate remains substantially the same.

[0007] The adjustment of subcarrier spacing can be determined by comparing the input bit rate with the physical layer bit rate of the multi-carrier communication system. In some examples, if the input bit rate is within the error range of the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing is not adjusted; if the input bit rate is greater than or less than the error range of the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing is increased; if the input bit rate is greater than or greater than the error range of the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing is decreased. The physical layer bit rate can be based on the modulation order, the number of active subcarriers, and the symbol duration.

[0008] Multicarrier communication systems can use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to transmit information. Instructions for applying adjustments to subcarrier spacing include instructions for at least one user equipment to enter a load-limited energy-saving mode and for adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system used by at least one user equipment.

[0009] The apparatus may further include components for receiving a load-limited power-saving request from at least one user equipment for the at least one user equipment to enter a load-limited power-saving mode. Entering the load-limited power-saving mode may include adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system used by the at least one user equipment.

[0010] The instruction used to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing can specify a new subcarrier spacing. The apparatus may further include: components for receiving a first transmission from at least one user equipment having a first subcarrier spacing, and components for receiving a second transmission from at least one user equipment having a second subcarrier spacing. The first transmission may be received before the transmission instruction is sent, and the second transmission may be received after the transmission instruction is sent.

[0011] The apparatus may further include: means for determining a second adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system. The apparatus may further include: means for sending instructions to at least one user equipment to apply the second adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system. Instructions for applying the second adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system include: instructions for at least one user equipment to exit a load-limited power-saving mode and adjust the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system.

[0012] The apparatus may further include: components for determining adjustments to transmission power, discontinuous receive (DRX) period, discontinuous transmit (DTX) period, and / or guard band size based on changes in the input bit rate transmitted via the multicarrier communication system; and components for sending instructions to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustments to the transmission power, discontinuous receive (DRX) period, discontinuous transmit (DTX) period, and / or guard band size applied to the multicarrier communication system.

[0013] The apparatus may further include components for adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system according to received instructions. The subcarrier spacing may be a continuous variable. The apparatus may be a base station.

[0014] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, a user equipment is provided, the user equipment comprising: means for receiving instructions to apply adjustments to the subcarrier spacing of a multicarrier communication system and to apply adjustments to the time gaps between symbols in the multicarrier communication system; and means for adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system and adjusting the time gaps between symbols in the multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions.

[0015] The components for adjusting the subcarrier spacing and the components for adjusting the time gap between symbols can be configured to adjust the time gap and the subcarrier spacing so that the symbol rate remains substantially the same.

[0016] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, a method is provided, the method comprising: determining an adjustment for the subcarrier spacing of a multi-carrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system; and sending an instruction to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system.

[0017] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, a computer program is provided, the computer program including program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following: determining an adjustment for the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multicarrier communication system; and sending instructions to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system.

[0018] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, a method is provided, the method comprising: receiving instructions to apply adjustments to the subcarrier spacing of a multicarrier communication system and to apply adjustments to the time gaps between symbols in the multicarrier communication system; and adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system and the time gaps between symbols in the multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions.

[0019] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, a computer program is provided, the computer program including program instructions for causing a device to execute at least the following: receiving instructions to adjust the subcarrier spacing of a multicarrier communication system and to apply an adjustment to the time gap between symbols in the multicarrier communication system; and adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system and the time gap between symbols in the multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions.

[0020] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, a user equipment is provided, the user equipment comprising: components for sending an energy-saving request to a base station to enter a load-limited energy-saving mode; components for responsively receiving an instruction from the base station to enter the load-limited energy-saving mode, wherein the instruction specifies a new subcarrier spacing of a multi-carrier communication system; and components for entering the load-limited energy-saving mode and adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system to the new subcarrier spacing specified in the received instruction.

[0021] The device may also include a component for receiving user input. Sending an energy-saving request may be based at least in part on receiving user input.

[0022] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples, an apparatus for a base station is provided, the apparatus comprising: means for receiving a load-limited power-saving request for at least one user equipment to enter a load-limited power-saving mode for the at least one user equipment, wherein entering the load-limited power-saving mode includes adjusting the subcarrier spacing of a multi-carrier communication system used by the at least one user equipment; and means for responsively sending an instruction to the at least one user equipment to enter the load-limited mode and adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system used by the at least one user equipment, wherein the instruction specifies a new subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system used by the at least one user equipment.

[0023] Examples are provided, based on various, but not necessarily all, examples as claimed in the appended claims.

[0024] While the examples and optional features described above in this disclosure are described separately, it should be understood that they are provided in all possible combinations and permutations and are included in this disclosure. It should be understood that various examples of this disclosure may include any or all of the features described with respect to other examples of this disclosure, and vice versa. Furthermore, it should be understood that any one or more or all features, in any combination, may be implemented / included in / performed by means of an apparatus, method, and / or computer program instructions as needed and appropriately. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 An example of a network is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 An example of a signaling diagram is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 An example method for determining the adjustment of the subcarrier spacing is shown;

[0029] Figure 4 Another example of a signaling diagram is shown;

[0030] Figure 5 A graphical example showing how the subcarrier spacing is changed is provided.

[0031] Figure 6 Another example of a graph showing how the subcarrier spacing is varied is shown;

[0032] Figure 7 Another example of a signaling diagram is shown;

[0033] Figure 8 An example of the system architecture is shown;

[0034] Figure 9 An example of numerical results is shown;

[0035] Figure 10 shows another example of the numerical results;

[0036] Figure 11 shows another example of the numerical results;

[0037] Figure 12 Example methods are shown;

[0038] Figure 13 Another example method is shown;

[0039] Figure 14 An example of a controller is shown;

[0040] Figure 15 An example of the transmission mechanism is shown.

[0041] The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For clarity and brevity, some features and views in the drawings may be shown schematically or enlarged to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be enlarged relative to other elements to aid illustration. Similar reference numerals are used in the drawings to specify similar features. For clarity, not all reference numerals may be shown in all drawings. definition Detailed Implementation

[0042] Figure 1 An example of network 100 is illustrated, which includes multiple network nodes, including terminal node 110, access node 120, and one or more core nodes 129. Terminal node 110 and access node 120 communicate with each other. One or more core nodes 129 communicate with access node 120.

[0043] In this example, network 100 is a wireless telecommunications network in which at least some of the terminal nodes 110 and access nodes 120 communicate with each other using radio wave transmission / reception.

[0044] In some examples, one or more core nodes 129 can communicate with each other. In some examples, one or more access nodes 120 can communicate with each other.

[0045] Network 100 may be a cellular network comprising multiple cells 122, each served by an access node 120. In this example, the interface between the terminal node 110 defining cell 122 and the access node 120 is a wireless interface 124, and nodes 110, 120, and 129 are wireless network nodes.

[0046] Access node 120 is a cellular transceiver. Terminal node 110 is a cellular transceiver.

[0047] In the illustrated example, cellular network 100 is a 3GPP network, where terminal node 110 is a user equipment (UE) and access node 120 is a base station.

[0048] In the specific example illustrated, network 100 is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN). The E-UTRAN consists of E-UTRAN NodeBs (eNBs) 120, which provide E-UTRA user plane and control plane (RRC) protocol termination toward UE 110. The eNBs 120 interconnect with each other via X2 interface 126. The eNBs are also connected to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) 129 via S1 interface 128.

[0049] In other examples, network 100 is a next-generation (or new radio, NR) radio access network (NG-RAN). The NG-RAN consists of gNodeBs (gNBs) 120, which provide user plane and control plane (RRC) protocol termination toward UE 110. gNBs 120 interconnect with each other via X2 / Xn interfaces 126. The gNBs also connect to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) via N2 interfaces 128.

[0050] User equipment 110 includes mobile devices. When referring to user equipment 110, the reference includes and covers references to mobile devices where possible.

[0051] Energy efficiency (EE) is crucial for the design and development of radio access networks, including 6G. Cyclic Prefix Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CP-OFDM) is a primary waveform used in 5G NR and is also one of the main waveform candidates for 6G. CP-OFDM suffers from power amplifier (PA) backoff due to a large peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). This results in lower PA efficiency. Lower PA efficiency directly impacts the network's energy efficiency. To mitigate this, current approaches involve PAPR reduction methods that improve EE at the cost of increased computational complexity, signaling overhead, and bit error rate (BER).

[0052] Numericalities refer to specific subcarrier spacing (SCS) and cyclic prefix (CP) lengths. The numericalities of the waveform significantly affect achievable throughput and PAPR, and thus network energy efficiency. Increasing the SCS leads to a decrease in PAPR, and therefore an increase in energy efficiency.

[0053] Figure 2 An example signaling diagram according to this disclosure is shown. The signaling diagram illustrates user equipment 110 and network node 120. Network node 120 may be as follows: Figure 1 The access node 120 shown can be a base station 120, such as a gNB 120. The system may include user equipment 110 and network node 120.

[0054] At box 210, network node 120 determines an adjustment of the subcarrier spacing for the multicarrier communication system based on the change in the transmission input bit rate via the multicarrier communication system.

[0055] The change in the input bit rate transmitted via a multi-carrier communication system can be the input bit rate from user equipment 110, such as from user equipment 110 to network node 120. The input bit rate can be the number of bits that need to be transmitted within a given time period.

[0056] The multi-carrier communication system includes at least one transmitter, at least one receiver, and at least one communication channel. The at least one transmitter transmits signals to the at least one receiver across the communication channel. The at least one transmitter is present in user equipment 110 and / or network node 120. The at least one receiver is present in user equipment 110 and / or network node 120. The communication channel carries or includes one or more transmissions.

[0057] In some examples, the adjustment of the subcarrier spacing of a multicarrier communication system may be an adjustment of one of the multiple subcarrier spacings associated with the multicarrier communication system.

[0058] In some examples, multicarrier communication systems use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to transmit information such as data and / or control information. In other examples, multicarrier communication systems use Cyclic Prefix Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CP-OFDM).

[0059] At box 220, network node 120 sends instruction 225 to user equipment 110 to adjust the subcarrier spacing applied to the multicarrier communication system. In some examples, instruction 225 specifies the new subcarrier spacing to be applied. However, in other examples, instruction 225 does not specify a new subcarrier spacing.

[0060] In some examples, at least one user equipment 110 sends adjustment instructions 225 to more than one user equipment 110.

[0061] At box 230, user equipment 110 receives instruction 225 to adjust the subcarrier spacing applied to the multicarrier communication system.

[0062] At frame 240, user equipment 110 adjusts the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system according to the received instruction 225.

[0063] In some examples, network node 120 adjusts the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system according to received instruction 225.

[0064] Adjusting the subcarrier spacing applied to a multicarrier communication system may include adjusting the subcarrier spacing applied to at least one transmitter, at least one receiver, and / or at least one communication channel.

[0065] In some examples, the subcarrier spacing is a continuous variable that can be set to virtually any value, or virtually any value within a range. In other examples, the subcarrier spacing is a discrete variable that can be set to only certain values.

[0066] In some examples, such as Figure 2 As shown in box 210, the adjustment of the subcarrier spacing is determined by comparing the input bit rate with the physical layer bit rate of the multi-carrier communication system. Figure 3 Example method 300 corresponding to this determined example is shown.

[0067] At box 310, network node 120 acquires the input bit rate value R. in In some examples, network node 120 receives the input bit rate from at least one user equipment 110.

[0068] At boxes 320 and 340, network node 120 compares the input bit rate with the physical layer bit rate. In this example, the physical layer bit rate is based on the modulation order Q. m The number of active subcarriers N act and the time period T between continuous symbols sym Specifically in this example, the physical layer bit rate is determined by... Given. Network node 120 may receive some or all of these parameters from user equipment 110.

[0069] In this example, the error range The value 'm' is used in the comparison between the input bit rate and the physical layer bit rate. This helps ensure that the subcarrier spacing does not repeatedly change due to small fluctuations in the input bit rate, thereby reducing the use of network resources. In other examples, the error range is not used.

[0070] At block 320, if the input bit rate is within the error tolerance range of the physical layer bit rate, the method proceeds to block 330, where the subcarrier spacing is not adjusted and remains at least substantially the same. Therefore, if the input bit rate is less than a first error range of the physical layer bit rate, or greater than a second error range of the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing is not adjusted. In this example, the first and second error ranges are the same; however, in other examples, the first and second error ranges may be different.

[0071] If the input bit rate exceeds the error range of the physical layer bit rate, the method proceeds to box 340.

[0072] At box 340, if the input bit rate is greater than a second error range above the physical layer bit rate, the method proceeds to box 360, where the subcarrier spacing is reduced. If the input bit rate is greater than a first error range below the physical layer bit rate, the method proceeds to box 350, where the subcarrier spacing is increased.

[0073] From blocks 330, 350, and 360, the method proceeds to block 370. In block 370, the resource grid mapper performs physical resource block mapping and maps data symbols to resource elements for one or more transmissions over the communication channel. This may include adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system. A resource element is the smallest unit of the resource grid, comprising one subcarrier in the frequency domain and one OFDM symbol in the time domain.

[0074] Increasing the subcarrier spacing leads to a reduction in PAPR, thereby increasing energy efficiency. However, at higher load levels, increasing the subcarrier spacing may potentially be undesirable due to reduced throughput and increased interference.

[0075] When the load is low, for example, when the input bit rate is lower than the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing (SCS) is increased to improve energy efficiency. When the load is high, for example, when the input bit rate is higher than the physical layer bit rate, the SCS is increased to improve throughput. Therefore, one technical effect of this disclosure is to optimize the subcarrier spacing of a multicarrier system for energy efficiency, throughput, and interference.

[0076] At least one user equipment 110 that applies adjustments to increase the subcarrier spacing can constitute at least a portion of at least one user equipment 110 entering a load-limited power-saving mode. Instructing the at least one user equipment 110 to apply adjustments to increase the subcarrier spacing can constitute at least a portion of instructing the at least one user equipment 110 to enter a load-limited power-saving mode.

[0077] Similarly, at least one user equipment 110 that applies adjustments to reduce subcarrier spacing can constitute at least a portion of at least one user equipment 110 that exits load-limited power-saving mode.

[0078] In addition to subcarrier spacing, several other parameters can be adjusted to improve energy efficiency. For example, the transmit power, discontinuous reception (DRX) period, discontinuous transmission (DTX) period, and / or guard band size can be adjusted.

[0079] In some examples, network node 120 determines adjustments to transmit power, DRX period, DTX period, and / or guard band size based on changes in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system. This may be part of the same determination of the subcarrier spacing adjustment in block 210 and may be considered as collectively constituting the decision to enter or exit load-limited power-saving mode.

[0080] Network node 120 can send instructions to at least one user equipment 110 to adjust the transmission power, DRX period, DTX period, and / or guard band size applied to the multi-carrier communication system. This instruction may be part of instruction 225 to adjust the subcarrier spacing applied to the multi-carrier communication system, and may also be part of instruction 225 to enter or exit a load-limited power-saving mode.

[0081] Figure 4 An example signaling diagram according to this disclosure is shown.

[0082] Figure 4 The signaling diagram may include Figure 2 Some or all of the features of the signaling diagram.

[0083] User equipment 11 transmits a first transmission 405 using a first subcarrier interval. Then, network node 120 receives the first transmission 405 from user equipment 110.

[0084] At box 210, network node 120 determines an adjustment to the subcarrier spacing for the multi-carrier communication system based on changes in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system. This could be as follows: Figure 3 The determination is shown. Network node 120 determines the adjustment of the subcarrier spacing to a second subcarrier spacing, which is a new subcarrier spacing.

[0085] Network node 120 sends instruction 225 to user equipment 110 to adjust the second subcarrier spacing applied to the multicarrier communication system. User equipment 110 then receives these instructions 225. In some examples, network node 120 sends instruction 225 using the first subcarrier spacing.

[0086] At frame 240, user equipment 110 adjusts the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system to the second subcarrier spacing according to the received instruction 225.

[0087] User equipment 110 transmits at least a second transmission 455-1 using a second subcarrier interval. In this example, user equipment 110 transmits multiple transmissions 455-1 to 455-n using a second subcarrier interval. Then, network node 120 receives (multiple) second transmissions 455-1, 455-n from user equipment 110.

[0088] Before instruction 225 is sent by network node 120 and received by at least one user equipment 110, first transmission 205 is sent by the at least one user equipment 110 and received by network node 120. After instruction 225 is sent by network node 120 and received by at least one user equipment 110, second transmission 445 is sent by the at least one user equipment 110 and received by network node 120.

[0089] At box 450, network node 120 determines a second adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system based on changes in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system. This may be related to the determination process in box 210 and... Figure 3 The determinations shown are essentially the same. Network node 120 determines the adjustment of the subcarrier spacing to the third subcarrier spacing.

[0090] Network node 120 sends instruction 455 to user equipment 110 to adjust the third subcarrier spacing applied to the multicarrier communication system. User equipment 110 then receives these instructions 455. In some examples, network node 120 sends instruction 455 using a second subcarrier spacing.

[0091] At frame 460, user equipment 110 adjusts the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system to the third subcarrier spacing according to the received instruction 455.

[0092] In some examples, the third subcarrier spacing is substantially the same as the first subcarrier spacing. In these examples, adjusting the subcarrier spacing to the third subcarrier spacing can be considered as restoring the subcarrier spacing to its previous value; and the instruction 455 used to apply the adjustment to the third subcarrier spacing can be considered as instruction 455 used to restore the subcarrier spacing to its previous value. In other examples, the third subcarrier spacing is different from the first subcarrier spacing.

[0093] User equipment 110 transmits at least a third transmission 465 using a third subcarrier interval. Network node 120 then receives (multiple) third transmissions 465 from user equipment 110. In some examples, network node 120 uses the third subcarrier interval to send subsequent instructions to user equipment 110.

[0094] In some examples, transmissions 405, 445, and 465 from user equipment 110 are Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmissions 405, 445, and 465, and transmissions 225 and 455 from network node 120 are Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmissions 225 and 455. In some examples, the subcarrier spacing is configured by Master Information Block (MIB) 225 and 455, which can be periodically transmitted via Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). In some examples, the subcarrier spacing is specified in the parameter "subCarrierSpacingCommon" of MIB 225 and 455.

[0095] In some examples, the determination of whether to change the subcarrier spacing 210, 450 occurs periodically, such as with a period of 20ms or 100ms. In some examples, the determination of the subcarrier spacing 210, 450 occurs in response to a trigger, such as in response to a message received and / or transmitted between network node 120 and user equipment 110.

[0096] In some examples, the time interval between sending instruction 225 to at least one user equipment 110 to apply a first adjustment to a first subcarrier interval and sending instruction 455 to at least one user equipment 110 to apply a second adjustment to a second subcarrier interval is less than 500 ms.

[0097] Figure 5 Examples of changing subcarrier spacing 501, 511, and 521 are shown. In this example, four symbols 506 are transmitted: 00, 01, 10, and 00.

[0098] In (a), a first subcarrier spacing 501 is used. In this example, the load is low, and two subcarriers 502 are active, while six subcarriers 502 are inactive.

[0099] First, the first symbol 506 is transmitted via the first subcarrier 502, and the second symbol 506 is transmitted via the second subcarrier 502. Next, the third symbol 506 is transmitted via the first subcarrier 502, and the fourth symbol 506 is transmitted via the second subcarrier 502.

[0100] Subcarrier spacing 501 is the range of subcarrier 502 extended in the frequency domain. Symbol duration 504 is the range of symbol 506 extended in the time domain. In (a), there is no time gap 508 between symbols 506.

[0101] In (b), a second subcarrier spacing 511 is used, which is twice the first subcarrier spacing 501. The load remains essentially the same. Doubling the subcarrier spacing 511 means that there are a total of four subcarriers 502, two inactive and two active.

[0102] Doubling the subcarrier spacing of 511 also halves the symbol duration of 504.

[0103] In this example, there is a time gap 508 between consecutive symbols 506. However, in other examples, there is no time gap 508. In (b), the size of the time gap 508 is substantially the same as the symbol duration 504. Therefore, the symbol rate remains substantially the same between (a) and (b).

[0104] In (c), a third subcarrier spacing 521 is used, which is twice the second subcarrier spacing 511. The load remains essentially the same. Doubling the subcarrier spacing 521 means that there are a total of two subcarriers 502, both of which are active, and there are no inactive subcarriers.

[0105] Doubling the subcarrier spacing to 521 again halves the symbol duration to 504.

[0106] In this example, the time gap 508 in (c) is larger than that in (b). The size of the time gap 508 in (c) is approximately four times the symbol duration 504. Therefore, the symbol rate remains essentially constant between (b) and (c).

[0107] Network node 120 can send instructions to user equipment 110 to apply adjustments to time gaps 508 between symbols 506. In some examples, these instructions are part of instruction 235 that applies the adjustments to subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521. In other examples, they may be separate instructions. Adjusting time gaps 508 may include adding, removing, increasing, and / or decreasing time gaps 508.

[0108] In some examples, time slot 508 and subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521 are adjusted to keep the symbol rate essentially the same. In other examples, time slot 508 and subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521 are adjusted to keep the time intervals between the beginnings of consecutive symbols 506 essentially the same. In some examples, time slot 508 and subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521 are not adjusted to keep the symbol rate essentially the same, and different time slots 508 are used. As the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521 increase, higher inter-symbol interference (ISI) occurs. Time slot 508 reduces ISI.

[0109] Figure 6Another example of changing the subcarrier spacing 501, 511 is shown.

[0110] In (a), a first subcarrier spacing 501 is used. In this example, the load is low, and all four subcarriers 502 are active. In (a), there is a time gap 508 between consecutive symbols 506. The illustrated time gap 508 is substantially the same size as the symbol duration 504.

[0111] In (b), a second subcarrier spacing 511 is used, which is twice the size of the first subcarrier spacing 501. The load remains substantially constant. Doubling the subcarrier spacing 511 means there are two active subcarriers 502, and halves the symbol duration 504. The time slot 508 in (b) is substantially the same size as the symbol duration 504. Therefore, the symbol rate remains substantially the same between (a) and (b).

[0112] In this example, a higher subcarrier spacing 511 is used under low load conditions. This has the effect of reducing PAPR and thus improving energy efficiency. ISI is mitigated by maintaining a time interval 508 between symbols 506, which makes this possible under low load conditions. In both (a) and (b), the illustrated time interval 508 can be considered as such that it is used only every other symbol 506.

[0113] Machine learning (ML)-based receivers (such as the DeepRX receiver) have the potential to compensate for various signal impairments, such as channel delay spread, Doppler shift, phase noise, and frequency selectivity. In the examples disclosed herein, the novel digitization improves the network's electrical efficiency (EE), while the ML-based receiver compensates for other impairments introduced by the novel digitization.

[0114] DeepRX is a deep fully convolutional neural network (CNN) that receives frequency domain signals over the entire transmission time interval (TTI) and outputs the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) of the transmitted bits. Therefore, it can estimate the transmitted signal based on the received frequency domain signal. Because DeepRX is trained to operate under a wide variety of scenarios, parameters, and configurations, it is robust to impairments in the received signal.

[0115] The operation of 5G and 6G networks across a wide spectrum range can utilize flexible digitalization to handle different specific service requirements, such as ultra-low energy for large-scale IoT and several propagation conditions brought about by different frequency bands.

[0116] Increasing the subcarrier spacing (SCS) 501, 511, and 521 leads to a reduction in PAPR, thereby improving energy efficiency. This reduction occurs because the wider subcarrier 502 results in a decrease in the number of subcarriers 502 within the available bandwidth, leading to a lower dynamic range for the time-domain OFDM signal.

[0117] On one hand, the addition of SCS 501, 511, and 521 provides enhanced immunity to inter-carrier interference (ICI), which becomes increasingly important at higher carrier frequencies and in high-mobility scenarios due to significant Doppler shift. Furthermore, it is a promising option for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (uRLLC) services with stringent latency requirements.

[0118] On the other hand, because the CP length can be a fixed portion of the symbol duration 504, larger SCSs 501, 511, and 521 result in higher inter-symbol interference (ISI) due to their shorter CP lengths. In cases where delay spread is excessive (greater than the CP length), advanced receivers such as DeepRx can be used to mitigate the effects of ISI. This can be important in examples where the load is high and there may not be sufficient space to maintain throughput simultaneously in time slots 508 between consecutive OFDM symbols 506. One option is to choose a common fixed CP length for the different subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521. However, this would result in misalignment at the slot boundaries.

[0119] The number of users, use cases, and services expected to be supported by 6G wireless access technology is increasing dramatically. Greater flexibility in waveform digitization can address diverse requirements for energy efficiency, latency, spectral efficiency, and robustness to various impairments.

[0120] With increased ISI caused by adding SCS 501, 511, and 521, the receiver exhibits poor flexibility in signal detection. This is because the CP length is 504 times the symbol duration. With a fixed ratio, increasing SCS 501, 511, and 521 results in shorter CP durations, leading to increased ISI and performance degradation. Increased ISI also complicates equalization for frequency-selective channels. On the other hand, excessively increasing CP durations to accommodate larger SCS 501, 511, and 521 reduces system spectral efficiency and increases latency. Furthermore, varying CP durations with SCS 501, 511, and 521 cause slot boundary mismatches in OFDM symbol 506.

[0121] This disclosure proposes a more energy-efficient and flexible digitization for 6G that dynamically adapts SCS 501, 511, and 521 based on traffic load or user requests. Therefore, in low-traffic scenarios, or when switching to energy-saving mode at the request of a user, larger SCS 501, 511, and 521 are selected to save more energy. Because fewer subcarriers 502 are used within a given spectrum by increasing SCS 501, 511, and 521, the increased SCS 501, 511, and 521 result in higher EE; and because fewer subcarriers 502 are combined to construct a multi-carrier OFDM waveform, the PAPR will be smaller. Lower PAPR leads to higher PA efficiency, and therefore higher EE.

[0122] For low-load scenarios, the impact of a larger ISI will be relatively small because the same amount of data can be multiplexed on shorter symbol durations 504 when SCS 501, 511, and 521 are added. Therefore, because data is transmitted on shorter time slots, there will be time gaps / time interruptions 508 between consecutive symbols 506 that help reduce ISI.

[0123] The flexible digitization proposed in this paper can leverage ML receivers (such as DeepRX) to shape an AI-native air interface for 6G. ML receivers with strong learning capabilities have great potential to take advantage of the larger SCS 501, 511, 521, namely, stronger ICI resistance, lower PAPR, and therefore higher EE, while reducing their disadvantages (i.e., larger ISI).

[0124] Some embodiments offer the following advantages: The proposed flexible digitization is more compatible with the wider spectrum range of 6G. The new numerals have better performance in PAPR and EE. For low-load scenarios, higher EE can be achieved without sacrificing throughput. This flexible mathematics does not rely on any PAPR reduction techniques to improve energy efficiency. Therefore, it reduces the computational and signaling complexity caused by most of the methods in PAPR reduction approaches. The time interval between symbols reduces ISI.

[0125] The energy efficiency of a multi-carrier OFDM system can be given by the following formula: Where N is the number of active subcarriers 502, and M is the number of symbols 506. This refers to the rate per symbol for subchannel n, where BER is the bit error rate, and... These are the transmission power of each symbol.

[0126] As can be seen from equation (1), energy efficiency is related to the efficiency of BER and PA. Proportional. BER is affected by both ISI and ICI. Higher SCS (501, 511, 521) results in less ICI, but more ISI due to shorter CP. The parameter is affected by lower PAPR and therefore lower PA backoff. The number increases with the addition of SCS 501, 511, and 521.

[0127] By increasing SCS 501, 511, and 521 under low load (low input bit rate) conditions, the system can multiplex the same amount of data on fewer subcarriers 502 with a shorter symbol duration 504 (as it is inversely proportional to SCS 501, 511, and 521). Because there are many empty subcarriers under low load conditions, data is distributed across more frequency resources and less time resources without requiring additional spectrum, but rather by utilizing empty subcarriers. While the reduced PAPR and improved EE are the main advantages of increasing SCS 501, 511, and 521, the fact that data is transmitted in shorter time periods further helps to mitigate the increased ISI caused by larger SCS 501, 511, and 521.

[0128] Figure 5 The illustration shows an example of a low-load scenario. Assume the input bit rate is per... 4 bits, of which It corresponds to targeting Figure 5 (a) The symbol duration 504 of the selected SCS 501; and assuming a total of 8 subcarriers 502 and a modulation scheme of 4-QAM, there will be 6 empty subcarriers. Figure 5 In (a), symbols 506 are transmitted consecutively without any time gap 508 between them. If the duration of the CP is less than the maximum delay spread of the channel, this may cause ISI.

[0129] exist Figure 5 In (b), SCS 511 is doubled, which results in the occupation of more frequency resources (subcarrier 502), while in the previous case ( Figure 5 (a) Data is sent at half the time, that is, There will be consecutive symbols 506 between them. The time interval 508 can mitigate ISI caused by the increased SCS 511.

[0130] exist Figure 5 In (c), SCS 521 is Figure 5It is four times larger than in (a), and all frequency resources (subcarrier 502) are occupied, yet data is... Send, and there is a symbol 506 between them. Time gap 508.

[0131] In this example, time gap 508 has no effect on latency because the sum of the new symbol duration 504 and time gap 508 is equal to the symbol duration 504 in scenario a) with a lower SCS 501. We can see that in this example, the increase in SCS 501, 511, 521 directly corresponds to the increase in time gap 508 between consecutive symbols 506, which helps to offset the negative impact of the increased SCS 501, 511, 521 (i.e., more ISI).

[0132] However, under medium or high loads, implementing the same approach with the same number of resource blocks and modulation order results in lower throughput. For higher load scenarios, throughput (the bit rate achievable at the receiver) decreases with increasing subcarrier spacing 501, 511, 521. This is because the reduced cyclic prefix duration (as it is inversely proportional to SCS 501, 511, 521) leads to increased inter-symbol interference (ISI). Lower loads allow time gaps 508 between consecutive symbols 506, which compensates for the increased ISI caused by the increased SCS 501, 511, 521. In some examples, increasing SCS 501, 511, 521 reduces throughput under high load conditions without changing the transmit bit rate.

[0133] An adaptive SCS 501, 511, and 521 selection scheme based on load level is disclosed. The selection of SCS 501, 511, and 521 is determined based on the input bit rate, modulation order, number of active subcarriers 502, and symbol duration 504, which are respectively determined by... , , express.

[0134] The modulation order is the number of bits in the constellation diagram that can be modulated by symbol 506. On a (sub)frame, the resource grid mapper 370 receives updates regarding the values ​​of SCS 501, 511, and 521. Based on the physical layer bit rate and the input bit rate representing the load level, a decision is made to increase, decrease, or maintain the same SCS 501, 511, and 521. The resource grid mapper 370 is updated according to this decision. Figure 3 The flowchart depicted illustrates an example of how adaptive SCS 501, 511, and 521 selection can be implemented based on the input load level. Parameters This is the error range, which is added to reduce unwanted SCS 501, 511, and 521 switching due to small fluctuations in load levels.

[0135] The selected SCS 501, 511, and 521 signaling can be as follows: Figure 4 The example shown is for the uplink. In this example case, the network node / gNB 120 detects a sufficiently low load that is more beneficial for energy efficiency than throughput. To signal this information to the UE 110, a high EE mode can be defined. This includes certain adjustment parameters related to waveform digitalization, including higher SCS 501, 511, 521, and potentially includes discontinuous reception (DRX) period, discontinuous transmission (DTX) adaptation, and power control parameters for adjusting TX power. In one embodiment, SCS 501, 511, 521 are selected to follow... Figure 3 The process involves determining a higher SCS 501, 511, or 521, and if so, network node 120 invokes high EE mode. The selected SCS 501, 511, or 521 is then signaled as a parameter along with signaling for any other high EE parameters.

[0136] The new SCSs 501, 511, and 521 are signaled to UE 110 in a modified scheduling grant 225, which may include an indicator for the SCSs 501, 511, and 521 to be used. Once UE 110 receives scheduling grant 225, it will also receive information about which SCS 501, 511, or 521 should be used. Network node 120 may include this indication in substantially all scheduling grants, or may include it only when SCS 501, 511, or 521 changes. If the load increases, a similar process may be used to instruct UE 110 to begin using lower SCSs 501, 511, and 521.

[0137] In another embodiment, information about SCS 501, 511, and 521 may also be signaled as an explicit control message 225 or as part of another standard message 225. The downlink process follows similar logic, where information about SCS 501, 511, and 521 is either part of scheduling information or as a separate control message.

[0138] Apart from Figure 3In addition to the load-based decision-making process shown, decisions to change subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521 can also be triggered when a user requests to switch to power-saving mode at the cost of lower throughput. Network node 120 can determine whether the target throughput can be achieved in high-EE mode and calculate new parameters (specifically, larger SCS 501, 511, and 521) taking into account channel conditions and the speed of user equipment 110. Figure 3 This scenario may occur at medium / high load levels when the conditions given in the code for switching to higher SCS 501, 511, 521 are not met.

[0139] Figure 7 An example signal diagram for this situation is shown. Figure 7 The signaling diagram may include Figure 2 and Figure 4 Some or all of the features in the signaling diagram.

[0140] Figure 7 The process and Figure 4 The illustrated process is largely similar, with network node 120 controlling entry and exit from energy-saving mode. However, in Figure 7 In the example, this initiative stems from UE 110 request 715.

[0141] UE 110 can include the request in its UL scheduling request. If network node 120 accepts the request 715, it can calculate the parameters (including the larger SCS 501, 511, 521) and signal it to UE 110 in scheduling authorization 725. In some examples, request 715 is not accepted, and future transmission 445 will use the normal mode, with subcarrier spacing 501, 511, 521 remaining unchanged.

[0142] At box 710, user equipment 110 decides to request to enter a power-saving mode. This decision may be in response to user input. User equipment 110 then sends a power-saving request 715 to enter a load-limited power-saving mode; wherein entering the load-limited power-saving mode includes adjusting subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521. Adjusting subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521 may include adjusting subcarrier spacings 501, 511, and 521 for user equipment 110, for multiple user equipments 110 (which may be a subset of all user equipments 110), and / or for some resources of a multi-carrier communication system.

[0143] At frame 720, network node 120 determines whether to accept request 715 to enter power-saving mode. Network node 120 may determine an adjustment from subcarrier spacing 501 to second subcarrier spacing 511. Network node 120 sends instruction 725 to user equipment 110 to enter power-saving mode. Instruction 725 may specify the second subcarrier spacing 511. In response to accepting request 715, instruction 725 is sent.

[0144] At frame 240, user equipment 110 enters power-saving mode and adjusts the subcarrier spacing 501 of the multi-carrier communication system to the second subcarrier spacing 511 according to the received instruction 725.

[0145] User equipment 110 transmits at least a second transmission 455-1 using a second subcarrier spacing 511. In this example, user equipment 110 transmits multiple transmissions 455-1 to 455-n using a second subcarrier spacing 511.

[0146] At box 750, user equipment 110 decides to request to exit power-saving mode. This decision may be in response to user input. User equipment 110 then sends request 755 to exit load-limited power-saving mode; wherein exiting load-limited power-saving mode includes adjusting subcarrier spacing 511.

[0147] At box 760, network node 120 decides whether to accept request 755 to exit power-saving mode. Network node 120 may determine the adjustment from subcarrier spacing 511 to third subcarrier spacing 521. In some examples, third subcarrier spacing 521 is first subcarrier spacing 501. Network node 120 sends instruction 765 to user equipment 110 to exit power-saving mode.

[0148] At frame 460, user equipment 110 adjusts the subcarrier spacing 511 of the multi-carrier communication system to the third subcarrier spacing 521 according to the received instruction 765.

[0149] In some examples, transmissions 715, 445, 765, and 465 from user equipment 110 are Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmissions, and transmissions 725 and 755 from network node 120 are Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmissions.

[0150] Numerical results

[0151] Numerical results compare the performance of three different SCS 501, 511, and 521 (i.e., 30, 60, and 120 kHz) in terms of BER and PAPR. Three types of receivers were considered for the simulation: a baseline receiver 810 using a least-squares (LS) estimator, a baseline receiver 820 using perfect channel state information (CSI), and a DeepRX receiver 830. Schematic architectures of the end-to-end OFDM transmitter and the three receivers 810, 820, and 830 are shown below. Figure 8 As shown.

[0152] The architecture includes: binary source 802, encoder 804, mapper 806, resource grid mapper 370, wireless channel 808, and three receivers 810, 820, and 830.

[0153] The first receiver 810 is a baseline receiver 810 utilizing a least squares (LS) estimator. It includes a linear least mean square error equalizer 812, an LS channel estimator 814, a demapper 816, and a decoder 818. The second receiver 820 is a baseline receiver 820 utilizing perfect channel state information. It includes a linear least mean square error equalizer 822, a demapper 824, and a decoder 826. The third receiver 830 is a DeepRX receiver 830.

[0154] The simulation parameters used for the simulation are summarized in Table 1. Table 1. Simulation Parameters

[0155] The impact of SCS on PAPR: The effects of different SCS values ​​at 501, 511, and 521 (i.e., 30, 60, and 120 kHz) on PAPR are expressed by complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) values. Figure 9 As shown in the diagram. For larger SCS 501, 511, 521, fewer subcarriers 502 are combined within symbol duration 504 to construct a multicarrier OFDM waveform, resulting in a much lower PAPR. Figure 9 As shown, when switching from 60 kHz to 120 kHz is compared to the transition from 30 kHz to 60 kHz, the PAPR decrease is more significant. This decrease in PAPR will affect the PA's backoff and efficiency, and thus improve overall energy efficiency.

[0156] The impact of speed on BER:Figure 10 illustrates the impact of different SCS values ​​501, 511, and 521 on BER, with delay spread ranging between 500 ns and 600 ns. From the figure, we can observe that the DeepRX 830 outperforms the baseline receivers 810 and 820 for all tested SCS values ​​501, 511, and 521 (i.e., 30, 60, and 120 kHz). Furthermore, the DeepRX with higher SCS values ​​501, 511, and 521 exhibits the same or better performance as the baseline receivers 810 and 820 with lower SCS values ​​501, 511, and 521. For example, in Figure 10(a), for a maximum speed of 5 m / s, the DeepRX 830 with SCS = 60 kHz outperforms the baseline receivers 810 and 820 with SCS = 30 kHz. Furthermore, for cases where SNR < 20 dB, the DeepRX 830 with SCS = 120 kHz is slightly better than the baseline receivers 810 and 820 with SCS = 60 kHz.

[0157] In Figure 10(b), by increasing the speed to 35 m / s, we can observe a performance degradation due to the more severe Doppler shift leading to greater ICI. This degradation is very slight for both the DeepRX 830 and CSI receiver 820, but more severe for the LS receiver 810. As can be seen from Figure 10(b), the DeepRX 830 with SCS = 60 kHz significantly outperforms the LS receiver 810 with SCS = 30 kHz. For SCS = 120 kHz, the DeepRX 830 exhibits almost the same performance as the baseline receivers 810 and 820 with SCS = 30 and 60 kHz. Furthermore, at SCS = 120 kHz, the greater robustness of a larger SCS to higher ICI can also be seen in Figure 10.

[0158] The impact of delayed diffusion on BER: Figure 11 compares the effects of different SCS 501, 511, and 521 on BER when the delay spread is between [500-600] ns (a) and [2-5] µs (b), with a maximum velocity set to 35 m / s. For a delay spread of [2-5] µs, the maximum velocity is set to... The CP duration is almost insufficient to mitigate ISI, demonstrating a decrease in BER compared to the [500-600] ns delay spread range. In Figure 11(b), it can be observed that the DeepRX 830 with SCS = 60 kHz exhibits almost the same performance as the baseline receivers 810 and 820 with SCS = 30 kHz, and is even slightly better than for the case of SNR < 20 dB. For SCS = 120, the DeepRX 830 outperforms the baseline receivers 810 and 820 with SCS = 30 and 60 kHz.

[0159] Based on the numerical results, it can be concluded that adaptive parameter configuration can be used for further energy saving. Based on the given results, the following conclusive comments can be emphasized: For medium / high load scenarios, it can be concluded that the DeepRX 830 can handle the increased ISI caused by the increased SCS 501, 511, 521 more effectively than the baseline receivers 810 and 820, especially in high-speed or long-delay distributed scenarios. In this case, when switching to higher SCS 501, 511, 521 (assuming the same type of receivers 810, 820, 830), a decrease in throughput may be unavoidable. However, when using the DeepRX 830, the same level of throughput as that used for the baseline receivers 810 and 820 can be achieved by leveraging the higher SCS 501, 511, 521. For low-load scenarios, the symbol duration 504 is shortened as the higher SCS 501, 511, 521 are switched, and there will be no throughput reduction due to the time gap 508 between consecutive symbols 506. Because the DeepRX 830 is trained to operate under a wide variety of scenarios, parameters, and configurations, it is more robust to impairments in the received signal. Therefore, with increased ISI caused by larger SCS 501, 511, and 521, the DeepRX 830 outperforms the baseline receivers 810 and 820, and the DeepRX 830 reduces the errors caused by the increased subcarrier spacing 501, 511, and 521.

[0160] Figure 12 An example method 1200 according to the present disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, method 1200 is performed by network node 120.

[0161] At box 1202, network node 120 determines the adjustment of subcarrier spacing 501, 511, 521 for the multicarrier communication system based on the change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multicarrier communication system.

[0162] At box 1204, network node 120 sends instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to at least one user equipment 110 to adjust the subcarrier spacing 501, 511, 521 applied to the multicarrier communication system.

[0163] Figure 13 An example method 1300 according to the present disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, method 1300 is performed by at least one user device 110.

[0164] At box 1302, user equipment 110 receives instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to apply adjustments to the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system and to apply adjustments to the time intervals 508 between symbols 506 in the multicarrier communication system.

[0165] At frame 1304, user equipment 110 adjusts the subcarrier spacing 501, 511, 521 of the multi-carrier communication system and the time interval 508 between symbols 506 in the multi-carrier communication system according to the received instructions 225, 455, 725, 765.

[0166] Figure 14 An example of a controller 1400 suitable for use in a device such as user equipment 110 or network node 120 is illustrated. The controller 1400 may be implemented as a controller circuit system. The controller 1400 may be implemented solely in hardware, have some aspects of software that include firmware, or may be a combination of hardware and software (including firmware).

[0167] like Figure 14 As illustrated, the controller 1400 can be implemented using instructions that enable hardware functions, for example, by using executable instructions of a computer program 1406 in a general-purpose or special-purpose processor 1402, which can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium (disk, memory, etc.) for execution by such processor 1402.

[0168] Processor 1402 is configured to read from and write to memory 1404. Processor 1402 may also include an output interface and an input interface, through which processor 1402 outputs data and / or commands; and through which data and / or commands are input to processor 1402.

[0169] Memory 1404 stores computer program 1406, which includes computer program instructions (computer program code) that, when loaded into processor 1402, control the operation of devices 110 and 120. The computer program instructions of computer program 1406 provide logic and routines that enable the devices to perform the methods illustrated in the figures. Processor 1402 can load and execute computer program 1406 by reading from memory 1404.

[0170] The apparatus 120 includes: at least one processor 1402; and at least one memory 1404 including computer program code, the at least one memory 1404 and the computer program code being configured together with the at least one processor 1402 such that the apparatus 120 performs at least: determining an adjustment for subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multicarrier communication system; and sending instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to at least one user equipment 110 to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system.

[0171] The apparatus 110 includes: at least one processor 1402; and at least one memory 1404 including computer program code. The at least one memory 1404 and the computer program code are configured together with the at least one processor 1402 to cause the apparatus 110 to at least: receive instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to adjust the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system and the time interval 508 between symbols 506 in the multicarrier communication system; and adjust the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system and the time interval 508 between symbols 506 in the multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions 225, 455, 725, 765.

[0172] The apparatus 120 includes: at least one processor 1402; and at least one memory 1404 storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor 1402, cause the apparatus to at least: determine an adjustment for subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multicarrier communication system; and send instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to at least one user equipment 110 to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system.

[0173] The apparatus 110 includes: at least one processor 1402; and at least one memory 1404 storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor 1402, cause the apparatus to at least: receive instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to adjust the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system and to adjust the time intervals 508 between symbols 506 in the multicarrier communication system; and adjust the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system and the time intervals 508 between symbols 506 in the multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions 225, 455, 725, 765.

[0174] like Figure 15 As illustrated, computer program 1406 can reach devices 110, 120 via any suitable delivery mechanism 1408. For example, delivery mechanism 1408 can be a machine-readable medium, computer-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, memory device, recording medium (such as a read-only optical disc (CD-ROM) or digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or solid-state storage), or an article of manufacture that includes or tangibly embodies computer program 1406. The delivery mechanism can be a signal configured to reliably transmit computer program 1406. Devices 110, 120 can propagate or transmit computer program 1406 as a computer data signal.

[0175] Computer program instructions for causing the apparatus to perform at least the following operations or to execute at least the following: determining an adjustment for subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multicarrier communication system; and sending instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to at least one user equipment 110 to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system.

[0176] Computer program instructions for causing the apparatus to perform at least the following operations or to execute at least the following: receiving instructions 225, 455, 725, 765 to adjust the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system and to adjust the time gap 508 between symbols 506 in the multicarrier communication system; and adjusting the subcarrier spacings 501, 511, 521 of the multicarrier communication system and the time gap 508 between symbols 506 in the multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions 225, 455, 725, 765.

[0177] Computer program instructions can be included in a computer program, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a computer program product, or a machine-readable medium. In some, but not all, examples, computer program instructions can be distributed across more than one computer program.

[0178] Although memory 1404 is illustrated as a single component / circuit system, it can be implemented as one or more separate components / circuit systems, some or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.

[0179] Although processor 1402 is illustrated as a single component / circuit system, it can be implemented as one or more separate components / circuit systems, some or all of which may be integrated / removable. Processor 1402 can be a single-core or multi-core processor.

[0180] References to “computer-readable storage medium,” “computer program product,” “embodied computer program,” etc., or references to “controller,” “computer,” “processor,” etc., should be understood to encompass not only computers with different architectures (such as single / multiprocessor architectures and sequential (von Neumann) / parallel architectures) but also special-purpose circuits (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices, and other processing circuitry systems). References to computer programs, instructions, code, etc., should be understood to encompass software used in programmable processors or firmware, such as the programmable content of hardware devices, whether instructions for processors or configuration settings for fixed-function devices, gate arrays, or programmable logic devices, etc.

[0181] The boxes illustrated in the accompanying drawings may represent steps in the method and / or code segments in computer program 1406. The illustration of a specific order of boxes does not necessarily imply a required or preferred order for the boxes, and the order and arrangement of the boxes may vary. Furthermore, some boxes may be omitted.

[0182] Where a structural feature has been described, it can be replaced by a component that performs one or more functions of that structural feature, whether those functions are described explicitly or implicitly.

[0183] Systems, devices, methods, and computer programs can utilize machine learning, which can include statistical learning. Machine learning is a field of computer science that gives computers the ability to learn without explicit programming. If a computer's performance on a task T, measured by P, improves with experience E, then the computer learns from experience E about a class of tasks T and the performance measurement P. Computers can typically learn from previous training data to predict future data. Machine learning includes fully or partially supervised learning as well as fully or partially unsupervised learning. It can enable discrete outputs (e.g., classification, clustering) and continuous outputs (e.g., regression). For example, different methods can be used to implement machine learning (such as cost function minimization, artificial neural networks, support vector machines, and Bayesian networks). For example, cost function minimization can be used for linear and multinomial regression as well as K-means clustering. For example, artificial neural networks with one or more hidden layers model complex relationships between input and output vectors. Support vector machines can be used for supervised learning. Bayesian networks are directed acyclic graphs that represent the conditional independence of multiple random variables.

[0184] The above example finds the application as the enabling component for the following:

[0185] Automotive systems; telecommunications systems; electronic systems (including consumer electronics); distributed computing systems; media systems for generating or rendering media content (including audio, visual, and audiovisual content, as well as mixed, mediated, virtual, and / or augmented reality); personal systems (including personal health systems or personal fitness systems); navigation systems; user interfaces (also known as human-computer interfaces); networks (including cellular networks, non-cellular networks, and optical networks); self-organizing networks; the Internet of Things; the Internet of Things; virtualized networks; and related software and services.

[0186] According to the examples of this disclosure, the device can be provided in an electronic device, such as a mobile terminal. However, it should be understood that a mobile terminal is merely an example of an electronic device that can benefit from the implementation of this disclosure and should not be considered a limitation on the scope of this disclosure. While in some implementation examples the device can be provided in mobile terminals, other types of electronic devices, such as, but not limited to: mobile communication devices, handheld portable electronic devices, wearable computing devices, portable digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, mobile computers, desktop computers, televisions, gaming devices, laptop computers, cameras, video recorders, GPS devices, and other types of electronic systems, the examples of this disclosure can be readily adopted. Furthermore, the examples of this disclosure can be readily adopted regardless of whether the devices are intended to provide mobility.

[0187] The term “include” as used in this document has an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning. That is, any reference to including Y in relation to X indicates that X may include only one Y, or may include more than one Y. If “include” is intended to be used in an exclusive sense, it will be clearly stated in the context by referring to “includes only one…” or using “consisting of…”.

[0188] In this description, the terms “connection,” “coupling,” and “communication,” and their derivatives, mean operationally connecting / coupling / communicating. It should be understood that any number of intermediate components or combinations of intermediate components (including no intermediate components) may exist to provide direct or indirect connection / coupling / communication. Any such intermediate component may include hardware and / or software components.

[0189] As used herein, the term "determine" (and its grammatical variations) can include, but is not limited to: calculation, operation, processing, derivation, measurement, investigation, identification, searching (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, etc. Furthermore, "determining" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), obtaining, etc. Additionally, "determine" can include solving, selecting, picking, establishing, etc.

[0190] Various examples have been referenced in this description. Descriptions of features or functions of the examples indicate that those features or functions exist in that example. The use of the terms "example," "for example," "may," or "possibly" in the text, whether explicitly stated or not, indicates that such features or functions exist at least in the described example, regardless of whether that example is described as an example, and that they may, but not necessarily, exist in some or all of the other examples. Therefore, "example," "for example," "may," or "possibly" refers to a specific instance within the example category. The attributes of that instance may be attributes of only that instance, or they may be attributes of the category or of a subcategory that includes some but not all instances within that category. Thus, features that reference one example description but not another example description are implicitly exposed and, where possible, may be used as part of a working combination in other examples, but are not necessarily required to be used in other examples.

[0191] Although examples have been described with reference to various examples in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that modifications may be made to the given examples without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0192] The features described above can be combined in ways different from those explicitly described above.

[0193] Although features have been described with reference to certain characteristics, these functions can be performed by other features, regardless of whether those features are described.

[0194] Although features have been described with reference to some examples, these features may also exist in other examples, whether or not those examples are described.

[0195] The terms “a,” “an,” or “that” as used in this document have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning. That is, any reference to X that includes a / an / that Y indicates that X may include only one Y, or may include more than one Y, unless the context clearly indicates the opposite. If “a,” “an,” or “that” is intended to be used in an exclusive sense, it will be clearly stated in the context. In some cases, the use of “at least one” or “one or more” may be used to emphasize an inclusive meaning, but the omission of these terms should not be construed as inferring any exclusive meaning.

[0196] The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to that feature or combination of features itself, and also a reference to a feature (equivalent feature) that achieves substantially the same technical effect. For example, an equivalent feature includes a feature that is a variation and achieves substantially the same result in substantially the same manner. For example, an equivalent feature includes a feature that performs substantially the same function and achieves substantially the same result in substantially the same manner.

[0197] In this description, references are made to various examples that have been used to describe the example feature using adjectives or adjective phrases. This description of the example feature indicates that the feature exists exactly as described in some examples, and substantially as described in others.

[0198] The foregoing description illustrates some examples of this disclosure; however, those skilled in the art will recognize possible alternative structural and methodological features that provide equivalent functionality to specific examples of such structures and features described above, and which have been omitted from the foregoing description for the sake of brevity and clarity. Nevertheless, unless such alternative structural or methodological features are explicitly excluded in the foregoing description of the examples of this disclosure, the foregoing description should be understood to implicitly include references to such alternative structural and methodological features that provide equivalent functionality.

[0199] While efforts have been made in the foregoing specification to highlight those features deemed important, it should be understood that an applicant may seek protection through the claims by any patentable feature or combination of features mentioned in the foregoing and / or figures herein, whether or not they have been highlighted.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: A component for determining an adjustment of the subcarrier spacing for a multi-carrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system. as well as A component for sending instructions to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-carrier communication system includes a communication channel, and applying the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system comprises: The adjustment is applied to the subcarrier spacing of the communication channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the instruction for applying the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system comprises: Instructions used to adjust the time interval between symbols.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein adjusting the time gap includes increasing or removing the time gap.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the time gap and subcarrier spacing are adjusted such that the symbol rate remains substantially the same.

6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein determining the adjustment of the subcarrier spacing is based on a comparison of the input bit rate and the physical layer bit rate of the multicarrier communication system.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: If the input bit rate is within the error range of the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing is not adjusted; If the input bit rate is greater than or less than the error range of the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing is increased; If the input bit rate is greater than the error range above the physical layer bit rate, the subcarrier spacing is reduced.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein the physical layer bit rate is based on the modulation order, the number of active subcarriers, and the symbol duration.

9. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the multi-carrier communication system uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to transmit information.

10. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction for applying the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing comprises: The instruction for at least one user equipment to enter a load-limited power-saving mode and adjust the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system used by the at least one user equipment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: Components for receiving a load-limited power saving request from at least one user equipment for the at least one user equipment to enter a load-limited power saving mode, wherein entering the load-limited power saving mode includes: adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system used by the at least one user equipment.

12. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction for applying the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing specifies a new subcarrier spacing.

13. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises: The component is for receiving a first transmission from the at least one user equipment having a first subcarrier spacing, and the component is for receiving a second transmission from the at least one user equipment having a second subcarrier spacing; wherein the first transmission is received before the instruction is sent, and the second transmission is received after the instruction is sent.

14. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises: A component for determining a second adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system based on a change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system; as well as A component for sending instructions to the at least one user equipment to apply the second adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instruction for applying the second adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system includes: an instruction for the at least one user equipment to exit a load-limited power-saving mode and adjust the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system.

16. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises: Components for determining adjustments to transmission power, discontinuous reception DRX period, discontinuous transmission DTX period, and / or guard band size based on changes in the input bit rate transmitted via the multicarrier communication system. as well as A component for sending instructions to at least one user equipment to adjust the transmission power, discontinuous reception DRX period, discontinuous transmission DTX period, and / or guard band size of the multicarrier communication system.

17. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises: A component for adjusting the subcarrier spacing of a multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions.

18. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the subcarrier spacing is a continuous variable.

19. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus is a base station.

20. A user equipment, comprising: A component for receiving instructions to adjust the subcarrier spacing of a multicarrier communication system and to apply the adjustment of the time interval between symbols in the multicarrier communication system; as well as A component for adjusting the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system and the time interval between symbols in the multicarrier communication system according to the received instructions.

21. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein the components for adjusting the subcarrier spacing and for adjusting the time gap between symbols are configured to adjust the time gap and the subcarrier spacing such that the symbol rate remains substantially the same.

22. A method comprising: Based on the change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system, an adjustment for the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system is determined; as well as Send instructions to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system.

23. A computer program comprising program instructions for causing a device to execute at least the following: Based on the change in the input bit rate transmitted via the multi-carrier communication system, an adjustment for the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system is determined; and Send instructions to at least one user equipment to apply the adjustment to the subcarrier spacing of the multicarrier communication system.

24. A method comprising: Receive instructions to adjust the subcarrier spacing applied to the multicarrier communication system and to apply the adjustment of the time interval between symbols in the multicarrier communication system; as well as According to the received instructions, the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system and the time interval between symbols in the multi-carrier communication system are adjusted.

25. A computer program comprising program instructions for causing a device to execute at least the following: Receive instructions to adjust the subcarrier spacing applied to a multi-carrier communication system, and apply adjustments to the time intervals between symbols in the multi-carrier communication system; and According to the received instructions, the subcarrier spacing of the multi-carrier communication system and the time interval between symbols in the multi-carrier communication system are adjusted.

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