Determination of feedback for enhanced 2-stage DCI robustness

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to determination of feedback for enhanced 2-stage DCI robustness. An apparatus is configured to receive a configuration, the configuration configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information comprises at least one of: at least one first-stage downlink control information or at least one second-stage downlink control information, wherein the configuration comprises at least a criterion for transmitting the feedback; receive the at least one downlink control information; and determine, based at least in part on the criterion, whether to transmit the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The examples and non-limiting embodiments generally relate to the design of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and more specifically to two-level downlink control information (DCI). Background Technology

[0002] As is well known, for downlink data channels, uplink resources are configured for user equipment to provide acknowledgment / negative acknowledgment feedback. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following description of the invention is for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0004] According to one aspect, an apparatus includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a criterion for sending feedback; receive the at least one downlink control information; and determine, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0005] According to one aspect, a method includes: receiving a configuration using a user equipment for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a criterion for sending feedback; receiving the at least one downlink control information; and determining, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0006] According to one aspect, an apparatus includes components for causing the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a criterion for sending feedback; receiving at least one downlink control information; and determining, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0007] According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for performing at least: causing the reception of a configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration at least includes a criterion for sending feedback; causing the reception of the at least one downlink control information; and causing a determination, at least in part based on the criterion, of whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0008] According to one aspect, an apparatus includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: send to at least one user equipment a configuration for the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; send at least one downlink control information to the at least one user equipment; and receive feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback sent at least in part based on the standard.

[0009] According to one aspect, a method includes: using a network node to send a configuration for the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; sending the at least one downlink control information to the at least one user equipment; and receiving feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback sent at least in part based on the standard.

[0010] According to one aspect, an apparatus includes components for causing the apparatus to perform at least the following: transmitting to at least one user equipment a configuration for the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; transmitting at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and receiving feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least in part based on the standard.

[0011] According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for performing at least: inducing the transmission of a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment via a network node, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; inducing the transmission of the at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and inducing the reception of feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least in part based on the standard.

[0012] The independent claims are provided with respect to several aspects. Several other aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The above aspects and other features are explained in the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a possible non-limiting example system in which example embodiments can be practiced;

[0015] Figure 2 It is a diagram illustrating the features described in this article;

[0016] Figure 3 It is a diagram illustrating the features described in this article;

[0017] Figure 4 It is a diagram illustrating the features described in this article;

[0018] Figure 5 It is a diagram illustrating the features described in this article;

[0019] Figure 6 It is a flowchart illustrating the steps described in this article; and

[0020] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps described in this article. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following abbreviations may appear in the instruction manual and / or drawings and are defined as follows: 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project 5G: Fifth Generation 5GC: 5G Core Network 5QI: 5G Quality Indicator 6G: Sixth Generation ACK: Confirmation AL: Aggregation Level AMF: Access and Mobility Management Functions BLER: Block Error Rate BSR: Buffer Status Report cRAN: Cloud Radio Access Network CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check CU: Central Unit DCI: Downlink Control Information DL: Downlink DTX: Discontinuous Transmission DU: Distributed Unit eNB (or eNodeB): Evolved Node B (e.g., LTE base station) EN-DC: E-UTRA-NR Dual Connection en-gNB or en-gNB: A node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and acts as a secondary node in the EN-DC. E-UTRA: Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access, also known as LTE radio access technology. gNB (or gNodeB): A base station used for 5G / NR, that is, a node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and connects to the 5GC via the NG interface. HARQ: Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request I / F: Interface L1: Layer 1 LTE: Long Term Evolution MAC: Media Access Control MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output MME: Mobility Management Entity NACK: Negative Acknowledgment ng or NG: the new generation ng-eNB or NG-eNB: Next-generation eNB NR: New Wireless N / W or NW: Network O-RAN: Open Radio Access Network PCell: Main Cell PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel PHY: Physical Layer PUSCH: Physical Uplink Shared Channel QoS: Quality of Service RAN: Radio Access Network RF: Radio Frequency RLC: Radio Link Control RRC: Radio Resource Control RRH: Remote Wireless Headend RS: Reference signal RU: Wireless Unit Rx: Receiver SCell: Secondary Community SCH: Shared Channel SDAP: Service Data Adaptation Protocol SGW: Service Gateway SMF: Session Management Function Tx: Transmitter UE: User Equipment (e.g., wireless equipment, typically mobile equipment) UL: Uplink UPF: User-Face Functionality VNF: Virtualized Network Function XR: Extended Reality

[0022] Turning Figure 1 The figure illustrates a block diagram of one possible, non-limiting example in which practical examples can be exemplified. It shows a user equipment (UE) 110, a radio access network (RAN) node 170, and network elements(s) 190. Figure 1In the example, User Equipment (UE) 110 wirelessly communicates with Wireless Network 100. The UE is a wireless device that can access Wireless Network 100. UE 110 includes one or more processors 120, one or more memories 125, and one or more transceivers 130 interconnected via one or more buses 127. Each of the one or more transceivers 130 includes a receiver Rx 132 and a transmitter Tx 133. The one or more buses 127 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optic cable, or other optical communication device. "Circuit" may include dedicated hardware or hardware associated with software that can be executed thereon. The one or more transceivers 130 are connected to one or more antennas 128. The one or more memories 125 include computer-readable code 123. UE 110 includes a module 140, which includes one or both of portions 140-1 and / or 140-2, and this module may be implemented in various ways. Module 140 can be implemented in hardware as module 140-1, such as being implemented as part of one or more processors 120. Module 140-1 can also be implemented as an integrated circuit or via other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, module 140 can be implemented as module 140-2, which is implemented as computer-readable code 123 and executed by one or more processors 120. For example, one or more memories 125 and computer-readable code 123 can be configured, together with one or more processors 120, to cause user equipment 110 to perform one or more operations as described herein. UE 110 communicates with RAN node 170 via radio link 111.

[0023] In this example, RAN node 170 is a base station that provides access to wireless network 100 for wireless devices (such as UE 110). RAN node 170 can be, for example, a base station for 5G, also known as New Radio (NR). In 5G, RAN node 170 can be an NG-RAN node, which is defined as a gNB or ng-eNB. A gNB is a node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and is connected to the 5GC (e.g., multiple network elements 190) via an NG interface. An ng-eNB is a node that provides E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and is connected to the 5GC via an NG interface. An NG-RAN node can include multiple gNBs, which can also include a central unit (CU) (gNB-CU) 196 and multiple distributed units (DUs) (gNB-DU), where DU 195 is shown. Note that a DU can include or be coupled to and control a radio unit (RU). The gNB-CU is a logical node that hosts the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP protocols of the gNB, or controls the RRC and PDCP protocols of the en-gNB that control the operation of one or more gNB-DUs. The gNB-CU terminates the F1 interface connected to the gNB-DU. The F1 interface is shown as reference numeral 198, although reference numeral 198 also shows links between remote elements of RAN node 170 and centralized elements of RAN node 170, such as the link between gNB-CU 196 and gNB-DU 195. The gNB-DU is a logical node that hosts the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers of the gNB or en-gNB, and its operation is partially controlled by the gNB-CU. One gNB-CU supports one or more cells. A cell is supported by only one gNB-DU. The gNB-DU terminates the F1 interface 198 connected to the gNB-CU. Note that DU 195 is considered to include transceiver 160, for example, as part of an RU; however, some examples in this regard could allow transceiver 160 to be part of a separate RU, for example, under the control of and connected to DU 195. RAN node 170 could also be an eNB (evolved NodeB) base station for LTE (Long Term Evolution), or any other suitable base station, access point, access node, or node.

[0024] RAN node 170 includes one or more processors 152, one or more memories 155, one or more network interfaces (N / WI / F) 161, and one or more transceivers 160 interconnected via one or more buses 157. Each of the one or more transceivers 160 includes a receiver Rx 162 and a transmitter Tx 163. The one or more transceivers 160 are connected to one or more antennas 158. The one or more memories 155 include computer-readable code 153. CU 196 may include processor(s) 152, memories 155, and network interfaces 161. Note that DU 195 may also contain its own memory(s) and processor(s), and / or other hardware, but these are not shown.

[0025] RAN node 170 includes module 150, which comprises one or both of portions 150-1 and / or 150-2, and can be implemented in various ways. Module 150 can be implemented in hardware as module 150-1, such as being implemented as part of one or more processors 152. Module 150-1 can also be implemented as an integrated circuit or by other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, module 150 can be implemented as module 150-2, which is implemented as computer-readable code 153 and executed by one or more processors 152. For example, one or more memories 155 and computer-readable code 153 are configured, together with one or more processors 152, to cause RAN node 170 to perform one or more operations as described herein. Note that the functionality of module 150 can be distributed, such as being distributed between DU 195 and CU 196, or implemented solely in DU 195.

[0026] One or more network interfaces 161 communicate over a network, such as via links 176 and 131. Two or more gNBs 170 may communicate using, for example, link 176. Link 176 may be wired, wireless, or both, and may implement, for example, an Xn interface for 5G, an X2 interface for LTE, or other suitable interfaces for other standards.

[0027] One or more buses 157 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fiber, or other optical communication equipment, wireless channels, etc. For example, one or more transceivers 160 may be implemented as a Remote Radio Header (RRH) 195 for LTE or a Distributed Unit (DU) 195 for a gNB implementation of 5G, wherein other elements of the RAN node 170 may be physically located in a different location from the RRH / DU, and one or more buses 157 may be partially implemented as, for example, fiber optic cables or other suitable network connections for connecting other elements of the RAN node 170 (e.g., Central Unit (CU), gNB-CU) to the RRH / DU 195. Reference numeral 198 also indicates these suitable network links(s).

[0028] Note that the description in this document indicates that a "cell" performs a function; however, it should be clear that the equipment forming the cell can perform this function. A cell constitutes part of a base station. That is, each base station can have multiple cells. For example, a single carrier frequency and associated bandwidth can have three cells, each covering one-third of a 360-degree area, thus the coverage area of ​​a single base station is approximately elliptical or circular. Furthermore, each cell can correspond to a single carrier, and a base station can use multiple carriers. So if each carrier has three 120-degree cells and there are two carriers, the base station has a total of six cells.

[0029] Wireless network 100 may include one or more network elements 190, which may include core network functions and provide connectivity to other networks (e.g., the Internet) such as telephone networks and / or data communication networks via one or more links 181. Such core network functions for 5G may include access and mobility management functions (AMF) and / or multiple user plane functions (UPF) and / or multiple session management functions (SMF). Such core network functions for LTE may include MME (Mobility Management Entity) / SGW (Serving Gateway) functions. These are merely illustrative functions that may be supported by network elements 190, and it should be noted that both 5G and LTE functions may be supported. RAN node 170 is coupled to network element 190 via link 131. Link 131 may be implemented as, for example, an NG interface for 5G, or an S1 interface for LTE, or other suitable interfaces for other standards. Network element 190 includes one or more processors 175, one or more memories 171, and one or more network interfaces (N / WI / F) 180 interconnected via one or more buses 185. One or more memories 171 include computer-readable code 173. The one or more memories 171 and computer-readable code 173 are configured, together with one or more processors 175, to cause the network element 190 to perform one or more operations.

[0030] Wireless network 100 can implement network virtualization, a process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity or virtual network. Network virtualization involves platform virtualization, which is often used in conjunction with resource virtualization. Network virtualization is divided into external network virtualization and internal network virtualization. External network virtualization combines many networks or network parts into virtual units, while internal network virtualization provides network-like functionality to software containers on a single system. For example, a network can be deployed in a telecommunications cloud, where Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) run on, for example, data center servers. For example, network core functions and / or (multiple) radio access networks (e.g., CloudRAN, O-RAN, edge cloud) can be virtualized. Note that the virtualized entities created by network virtualization are still implemented to some extent using hardware such as processors 152 or 175 and memories 155 and 171, and such virtualized entities also produce technical effects.

[0031] It should also be noted that the operation of the example embodiments of this disclosure can be performed by multiple cooperating devices (e.g., cRAN).

[0032] Computer-readable storage devices 125, 155, and 171 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Computer-readable storage devices 125, 155, and 171 can be components for performing storage functions. Processors 120, 152, and 175 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and, by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. Processors 120, 152, and 175 can be components for performing functions such as control of UE 110, RAN node 170, and other functions described herein.

[0033] Typically, various example embodiments of user equipment 110 may include, but are not limited to: cellular phones (such as smartphones), tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) with wireless communication capabilities, portable computers with wireless communication capabilities, image capture devices (such as digital cameras with wireless communication capabilities), gaming devices with wireless communication capabilities, music storage and playback devices with wireless communication capabilities, internet-connected appliances that allow wireless internet access and browsing, tablet computers with wireless communication capabilities, and portable units or terminals combining such functions. In example embodiments, user equipment 110 may include a smartphone device.

[0034] Therefore, having introduced a suitable but non-limiting technical background for practicing exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the exemplary embodiments will now be described in more detail.

[0035] The features described in this paper generally relate to the design of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and Downlink Control Information (DCI) for 6G.

[0036] In 5G NR, due to the interleaver design, the polar code used for DCI on the PDCCH supports a maximum DCI size of 164 bits. This means that without Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC), the maximum DCI payload size in 5G is limited to 140 bits.

[0037] In 5G, it has been observed that DCI payload size has reached its limit, and 6G is expected to require enabling larger DCI payloads. For example, Rel.18 specifies a new DCI format where a single DCI can schedule multiple cells. This DCI design may not be easily scalable, as it can easily exceed the 140-bit limit. Furthermore, multi-cell scheduling can be combined with multi-slot scheduling (a feature introduced in Rel.16 and Rel.17). There could also be other reasons to further increase DCI size, such as enhancements to Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), support for multiple parallel PxSCHs within a cell, etc.

[0038] Another approach for multi-cell scheduling is to divide the entire DCI into two levels, which would scale better to even larger payloads, for example, if more cells (and / or time slots) are specified. Furthermore, at the 3GPP Rel.19 NR workshop, there were numerous proposals to specify a two-level DCI for multi-cell scheduling.

[0039] In 3GPP 6G WS, numerous proposals specify a two-level DCI approach in 6G. Besides flexible payload delivery, another important motivation for using a two-level DCI approach is UE energy saving, as the UE can monitor only the first-level DCI, which can be compact with a lighter overall monitoring burden, and the first-level DCI will indicate the location of the second level (e.g., candidate location or exact location), requiring far less, or even no, blind decoding of the second level.

[0040] There are several different frameworks for implementing two-level DCI:

[0041] - Blind decoding is performed on the first stage, and the first stage at least indicates the location (e.g., the exact location) of the second-stage DCI in the PDCCH, so that the second stage does not require blind search. Now refer to Figure 2 The diagram illustrates an example of this type of 2-level DCI, where both levels are transmitted on the PDCCH. The total payload size (210) is split into two parts, one part associated with the first level (220) of the DCI and the other part associated with the second level (230) of the DCI. These two payloads are encoded separately and then mapped on the PDCCH (260) (see First Level DCI (240) and Second Level DCI (250) on PDCCH (260)). The first level DCI (240) and the second level DCI (250) can be sequentially monitored, detected, and / or decoded by the receiving UE.

[0042] - Perform blind decoding on the first level, and the first level at least indicates the region (e.g., candidate location) of the second level DCI in the PDCCH, so that blind decoding can be performed on the second level DCI in that region. Figure 2 An example of this type of 2-level DCI can also be illustrated, where both levels are transmitted on the PDCCH. The total payload size (210) is split into two parts, one part of which is associated with the first level (220) of the DCI, and the other part of which is associated with the second level (230) of the DCI. These two payloads are encoded separately and then mapped on the PDCCH (260) (see first-level DCI (240) and second-level DCI (250) on the PDCCH (260)). The first-level DCI (240) and the second-level DCI (250) can be sequentially monitored, detected, and / or decoded by the receiving UE.

[0043] - Blind decoding is performed on the first level, and the first level at least indicates the location (e.g., candidate location or exact location) of the second level DCI in the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) (or the location is known for the second level), so that the second level does not require blind search. In this framework, the first level DCI and the second level DCI can be monitored, detected, and / or decoded sequentially by the receiving UE.

[0044] - Level 1 and Level 2 can be blindly searched simultaneously in the PDCCH, and by including explicit information in the DCI (or such information is implicitly derived from other parameters), the UE can identify / identify the Level 1 and Level 2 DCI portions and combine them to obtain the complete DCI. Now refer to Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an example of this type of Level 2 DCI. At 310, the UE can monitor the Level 2 DCI. At 320, the UE can determine whether Part 1 or Part 2 of the DCI has been detected / decoded. At 330, the UE can determine whether multiple Level 2 DCIs have been detected / decoded. If so, at 340, the UE can determine the Level 2 ID of each detected / decoded DCI. At 350, the UE can combine Part 1 DCI and Part 2 DCI based at least in part on the Level 2 ID associated with the DCI. Within this framework, the Level 1 DCI and the Level 2 DCI can be monitored, detected, and / or decoded by the receiving UE in parallel.

[0045] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any of these frameworks for implementing 2-step DCI, or to any other framework.

[0046] In this disclosure, the terms Level 1 DCI and Part 1 DCI are used interchangeably. In this disclosure, the terms Level 2 DCI and Part 2 DCI are used interchangeably.

[0047] For DL ​​data channels, such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), the serving cell can configure pre-configured resources for the UE, through which the UE can provide UL ACK / NACK feedback for DL ​​data reception from its(multiple) scheduled cells. The UE can typically be configured with dedicated resources to provide this feedback. The exact resources and timing used to provide the feedback can usually be implicitly and / or explicitly provided via the DL scheduling DCI. The UE is always commanded and expected to provide feedback.

[0048] In the example embodiment, a second-level DCI (control channel, not data channel) feedback may or may not be provided. The indication of when feedback should be provided can be implicit and / or explicit, and can be controlled by the network. For example, the timing of retransmissions can be semi-statically configured.

[0049] In this disclosure, implicit indications, requests, commands, etc., may not be dedicated indications (e.g., bit fields or parameters), but rather implicit indications can be determined based on other parameters (or combinations of parameters) or rules defined by the specification. In other words, according to example embodiments of this disclosure, parameters defined for some other purpose may also be interpreted as implicit indications providing feedback. Additionally or alternatively, implicit indications may include a combination of explicit and implicit indications. In other words, in response to the presence of an explicit indication providing feedback and a parameter that the UE is configured to interpret as an implicit indication providing feedback, the UE can determine that feedback has been requested.

[0050] In this disclosure, feedback or triggering can be provided for a first-level DCI, a second-level DCI, or both a first-level DCI and a second-level DCI. Feedback can be configured such that the NW can distinguish whether the feedback is associated with a first-level DCI or a second-level DCI.

[0051] While Level 2 DCI allows networks to overcome some of the problems associated with Level 1 DCI, such as DCI size limitations, it introduces another set of challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that spectral efficiency is not compromised.

[0052] For Level 2 DCI, the UE needs to successfully decode both Level 1 and Level 2 data before it can attempt to decode any DL data or transmit it in the allocated UL resources.

[0053] Although PDCCH transmission uses Level 2 DCI for encoding at a 1% block error rate (BLER), the probability of decoding failure increases because performance may be determined by the worst of the two parts, and the network may not know whether the decoding problem is related to Level 1 or Level 2 DCI, to the UL acknowledgment feedback used for DL ​​transmission of PDSCH, or to UL power control used for UL licensing.

[0054] In these situations, it is difficult for the serving cell to determine the root cause of the retransmission requirement. Simply increasing robustness to all potential points of failure (e.g., increasing the aggregation level or decreasing the coding rate) would lead to reduced spectral efficiency. However, failing to adapt robustness to points of failure could result in increased latency (and reduced spectral efficiency), which could impact the quality of experience for end users of latency-sensitive services such as voice calls or extended reality (XR).

[0055] For DL ​​transmissions, potential failure points could be: the UE might be unable to decode the first-level DCI due to reasons such as BLER; the UE might be unable to decode the second-level DCI due to, for example, coverage issues; and / or the NW might be unable to decode the UL ACK sent by the UE and associated with the scheduled DL transmission. From the UL's perspective, similar failure points may exist, but for the last point, the NW might be unable to decode the UL PUSCH transmission instead of the UL ACK. A serving cell that doesn't know the root cause of the transmission failure might need to adjust its TX parameters for a full retransmission, which could result in more DL overhead and increased UL interference. A serving cell with feedback on which level of the two-level DCI failed can be able to adapt the robustness level of the failure level only appropriately.

[0056] Any feedback that the UE needs to provide to the network requires resources. However, reserving resources for the UE can increase overhead and reduce spectrum efficiency. If the overhead introduced by Level 2 DCI feedback is greater than retransmitting Level 1 and Level 2 DCI, the feedback framework may be of little value. The technical effect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is to avoid excessive overhead (e.g., PDCCH overhead and / or PDCCH feedback overhead) while providing Level 2 DCI feedback to the network. The technical effect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be to enable a spectrum-efficient framework. In the exemplary embodiments, the PDCCH can be adapted based on Level 2 DCI feedback.

[0057] In an example embodiment, the serving cell can configure a set of criteria that can trigger Level 2 DCI feedback to the UE via, for example, RRC. The serving (or scheduling) cell can determine whether scheduling authorization for the UE in time slot X requires Level 2 DCI feedback. This determination can be based on, for example, authorization priority or Quality of Service (QoS). The serving cell can send a Level 1 DCI, which can implicitly or explicitly request Level 2 DCI feedback. After decoding the Level 1 DCI, the UE can determine whether Level 2 DCI feedback needs to be sent.

[0058] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to scenarios where a single scheduling cell can schedule multiple DL time slots before the UL time slot, or to scenarios where there are multiple scheduling cells. In scenarios with more than one scheduling cell, coordination between the serving cell receiving feedback and the self-scheduled cell may be required.

[0059] Now for reference Figure 4 The illustration depicts an example message sequence according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. At 405, the UE can establish an RRC connection with the active PCell and two SCells. At 410, the PCell can determine whether the UE requires Level 2 DCI feedback. For example, this determination can be based on the UE's configuration carriers. For example, if some of the UE's configuration carriers (or the scheduling cells of the configuration carriers) have indicated to the PCell that they have high PDCCH loads, for example via Xn, the PCell can determine that Level 2 DCI feedback is requested, for example, because the PDCCH load cell can better accommodate the 2-DCI robustness level. Alternatively or alternatively, this determination can be based on the uplink (PUCCH and / or PUSCH) or downlink (PDSCH) load of the PCell and / or SCell. For example, if the PCell has low UL load, it can determine that feedback is needed for Level 2 DCI. Alternatively or alternatively, this determination can be based on the UE's active service. For example, if a UE has a bearer configured with high-priority services or stringent QoS requirements (e.g., XR or voice / video calls), higher reliability may be required for Level 2 PDCCH decoding. The UE can be configured with such services via RRC signaling. For example, for DL, the UE can only know which services are being sent / provided after decoding the PDSCH; from the PDCCH perspective, explicit requests for Level 2 DCI feedback may be required. The DCI may not include information about which 5G Quality Indicators (5QIs) are being scheduled. 5QI values ​​map to tables in the specification that provide, for example, QoS requirements for data flows. QoS requirements may include, for example, latency budget, packet error rate, priority, etc. In another example, for UL, the network can provide authorization to the UE based on a Buffer State Report (BSR) reported by the UE. The UE can determine, for example, which data from which 5QIs will be included in the provided authorization using a leaky bucket algorithm. Due to updates to its UL buffer (e.g., dropped or new packets), the UE can include different data combinations than the NW anticipates. Regardless, the NW can explicitly or implicitly request Level 2 DCI feedback via RRC configuration. Implicit configuration can be based on the network configuration of the active bearer used for high-priority services. The technical effect of the NW determining whether Level 2 DCI feedback is needed can be to enable flexible feedback provisioning and / or control over feedback overhead.

[0060] At point 415, based on this determination, the PCell can configure resources for reporting Level 2 DCI feedback (e.g., resources configured for Level 2 DCI feedback) and / or configure criteria for the UE that can specify when to send feedback, and the UE can respond to this configuration (e.g., RRC reconfiguration and RRC reconfiguration completion messages). These criteria can be based on or include explicit indications from the serving cell. For example, explicit indications can be used if, for instance, control plane signaling is multiplexed within data, or if some UEs need to prioritize PDCCH reliability. Alternatively, the criteria can be based on or include specific carriers or carrier sets being scheduled (e.g., resources configured in Level 1 DCI). These carriers are known to have Level 2 DCI performance issues. This can be considered an implicit indication. Alternatively, the criteria can be based on or include the aggregation level or robustness level of carriers within the feedback group (e.g., resources configured for Level 2 DCI feedback). For example, the UE can only be requested to send feedback if the transmissions of Level 1 DCI and / or Level 2 DCI are below or above a certain aggregation level or coding rate. This feedback can have the technical effect of optimizing Level 2 DCI overhead by instructing the network on how to better adapt to the robustness level. This can be considered an implicit instruction. Optionally, the standard may include a first standard and a second standard, wherein the first standard includes a standard for transmissions for Level 1 DCI feedback, and the second standard includes a standard for transmissions for Level 2 DCI feedback. The technical effect of the NW providing standards and / or resources to the UE can be enabling flexible feedback provisioning and / or control over feedback overhead.

[0061] The serving cell can use a two-level DCI to schedule the UE. The PCell can schedule both the first and second-level DCIs, as well as, for example, the PDSCH, and the SCell can schedule both the second-level DCI and the PDSCH. Figure 4In the example shown, it can be assumed that the first-level DCI enables the UE to locate and decode all second-level DCIs, and then the PDSCH. In different examples using blind decoding to detect the second-level DCI, the first-level DCI may not include location information (e.g., exact location) associated with the second-level DCI. At 420, the PCell can send a first-level DCI transmission to the UE, indicating scheduling via PCell, SCell-1, and SCell-2. At 425, the PCell can send a second-level DCI transmission scheduling the PDSCH to the UE. At 430, SCell-1 can send a second-level DCI transmission scheduling the PDSCH to the UE. At 435, SCell-2 can send a second-level DCI transmission scheduling the PDSCH to the UE. Alternatively, SCell-1 can send the second-level DCI for both SCell-1 and SCell-2. At 440, the UE can determine to perform level 2 DCI decoding. Decoding can be performed sequentially or simultaneously for both the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI. Although Figure 4 The diagram illustrates decoding after receiving both the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI, but these steps can be performed in different orders or simultaneously.

[0062] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a second-level DCI transmission scheduled via PDSCH. Second-level DCI can be scheduled via PDSCH resources, or alternatively, transmitted via PDCCH resources. Furthermore, in this example, for PCell, if second-level DCI resources are scheduled via PDCCH, these resources can be located in the same control area as the first-level DCI, or in a different control resource set.

[0063] Figure 4 At 445, an example is illustrated where the UE might fail to decode the second-level DCI of SCell-1 and decide to send feedback. This example is not limiting; the UE may not encounter DCI decoding failure, or may decide not to provide feedback, etc.

[0064] At position 450, the UE monitoring its PDCCH timing can successfully decode the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI from the second SCell. At position 455, the UE may be unable to decode the second-level DCI from the first SCell.

[0065] At 460, the UE can further determine whether feedback for Level 2 DCI decoding will be sent. As mentioned above, this can be based on explicit or implicit indications (i.e., the criteria configured at 415). The technical effect of the UE determining whether to send Level 2 DCI feedback can be to enable flexible feedback provisioning and / or control over feedback overhead. In some scenarios where the network can determine Level 2 feedback based on HARQ A / N and UL transmissions, the UE can determine to skip (e.g., not generate or send) Level 2 DCI feedback transmissions even when requested (i.e., when the criteria are met), if the network configuration allows. For example, if the UE has already sent at least one ACK / NACK associated with (multiple) DL transmissions to the NW, the UE can determine to skip Level 2 DCI feedback transmissions. For example, if the UE has already provided feedback for at least one PDSCH, the UE can determine to skip feedback transmissions for one or more other Level 2 DCIs. The UE can be configured with a threshold to determine whether sufficient PDSCH-related UL ACK / NACKs have been sent to enable the UE to skip (another) Level 2 DCI feedback transmissions. In another example, if the UE has already provided feedback, the UE can determine that the two-level DCI feedback is multiplexed with other feedback for transmission to the NW.

[0066] In cases where a UE is scheduled by multiple serving cells via Level 2 DCI in the same time slot, for example, the PCell can determine whether Level 1 or Level 2 has failed based on HARQ A / N feedback for DL ​​allocation and UL Discontinuous Transmission (DTX) detection for UL authorization. The UE may need to send ACKs for PDSCHs decoded from PCell and SCell-2. Upon receiving this message, the PCell can determine that Level 1 DCI was successful, and therefore Level 2 for PCell and SCell-2 was also successful, but Level 2 for SCell-1 failed. In another example, if the PCell does not receive HARQ A / N feedback for any PDSCH in the PDSCH, it may not know whether Level 1 failed or all Level 2 failed.

[0067] In the case of scheduling multiple cells, if the UE is sending at least some HARQ A / N feedback or some UL transmissions associated with the authorization received at that monitoring time, the UE can choose to skip the transmission of the second-level feedback.

[0068] At 465, the UE can determine the feedback to be sent for the second-level DCI, and at 470, the UE can send the feedback to the PCell. At 475, the UE can also send ACK / NACK feedback for the PDSCH, which is decoded from the authorization of the PCell and the second SCell. At 480, based on the DL ACK / NACK feedback and the second-level DCI feedback, the PCell can determine which second-level DCI decoding failed. Figure 4 In the example shown, only one Level 2 DCI failed, and PCell could have determined this without any feedback.

[0069] Now for reference Figure 5 The illustration shows an example of UE operation according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. At 505, the UE may be in RRC connection mode. At 510, the UE may be configured with Level 2 DCI and configured with resources (e.g., resources) for Level 2 DCI feedback for Level 2 DCI ACK / NACK. At 515, the UE may have multiple scheduled cells. At 520, the UE may decode the Level 1 DCI, which may include an indication of the scheduled cell. At 525, the UE may attempt to decode the Level 2 for each scheduled cell. At 530, the UE may determine whether the Level 1 DCI indicates (implicitly or explicitly) to send feedback on the Level 2 DCI decoding. Alternatively or additionally, the UE may determine whether to provide feedback based on a criterion configured for the UE at 510. If the UE determines that DCI feedback is not required, at 535, the UE may not send feedback on the Level 2 DCI. If the UE determines that DCI feedback is required, at 540, the UE may determine whether to send Level 2 DCI feedback, for example, based on other decoded Level 2 DCIs. For example, if feedback has already been sent for other Level 2 DCIs, the transmission of feedback for the current Level 2 DCI may not be necessary, because the NW might interpret the failure to send feedback as an indication of a failure of the current Level 2 DCI. At 545, the UE can send or receive according to the scheduling authorization of each scheduling cell.

[0070] Although Figure 4 and Figure 5 An example of multi-cell connectivity is illustrated, but it is not limiting; the example embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to any scenario involving the use of Level 2 DCI.

[0071] Although Figure 4 and Figure 5The illustration shows feedback associated with Level 2 DCI, but this is not limiting; feedback associated with Level 1 DCI may also be provided, and criteria may be provided for determining whether feedback has been requested for Level 1 DCI feedback, Level 2 DCI feedback, or both Level 1 and Level 2 DCI feedback.

[0072] Although Figure 4 and Figure 5 The illustration depicts an example of two-level DCI feedback in the context of sequential detection / decoding of the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI, but this is not limiting; the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to cases of parallel detection / decoding of the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI. In this case, a separate criterion can be provided to the UE to determine whether feedback should be sent for the first-level DCI or the second-level DCI (e.g., a first-level DCI feedback criterion and a second-level DCI feedback criterion). In one example, the criterion may include both the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI being below a first aggregation level. Alternatively or alternatively, the criterion may include both the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI being above a second aggregation level. Alternatively or alternatively, the criterion may include both the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI being below a first coding rate. Alternatively or alternatively, the criterion may include both the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI being above a second coding rate.

[0073] Figure 6 The illustration depicts potential steps of example method 600. Example method 600 may include: receiving configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a criterion for sending feedback (610); receiving at least one downlink control information (620); and determining, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information (630). Example method 600 may be performed, for example, using a UE.

[0074] Figure 7The illustration depicts potential steps of Example Method 700. Example Method 700 may include: sending a configuration to at least one user equipment (User Equipment) for the User Equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information (710); sending at least one downlink control information to at least one User Equipment (720); and receiving feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback sent at least partially based on the standard (730). Example Method 700 may be performed, for example, using a network node, base station, PCell, serving cell, network entity, gNB, etc.

[0075] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; receive at least one downlink control information; and determine, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information. The configuration may further include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The standard used for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first standard for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second standard for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of a request for authorization of the transmission of feedback; scheduling of the transmission of feedback by a requested carrier set; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second coding rate. The example apparatus may also be configured to receive at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information.The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included below the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included above the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one Level 1 downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission. At least one Level 1 downlink control information and at least one Level 2 downlink control information may be decoded sequentially. The Level 1 downlink control information may also include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control information, or an indication of at least one of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control information. Whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message can be determined at least in part based on implicit indications and network configuration of the active bearer for high-priority services. Determining whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message may include the example apparatus being further configured to: receive a configuration of services for which a transmission for feedback can be requested; and determine to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message based at least in part on the service configuration. The example apparatus may also be configured to: in response to the determination to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message, use at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include to send the feedback. Determining whether to send feedback may include the example apparatus being further configured to: determine that criteria for sending feedback are met; and determine to skip a transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message based at least in part on at least one of the following: the configuration includes an indication that a transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message can be allowed to be skipped, or the apparatus has previously provided a determination of at least one of the following: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously received downlink control message, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, where the grant is associated with the monitoring timing for at least one downlink control message. At least one downlink control information may include at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein at least one second-level downlink control information may be received via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel or a physical downlink shared channel.Receiving at least one downlink control information may include the example device being configured to: receive at least one second-level downlink control information at least partially based on the location of at least one second-level downlink control information that may be included in the first-level downlink control information; or receive at least one first-level downlink control information and at least one second-level downlink control information in parallel. This configuration may be received via radio resource control signaling. The device may be in a connected state with a primary serving network node and at least one secondary network node. The device may be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots. The device may include at least one of the following user equipment:

[0076] According to an example embodiment, an example method can be provided, comprising: receiving a configuration using a user equipment for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; receiving at least one downlink control information; and determining, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information. The configuration may further include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The criteria used for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first criterion for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second criterion for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of a request for authorization of the transmission of feedback; scheduling of the transmission of feedback by a requested set of carriers; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second coding rate. The example method may further include: receiving at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be lower than the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be higher than the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be higher than the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be higher than the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one first-level downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission.At least one Level 1 downlink control message and at least one Level 2 downlink control message can be sequentially decoded. The Level 1 downlink control message may further include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control message, or an indication of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control message. Whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message may be determined at least in part based on implicit indications and network configuration of the active bearer for high-priority services. Determining whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message may include: receiving a configuration of a service that can be requested for the transmission of feedback; and determining to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message based at least in part on the service configuration. The example method may further include: in response to the determination to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message, sending the feedback using at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include. Determining whether to send feedback may include: determining that criteria for sending feedback are met; and determining to skip the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message based at least in part on at least one of the following: the configuration includes an indication that the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message can be allowed to be skipped, or a determination that the user equipment has previously provided at least one of the following: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously received downlink control message, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, where at least one grant is associated with the timing of monitoring for at least one downlink control message. At least one downlink control message may include at least one second-level downlink control message, wherein at least one second-level downlink control message may be received via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel, or a physical downlink shared channel. Receiving at least one downlink control message may include: receiving at least one second-level downlink control message based at least in part on the location of at least one second-level downlink control message that may be included by the first-level downlink control message; or receiving at least one first-level downlink control message and at least one second-level downlink control message in parallel. This configuration may be received via radio resource control signaling. User equipment can be connected to a primary serving network node and at least one secondary network node. User equipment can be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots.

[0077] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include: a circuit system configured to perform: receiving a configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending the feedback; a circuit system configured to perform: receiving at least one downlink control information; and a circuit system configured to perform: determining, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0078] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include: a processing circuitry system; and a memory circuitry system including computer-readable code, the memory circuitry system and the computer-readable code being configured together with the processing circuitry system to enable the apparatus to: receive a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; receive at least one downlink control information; and determine, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0079] As used in this application, the terms "circuit system" or "component" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a purely hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation in an analog, digital, and / or quantum circuit system); and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog, digital, or quantum hardware circuitry with software / firmware; (ii) any or all portions of (multiple) hardware processors (including (multiple) digital and / or quantum processors) and (multiple) memories having software, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile device, computing device, or server) to perform various functions; and (c) any or all portions of (multiple) hardware circuitry, such as (multiple) microprocessors, (multiple) processors, and / or (multiple) quantum processors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when not required to operate. This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuit system also covers an implementation of only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and if applicable to certain claim elements, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0080] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include components for causing the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may include at least a criterion for sending the feedback; receiving at least one downlink control information; and determining, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information. The configuration may further include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The standard used for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first standard for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second standard for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of a request for authorization of the transmission of feedback; scheduling of the transmission of feedback by a requested carrier set; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second coding rate. The component may also be configured to cause the device to perform: receiving at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be lower than the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be higher than the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be higher than the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be higher than the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one first-level downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission.At least one Level 1 downlink control information and at least one Level 2 downlink control information can be sequentially decoded. The Level 1 downlink control information may further include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control information, or an indication of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control information. Whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control information may be determined at least in part based on implicit indications and network configuration of the active bearer for high-priority services. A component configured to cause the apparatus to perform the determination of whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control information may include components for causing the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving a configuration of a service that can be requested for the transmission of feedback; and determining, at least in part based on the service configuration, to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. The component may also be configured to cause the apparatus to perform: in response to the determination to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, sending feedback using at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include. Components configured to cause the device to perform a determination of whether to send feedback may include components for causing the device to perform: determining that criteria for sending feedback are met; and determining, at least in part, to skip transmissions of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message based on at least one of the following: the configuration includes an indication that transmissions of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message can be allowed to be skipped, or a determination that the device has previously provided at least one of the following: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously received downlink control message, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, wherein the at least one grant is associated with the timing of monitoring for at least one downlink control message. The at least one downlink control message may include at least one second-level downlink control message, wherein the at least one second-level downlink control message may be received via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel, or a physical downlink shared channel. Components configured to cause the device to receive at least one downlink control information may include components for causing the device to perform one of the following: receiving at least one second-level downlink control information based at least in part on the location of at least one second-level downlink control information that may be included in the first-level downlink control information; or receiving at least one first-level downlink control information and at least one second-level downlink control information in parallel. This configuration may be received via radio resource control signaling. The device may be in a connected state with a primary serving network node and at least one secondary network node. The device may be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots. The device may include at least one of the following user equipment:

[0081] A processor, memory, and / or an example algorithm (which may be encoded as instructions, a program, or code) may be provided as example components for providing or causing operations to be performed.

[0082] According to one example embodiment, a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: receive configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; receive at least one downlink control information; and determine, at least in part based on the criterion, whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0083] According to one example embodiment, a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for at least performing: causing the reception of a configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending the feedback; causing the reception of the at least one downlink control information; and causing a determination, at least in part based on the criterion, of whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information. The configuration may also include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The standard used for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first standard for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second standard for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of a transmission for feedback that may be authorized by a requested service; scheduling of a requested carrier set; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second coding rate. The example computer-readable medium may also include instructions stored thereon for performing: inducing reception of at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information.The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included below the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included above the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one Level 1 downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission. At least one Level 1 downlink control information and at least one Level 2 downlink control information may be decoded sequentially. The Level 1 downlink control information may also include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control information, or an indication of at least one of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control information. Whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message can be determined at least in part based on implicit indications and network configuration of the active bearer for high-priority services. Instructions stored thereon for performing the determination of whether to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message may include instructions stored thereon for performing: causing reception of a configuration for a transmission of feedback that may be requested by the service; and causing a determination to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message based at least in part on the service configuration. The example computer-readable medium may also include instructions stored thereon for performing: in response to the determination to send feedback associated with at least one downlink control message, causing the transmission of feedback utilizing at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include. The instructions stored thereon for performing the determination of whether to send feedback may include instructions for performing the following: determining that the criteria for sending feedback are met; and determining, at least in part, to skip the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message based on at least one of the following: the configuration includes an indication that the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control message may be allowed to be skipped, or a determination that the user equipment has previously provided at least one of the following: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously received downlink control message, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, wherein at least one grant is associated with the timing of monitoring for at least one downlink control message.At least one downlink control information may include at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one second-level downlink control information may be received via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel, or a physical downlink shared channel. Instructions stored thereon for executing actions that cause reception of at least one downlink control information may include instructions stored thereon for executing one of the following: causing reception of at least one second-level downlink control information based at least in part on the location of at least one second-level downlink control information that may be included in the first-level downlink control information; or causing parallel reception of at least one first-level downlink control information and at least one second-level downlink control information. This configuration may be received via radio resource control signaling. The user equipment may be in a connected state with a primary serving network node and at least one secondary network node. The user equipment may be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots.

[0084] According to one example embodiment, a machine-readable (non-transitory) program storage device may be provided, the device tangibly embodying machine-executable instructions for performing operations including: causing the reception of a configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; causing the reception of the at least one downlink control information; and causing a determination, at least in part based on the criterion, of whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0085] According to one example embodiment, a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: induce the reception of a configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; induce the reception of the at least one downlink control information; and induce a determination, at least in part based on the criterion, of whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0086] According to one example embodiment, a computer-implemented system includes: at least one processor and at least one (non-transitory) memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least: cause reception of a configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; cause reception of the at least one downlink control information; and cause determination, at least in part based on the criterion, of whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0087] According to one example embodiment, a computer-implemented system includes: components for inducing the reception of a configuration using a user equipment, the configuration being configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information may include at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration may at least include a criterion for sending feedback; components for inducing the reception of the at least one downlink control information; and components for inducing a determination, at least in part based on the criterion, of whether to send feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

[0088] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: transmit to at least one user equipment a configuration for the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; transmit at least one downlink control information to the at least one user equipment; and receive feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least partially based on the standard. The example apparatus may also be configured to: determine the configuration at least partially based on at least one of the following: one or more configured carriers of the at least one user equipment, the load of the cell of the apparatus, or one or more services configured for the at least one user equipment. The configuration may further include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The feedback may be received via at least one of the first uplink resource or the second uplink resource. The standard used for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first standard for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second standard for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of a request for authorization of the transmission of feedback; scheduling of the transmission of feedback by a requested carrier set; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second coding rate. The example apparatus may also be configured to: send at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information.The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included below the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included above the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one Level 1 downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission. The Level 1 downlink control information may also include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control information, or an indication of at least one of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control information. The example apparatus can also be configured to: send network configuration for an active bearer of a high-priority service to at least one user equipment, wherein the high-priority service can be configured to: induce the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. The example apparatus can also be configured to: send configuration for a service to which the transmission of feedback can be requested to at least one user equipment, wherein the configuration can be configured to: induce the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. Receiving feedback may include the example apparatus being further configured to: receive feedback associated with at least one downlink control information from at least one user equipment, at least in part based on the standard, wherein the feedback may be received via at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include. The configuration may include an indication that the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information can be allowed to be skipped. The example apparatus can also be configured to receive at least one of the following from at least one user equipment: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously transmitted downlink control information, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, wherein the at least one grant is associated with the timing of monitoring for at least one downlink control information. At least one downlink control message may include at least one second-level downlink control message, wherein the at least one second-level downlink control message may be transmitted via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel, or a physical downlink shared channel. This configuration may be transmitted via radio resource control signaling. At least one user equipment may be connected to the device and at least one secondary network node. At least one user equipment may be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots.The device may include a network node that provides a primary serving cell to at least one user equipment.

[0089] According to an example embodiment, an example method can be provided, comprising: transmitting a configuration for at least one user equipment (User Equipment) to be provided by a network node for the at least one User Equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; transmitting at least one downlink control information to the at least one User Equipment; and receiving feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least partially based on the standard. The example method may further comprise: determining the configuration based at least partially on at least one of the following: one or more configured carriers of the at least one User Equipment, the load of a cell of the network node, or one or more services configured for the at least one User Equipment. The configuration may further include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The feedback may be received via at least one of the first uplink resource or the second uplink resource. The criteria used for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first criterion for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second criterion for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of a request for authorization of the transmission of feedback; scheduling of the transmission of feedback by a requested set of carriers; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second coding rate. The example method may further include: sending at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information.The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be lower than the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be higher than the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be higher than the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be higher than the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one Level 1 downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission. The Level 1 downlink control information may also include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control information, or an indication of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control information. The example method may further include: sending a network configuration for an active bearer of a high-priority service to at least one user equipment, wherein the high-priority service may be configured to cause a transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. The example method may further include: sending a configuration to at least one user equipment (UE) of a service that can be requested for feedback transmissions, wherein the configuration may be configured to induce a transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. Receiving feedback may include: receiving feedback associated with at least one downlink control information from at least one UE, at least in part based on the standard, wherein the feedback may be received via at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include. The configuration may include an indication that the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information may be allowed to be skipped. The example method may further include receiving from at least one UE at least one of the following: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously transmitted downlink control information, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, wherein the at least one grant is associated with the timing of monitoring for at least one downlink control information. At least one downlink control information may include at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein at least one second-level downlink control information may be transmitted via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel, or a physical downlink shared channel. The configuration may be transmitted via radio resource control signaling. At least one UE may be connected to a network node and at least one secondary network node. At least one user equipment may be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots. Network nodes may include network nodes that provide the primary serving cell to at least one user equipment.

[0090] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include: a circuit system configured to perform: transmitting a configuration via a network node to at least one user equipment for the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; a circuit system configured to perform: transmitting at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and a circuit system configured to perform: receiving feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least in part based on the standard.

[0091] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include: a processing circuitry system; and a memory circuitry system including computer-readable code, the memory circuitry system and the computer-readable code being configured together with the processing circuitry system to enable the apparatus to: transmit to at least one user equipment a configuration for the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; transmit at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and receive feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least in part based on the standard.

[0092] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include components for causing the apparatus to perform at least the following: transmitting to at least one user equipment (User Equipment) a configuration for the at least one User Equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; transmitting at least one downlink control information to the at least one User Equipment; and receiving feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least partially based on the standard. The components may also be configured to cause the apparatus to perform: determining the configuration at least partially based on at least one of the following: one or more configured carriers of the at least one User Equipment, the load of the cell of the apparatus, or one or more services configured for the at least one User Equipment. The configuration may further include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. The feedback may be received via at least one of the first uplink resource or the second uplink resource. The standard used for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first standard for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second standard for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of authorization for the transmission of feedback that may be authorized by a requested service; scheduling of the transmission of feedback that may be scheduled by a requested set of carriers; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being lower than a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information in at least one downlink control information being higher than a second coding rate. The component may also be configured to cause the device to perform: sending at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information.The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included below the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included above the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one Level 1 downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission. The Level 1 downlink control information may also include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control information, or an indication of at least one of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control information. The component can also be configured to cause the device to perform: sending network configuration for an active bearer of a high-priority service to at least one user equipment, wherein the high-priority service can be configured to cause transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. The component can also be configured to cause the device to perform: sending configuration for a service to which the transmission of feedback can be requested to at least one user equipment, wherein the configuration can be configured to cause transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. The component configured to cause the device to perform receiving feedback may include components for causing the device to perform: receiving feedback associated with at least one downlink control information from at least one user equipment, at least in part based on the standard, wherein the feedback can be received via at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include. The configuration may include an indication that transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information can be allowed to be skipped. The component can also be configured to cause the device to perform receiving at least one of the following from at least one user equipment: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously transmitted downlink control information, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, wherein the at least one grant is associated with the timing of monitoring for at least one downlink control information. At least one downlink control message may include at least one second-level downlink control message, wherein the at least one second-level downlink control message may be transmitted via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel or a physical downlink shared channel. This configuration may be transmitted via radio resource control signaling. At least one user equipment may be connected to the device and at least one secondary network node.At least one user equipment may be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots. The apparatus may include a network node that provides the primary serving cell to at least one user equipment.

[0093] According to one example embodiment, a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: cause the transmission of a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment via a network node, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; cause the transmission of the at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and cause the reception of feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least in part based on the standard.

[0094] According to one example embodiment, a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for at least performing: inducing the transmission of a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment using a network node, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; inducing the transmission of the at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and inducing the reception of feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least partially based on the standard. The example computer-readable medium may also include instructions stored thereon for performing: determining the configuration based at least partially on at least one of the following: one or more configuration carriers of the at least one user equipment, the load of a cell of the network node, or one or more services configured for the at least one user equipment. The configuration may also include at least one of the following: a first uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information, or a second uplink resource for transmitting feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information. Feedback may be received via at least one of a first uplink resource or a second uplink resource. The criteria for sending feedback may include at least one of the following: a first criterion for sending feedback associated with at least one first-level downlink control information; a second criterion for sending feedback associated with at least one second-level downlink control information; reception of an indication for sending feedback; reception of authorization for the transmission of feedback by a requested service; scheduling of the transmission of feedback by a requested carrier set; one or more downlink control information of at least one downlink control information being below a first aggregation level; one or more downlink control information of at least one downlink control information being above a second aggregation level; one or more downlink control information of at least one downlink control information being below a first coding rate; or one or more downlink control information of at least one downlink control information being above a second coding rate. The example computer-readable medium may also include instructions stored thereon for performing: inducing the transmission of at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information may at least include an indication for providing feedback, wherein the feedback may be associated with at least one second-level downlink control information.The indication may include at least one of the following: an explicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; an implicit indication for providing feedback associated with at least one Level 2 downlink control information; a first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included below the standard; a second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level that may be included above the standard; a third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; a fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate that may be included above the standard; an allocation of a requested carrier set for the feedback transmission; an authorization of a requested service for the feedback transmission; or an association between at least one Level 1 downlink control information and a requested service for the feedback transmission. The Level 1 downlink control information may also include an indication of at least one of the following: the location of at least one Level 2 downlink control information, or an indication of at least one of at least one of one or more candidate locations of at least one Level 2 downlink control information. The example computer-readable medium may also include instructions stored thereon for performing: inducing the transmission of network configuration for an active bearer for a high-priority service to at least one user equipment, wherein the high-priority service may be configured to induce the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. The example computer-readable medium may also include instructions stored thereon for performing: inducing the transmission of configuration for a service for which the transmission of feedback may be requested to at least one user equipment, wherein the configuration may be configured to induce the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information. Instructions stored thereon for inducing the reception of feedback may include instructions for performing: inducing the reception of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information from at least one user equipment, at least partially based on the standard, wherein the feedback may be received via at least one uplink resource that the configuration may include. The configuration may include an indication that the transmission of feedback associated with at least one downlink control information may be allowed to be skipped. The example computer-readable medium may also include instructions stored thereon for performing actions that cause at least one of the following to be received from at least one user equipment: a hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, feedback associated with at least one previously transmitted downlink control information, or an uplink transmission associated with at least one grant, wherein the at least one grant is associated with the timing of monitoring for at least one downlink control information. The at least one downlink control information may include at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one second-level downlink control information may be transmitted via at least one of the following: a physical downlink control channel, or a physical downlink shared channel.This configuration can be sent via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. At least one user equipment (UE) can be connected to a network node and at least one secondary network node. At least one UE can be configured with multiple downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots. The network node may include a network node providing the primary serving cell to at least one UE.

[0095] According to one example embodiment, a machine-readable (non-transitory) program storage device may be provided, which tangibly embodies machine-executable instructions for performing operations including: causing the transmission of a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment via a network node, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; causing the transmission of the at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and causing the reception of feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least partially based on the standard.

[0096] According to one example embodiment, a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: induce the transmission of a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment via a network node, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; induce the transmission of the at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and induce the reception of feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least in part based on the standard.

[0097] According to one example embodiment, a computer-implemented system includes: at least one processor and at least one (non-transitory) memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least: cause the transmission of a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment via a network node, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; cause the transmission of the at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and cause the reception of feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least partially based on the standard.

[0098] According to one example embodiment, a computer-implemented system includes: components for inducing the transmission of a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment via a network node, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for transmitting the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; components for inducing the transmission of the at least one downlink control information to at least one user equipment; and components for inducing the reception of feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback transmitted at least in part based on the standard.

[0099] The term “non-transient” as used in this article refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0100] As used herein, the terms “at least one” and “one or more” mean “any one of the at least one” and “any one of the one or more”, respectively.

[0101] It should be understood that the above description is illustrative only. Those skilled in the art can devise various alternatives and modifications. For example, the features described in the various dependent claims can be combined with each other in any suitable combination(s). Furthermore, features from the different embodiments described above can be selectively combined to form new embodiments. Therefore, this specification is intended to include all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: A receiving configuration is configured to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback; Receive the at least one downlink control information; as well as Based at least in part on the standard, it is determined whether to send the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration further comprises at least one of the following: The first uplink resource is used to send the feedback associated with the at least one first-level downlink control information, or The second uplink resource is used to send the feedback associated with the at least one second-level downlink control information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the standard for sending the feedback comprises at least one of the following: A first standard for sending feedback associated with the at least one first-level downlink control information. A second standard for sending feedback associated with the at least one second-level downlink control information. Receiving the instruction used to send the feedback. The transmission used for the feedback is authorized for receiving the requested service. The transmission of the feedback is scheduled by the requested set of carriers. One or more of the downlink control information in the at least one downlink control information are lower than the first aggregation level. One or more downlink control messages in the at least one downlink control message are at a higher level than the second aggregation level. One or more downlink control information in the at least one downlink control information is lower than the first coding rate, or One or more of the downlink control information in the at least one downlink control information are higher than the second coding rate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: Receive at least one first-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information includes at least an indication for providing the feedback, wherein the feedback is associated with the at least one second-level downlink control information.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the indication comprises at least one of the following: An explicit indication used to provide the feedback associated with the at least one second-level downlink control information. An implicit indication used to provide the feedback associated with the at least one second-level downlink control information. A first allocation of at least one first resource associated with an aggregation level lower than the first aggregation level included in the standard. A second allocation of at least one second resource associated with an aggregation level higher than the second aggregation level included in the aforementioned standard. A third allocation of at least one third resource associated with a coding rate higher than the first coding rate included in the standard. A fourth allocation of at least one fourth resource associated with a coding rate higher than the second coding rate included in the standard. The feedback transmission is allocated based on the requested carrier set. The authorization for the requested service is transmitted for the feedback, or The association between the at least one first-level downlink control information and the requested service in the feedback transmission.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one first-level downlink control information and the at least one second-level downlink control information are sequentially decoded.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first-level downlink control information further includes an indication of at least one of the following: the location of the at least one second-level downlink control information, or one or more candidate locations of the at least one second-level downlink control information.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein whether to send the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information is determined at least in part based on the implicit indication and the network configuration of the active bearer for high-priority services.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining whether to send the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information includes the instruction, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to: Receive the configuration for the requested service to be transmitted for the feedback; and The feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information is determined to be sent, based at least in part on the configuration used for the service.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: In response to the determination to send the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, the feedback is sent using at least one uplink resource included in the configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining whether to send the feedback includes the instruction, which, when executed with the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to: It is determined that the criteria used to send the feedback are met; and The decision to skip the transmission of the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information is based at least in part on at least one of the following: The configuration includes an indication that the transmission of the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information is allowed to be skipped, or The device has previously provided a determination of at least one of the following: Hybrid automatic repeat request feedback, Feedback associated with at least one previously received downlink control message, or An uplink transmission associated with at least one authorization, the at least one authorization being associated with a monitoring timing for the at least one downlink control information.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes the at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the at least one second-level downlink control information is received via at least one of the following: Physical downlink control channel, or Physical downlink shared channel.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein receiving the at least one downlink control information includes the instruction, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform one of the following: The at least one second-level downlink control information is received at least in part based on the location of the at least one second-level downlink control information included in the first-level downlink control information; or The at least one first-level downlink control information and the at least one second-level downlink control information are received in parallel.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the configuration is received via radio resource control signaling.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the apparatus is in a connected state with a primary service network node and at least one secondary network node.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the apparatus is configured with a plurality of downlink time slots preceding the uplink time slots.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of the user equipment.

18. A method for wireless communication, comprising: The user equipment receives a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback; Receive the at least one downlink control information; as well as Based at least in part on the standard, it is determined whether to send the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions being configured to perform at least the following: The configuration enables the user equipment to receive a configuration for providing feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback. Inducing the reception of at least one downlink control information; and This leads to a determination, at least in part, based on the standard, of whether to send the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information.

20. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: Sending configuration to at least one user equipment, the configuration being used by the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback, wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; Send the at least one downlink control information to the at least one user equipment; as well as Receive the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback sent at least in part based on the standard.

21. A method for wireless communication, comprising: A network node sends a configuration to at least one user equipment, the configuration being used by the at least one user equipment to provide feedback associated with at least one downlink control information, wherein the configuration includes at least a standard for sending the feedback, and wherein the at least one downlink control information includes at least one of the following: at least one first-level downlink control information or at least one second-level downlink control information; Send the at least one downlink control information to the at least one user equipment; as well as Receive the feedback associated with the at least one downlink control information, wherein the feedback includes feedback sent at least in part based on the standard.

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